A Dream Come True...sort of

When I was a little girl, wanted to be a ballerina.

Or at least wear the leotard, tights and oh! my! A tutu.

That was long before there was a dance studio on every corner and it was considered a right...the same sort of right as public schooling and use of the highways...for every little girl to take dance.

I don't believe I knew a single, solitary person who 'took' dance when I was growing up.

That wasn't the point. I had paper dolls who had ballet costumes and I spent hours and hours and hours folding the paper tabs down to hold a Swan Lake costume that my mother had meticulously cut out onto this or that paper doll.

I loved my paper dolls and I played with them a lot.

I wanted to be as beautiful as those one dimensional, cardboard figures.

And graceful.

And wear a tutu.

Didn't happen.

 By the time I lived where dance lessons were possible, I was also the mother of two. And my daughter didn't care for the dance lessons I signed her up for. We only did that one semester. She tapped to "The Good Ship Lollipop" in her tap shoes, but let's just say it wasn't pretty. And she didn't really like it. She was much more into playing softball. *sigh*

While there are dance studios in my town that offer adult dance lessons, that dream has sort of faded over the years. I'm not the disciplined type. I'm short. I have a bad back. And, let's face it...I'm on the heavyweight side of chubby. And I'm not necessarily graceful.

However, this morning, I'm going to take my first class at Pure Barre. This is an exercise class that combines elements of ballet, yoga and pilates. I'm told it is very good for developing and strengthening core muscles. It is low impact (good for my back). I'm praying that it will help relieve some of the chronic back issues that I have been experiencing. Fervently praying.

Because one of the options on the table is spinal fusion
and I just don't want to go there.

So, I'm readying myself to go across the street and join a class (I'm not a joiner) where I will be in a mirrored room, holding onto a barre.

I'm sure I will be inflicting pain on my well rested muscles Although I walk 3 times a week, I doubt that my abs are aware that I consider this to be substantial exercise.

Unfortunately...there isn't a tutu involved.

~Mollianne

Update:
I finished the class and am proud to say that I tried to do everything they asked.  It was upbeat and INTENSE!  I'm talking major kicking of my butt.  And I'm going to go back.  However, I need to go back with the disclaimer that some of the muscles they wanted me to use left the premises back in...oh...1978 or so!  I think you can see pictures of those muscles on the back of milk cartons. 

~MBM