Today we also have a substitute ballet teacher. She is really lovely. I can see how she has a professional ballet training compared to our usual teacher, who was trained in contemporary dance. Her movements were so elegant and the exercises she provided were also more challenging than usual. She also repeated a lot of ballet terms when she introduced different exercises. She reminded me of the ballet teachers I had before the ballet lessons with male teachers in 2025. The teachers were all so elegant, precise and graceful. I found myself comparing my moves to their moves, and it made me really upsetting. However, today it was a fun class. I like how the lesson was challenging and intense. We spent more time at the centre than at the barre, and I feel that I am having enough foundation to partake a challenge like this 🫰.

The new discovery I have is about how she moved so precisely and rigorously. They reminded me of both how I used to want to and not want to learn ballet at the same time. I liked the precise and graceful movements. I did not like how restricted they could be, and it felt so artificial and detaching. She reminded me these two aspects of ballet. And surprisingly to me, I am ready to face these two aspects again. There are so many more things I can learn and improve in my ballet journey! My journey is not only about taking the introduction, improver, intermediate and the pointe lessons.

My journey can go further than these lessons. I can have my foundation in mind and improve each of my movement. I can do it. Next term I will move to the improver level, but there are still so much to it!

My new discovery is that my dance journey can go beyond my current studio. I can do more dance on my own time. I can repeat the same movements until I become more precise like them.

It is an exciting and rewarding lifelong exercise journey. I am ready for this. 🩰