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Post-Gazette dance writer Sara Bauknecht, front, practices balancing in releve in second position at the barre in the Ballet 101 class at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in the Strip District.
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Anyone can be a dancer in Ballet 101, a program for adults

Sara Bauknecht/Post-Gazette

Anyone can be a dancer in Ballet 101, a program for adults

There’s nothing like a new year to stir thoughts of trying something new or rekindling old resolutions that dropped off during the year.

Whichever it is, you might just find what you’re searching for on the dance floor. In January, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School’s community division will welcome back its Ballet 101 series of classes for adults with little or no dance experience. Six weekly one-hour sessions take place at PBT headquarters in the Strip District and cover ballet fundamentals along with basic technique and terminology. 

The PBT School experimented with Ballet 101 classes in the past and debuted this series in the fall. It’s part of its mission to make ballet approachable to anyone, whether they’re looking for a new hobby, new friends or a new workout.

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“People seem to really enjoy the Ballet 101 series,” said instructor Shanna Naider. “A lot of times people are intimidated by ballet. It’s a new language. It’s a new dance movement language, but there’s no pressure here. We just really want people to have fun.”

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Ballet 101 at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School
When: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursdays Jan. 11 through Feb. 15.
Where: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre headquarters, 2900 Liberty Ave., Strip District.
Enrollment: $60 for six-week program at  pbt.org/pbt-school/ (select “community division”) or call 412-281-6727.

A live pianist, small class size and a comfortable pace (no pointe shoes or complicated choreography) are other popular features, she noted.

Even so, who hasn’t attempted that anyone-can-do-it fitness class or at-home exercise video, only to find that, no, not everyone can do it? With that in mind, I sampled the Ballet 101 series earlier in the fall.

Full disclosure: I danced for nearly two decades, so ballet isn’t new terrain for me. However, I hung up my ballet slippers almost 10 years ago when I switched career paths from dance to writing about dance. So my sus-sous is rusty, and there’s not a leotard to be found in my closet these days.

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I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t apprehensive about taking my first ballet class in so long. Will I do it right? Wear the right thing? Look silly on camera? (Yes, that’s a concern when you decide to turn a class into a video, which can be viewed at post-gazette.com.)

In reality, though, the atmosphere was as relaxed as Ms. Naider had described it. I opted for yoga clothes and danced barefoot. Others came in shorts, T-shirts and socks, while a few wore traditional tights with leotards and ballet slippers. It was refreshing to see people in a range of ages, shapes and sizes, including some men. 

The class began with a welcome and a warmup to stretch out feet and calf muscles. Then came a series of barre exercises -— plies, tendus, rond de jambe, battement, etc. The instructor demonstrated and described each exercise in detail before we tried it with music. People were not afraid to ask questions.

Following barre work, we practiced pirouettes in the center of the room and then jumping sequences to get the heart rate up. By the end, I wasn’t dripping buckets of sweat, but my legs were feeling the burn! Dancing to live music was a treat, too; that’s usually reserved for professionals or serious training programs. 

The hour flew by. The mood was jovial, not judgmental. As a former competitive dancer, I enjoyed being in a space where the goal wasn’t to be the best. It’s just about trying to be your best self, whatever that means for each person.

“I’ve noticed that my posture is a lot better,” said Jennifer Torpie, 29, of Oakmont. “Usually I’m very slouchy, and I type at a computer all day. I noticed I’m correcting that a lot more,”  

Other than a ballet class in college, she knew “basically nothing” before taking this class.

“It’s just fun. It gives me something to look forward to each week.”

A resolution that’s fun is one worth keeping!

Sara Bauknecht: sbauknecht@post-gazette.com or on Twitter and Instagram @SaraB_PG.

First Published: November 27, 2017, 12:00 p.m.

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Post-Gazette dance writer Sara Bauknecht, front, practices balancing in releve in second position at the barre in the Ballet 101 class at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in the Strip District.  (Sara Bauknecht/Post-Gazette)
Post-Gazette dance writer Sara Bauknecht, front, executes a demi plie at the barre in the Ballet 101 class at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in the Strip District.  (Sara Bauknecht/Post-Gazette)
A student stretches her feet at the barre in the Ballet 101 class at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School.  (Sara Bauknecht/Post-Gazette)
Instructor Shanna Naider, center, leads students in a balancing exercise during the Ballet 101 class.  (Sara Bauknecht/Post-Gazette)
Sara Bauknecht/Post-Gazette
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