Here is a ballet class outline for friends who see me doing my "nerd ballet" at the gym and say "Oh... I wish I could get back to ballet!" 

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For so many of us the ballet we rigorously studied in our youths gets locked up in a little box because there are so many barriers to re-entry. Classes and studios are hard to find and when we do find them, they will offer perhaps only one late-night adult class per week at times that might not work for a busy adult. For many adults we are busy with careers, kids, travel and more. In addition, the usual ballet class is 1 hour and 45 minutes long, with 15-minutes in advance to warm up and of course one must allow for travel time. Few of us have the 2.5 - 3 hours free on specific week night on a consistent basis.

But you know what I teach us all in my KindEdge practice. DDW IRL! Do what works, in real life! 

Here's what I did to make getting back to ballet WORK - in MY very real and complex life: 

• I went to a ballet shop and purchased several sets of ballet slippers, leg warmers, leotards, hair clips, stretch bands and more.
• I filled the gym bag that I keep in my trunk with everything I would need to be ready for a ballet class (including my ankle weights).
• I also placed a full set in my airport carry-on suitcase so in any hotel or even in an airport I can grab hold of a chair or railing and do my own ballet class. (I do the same with my yoga gear as I alternate my workouts with ballet one day, hot power yoga the next, and once-per-week I do weights and cardio at the gym or I run outdoors if and when the weather or travel makes that the best option.)
• I planned out a 60-minute class (75 minutes with warm-up) and prepared a music playlist in my phone. I will not achieve my full workout if I wasted time clicking about to find the right type of music or if I need to choreograph new steps for each class. I have to know that I can walk into the gym and within 75 minutes I'll have achieve a tough workout with music that leads me forth in each exercise.

The work I did to plan everything out is the key. In KindEdge we make your goal happen in real life by going deep on this Project of You. In Phase 1 of the the formal KindEdge "steps" we do written, guided work to pull absolutely clarity out of your head and get it running in real life. But in Phase 2 of the steps, KindEdgde guides you in something we call KindEdge360. KindEdge360 helps you build a foundation for success in 360 degrees of your life. We rebuild how you ensure your BODY, your MIND, your SOUL and your SYSTEMS are all aligned with what you need to succeed at your current goal.

In terms of your BODY - the things I'm talking about here serve as an example. You can't just wish you might get back to ballet, or to be more consistent at the gym. You need to go deep on the Project of You. You need to plan for, and defenc against, every possible hijacker. If the trunk of your car is too small to hold a full gym bag in it - guess what?! You might need to buy a new car with a bigger trunk! Your health and your longevity might quite literally be being held back by your car or other simple factors in your life. Even if your KindEdge Project of You goal is to write a book, if you don't optimize all the other parts of your life, you are less likely to succeed. If you only focus on writing your book, you are likely to fall prey to self-sabotage. In order to return to writing day after day after day, you need to be managing your energy and long-term health with strong, consistent fitness and health habits. The brain and the body and your mental health and soul are all connected.

Similarly, for anyone taking on an emotional life change, such as a divorce or job change, it actually becomes even more critical that you go deep on health. Perhaps you are working with a therapist and / or a divorce attorney and you feel that's all that's needed to achieve the intended outcomes. But guess what, you will hit a wall somewhere along the way and you'll realize there is nothing more your attorney or therapist can do until you manage your health. You might discover your hormones are out of whack and so you need to invest months with a doctor to get your body running right. You might find that your circadian rhythms are off and your sleep in inconsistent, leaving you unable to effectively carry forth the work that your attorney and / or therapist are asking you to do.

Any goal you have, and any big life change, is going to require you do the KindEdge360 re-build of your foundation: body, mind, soul and systems. When you get the foundation running in a way that feels good to you and is built for your real life, then everything else starts to click. If the 5am workout fad doesn't work for you - don't bother with it. FInd out what sort of exercise works for you and what timing works for you and then redesign your life to just make that work, for you and ONLY you. No online guru's advice will stick if it doesn't feel good for YOU.

