42 years old to practice ballet, 45 years old to participate in the competition won a silver medal, high school mother found life "redemption"

With her vigorous posture, light steps, and jumping on her toes to follow the music, it's hard to imagine that this person who stood on the stage of the ballet competition and won high marks from the judges is the mother of a high school student! Her name is Lai Yanhuan, 45 years old this year, and she only started practicing ballet at the age of 42. Three years later, she stood on the stage of the ballet competition and won a silver medal, and was praised by many netizens: "She looks only 25 years old! Feels like a professional dancer!" Recently, in an interview with a reporter from the Yangzi Evening News Ziniu News, Lai Yanhuan said that the purpose of his original dance practice was to repair the parent-child relationship. He did not expect that after liking ballet, he could not accept it. Now he practices for several hours a day, "At this age, my body's own conditions make it difficult for me to perform some movements, but this will not affect my persistence at all. I think ballet is the'redemption 'of life. As long as you love it, it is never too late to start."

The 45-year-old woman's ballet stage shines brightly

He looked like he was 25 years old

Recently, a 45-year-old woman shared her experience of winning a silver medal in an international ballet competition on social media, causing many netizens to praise: "This state is not like 45 years old, like 25 years old!" "Looking at the small picture, I thought it was from a music college!"

According to the Yangzi Evening News, the dancer's name is Lai Yanhuan, a native of Shenzhen. She has only been studying ballet for three short years, but now she can complete many difficult movements, maintain a good figure, and look young and energetic in ballet costumes.

Lai Yanhuan told reporters that in 2020, she was unable to go to Hong Kong to work due to the impact of the epidemic, and had a lot of spare time, so she came into contact with ballet. "In addition, at that time, the children at home were in adolescence and often lost their temper. I had a little'skirmish 'with my children, and I wanted to give myself and my children more space for each other. I began to focus more on self-shaping, and picked up my childhood hobbies again."

Lai Yanhuan said: "Ballet dancing can not only feel the charm of art, but also exercise the body. For example, I used to have some pelvic abnormalities and often had low back pain. Now this problem is gone, and it has improved people's temperament and posture, so after I practice, I can't accept it."

As long as there is no conflict with work, Lai Yanhuan goes to practice dance every day. In addition to the one-and-a-half-hour to two-and-a-half-hour big class every day, he also finds a teacher to practice. At the age of 40, Lai Yanhuan bluntly said that it is too difficult to learn ballet. "Physical condition is the biggest obstacle. I feel that my flexibility is not good, my body is very hard, and I can't learn movements so quickly." Lai Yanhuan said, "Although some difficult movements cannot be done due to physical limitations, this has not affected my love."

I started ballet at the age of 42

Tie sandbags to practice for shaping

Lai Yanhuan told reporters that the competition he participated in this time is the Shenzhen branch competition of the PDE International Dance Exhibition. The finals will be held in France, and the gold and silver medals won in the regional competition will have the opportunity to participate in the national competition. "The competition is still dominated by children practicing dance, and there are very few adults, because very few adults can insist on dancing. There are even fewer people who come out to participate in the competition at my age. The category I participated in is the age group of 36 and above."

Lai Yanhuan said that she started learning ballet officially at the age of 42. She used to learn dance when she was a child, but after more than 30 years, those basics can be said to be nothing at all. She told reporters that her core strength has always been relatively poor, and some muscle groups are difficult to stimulate no matter how you practice, so she can't support them to do some movements, so she added more targeted training. "For example, some movements require you to tighten your muscles all the time. You have to use the tightened muscles to convert them into strength, from the soles of your feet to the tips of your feet, so that your whole body can achieve balance, but there may be some muscles that I can't mobilize. The teacher will ask me to do corresponding training according to my situation."

In order to strengthen the degree of muscle tightening, the teacher sometimes asks Lai Yanhuan to practice with weights. Usually, sandbags are tied to the feet to practice movements, and when the sandbags are removed during the competition, the corresponding movements are performed. The memory formed by the muscles can show a more beautiful arc. "During the epidemic, I often wear a mask in class, and for a while, the teacher will take us to online classes and take us to practice at home."

Turning around in pointe shoes is difficult

Fight again for the final

Pointe standing is a unique feature of ballet, and it is also a difficulty. Lai Yanhuan used this technique in the competition. The four-position movement requires a series of movements to be completed in an instant, such as standing on the toes and turning in circles. In addition to the limitations of ability and conditions, she said, completing this movement is also a major psychological obstacle. "I can turn two circles in soft shoes, but not in pointe shoes. This is a difficulty I encountered. When I do it, I will be afraid." The teacher told her that if she wants to win the gold medal, she must overcome the psychological obstacle. "This is what I will continue to break through in the next practice. Although I am very busy with work, I am still ready to fight hard and prepare for the finals."

When she talks about the injuries she has suffered from practicing ballet, she said they are "commonplace." "My knees are uncomfortable when I wear pointe shoes, maybe the inner thighs are not strong enough, and the knees are under pressure." In the pictures she showed to the Purple Cow News reporter, many of the toes were worn and the legs were undergoing acupuncture.

From deciding to participate in the competition to standing on the stage, Lai Yanhuan spent two months frantically preparing for the competition, while others often took half a year to a year to prepare. "In fact, I was able to participate in the competition in such a short time, and I was still wearing pointe shoes, which is an incredible thing for most people." Lai Yanhuan said that the pressure at that time came from many aspects. Standing on the huge stage alone, directly facing the judges under the stage, and there was a live broadcast, which was a little nervous, and he could only exert 70-80% of his usual skills. "What is more happy is that my son saw his mother dancing on the stage on the mobile phone live broadcast, and praised her for dancing very well."

Ballet is the "salvation" of life.

Showcasing 40 + infinite possibilities

Ms. Lai said that international ballet dancer Tan Yuanyuan once said, "If you don't practice for one day, you know it; if you don't practice for two days, the teacher knows it; if you don't practice for three days, the audience knows it." She didn't know it firsthand before, but she felt it especially deeply when she participated in the competition. "When my teacher came home and got married, I had two weeks of training that I lost a lot of weight. When the teacher came back, I found that I couldn't do the previous movements at all."

Lai Yanhuan said that after this experience, she now practices almost every day, and she doesn't dare to slack off at all, and her dancing is getting better and better. Her current ballet level is not only able to participate in competitions, but also participate in ballet performances. "In ballet, in addition to skills, you also need to understand the role. When dancing, you can put yourself into the role to play better."

Zi Niu News reporter learned that the ballet market in China is gradually becoming larger. Lai Yanhuan's feeling is that as more and more people participate, the current situation of the ballet industry is becoming more and more "curly". In Shenzhen, the ballet market has undergone tremendous changes in recent years. "In the past, professional ballet dancers may have to practice all the way from some art school affiliated schools, and then enter the ballet company or something, but now, after work, more and more people practice ballet as sex, and everyone dances very well." Lai Yanhuan said, "This is my first time participating in this competition. The staff told me that in the past, there were very few people over the age of 30 participating in the event, but this time there were dozens of people participating in the Shenzhen competition."

"I admit that there are family pressures to practice ballet, and there will be difficulties in time and physical conditions, but I don't think these pressures will affect my perseverance, because I think ballet is the'salvation 'of our lives. After we practice, our bodies will be better and our emotions will be better. Although these will not directly reduce the conflict between me and my son, the change is subtle," Lai Yanhuan said.

"I am very gratified that my experience has also encouraged middle-aged people who like ballet like me." As one user wrote: "Persistence is the biggest shining point. Dare to challenge yourself, and many 40 + sisters who have been appointed to mediocrity show that there are many possibilities in life."