Forget about Jagger, I want moves like Misty. Have you ever seen Misty Copeland? Do your self a favour and Google her – the girl is a phenomena. She’s gorgeous, a ballet dancer and every inch of her body is toned. I’m convinced she can’t spell fat and when she looks at bacon, it shrivels up in shame. Forget every fitspo image you have implanted in your impressionable mind – Misty will out class them all. Madonna’s arms – child’s play. Geri Haliwell’s thighs in Raining Men – beginner. Anna Kornikova’s calves – average. The woman is a machine.
Perhaps I love Misty Copeland because I have had a thing for ballet dancing. Maybe it’s the grace, ease and discipline of the art form that attracts me – I don’t know, but secretly I’ve always believed I too could be a ballet dancer. For this reason, and because I embody the life attitude “never say never,” I recently attended a barre class in town to channel my inner ballerina and let all that untapped potential leap forth from within.
My barre class was horrible. Not because it was bad but because I was clueless. Completely. They made me hold a ball between my thighs and try to do a sit up at the same time. I fell over, I felt like a walrus and I didn’t sweat. My friend, who is a dancer, came with me and loved it.
Looks like it isn’t as easy to dance like a swan as Misty makes it appear – not to be dissuaded from my dreams I did some research on ballet moves at home. Let me share it with you so you too can be the thigh envy of the town. Don’t forget ballet is all about balance, strength and posture. Keep your abs engaged and imagine someone is pulling a thread from the top of your head as you make your moves.
Plie
Stand with your feet in first position (heels together, toes turned out about 45 degrees), legs straight, hold onto something to help you balance. With your spine tall and abs tight, rise up onto the balls of your feet. Plié by bending your knees out over your toes (only lower about half-way down). Straighten your legs (squeezing your inner thighs together as you extend), and then lower your heels.
Bridge
Imagine your body is a bridge. Lie on the ground with you knees bent upwards and your feet flat on the ground. This ballet exercise targets the inner thighs, back of the legs, core and butt – YES! Straighten one leg and lift your butt to the ceiling, squeeze your thighs as you lower your leg up and down. Keep your knees together and don’t touch the floor with your hips. Do it on one side and then on the other.
Arabesque
Arabesque is a posture in which the body is supported on one leg, with the other leg extended horizontally backward. This posture makes you use all those balancing muscles and lean up. Try create a table with your body, your stomach down and your weight in your hands and knees. Extend one leg backwards, point it to the sky and then bring it down under your body.
C position
Lie on the ground and lift the upper half of your body until you can feel that your abs are – this is C position. Your body is curved like a C. Pull your stomach in as you lift your upper body, bringing your arms overhead to first position (creating a circular frame around your head). Focus on keeping the stomach pulled in as you lower and lift again.
This, my friends, is where I’m starting. 4 moves, surely I can master that?! Yes, I believe I can, and so can you. If you are feeling summer body insecurity slip in, why not try some ballet moves? There’s lots of room in the Misty appreciation club.