This month’s client feature spotlight is our studio regular and Ballet addict, Joanne Lee. She speaks to us about coming back to Ballet after a long hiatus and how it has impacted her, from overcoming health issues to reigniting her love for the art.
Q: Tell us about your Ballet journey, how did you start and what made you want to come back to dancing as an adult?
A: I started Ballet at the age of four when my Mum had enough of me tripping over my own feet! I was obsessed from the very first plié and seriously contemplated making it my career as I grew older. I was fortunate to be in the very first batch of scholars of the newly-formed Singapore Dance Theatre and got to train and perform with them from age 15 to 19. Unfortunately, my training came to an end when I went to university as there were no good studios or companies where I was studying in the UK.
Fast forward to the beginning of 2022. I had been experiencing a few years of severe health issues and was struggling to recover from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I needed to start exercising but didn’t have any energy or motivation to get me out of bed. My sister had found BalletBody through Instagram and encouraged me to return to my first love. Now, I had done a class or two here and there over the years and, believe it or not, it is very intimidating for an ex-dancer to return to something as physically exacting as Ballet. But since it was either swimming laps in the pool or doing pliés, I chose to try BalletBody out…and I ended up absolutely loving it!
Unlike my experiences in adult classes elsewhere, I found the BalletBody environment to be non-judgmental and very encouraging. A couple of classes in and I was obsessed all over again. One year later and I’m now doing three to four classes a week. I really credit BalletBody with helping to dig me out of my Chronic Fatigue rut. I’m so grateful to the team of lovely instructors and my fellow dancers for helping me overcome my own insecurities and unrealistic expectations.
Q: What are your Ballet goals for 2023?
A: As I’m returning to ballet after a 29-year hiatus, there is a lot to work on. I have a slipped disc in my lower back, torn ligaments in both ankles and rather many more kilos compared to when I was 19! So my ballet goals for this year are centred around these shortcomings: regain my back (and overall) flexibility, strengthen my core and ankles to improve balance, and get a healthier fat-to-muscle ratio. My more general ballet goal is to dance in a sensible way so as to be able to enjoy ballet for as long as possible into my silver swan years!
Q: What would be your favourite Ballet to dance, and why?
A: The very first time I watched Giselle live on stage when I was around 12, I was ugly crying by the end of Act One when Giselle dies of a broken heart. That Ballet has been my absolute favourite ever since. Romeo and Juliet is a close second. I’ve always preferred the more dramatic ballets that require acting and character development over roles that are more technical and one-dimensional. It has been a lifelong dream to dance Giselle or Juliet. It just so happens they are both tragic characters. I suppose I’m emo that way!
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You are an inspiration to us all Joanne, thank you for dancing with us!
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