You reach out gently to your “partner,” the barre, extend your other arm in a graceful arc and try to hold it, palm elegantly facing you. You bend your knees slightly, do a few slow, deep pliés, stretch your leg forward, to the side, and back — and the sweat starts to drip. But your posture straightens, your neck lengthens, shoulder blades move apart — and your back pain disappears.

Half an hour later, you say goodbye to the barre and move to the center of the room. This is where you realize why the studio is named Tasapisitasakaal (“balance slowly”) — because balance truly comes gradually. You stand, one foot on tiptoe, the other pressed into the back of your knee, arms overhead. At first, you couldn’t hold the pose long, but thankfully, the lovely teachers have plenty of tricks that — miraculously! — really work.

Your mind engages and other thoughts fade when it’s time to do turns where both feet start and end on the floor, but in between, you must spin on one. There are eight variations: right foot in front, left in back — you can turn left or right on either leg (four options). Then reverse: left foot in front, right in back — another four. Okay, maybe two aren’t used, but you still have six options.

Now the teacher shows a combination: one leg, the other leg, one arm, the other arm, head… No way you’ll remember that! But you will, if you focus. Beautiful music helps — it invites and inspires, and the combination becomes a dance. You feel pure joy in graceful movement. Graceful? Yes — adult ballet seeks beautiful lines. Flexibility and high legs are secondary.

In the mid-18th century, the famous French dancer Marie Anne de Cupis de Camargo shocked polite society by shortening her floor-length skirt. Her ankles — oh, scandal! — were visible. She probably didn’t dare lift her leg above 45 degrees. Instead of frilly bloomers, she wore leggings. But she could leap, beat her feet together in the air, create scissor-like moves, spin, and pose so gracefully that even Voltaire was enchanted.
It’s said that even at 60, she glided across the stage like a bird…
Why not wish to be like her?