Dear Dancers,
I hope you are enjoying your Easter weekend with family and friends or having some quiet time to yourself.
Always a newsletter comes with a heartfelt thank you for the commitment and time you give to your ballet classes; knowing that ballet enriches and helps towards a healthy lifestyle is very rewarding for a teacher.
Ballet gives that extra lift to the week, keeps mind and body strong, refreshes the senses to meet all that is presented to us in our busy lives. It strengthens the bones with its weight bearing nature, improves coordination, balance, the cognitive, cardiovascular health, gracefulness and, the crucial posture; dancers walk tall!
Along with those that have danced with me for a long time, it has been lovely to welcome new dancers this year from all backgrounds: childhood ballet, vocational level and complete beginner, a reawakening of your training or a life long passion to learn is fulfilled.
In this increasingly grim, disconcerting world, dwindling services, the overload of technology causing the 'instant' to be favoured over the 'unhurried', our own personal sadness or loss, all of which jolt our calm, ballet class is one of those weekly saviours; the discipline, music and connection with others in our ballet community nourishes the soul.
Joy
I've sent this clip on a newsletter before, it's a delight and makes your heart sing. Such beautiful, lyrical ease from Francesca and William, utterly fresh and joyous.
Dances at a Gathering pas de deux (Jerome Robbins; Francesca Hayward, William Bracewell)
These are clips from La Fille and Giselle cinema live screenings. Fascinating to watch rehearsals, hear the dancers interviewed, their intelligence and unassuming naturalness evident, as they engage with us.
An introduction to The Royal Ballet's La Fille mal gardéeAn introduction to The Royal Ballet's Giselle
More on the Cotswold Adult Ballet website
Rebecca has created a YouTube channel on our website, 'a collection of all things Ballet'. A marvellous array of dedicated playlists, full length production, rehearsal footage and costume design reels.
The Royal Danish Giselle is a lovely watch, the particular buoyancy of Bournonville style.
Watching, thinking, talking and doing ballet is such a blissful way to fill the mind and body with happy thoughts.
With hope, faith and kindness.
Easter Blessings,
Ali x