NYC Professional Ballerinas Taught Me Kettlebells

Those weird dancer barbies...

I used to train with ballerinas and rugby players for a time in 2014. 

It might read like an unhinged plan, but back then it made total sense. The ballerinas were absolute savages for strength training and the rugby players were (hot) sports conditioning experts (did I mention hot). 

(also the nicest humans)

((also had butts like gods, we should all be buying booty plans from rugby players, not influencers in lycra onesies))

(((thinking about it now, the above plan might have been genius-level perfection)))

I have ballerinas to thank for kettlebells.

The fact that my first experience with kettlebells and a structured strength program in a group class format came from former NYC ballet dancers, brings my fitness career full circle. Back in 2014, I was glamoured by dancer arms and a “ballet body” before it hit the social media trend cycle. I thought a ballet body must come from ballet barre and Pilates classes because they were taught by former dancers, many of whom were working professionals. What I failed to realize (marketing 101) is that selling a ballet body for mortals in a group class is easy when the instructor has been chiseled by a decade of dancing (and maybe not eating).

I did not have a decade of dancing to bring to Physique 57 (although I was a figure skater in my youth), but truly believed Pilates and barre would unveil the secret formula for posture, triceps and oblique lines if I pulsed my way to the edge.

It wasn’t until I met, what we’ll call, the “weird ballerinas” that it all made sense…