While many may have dabbled in taking dance lessons at a young age, senior Olivia Strauser decided that now was as good a time as any to pick up ballet.
“I just started in January,” senior Olivia Strauser said. “I thought now was a good time to do it, before college,because now I have the time and money.”
Strauser began taking ballet lessons at the Lawrence Arts Center earlier this year to fulfill one of her life long ambitions.
“It was something I’ve always wanted to do,” Strauser said. “I mean I’ve always liked dancing, but I had never tried ballet before this.”
“I think dance is a beautiful art form,” continued Strauser. “Dancing relieves my stress and is freeing, but it also gives me energy. It improves my flexibility, strength and balance.”
Ballet has also helped Strauser appreciate her other hobbies even more.
“All of those things [flexibility, strength, balance] help with my yoga too,” Strauser said. “It’s also another way I can appreciate music. I like the traditional stuff we use in class, but I practice kind of alternatively and use any style of music I’m feeling. I’m convinced it has ‘therapeutic value.’”
Despite being just being plain fun for her, Strauser commends taking up ballet for helping her through the last stretch of the school year.
“It helps keep me grounded,” Strauser said. “It keeps me from completely checking out from school and it helps fight off senioritis.”
Strauser’s choice to start taking ballet classes was also in no small part due to one of her personal philosophies.
“I think it’s important to do something you’ve always wanted to do whenever you can,” Strauser said. “I think it’s healthy to go out and do something you’ve always wanted to do.”
No matter how much enjoyment Strauser gets from doing ballet, she still finds her self being entertained by her classmates.
“Dancing with a bunch of women of different ages, and one middle aged man, is pretty fun and hilarious,” Strauser said. “And that’s really what’s important to me about taking these classes. It’s just plain fun.”