I've learned that there are many people out there who want to feel powerful and strong on their own terms, who want to tune out the noise and the punishing nature of grueling workouts. With 'Ballet Beautiful,' we have peeled back the mystery of ballet and allowed people to do these workouts anywhere and in their own time.
I think the problem people get into is they want to go into the gym and look at other people's workouts, or they want to lift what other people are lifting. I started out really small. I actually did a lot of research, and I learned all about working out. So take gradual steps.
I love ballet. Ballet is its own being. It has its own vocabulary. I feel as if I am in a different world when I am in the ballet studio.
The type of work I do is more like CrossFit, so I do track workouts, and I do boxing workouts. So it's a lot of different things that I do. I don't want to overload the body too much, but when we do the hill, it's not like workouts.
I can bulk up very fast. I can lift heavy weights because, like most people, I started off with heavy workouts. That's stayed in my muscle memory. I feel horrible when I feel my jeans are getting tight. Workouts peace me out.
There are so many things out there now like these 30-minute workouts. I don't know if they work, but a lot of people have jobs and they don't have time to go to the gym. They can do those little 30-minute workouts they see on TV, or get one of those little portable gyms for their house. I think that's a good start.
I want the ballet world to be given the respect that it deserves and to be seen by more people - for so many to experience the beauty that I've received from the ballet world.
Dancing for the length of time that I did, it centered me in such a way to be really in tune with my body, and I just feel like I'm physically able to do things because of my ballet background. Without ballet, I don't think I'd look graceful at all on screen.
I really like to bike outdoors and love the weight-based workouts that I do. I am not the biggest fan of other cardio-based workouts. Off-season cardio sessions are pretty grueling.
My favorite workouts are the ones that don't feel like I'm working out! So, dance is a big one. Another is any kind of isolated moves, like ballet moves. Anything that works the glutes and legs - sign me up! And I like to blast the music. I have to get lost in the music. That helps.
It's very difficult for me to do fund raising for my own organization if I'm working for other companies because sponsors will say, 'Well, hey, man, if she's doing a ballet for Ballet Theatre, we'll give money to Ballet Theatre.'
Ballet became this escape for me. I feel like I was on my own a lot. I was searching for stability, so I was going off on my own and imagining what I thought stability was. Ballet became a way for me to cope.
Kids are always told that they can be anything that they want. But what if you want to be a ballerina, and you're terrible at ballet? Or what if you're gifted at ballet, but you don't like doing it?
Ballet is a healthy world despite what people might think. There's a perception that ballet dancers are skinny and unhealthy, but that's rubbish. You have to be strong, so eating regularly and healthily is essential.
I try and avoid cardio because it makes me lose a lot of weight. Instead, I do resistance training, model fit workouts, and ballet.
I want my workouts to feel like a luxury, a way to pamper yourself and add a beautiful dimension to your everyday life.
Social media buzz can lead to huge successes when people spread the word about something they love and want to share. But authors creating their own buzz? Making their own noise? It's hard to make a lot of noise on our own about our own work. Except, sadly, negative noise.