This month’s client feature spotlight is on SeungWha Noh. Hailing from Korea, SeungWha impressed us with her hard work and consistency in both Ballet Fitness and Classical Ballet classes.
Q: When did you start dancing? Tell us more about your ballet journey.
A: I started dancing about 10 years ago in Korea. I have loved ballet since I was little but didn’t have a chance to learn until after I started work. It was enjoyable to practice what I saw in ballet performances and even though I was not perfect, I felt the accomplishment of executing the steps. I had a break for 6 years because my two kids were born and then returned to ballet in 2021. The ballet trends had changed a lot but I just loved to dance, and I entered an amateur ballet competition with Kitri’s variation from Don Quixote. I threw myself into preparing for the competition for a year and the experience made me love ballet even more. While I’m dancing I can focus fully on myself and it makes me believe in myself more.
In 2022, I moved to Singapore and another chapter of ballet started. I found BalletBody! I searched many, many ballet studios, and when I saw the BalletBody Instagram, everybody looked so happy in the classes. This is why I chose BalletBody, I really love the vibes here and I feel that the instructors are really passionate about teaching.
Q: You are so disciplined with attending both your weekly ballet fitness and classical ballet classes! What motivates you and how do you find the classes complement each other?
A: One of my weaknesses in ballet is my core strength, so I decided to attend the Ballet Fitness classes to help strengthen my core muscles. I find in Ballet Fitness classes that I’m able to work on specific muscle groups in every movement, and because I have to repeat one movement very slowly several times I try to move my body more deliberately. For example, while I repeat tendu slowly, I can work on using the floor more with my feet and metatarsals. This training is helpful when I do barre work in my Classical Ballet classes – everything is related. Both classes are challenging but strangely enough I feel refreshed after classes. I feel alive.
Q: What is your favourite and least favourite ballet exercise / step?
A: My favourite ballet exercise is Pliés. It is the start of the ballet class and makes me concentrate on the class ahead. Most Plié music is beautiful and makes me feel like I am in another world. The Plié is the most basic movement in ballet, so I try to put all my tips in my head during the exercise. Also the Port de Bras while doing Pliés that I am learning at BalletBody is so beautiful. Anyway I just love the Plié itself!
My least favourite step is Assemblé, however it is also the movement that I really want to be good at. I just remember the first time I learnt Assemblé, I thought, “What is that???” But as I got to know the Assemblé, I realised it is an active movement that excites the mood in a ballet. So now when I go to watch a ballet, I really focus on the Assemblés, especially when performed by the male dancers it is really awesome. At BalletBody I am learning basic principles of Assemblé and believe that I am getting better and better.
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