Most little girls, at one time or another, have dreamed of dancing across a stage on their toes in a tutu, playing the lead in “Swan Lake” or “The Nutcracker.”
And a class being taught by members of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago at the East Bank Club downtown gives the would-be ballerinas of our youth a second chance of sorts.
In “Basics of Ballet,” participants learn ballet positions in a 1 1/2-hour class designed to provide moderate exercise and an artistic outlet, says Michael Anderson, who started the program with fellow dancers Cynthia Giannini and Suzanne Lopez.
“It makes them feel beautiful as well as giving them some exercise,” says Anderson, about to return this year in his seventh Joffrey production of “The Nutcracker.” “Plus it helps them elongate their muscles, and it’s good for stretching, placement and coordination.”
Participants agree the benefits from taking the class go beyond getting the “ballet butt.”
Caroline Rogers, a lawyer from Chicago and first-time class visitor, said she noticed right away that ballet uses a different set of muscles than her regular workout of step aerobics or running. “You’re toning muscles that you don’t normally tone,” she says. “But it’s not as strenuous, probably because we’re just learning.”
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“I take tai chi on Sundays, and when I first took ballet class here my tai chi instructor said, `Your form has really improved,’ ” says Elise Schreiber, a Chicago interior designer. “I was standing up straighter and I was keeping my body straight and centered.”
Classes are small, 6 to 15 members, with varying levels of dance background. Taught every Saturday (except Nov. 27), the classes are open to East Bank members and are usually taught in six-week blocks. The current one runs through Dec. 18. Call 312-527-5800 for more details.