This week’s profile is of Grier Cooper, who writes a blog “The Writer in a Dancer’s Body” (which you can find on www.griercooper.com). She regularly interview Bay Area dancers, choreographers, and artistic directors and share current news and trends in the dance world.
When did you start doing ballet as an adult?
I came back to ballet a few years after I stopped dancing professionally in my early 20s.
Did you ever take lessons as a kid?
I started taking ballet lessons when I was five years old. I later went on to train full-time at the School of American Ballet and performed with San Francisco Ballet, Miami City Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Although I always loved dancing and performing I eventually realized that the demands and sacrifices I made to be a dancer really weren’t paying off. I decided it was time to switch gears and explore other things.
Why did you decide to take ballet as an adult?
I came back to dance after taking a few years off because dance had been one of the few constants in my life. Ballet studios feel like home, not just because I’ve spent so much time there but because they are a sanctuary of sorts, a place to let go and connect to something larger than myself.
