Strength & Grace

The small ligaments in the hand tighten as her fingers fan out in a fluid movement. Her tendons in her arm are burning as she forces her elbow to lock straight. Her shoulder blades protrude, causing a sting in her socket, but she stays strong. She bends so that her head almost touches her lower back, ignoring the blood rushing to her head and crunch of her vertebrae. Her buttocks clench as she stretches, her whole body screaming in pain and begging for a release. Her thighs burn, her calves are numb but she knows she will feel them when she removes her silk slippers. Her knee pops under the pressure and her ankle is seconds away from collapsing. Her mind races with the thought of the pain that tomorrow hold, but she has to push it from her thoughts.

Ignore it, empty your mind, leave it behind, just concentrate.

She slowly lifts herself from the balls of her feet onto the tips of her toes. They crack ominously and her smallest toe dislocates from her foot. But she cannot hear it, she cannot feel it. All she knows is the music, soft and sweet, drifting her away from her body. Still in the position and on her toes, she begins to lift her leg. She steadies herself, no margin for error. Her legs make a straight, vertical line and she watches her left foot above her to make sure it is still pointed. She holds for one second, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. At last, the music stops and she crumples. The aches swamp her mind, she feels every muscle, tendon and bone. She smiles.


So much strength and stamina goes into looking so graceful and poised.