Filled with the sounds of giggles and music, Abigail Allen leads ballet classes for children at Studio 522 in the newly renovated Prospect Building in downtown Hattiesburg. Instead of what one would imagine when thinking of a ballet class- quiet music, tightly wound buns and silent students, Allen’s students learn the basics of ballet while playing and expressing themselves.
Inspiration for this style of ballet class came from Allen’s own childhood experience. At the age of two, Allen was diagnosed with severe scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. “My mom took me to a doctor that knew a lot about holistic healing,” said Allen. “He said to my mother, ‘We can either wait and she will be in a full back brace for all of her middle and high school career, or we can put a small lift in one of her shoes and take her to ballet class for the next ten years of her life,’”
Following the doctor’s advice, Allen spent her childhood going to ballet five days per week. As a result, a 40% curvature of her spine straightened itself completely without the need of medical intervention. From that, she learned the importance of teaching good posture at a young age while the body is still malleable. “[Good posture] is everything. It’s something you can carry with you for the rest of your life,” Allen said. “That’s why I love ballet so much.”
While Allen’s ballet training was strict, she learned to fall in love with ballet itself. She said, “What I loved about it was the expression, grace, confidence and being proud of how you stand.”
With those goals in mind, Allen decided to teach children’s ballet not for the competitions and performances, but to plant the seeds of love for dance, poise, expression and creativity. “It’s not about the performance, costumes, make-up and nerves. It’s about them being confident in who they are and having fun dancing.”
The studio offers two different ballet classes for children, one for ages three to five and another for ages six and up. For more information or to sign up for classes, visit studio-522.com.
