Review of My Live BB Class + Jane Austen Meets Ballet Beautiful…

This past April, I finally treated myself to a live Ballet Beautiful class, which was both fun and daunting, and I would absolutely do it again!

Having just gotten over the flu, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up throughout the class, but though it was a bit strenuous at times, I managed to stick it out for the entire hour.

Our instructor was Natia, and although I was just a teensy bit disappointed that I didn’t get a class with Mary Helen herself, Natia was really lovely.  We opened with some stretching, tackled arms next, and then went on to abs, legs and thighs.  Ouch!  At one point, I was really struggling and thought I would slyly kick the laptop to one side, so the world wouldn’t see me gasping for breath, but eagle-eyed Natia caught me at it.  “Cathie!” she called, “I can’t see you anymore!…”  Needless to say, my ‘brilliant’ plan didn’t work too well.  😛  While it was embarrassing at the time, I’m glad she caught me at it now –it’s proof that the instructors really do pay attention to what is going on in class, and I believe she had a live class going on at the same time as well!

The session was worth all the pain and soreness, and if I could afford it… I would definitely like to sign up for more live classes in the future –although I am trying to get my endurance up with the streaming videos and DVDs first.  A girl’s got to maintain her dignity, you know!

Two things I learned from this class:

1.  The privacy option only prevents other attendees from viewing your webcam.  The instructor can still see you.  Ahem.
2. Don’t wear a leotard to a live class.  There may be some positions as you move around the mat where you will feel like you’re flashing the instructor (another boo-boo of mine).  Either have a wrap skirt, or just go for a nice, loose top and workout capris with your dance slippers –they will still look cute and ballerina-ish without the potential ‘oopsies’.  Save the leotard for those tête-à-têtes with the DVDs.

With my lesson learned, I embarked on a search for a pair of cute bottoms.  I knew I wanted a pair of capris as I find them to be a very flattering length, but the difficulty was in finding a pair made of cotton.  I don’t know why the majority of workout wear is now made out of nylon when cotton is so much more breathable to wear.  And don’t convince me otherwise, for I have tried these ‘breathable, fast-drying’ synthetic materials, such as the ‘Luon’ of Lululemon.  I’m especially disappointed with Lululemon because my friends lament over the fact that they used to carry cotton pieces, and now they have absolutely none.  Anyway, I finally found the cutest pair at Roots Canada –and the bonus is that it is made of organic cotton. 🙂  It even has 3 cute little snaps running down the sides at the bottom.  I hope they always have this style in stock!
For the top, I found this sheer jersey cotton shirt, which has Mr. Darcy’s infamous proposal to Elizabeth screen-printed on it.  The cut of the sleeves are airy enough for workouts and on the whole, I thought it was a beautiful nod to my love for Jane and literature.  (And on an unrelated note, I adore browsing the Jane Austen Online Gift Shop!)

Ta da!! …

In Jane’s time, women’s exercises consisted chiefly of riding, walks and sitting outside to get some fresh air.  I like to think that if she lived in these modern times, Ballet Beautiful would really strike a chord with her, for its graceful moves set to romantic classical music.

Speak soon! xx