Have you always wanted to do ballet but thought you should have started when you were five years old? That’s what Emma Wallrin from HLK also thought until she tried barre – now, she for sure is a ballerina and wants to spread the never-too-late-motto during her barre classes. EDIT has met her and participated during one of her classes.
About two years ago, Emma Wallrin, a third-year student at the primary school teacher program at HLK, went to a workout class with her friends without knowing what kind it was. It was barre – a modern ballet class. After a few classes she was hooked. Two years later, today, she has been a barre instructor at Nordic Wellness for two years and practiced at a ballet school in Jönköping at the same time to learn all the ground steps and French ballet vocabulary.
“It’s never too late to learn ballet”, Emma Wallrin says.
While growing up in Vadstena, Emma tried all kinds of team sports involving a ball but always felt lost in the sports. After trying a few she started enjoying swimming and gymnastics. She also did acrobatics and went to a circus school, activities that have made her bendy, which is a benefit while doing ballet but not a must.
”Working with the whole body is where I found myself. I have done a lot with music while growing up and the aesthetic part of me has grown and is so much fun, especially when it can be connected to working out. I would say ballet is a very aesthetic sport, it’s very beautiful.”
Emma’s motto in life is that it is never too late for anything, you can always start later in life (like she did with ballet) and you don’t have to become the world’s greatest in it. This is something she tells the people during her barre classes. She always offers variations for the different poses for everyone to do the class from their own level.
And for anyone thinking ballet isn’t a real and tough workout should think again and try it themselves. It can become as hard as you want it to be. Students to middle-aged people – there’s both regulars during her classes but also people trying it for the first time. For everyone coming to her classes, with friends or by themselves, she wants them to know they’re never alone.
“I want everyone during my classes to feel a fellowship, not me on stage and the participants on the ground. We are doing it together and to have fun. It’s good to try something new even if it’s a bit scary and I would recommend trying the class two – three times to get a feeling for the class. We are doing choreography and it’s hard to make it 100% the first time. The barre class grew on me as well after a few times when I started.”
Two years ago, Emma Wallrin didn’t know this class existed and now she is an instructor. The best part of being an instructor is according to Emma all the people she meets, but also to get the daily workout, the endorphins and wellness. After her classes she meets people telling her this class wasn’t for them but even then, Emma is happy – because they tried it out. While during other classes she meets people who thought it was too late to start dancing ballet. Reaching out to people with the never-too-late-motto is something Emma thinks is fantastic.
“This is the best job I’ve ever had. As long as you want something and have that fire in you it’s never too late to try something new.”
Do you want to try Emma’s classes at Atlantis? Here they are:
Monday: Booty Move 19:00-19:30
Tuesday: Barre 17:10-17:40 + HIIT 17:45-18:15
Wednesday: Barre 18:00-18:30 + Booty Move 18:40-19:10
