By Lora Oehlberg

Town Crier Editorial Intern

Every little girl has, at one point or another, wanted to become a ballerina. She sees the beautiful costumes, the elegance of the dance and the graceful leaps and coordination that a ballerina executes with ease. In actuality, ballet is an intense, athletic form of dance that teaches its students how to excel in both physical choreography and mental concentration.

Pacific Ballet does its best to give equal opportunities to dancers, regardless of their aspirations.

According to Rima Cooke, artistic director at the Pacific Ballet Academy, a student who wishes to become a professional ballerina needs not only the desire to become one, but also a good body and natural talent. Becoming a professional ballerina demands many hours of training, and frequently requires the whole family to make sacrifices to accommodate this demanding schedule.

“We encourage those with professional aspirations to audition for summer courses and to attend them if possible. This is a good way for them to get a feel for the competition and to see what is involved in a dance career. It also allows them to be seen by potential employers,” Cooke said.

Ballet is the core from which students can pursue other dance forms, such as jazz, tap or ballroom dancing.

“Ballet training combines both strength and flexibility, encourages good posture, grace and balance, and it’s one of the purest forms of dance,” Cooke said.

Gymnasts, figure skaters and even football players take ballet lessons to enhance and refine their form.

“Even those who don’t intend to pursue professional careers benefit from ballet training, since the strength and balance it requires carry over well to many sports,” Cooke said.

Besides physical training, ballet requires mental effort to learn steps quickly and remember choreography.

“Often people are amazed at how fast ballet students can learn long and complex combinations. Ballet also aids and enhances any musical training a student has, since they need to learn to count and dance in tempo to music,” Cooke said.

“The mental exercise of learning ballet combinations trains students to be fast thinkers, which in turn helps academic studies. Because classical music is used in ballet classes, students often develop an interest in symphonies and operas,” said Cooke.

Ballet goes beyond being a physical art and teaches its students how to succeed in life, regardless of whether or not the student becomes a professional ballerina.

“The challenge for ballet students is in maintaining their focus and drive, and figuring out how far they can push themselves. They also have to learn how to balance their life, with the demands from school, friends and family,” Cooke said.

Another local ballet school is Western Ballet, 2028 Old Middlefield Way, Mountain View, 968-4455.

Pacific Ballet Academy is located at 295 Polaris Ave., Mountain View, 969-4614. Their production of “The Nutcracker,” is scheduled for Nov. 20, Dec. 1 and Dec. 2 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.