I’ll be honest. Although I love dancing, I have been nervous to take class over break. Lack of sleep coupled with a mild sinus infection and overall lethargy have been hard obstacles to overcome. Plus, I haven’t danced since summer. Jumping right in could be downright ugly.

But tonight I bit the bullet and hauled myself to Roberta’s Advanced Ballet class. Those of you who have taken her class know my pain: Six months of no class, and here I am embarking on the toughest one. Yeah, I hurt. Sitting here in bed hurts. And I’ll certainly hurt tomorrow. I used muscles and stretched things I hadn’t focused on in months. But something was different tonight.

In high school, I was burdened by my routine, dance included. It was one more thing on my plate. Tonight, it was absolute freedom. It was an indulgence and a chance to express myself with my body. It felt freaking awesome.

For the first time in a long time, I just danced. I let myself move with the music without regard for being perfectly stretched or turned out. I did mostly single turns and flubbed some footwork. But it didn’t matter.

Dancers, I am sure you have had these feelings, especially if you have ever had to take an extended break from dance. Non-dancers, hopefully you too know what it is like to lose yourself in something you are passionate about.

I can’t wait to get moving again. I can’t take ballet again, but tonight’s class made me realize I need to move. As cliché as it may sound, I am inspired.

I’m still feeling that ballet high.