Bravery and Ballet

I have been quite taken with Michelle’s studio style ever since I found her on Instagram. I’m drawn to her bold mixture of colors and prints, her slouchy skirts and, of course, the confidence she exudes as she dons the pointe shoes she has rightfully earned. She is en pointe so much, in fact, that I wrongly assumed she had danced as a youngster.

Nope.

She actually began her training at age 38. And just look at her now!

In her popular blog, Kingdom of Style, Michelle discusses the impact of her dancewear, a sentiment with which I completely relate.

“For me,” she writes. “Clothing is armour. It’s what gives me confidence to get out and face the day no matter how I feel inside, and what I wear in the ballet studio serves the same purpose.”

I have an inkling, however, that even if she were stripped of her armor and had to attend class in sweatpants and a t-shirt, Michelle would still kick ass in the studio. Her late start in ballet is enough to reveal other aspects of her character. I know that it takes an outrageous amount of courage for an adult to walk into a ballet studio for the first time. And to keep coming back again and again, despite the extreme difficulty of ballet, requires the kind of determination that can only be driven by deep love or perfectionism—or some combination of both.

Michelle seems to understand that love for ballet is a risky type of love. It’s one-sided, as ballet is a thing, not a person, and can be very frustrating. It can also be profoundly rewarding, if you’re brave and bold enough to try. Eventually, after so much hard work, you may actually find yourself dancing.

Michelle writes, “What I have realised with starting ballet at such a late age, is that it’s not really about the perfect pliés or the turnout or the endless search for the elusive middle split, it’s about allowing yourself to really listen to your body, to letting go of any inhibitions and just dancing.”

Just dancing. Is there any better feeling?

Well, perhaps dancing in a beautiful outfit.

 

Q&A with Michelle

Q. Tell me a little about your background.

I’m from Glasgow and I’m 44 years old. I began my dance training at Scottish Ballet about six years ago. I was always into ballet as a kid but from afar as I never had any opportunities to dance as a child.

Q. Many of our readers may already be aware that you are co-creator of the popular fashion and lifestyle blog, Kingdom of Style. What are your interests and/or occupations outside of fashion and dance?

By day I’m a graphic designer, so that takes up 90% of my life. I also have a wonderful boyfriend of 20 years so we just hang out and play records a lot!

Q. What first drew you to ballet? What do you still love about it?

I grew up in the era of Darcey Bussell and I was pretty obsessed with her. I would spend hours drawing her and her glorious feet so when I finally decided I needed some exercise in my life, ballet was the only option I even considered. I love it because it’s so challenging. It’s deeply frustrating so much of the time, but the perfectionist in me finds the constant challenge really rewarding.

Q. How do you prepare for ballet class? Any strange habits or rituals?

I don’t really have any rituals to be honest. I basically decide what I’m wearing and which shoes I need for that particular class; I have different pointe shoes for different kinds of choreography. Then I pack my bag and off I go!

Q. I have to say, you may be my #1 ballet style icon. At the moment, what is your favorite dancewear brand or go-to class outfit?

My favourite brand is Elevé. I love being able to choose pattern and colour combinations and I can usually find something from them that makes me feel good. I’m really into slightly odd colour pairings right now, such as army green with electric blue or lilac.

Q. Speaking of dancewear, I’m wondering you if could speak more about the effect that clothing has on your mood, your dancing, etc. during class. (I myself am a huge advocate for “dressing the part”—that is, the ballet uniform helps me feel like a dancer and therefore perform better.)

For me clothing has a huge effect on how I feel in class. As an adult dancer I can be prone to gaining a few pounds here and there and if I choose the wrong leotard for my classes I just end up feeling really self-conscious and can’t focus on what I’m doing as I’m too busy pulling or re-adjusting my clothing. If I feel good in what I’m wearing that really shows through in my dancing as I feel far more confident.

Q. Do you have a favorite ballet or dance company to watch?

I love our national ballet company here in Scotland, Scottish Ballet. I have been taught by many current and past dancers with the company and they are incredibly talented. They are an absolute delight to watch.

Q. Learning to dance as an adult can be frustrating. Do you have any advice to give to adults who would like to begin or re-begin ballet?

It’s soooo frustrating! My main advice would be not to give up. There will be times, LOTS of times when you’ll think “screw this” and want to walk away, but don’t. Ballet is filled with extreme highs and extreme lows, but the rewards are entirely worth all the frustration. There is no better feeling than the first time you nail a turn!

Q. As I continue to train, I’m finding that I would like to know more about music and music theory. I’m curious—do you have any sort of musical background or training? How does a good pianist affect class?

I don’t have any musical training per se but I used to be a DJ so I have a natural affinity for understanding beats and rhythms, which has helped me so much in class.

At Scottish Ballet we had a live pianist and it is just amazing. It really helps you be able to feel the music when there is someone there physically playing it.

Q. Finally, what are your goals for your dance training and for your life in general?

My current main goal in ballet is to be able to do pirouettes en pointe. When I started ballet that was my ultimate goal and still is even now. I have developed a real fear of them though and I would really love to be able to overcome that.

 

Be sure to check out Michelle’s new ballet Instagram account @i_am_thrasherina and her style account @kingdomofstylemichelle. You can also find her blog at KingdomOfStyle.net