For the month of September, Sweaty Betty are running introductory classes from their stores for free. Each week a different activity is available and I went along to try out ballet.
On the evening that I went there were two classes back to back, mine was at 7.30 in the evening, in the store in the centre of Bath.Unfortunately, the class before was running late, so we didn’t actually start until nearly 8 and I was glad I had had a light supper before hand.
However, any mild grumpiness was soon forgotten as we lined up to start the lesson with our charming and professional teacher who instantly apologised and offered us all a free lesson at her Ballet school to make up for it.
I must admit I was little apprehensive beforehand, I have never attended a ballet class in my life and am more inclined to sports than dance.
As it turned out I was the only one of those present who had never had a ballet lesson; already others were slipping into ballet shoes and standing with the posture of a seasoned dancer. I can barely touch my toes, but I stood up straight, sucked in my tummy and quickly kicked my running shoes out of sight.
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I needn’t have worried though. I was so busy concentrating on our delightful teacher and attempting to follow her moves that I didn’t notice what anyone else was doing, so I am assuming they didn’t notice me either. Although I’m not very flexible, I found that I was able to manage most of the moves and actually my strength meant I was able to hold some positions quite well.
We worked through several small sequences and exercises, and as I grew more confident I could even imagine myself wearing their pretty plum vests and sumptuous satin trimmed hoodies whilst leaping gracefully across the room.
When it was time to stop, I was keen for more. For me it was a bit like a more lively pilates class and I felt that it had done wonders for my posture - I walked home feeling at least two inches taller and significantly more elegant.
I am not sure if I would have ventured along to a ballet class if it had not been on offer at Sweaty Betty, so it was great to try it out in a friendly environment and for free.
There is still time to sign-up for their last free class, go online for more details www.sweatybetty.co.uk or pop into a store to check availability. You can even check out some of the previous classes on video online. And if you can’t make it along this time, keep an eye out for one of their other initiatives like running clubs and yoga classes.
Danielle Sellwood, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
