Bee-Hind

Now that the painful first blog is behind me, my bee-hind is feeling lighter, lighter and higher. Now I am wondering: Why do “pila-tites” (my word for people who study Pilates, not sure it will catch on) always have such rounded and lifted tushies? Actually, I know the answer…after 14 years I should. Colleen Smith, the owner of The Esther Center and Artistic Director of Florida Classical Ballet Theatre, constantly reminds her ballet students to create an apple tush not a pear tush. Overusing my gluts (bee-hind muscles) in modern dance, think those “angry puppet” dances called contemporary dance on the popular television show, “So You Think You Can Dance”, helped this process along; but, the pelvic lift exercises of Pilates redefined them. Combined with the side leg springs on the tower, cadillac, or magic circle (those are the most difficult), those bee-hinds will burn and lift in a few months.

Coming to Pilates in my mid-thirties from a dance background (BFA in Modern Dance from The University of North Carolina School of the Arts), where overused muscles are the norm, has allowed me to correct old injuries and prevent new ones. Age is never kind; but, Pilates keeps me choreographically creative and technically able. So when the call comes to participate on “Dancing With The Stars” (let’s just pretend I am a celeb for a moment …remember the band/breaking into song story?), I won’t be one of those stars that injure themselves during the first week of rehearsals, how embarrassing! Need to keep the bee-hind lifted for those skimpy costumes. More rhinestones, please?

Stay Lifted,

Sandi