So for me, I had to do the hard work to prepare my music, my choreography, and my gear so I knew that even if I have a business call a 2:30pm, as long as I park my car in front of the gym by 12:50 pm, the job was as good as done. And I didn't stop there. I aggregated the class schedules for all of the studio spaces at my gym and mapped out a plan such that would always have a plan an / or backup plan to ensure I'd have a space available in which I could do my ballet workout. No crying in baseball or ballet. Luck favors the prepared!

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You body, your mind, and your soul NEED you to give them this level of attention. When I feel my muscles stretch and burn in my workouts, I know that I'm feeding my body with this message: "Yes, we are growing, we are building, we are USING these muscles." In response, my body will increase growth hormone signalling. And my other dietary practices such as intermittent fasting, send other signals to my body. Every thing I do with my body, mind and soul will send messages to my body to create more of the good stuff, build and maintain this body because I'm using it actively.

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If we ignore our bodies it will ignore us. If we ignore our minds, the mind will stop bother to do maintenance. If we do the things - the things will reward us. It is that simple.

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So, for here and now, whether you are returning to ballet, or trying to start it as a newbie, give this ballet class a try and see if it's something you want to incorporate into your future. I call this nerd ballet because I look ike a nerd doing my stuff amongst gym bros. But here's the deal, I'm dying and so are you. Why not nerd out on the KindEdge Project of You. Whether or not you reach some great perfect end goal, wouldn't you at least be able to say you were willing to die trying? #DieTrying

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NOTE: I'm sure you are aware that music copyright law prevents me from using other people's music in my videos. Every ballet class combination that I show in the videos below is being danced to a particular musical set. When you watch the video of me doing the steps, you can listen to the audio music that I offer in the playlist. Here are two ways to do this: 

• Watch me show you the steps in my silent video; then play the music and do the steps
• Alternately, you can click "play" on the music on your mobile phone and then watch me to the step and follow along on a separate device such as an Ipad, tablet or PC.

If anything, these videos will get you back to ballet by simply reminding you of the steps and the routine of the standard ballet class. Have fun and do this anywhere. During the pandemic days I did this in my garage, at parks, at beaches, and on a pier with my dog, Donovan, wagging his tale to the music.

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So you do you. Here's to you unlocking the alternate ending to your life...  one simple, actionable, doable, life-changing-but-easy step at a time.

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Cheers, cin-cin and hugs,

@MarySueIRL

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1. Warm-up: 

• Video demonstration
• Music

2. Core exercises on floor

• Video demonstration - from front
• Video demonstration - from side
• Music

3. Plies

• Video demonstration - 1st position and 2nd position
• Video demonstration - 4th position and 5th position
• Music

4. Stretch: Leg on the barre

• Video demonstration
• Music

5. Stretch: Foot-in-hand, devant and a la seconde

• Video demonstration
• Music

6. Tendu with Plies

• Video demonstration
• Music

7. Tendu with degage en croix

• Video demonstration
• Music

8. Degage with piques and pas de cheval

• Video demonstration
• Music

9. Frappes

• Video demonstration
• Music

10. Rond de Jambe at terre et en l'air

• Video demonstration
• Music

11. Petits battements with turns

• Video demonstration
• Music

12. Grand battement with floor stretch with stretch band

• Video demonstration
• Music

13. BONUS: Brain teaser frappe combination counting in 5s

• Video demonstration
• (No music - just me counting!) Here's a cheat sheet:
• ONE (two, three, four)  FIVE
• ONE (two, three) FOUR, FIVE
• ONE (two) THREE (four) FIVE
• ONE, TWO (three, four) FIVE

14. Across the floor: Grand Allegro 3-in-1

• Use this one piece of music and just let it repeat 3 times: Grand Allegro Music
• Here is a speaking instruction for each of these 3 combinations: 
• 1) Balance with pique turns
• 2) Balance with tour jete and grand jete
• 3) Pique failli into petit allegro
• • Here is a video demonstration of all 3 combinations: 
  • 1) Balance with pique turns
  • 2) Balance with tour jete and grand jete
  • 3) Pique failli into petit allegro

15. Reverence

• Video demonstration
• Music
• test

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and video playlist for all you ex- ballet students and new ballet students of any age; this is an easy class that will get you back to ballet, especially if you're looking to mix up your workouts.

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