Ballet to BODYART
Dancing in La Sylphide age 19 - London Festival Ballet (pic: LFB program extract)
Ballet to BODYART
Force & pain to the joy of sustain.
Gosh where do I start?
Ballet to BODYART popped into my head recently - my life started off as a driven young girl who wanted to dance and become a professional ballet dancer ! Today at 62, BODYART is my happy, healthy movement & music place.
BALLET is extreme - no pain no gain.
Addicted to becoming a professional ballet dancer at any price, I did. All the odds were against me according to those so very quick to judge & predict. Wrong body shape, short legs, feet not arched enough, not enough turn out, round bum & the list goes on! In a career where girls who want to dance have always been in the squillions, it seemed the world was not exactly making it easy. BUT that’s the point - becoming a professional ballet dancer is NOT easy. It doesn’t just take natural physical assets, but enormous determination, discipline, work ethic, resilience, diligence, tenacity, musicality and a hell of a lot of hard sweaty work.
I did not became a star or a soloist, but my mental grit, hard work and unquenchable thirst to dance the major classics with the London Festival Ballet Company was always my ambition & dream and I did that.
Very young - very green - the youngest member at age 17 of a 70 strong international ballet company. I had seen at age 10 & decided THAT was where I wanted to be!
The few years I danced with the London Festival Ballet* in the Corps de Ballet from 1978 was tough - but I would not change it for anything. I danced ALL the major classics, from Swan Lake to Romeo & Juliet, worked with world renowned dancers such as Rudolf Nureyev and toured all over the UK. I danced many seasons in the West End at the London Coliseum, Dominion Theatre and Royal Festival Hall plus a memorable season in Nervi in Italy. We even did the Nijinsky movie as the Ballet Russe at Pinewood Studios. The close friendships I made are still going today, some 45 years later. *Now known as English National Ballet.
A classical ballet dancers professional life is extreme. An elite athlete with the addition of grace, performance and the never ending striving to create the illusion of effortless perfection in motion. It is unsustainable, hence most dancers careers transition or change in their mid 30’s. Long term physical issues develop later in life - anything extreme comes at a price. Injuries & early arthritis are common.
I look back now and know my mentality was to force, push, accept pain for gain and very rarely relax or have time out. . . I lived and breathed ballet. Did I love it? Yes. Was it worth it? Yes. Was it tough? Hell yes!
BODYART - Sustainable movement joy
Fast forward 37 years to 2015 - a single Mum age 55 with 2 teenage sons. I started my own Personal Training & Pilates Biz after going back to study 7 years before. I was wondering how I could sustain my work as a PT - my body was starting to show me the damage of the earlier forced abuse I had put it through as a dancer. I had transitioned from dance to choreography, stage management and assistant directing. No pain no gain was still a little too much in my psychology of self. Peri-menopause was evident & playing havoc too, though I didn’t understand that at the time. (I went through menopause very late)
Enter BODYART via a Masterclass at FILEX Convention 2015. The International annual Fitness Seminar for professionals - to gain ideas, innovative training knowledge and the latest advances in all things health & fitness. Never heard of BODYART that began in Germany in 1995 - had no idea what it was - but willing to try it, as it was on offer. As a trainer we need to learn, learn, learn and FILEX was always a great opportunity to do this with International Master Trainers and Presenters.
Suddenly I was back in a dance class ‘flow’ but it was different. The breathe was the rhythm, the movements were a balance of challenge and nurture and the music was ambient to match the energy of the 5 elements of traditional Chinese medicine - Earth, Wood, Fire, Metal & Water. We were barefoot & the energy flow was exhilarating and then deeply relaxing. I sweated, but it began from the inside and radiated to the outside of my body. It was different to pushing and punishing my body, it was strong and mobilising but kind and caring. What had I just experienced? I felt so totally connected, energised and calm - I was excited about EVERYTHING! How could a movement class have this magical affect on me?
Yep the inner dancer was satisfied, but the body was oiled, mobile, energised & at peace. No slamming, no intention to feel pain or burn. The seamless flow from one element to the next enabled more - mind and body was ready. Then complete relaxation. . .
I had found my new happy place and I wanted to learn & understand it more . . .
Becoming a BODYART Instructor
I week later, I jumped on a plane to Sydney to do the first ever BODYART L1 training in Australia with Creator Robert Steinbacher & CEO Julia. This opportunity was instigated by Marcus Irwin (ex World Aerobic Champion) There was a massive amount to learn. We spent 4 days doing Master Classes and learning the many important fundamentals of the BODYART philosophy. Breathing, Yin & Yang, polarity, the five elements of energy based on TCM, exercises and movement sequences inspired by Yoga, Tai Chi, Martial Arts, Pilates, Dance, Strength & Awareness and functional movement right through to deep relaxation. It felt like all my worlds of most loved movement & music were being perfectly fused. It was challenging to learn but I loved it and wanted to understand it completely.
As Australia was so far from the German BODYART International base, we were to practise on our own. Then when ready to be assessed, film ourselves teaching a class, demonstrate certain poses and do a theory exam online.
I was quite burnt out around the time I found BODYART. I messaged the CEO Julia, I was needing to clear my stress load and wasn’t sure if I could put the time required in. She simply said, ‘BODYART will always be there for you Andrea, but try to do it by the end of the year’. At this point it was May 2015. I decided to look at an element at a time and start practising a few minutes a day. The Earth element was the perfect start . . . breathing & mobilising - it was so calming and grounding. I found I wanted to do it everyday, to start my day.
I became a certified BODYART Instructor in Oct 2015 and officially launched BODYART training in my APT business in November 2015. Many of my APT Community have connected with BODYART - they truely love it and benefit in every pillar of their health, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
BODYART - the workout for LIFE
My connection with BODYART now spans 8 years - it has been life changing personally and professionally. To find a healthy movement practise I love that challenges and nurtures ongoing. It is sustainable for the privilege of ageing, reducing stress on the joints, improving mobility, gaining bodystrength, enabling endurance fitness, as well as the ability to let go and fully relax.
I treasure and appreciate the large chapter ballet played in my life - growing up and professionally. Ballet certainly gave me discipline, gritty determination and work ethic. I am also immensely grateful to have travelled through my life to BODYART. I am passionate to teach it & pass on the valuable knowledge and joy it can bring to many. I am happy it will be a part of my life ongoing - in the healthiest most sustainable way.
BODYART at Studio 1 in Richmond - APT BODYART Classes running for 8 years
Pic credit: Fiona Cull
Andrea Gaze 26.3.23
BODYART Master Trainer & Ambassador for Australia
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