Balance at the Barre Between Two Couplets, 1975-1988
- Anne Childress
- 11 hours ago
- 1 min read
Balance At the Barre Between Two Couplets, 1975-1988
The core of balance, strong and deep
Secrets that the barre would keep.
I learned the lesson there in youth
A steady, undeniable truth.
The metal rail felt cool beneath my fingers, a cold, firm contract with gravity. It wasn't just the height of the leg in the battement, or the perfect angle of the arabesque. It was the mental discipline of the tendu, pushing the foot out a thousand times until it was effortless; the unwavering focus during the slow adagio, holding the weight of my whole world on one tired foot.
That is the invisible strength I carry now— the ability to stay centered when the stage dissolves, when disappointment demands I lean or stumble. I learned to hold my core when the ground beneath me shook, to maintain the facade of grace during profound physical pain, to begin again, always, with the next eight-count. The barre was not just wood; it was the ultimate training for survival.
The strength I found at that tall bar
Has carried me both near and far.
And now my soul knows how to stand
A lifetime poised upon .
Copyright: Anne Hendricks, 2025
From Revelry and Reflections
.
Picture: Battlement, Google Images
Comments