Ballet 31

***More detials to come

Ballet 31

Ballet By the Book: Learning Biblical womanhood through intensive classical ballet training

To Prepare: Attire:

• -  Leotard (TBD – still looking for a modest effective option:)
• -  Skirt (TBD – still looking for a modest effective option:)
• -  Tights (Petal pink; full toe),
• -  Hair bun (low or crowning bun with natural colored hair-net and band)
• -  Full sole ballets slippers (No spit sole).

Suggested:

• -  Ballet Bag; hair supplies bag; airated bag for shoes
• -  Cover-ups (to put over ballet leotard for those changing at home)
• -  Water bottle
• -  Pens/pencils (for filling out ballet Journal - provided)I’m still looking through different brands and styles to find the dress code to best fit our needs that is both effective for dance, yet modest and God-honoring. I will probably be in touch with you dads pretty soon to get your feedback to make sure you are beyond comfortable with what your daughter is dancing in. Once we finalize dress code, you are welcome to get them yourself, or you can tell me sizing and I can get them for you to make sure everythings correct.

Ballet Journal: Journaling: In order to make the most effective use of class time, dancers will keep a dance journal to write down (or draw) what they learned from class and then review it before coming to next class. This doesn’t have to be elaborate – sometimes there will be one thing; sometimes there will be many things. This not only helps us with dance, but is a powerful life skill helping us practice taking notes, retaining information, and preparing ourselves to make the most of instruction time - be it dance or any subject that God puts in our path to learn.

Daily Log: In order to practice building good habits beyond just the hour a week, dancers will create a daily habit of stretching and keep a log of their progress. This doesn’t have to be long - maybe even 2-3 minutes to start. As believers, God calls us to lead disciplined lives and build Godly habits such as prayer, Bible study...etc. This excercise teaches us that sometimes it may not be fun, but as we slowly painstakingly persist in those habits over time, those disciplines compound together culminating into something truly amazing; be it a better dancer that is now flexible enough to do a fantastic leap, or a person that now has a deeper love and knowledge of our God.

Character Sheet: Ballet gives rise to practice so many Biblical concepts. We will be going through memorizing proverbs 31 each week focusing on a different aspect or characteristic of God’s design for us as women. We will discuss the passage and each week will be assigned the task to put that characteristic into practice. Here’s the weekly divide up so far. (I’m still working with it, but this gives you a general baseline idea.) Dancers will share their findings the following class.

Draft Character Schedule:

Week #1: 

Character Trait Focus: A God-fearing woman is Dependable (Proverbs 31:10-12) How can people have ‘full confidence’ in us? (Is there a chore that we can be depended upon to do? Is there a responsibility that we can help our family with so that our father or husband ‘lacks nothing of value’ and we bring him ‘good not harm?’)

Week #2: 

Character Trait Focus: A God-fearing woman is Dilligent (Proverbs 31:13) How can we work with ‘eager hands?’ (Is there a task that we don’t enjoy so we drag our feet while doing it? What’s something that we could work more eagerly at?)

Week #3: 

Character Trait Focus: A God-fearing woman is Responsible (Proverbs 31:14) How can we take good care of what’s in our care? What is something that you are in charge of? How can we take better care of that? (Maybe a chore, maybe a pet, maybe taking care of a sibling, maybe looking after something for someone)

Week #4: 

**Biblical Character Spotlight: Example of a God-fearing woman Ruth (Ruth 1-4)

Week #5: 

Character Trait Focus: A God-fearing woman is Prudent (Proverbs 31:16-18; 24) How can we ‘trade to make a profit’ and manage our money well both in buying and selling. (Can you make something of value to sell for a profit? Is there something you can buy as an investment and watch it grow? Maybe a lemonade stand, cooking kit or some handiwork? Maybe help a neighbor rake some leaves or mow a lawn? You can get creative and put together a little basket to sell for an auction or teach someone a skill that you are good at)

Week #6: 

Character Trait Focus: A God-fearing woman is a Hard Worker (Uses time wisely) (Proverbs 31:18) How can we spend our time better? Do we use every moment of the day to productively glorify God? (Is there a useless game that you play? Do you find yourself sometimes falling into laziness and doing what your flesh wants to do?)

Week #7: 

Character Trait Focus: A God-fearing woman is Helpful (Proverbs 31:20) How could we ‘extend our hands to the needy?’ (Is there a sibling? An elderly person? Someone we could touch by writing a card or giving a thoughtful gift? Sharing with someone who doesn’t have as many things as you?)

Week #8: 

**Biblical Character Spotlight: Example of a God-fearing woman Esther (Esther 1-4)

Week #9: 

**Review Week**

Week #10: 

Character Trait Focus: A God-fearing woman is Prepared (Proverbs 31:21;25) How can we ‘laugh at the days to come’ and be better prepared for what God has for us? (Could we be more forward thinking about homework? Could you prepare sooner for heading out the door. Can you think of an event that will happen in a few weeks and is there a way that you could start prepping now?)

Week #11: 

Character Trait Focus: A God-fearing woman is Personally Orderly (Proverbs 31:22) How can we keep ourselves more personally orderly? (Is there a way that you could dress more neatly, make things to keep your room more orderly or tidy?)

Week #12: 

Character Trait Focus: A God-fearing woman is Respectful (Proverbs 31:23) How can we act that will make our father or husband feel ‘respected at the city gate.’ (Maybe admiring the good things that he does? Maybe making sure thtat we are swift in obedience? Paying extra close attention while he is talking?)

Week #13: 

**Biblical Character Spotlight: Example of a God-fearing woman Hannah (1 Samuel)

Week #14:

Character Trait Focus: A God-fearing woman is Wise (Proverbs 31:26) How can we ‘speak with wisdom and faithful instruction’? (Is there someone who you can share the Word with? Is there some scripture that you couild see being a blessing to someone you know?)

Week #15:

Character Trait Focus: A God-fearing woman is Not Idle (Proverbs 31:27) How can we not ‘eat the bread of idlness.’ How can we make sure that our time is filled with edifying God-glorifying activity? (Do we sometimes get bored and sin? Is there something productive and Godly we can do while we are waiting?)

Week #16: 

Character Trait Focus: A God-fearing woman is Blessed (Proverbs 31:28-31) Week #16: May 4th, 2022

**Biblical Character Spotlight: Example of a God-fearing woman Mary (Gospels)

Week #16: 

Presentation Practice Rehersal

Week #16: 

Presentation

Physical Fosus:

Core: In class, one big focus (especially toward the beginning) will be the core. This is the fundamental groundwork that unlocks posture, grace and everything that is required in dance. All dance and coordination stems from having a strong core.

Foot Strength: When you dance, all your weight is distributed between two places...your two feet. We will focus on creating strong, coordinated, agile feet that are able to serve as that solid base that can uphold everything else we are doing up above.

Flexibillity and Grace: We will learn how to stretch in a safe way that is constructive to our bodies and how to stand, move, walk, and carry ourselves in a graceful ladylike manner.

Muscle isolation control: God has created us with so many muscles in our body that can function each in so many different ways creating so many different outputs – some combinations more effective than others for different spins and jumps. We will focus on learning how to find muscles in our body, how to isolate them, and how to use them to most effectively accomplish the goal we’re trying to acheive.

I’m having so much fun getting this ready for you and I pray that it will be a huge blessing for your whole family and your daughters! Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll keep you posted with updates. rose@bythebookthebible.com