Ballet can be a grueling athletic endeavor, but typically when you’re still in dance class as a kid it’s still a fun hobby.
In what appears to be a girl’s dance class in Russia uploaded to YouTube in early December of 2019, a group of little ballerinas shows off their skills and it’s melting hearts all over the Internet. In fact, it’s been viewed nearly 50,000 times in just a few short weeks.
In a lesson from earlier that year – in May – the young ladies showed off a selection of choreography and warm-ups they had been learning.
The dancers look to be roughly around the age of 6 and they look pretty excited to be lined up in their white leotards and ready to begin the performance.
A teacher in the background explains the context (or at least we assume, it’s not in English) but it’s unclear what we’re about to see.
The music begins and we’re reminded just how important it is to loosen those muscles before you can begin.
Now, perfect unison isn’t their strong suit (yet) but during warm-ups, you’re just moving at your own pace.
Things get more precise when we see some introductory arm movements and it’s clear the classroom is much bigger than we first realized! There are twice as many girls as we thought.
It’s a great example of what to expect in a beginner ballet class and it’s clear these dancers are already getting serious about their craft.
But wait, the video is nearly 60 minutes long! This is a full-scale workout – and by the way these girls get off to an active start, it seems like the video can serve as a great workout for nearly anyone. The moves aren’t complex and you’re sure to get a good cardio session in. The added motivation of being able to keep up with a 6-year-old makes it even more compelling!
By minute 10 we’ve already run out of breath just watching them!
Now it’s time to practice a bit more choreography as the girls run two-by-two, taking their place inside hula hoops to practice their balance.
After that, they line up at the barre for some more balance and footwork as their teacher critiques their form.
After some more active choreography, it’s back to balance work. And if you think this looks easy we invite you to give it a try just to see how your toes and ankles feel after a few seconds!
The video is bound to bring back memories for anyone who has taken a ballet class before.
Remember the half-balance, half-ab work? It’s never fun while you’re doing it, but it sure does remind us just how much energy we used to have!
What makes this video great is that it shows just how much motivation, concentration, discipline, flexibility, and athleticism ballet takes. While both boys and girls take dance classes and sports, we tend to think of the latter as more “athletic.” And it’s just not true!
These girls are working so hard on their floor mats – even if they didn’t look all that steady on their toes, it’s clear that flexibility work is key in this studio.
By the time the video ends we’re not sure if we need a nap or feel motivated for a workout of our own!
Be sure to scroll down below if you want to take your own dance class from home!
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