You may be asking, why classical ballet in a high school fine arts program? Why an emphasis on jazz technique and dance history when we could be teaching hip hop and street dance? What does classical ballet have to do with the liberal arts and the Charger Way?
Classical ballet is tough work. It requires focus and precision to build muscle, endurance, and strength. Dance is a “whole-body” form of exercise, encouraging proper muscular development and good posture that has long-term benefits and extends to other forms of exercise. However, the pursuit of technical excellence does more than form a strong dancer. Ballet translates beyond the classroom and stage to all walks of life, developing virtue in those who practice it. How does it do this? Well, when is virtue exercised? When it is hard to do the right thing. Ballet is an art form made up of simple movements that can always be done better. In the pursuit of excellence in each movement, you cannot help but develop patience, humility, and generosity. From your first plié to your last reverence, it will require diligence, patience, and sacrifice to hone the technique necessary to progress from level to level. While it is good to rejoice "getting the steps right" or increasing your flexibility, you have never "arrived." The wonder of classical dance lies in the fact that you can always make something better, and yet there is always some accomplishment of which to be proud. Lastly, it is by nature a generous art form, meant to be shared with others. Once you begin to dance you must graciously give it away to your audience in performance .
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