I took ballet when I was about 8ish.  Actually I have no idea how old I was, I just remember that I did not shine in this class. I wanted to be an acrobat, or maybe just a gymnast.  The ballet class came with a gymnastics class afterward.  I could do a backbend, so I was pretty sure I had talent in gymnastics.  But to get there, I had to learn ballet.

It became apparent that where I did NOT have talent was in ballet.  Looking back I think the issue was a disconnect between my brain and my body.  My brain was listening to the instruction about what position to take.  It was also wondering why Mandy, my best friend. was in a different position than I was.  Was that the next position, or was that the last position and I was doing the last position wrong? This was when I realized it would be best to do a survey of the class, but unfortunately the class was made up of many girls who also were confused and so there was a diversity of positions to choose from, some not even taught in the class. So, in some confusion, I would try to remember a) what position the teacher had called and b) how to do that particular position.  Unfortunately, my distraction led to short term memory loss and I had of course forgotten the position I was supposed to be in.

It was usually at this point that another position would be called.  And so I would repeat the process.  I believe the teacher thought I was ballerally retarded.  (similarly my grammar teacher had a problem with my making up exceptionally good words such as ballerally)

The rest of the class progressed over several weeks until everyone except me was doing the same position.  I was usually at least one position behind or in an entirely different universe of positions.  But I stuck it out, because after ballet came gymnastics.  And my goal was to learn how to do a front flip.  I could do a back flip..well at least half the time I could do a back flip.  But the front flip was elusive.

The teacher however did not consider me much of a talent and therefore never spent too much time focused on me.  Also, she seemed to think things like learning to roll were pre-requisites to the more involved and way more fun flip.  So while waiting in line to practice my rolls,  I would practice my backflip and occasionally try to work up the courage to do a front flip.

I was actually afraid of the front flip.  I was pretty sure that I could break my neck on a front flip.  So practicing it became a trifle tough.  Eventually, I did get the courage.  Unfortunately, I flipped into the girl who was doing her practice rolls for the teacher.  The victim of my flip was a particularly “gifted” girl that the teacher was quite proud of.  I’m sure she was one of those girls who always said “please” and “thank you” too.   But, whatever, the teacher was VERY upset and when my mother came she pulled her aside.  I didn’t hear the conversation.

My mother never said a word to me about it.  But I never had to go back to ballet or gymnastics class again.  I don’t recall being upset about it.  After all, I had achieved my goal.  I did a front flip.

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