Ballet often looks effortless from the audience. What we do not see are the hours of practice, repeated corrections, sore muscles, missed steps, and moments of frustration that came before the performance. Ballet teaches us to pay attention to the smallest details. The placement of a foot, the direction of the eyes, the position of a hand, and the timing of a breath all matter. There is mindfulness in that level of focus. A dancer cannot stay stuck on the step they just misse
