Alicia Rountree is a Model, Entrepreneur, Co-founder of Tartinery Restaurant, and Founder & Creative Director of Alicia Swim.
“It’s part of my job to look good all the time and be in the best shape possible. Sometimes you need to get ready fast, and that’s where Rob comes in. I used to be softer but since I’ve been working with him I’m more cut, stronger, but lean not bulky. Rob is very motivating, he’s got this amazing energy, you don’t want to give up, you want to do your best. You don’t want to let him down.”
From old school divas like Marilyn Monroe, Bridget Bardot and Audrey Hepburn to present-day celebs like Kelly Ripa, Madonna, Natalie Portman and a host of Victoria Secret models, ballet classes and their inspired workouts have long given women lean, toned bodies that move with beauty and grace. Ballet dancers have always been admired for their long, lean, poised bodies.
Before I get into the physical benefits of ballet and barre workouts, lets talk about the deeper, mind-body connections we have to this physical-art-form-turned-workout. Ballet is a classical art form with aesthetics and principles that have stood the test of time and will always be in vogue. For many of us, ballet dancers have an almost mythical, unattainable beauty. Their poise, effortless elegance and ease of movement are a heightened version of what many of us aspire to our own journey.
In terms of cultural obsessions, ballerinas like Anna Pavlova were the original celebrity divas who were muses and obsessions for their choreographers. We as a society have a deep connection in our collective psyche to who ballet dancers are and what they represent. It’s why Einstein called dancers “The athletes of the gods.” No other workout connects with us in this way.
Quite simply: Ballet workouts help us connect with our inner diva and our own ultimate beauty. You can be soft, pink, powerful and striking all at the same time—and make no apologies for it.
Finally, everyone recognizes that the disciplined, focused, physical training of a ballet technique enables ballerinas to have killer, beautifully formed athletic bodies that we all want. Here are three ways ballet workouts will physically transform your body.
Ballet-inspired moves give you that long lean look with poise — and the secret is making a baller workout that raises your heart rate and burns fat. This is what I do with my Victoria’s Secret model clients, and I wanted every woman to feel like a model and have access to this training regimen.
Ballet training also works hard-to-reach muscles that need to be toned for women to attain the aesthetic they want.
There is no other workout that works the inner thighs like ballet workouts. Not only do they work the inner thighs, but they also engage all the muscles from the back of your legs, butt and hips in a way that pulls them all together in a nice, tight, neat package.
Ballet workouts also shape and tighten your back and arm muscles in a way that works great in a backless dress; just enough definition to show that you are toned without being “too much!”
Because ballet requires that your whole body moves together in one finely tuned unit, your core is always working with every movement. This is the best way to get a flat, strong, taut, tummy that always hold itself together. It’s your body’s natural Spanx.
Before I get into the physical benefits of ballet and barre workouts, lets talk about the deeper, mind-body connections we have to this physical-art-form-turned-workout. Ballet is a classical art form with aesthetics and principles that have stood the test of time and will always be in vogue. For many of us, ballet dancers have an almost mythical, unattainable beauty. Their poise, effortless elegance and ease of movement are a heightened version of what many of us aspire to our own journey.