{"id":9461,"date":"2016-05-14T07:00:43","date_gmt":"2016-05-14T12:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=9461"},"modified":"2024-11-12T02:39:23","modified_gmt":"2024-11-12T08:39:23","slug":"active-aging-role-model-lauren-kessler-late-in-life-ballerina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/05\/active-aging-role-model-lauren-kessler-late-in-life-ballerina\/","title":{"rendered":"Active Aging Role Model: Lauren Kessler, Late-in-Life Ballerina"},"content":{"rendered":"

Active Aging Role Model: Lauren Kessler, Late-in-\"#ActiveAgingLife Ballerina<\/h1>\n

If you\u2019ve ever had that moment you\u2019d like to get back, a chance you wish you\u2019d taken, or a hobby you wish you\u2019d never given up, you can probably relate to 50-something author Lauren Kessler. Though she enjoyed a successful career with bestselling books and a happy family with three lovely children, a memory from her past haunted her and always made her wonder, \u201cWhat if.\u201d And when she faced her own minor midlife crisis, it was something she could no longer ignore.<\/p>\n

Growing up, her dad nicknamed her \u201cLaurisa Kesslova\u201d because, he explained, all great dancers were Russians. \u201cAnd since I was going to be a great dancer, I needed a Russian name,\u201d Kessler explains in her new book, \u201cRaising the Barre.\u201d Then one day, after dance lessons at the age of 12, Kessler overheard her instructor, a famous dancer named Andr\u00e9 Eglevsky, telling Kessler\u2019s mother that Kessler did not have the right body for ballet and should just quit. Suddenly, Kessler\u2019s world transitioned from excited and optimistic about the limitless possibilities, to a cynical place where she questioned herself and didn\u2019t like what she saw in the mirror.<\/p>\n

Like many pre-teens, Kessler soldiered through to adulthood, and though the insult stayed in the shadows for the rest of her life, she enjoyed many successes and adventures. For the next 40+ years, she focused on becoming a great writer, wife, and mother. But as she found herself facing her senior years, and \u201cmidlife doldrums\u201d inched closer, a single resounding idea kept popping into her mind. \u201cI want to dance ballet.\u201d<\/p>\n

And not just any ballet. Kessler suddenly was determined to not only strap on her ballet slippers but to join a professional traveling troupe and dance \u201cThe Nutcracker\u201d on stage. Her decision, though fueled by determination, raised many questions in the Oregon resident\u2019s head. For example, now she was suddenly expected to fit into the costumes of a Los Angles-body-typed young ballerina. And to add to that, she had to learn to quickly apply her own stage makeup for each performance and perform in costume high-heels, rather than typical slippers. Not to mention the biggest requirements: Facing the questions and doubts of returning to dance lessons, putting in hours of practice time, and then performing in front of her loved ones.<\/p>\n

Kessler is clear and unapologetic about her return to ballet being an answer to her own midlife crisis. However, rather than being ashamed or embarrassed, she embraces the chance to shake up her typical life and revolt against a steady advance into old age. She explains that while many people make drastic changes of take on new adventures as a result of the \u201cfour Ds\u201d \u2013 divorce, diagnosis, downsizing, or death \u2013 she wanted to proactively and intentionally force a change just for fun, to see if she could. She believes it keeps her mind young and can benefit anyone, even if the step outside of one\u2019s comfort zone is relatively small.<\/p>\n

As a result of her adventure, Kessler learned countless life lessons that she details in her book. She was already \u201cfit,\u201d but learned to train and take her physical wellness to a whole new level. She learned that she could, in fact, depart from her makeup-less routine and apply heavy stage makeup in a variety of challenging settings during the performance\u2019s tour on the road. She experienced a handful of moments while dancing when she truly let go and became one with the music, as a true, effortless ballerina. She forged lifelong friendships that felt, in the end, more like a family. And she found real joy in being just a little brave.<\/p>\n

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You can read more about Kessler\u2019s adventure in her book, \u201cRaising the Barre: Big Dreams, False Starts & My Midlife Quest to Dance the Nutcracker.\u201c<\/a><\/p>\n

by Megan Hammons<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Active Aging Role Model: Lauren Kessler, Late-in-Life Ballerina If you\u2019ve ever had that moment you\u2019d like to get back, a chance you wish you\u2019d taken, or a hobby you wish you\u2019d never given up, you can probably relate to 50-something author Lauren Kessler. Though she enjoyed a successful career with bestselling books and a happy family with three lovely children, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2201,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[200,35],"tags":[42,452,44,45],"class_list":{"0":"post-9461","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-families-caregivers","7":"category-senior-health-fitness","8":"tag-active-retirement","9":"tag-inspiring-seniors","10":"tag-senior-fitness","11":"tag-senior-health"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nActive Aging Role Model: Lauren Kessler, Late-in-Life Ballerina - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Author \u00a0and ballet dancer Lauren Kessler never gave up on her dreams to dance ballet and pushed herself to make it to dancing in The Nutcracker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Active Aging Role Model: Lauren Kessler, Late-in-Life Ballerina - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Author \u00a0and ballet dancer Lauren Kessler never gave up on her dreams to dance ballet and pushed herself to make it to dancing in The Nutcracker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SeniorAdvisor.com Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-05-14T12:00:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-11-12T08:39:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Megan Hammons\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Megan Hammons\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/05\/active-aging-role-model-lauren-kessler-late-in-life-ballerina\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/05\/active-aging-role-model-lauren-kessler-late-in-life-ballerina\/\",\"name\":\"Active Aging Role Model: Lauren Kessler, Late-in-Life Ballerina - SeniorAdvisor.com Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/10.40.64.212\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2016-05-14T12:00:43+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-11-12T08:39:23+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/10.40.64.212\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/6e539179083e7069c9514f3ef7af7803\"},\"description\":\"Author \u00a0and ballet dancer Lauren Kessler never gave up on her dreams to dance ballet and pushed herself to make it to dancing in The Nutcracker\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/05\/active-aging-role-model-lauren-kessler-late-in-life-ballerina\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/05\/active-aging-role-model-lauren-kessler-late-in-life-ballerina\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2016\/05\/active-aging-role-model-lauren-kessler-late-in-life-ballerina\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"http:\/\/10.40.64.212\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Active Aging Role Model: Lauren Kessler, Late-in-Life Ballerina\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/10.40.64.212\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/10.40.64.212\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"SeniorAdvisor.com Blog\",\"description\":\"Empowering Families in their Search for Care\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"http:\/\/10.40.64.212\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/10.40.64.212\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/6e539179083e7069c9514f3ef7af7803\",\"name\":\"Megan Hammons\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/10.40.64.212\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5828312622e857da2ed274c823d97d98?s=96&d=mm&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5828312622e857da2ed274c823d97d98?s=96&d=mm&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Megan Hammons\"},\"description\":\"Megan Hammons lives in the Central Texas countryside just outside of Austin, pursuing her love for copywriting after a career in high-tech marketing. 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