The Giggly Ballet Lesson

I wonder what the allure/appeal is for me with painting ballerinas?  Whether they are young or old, or doing whatever...it seems to be young ballerinas looking up to their teacher.  I guess this resonates with me.  I took ballet and tap dancing lessons and my teacher was  a former rockette.  She was tall, had a tall bun on her head and penciled thin brows.  She always smelled of cigarette smoke and wore bright pink lipstick, although none of this sounds attractive, I was in awe of her.  There was a mystery about her. She put up a wall on her personal life and kept it all business.  Why on God's Green Earth would that appeal to me in any way?  I wasn't good at ballet. I had the wrong feet. My feet are big and flat, no arch.  No arch is no good for ballerinas.  So, I was behind the 8 ball in ballet right from the get go. My friend, and sister on the other hand were quite good. I hated being judged on my every move.  Ballet was the not fun part of the lesson but man, was I excited when it was time to take off our black slippers and put on our tap shoes!  I loved tap dancing. I wasn't that good at that it. either.  One foot slapped heeled better than the other.  But I loved it anyway.

In this picture the girls are giggly and clinging to one another as they are too silly to be serious about doing anything wild with their toes, legs and arms.  Their teacher is beautiful and they are frightened and delighted by her beauty.  She is a goddess to them.  They just feel clumsy and awkward, but yet don't know how  clumsy and awkward they are.  But, there they are giggling and goofing while the teacher waits patiently to resume the lesson.

Now, then.  First position.