The Messy Ballet Bun and Sensuous Creativity
The Messy Ballet Bun and Sensuous Creativity
Discover how a messy ballet bun and vintage movies inspire a beautifully imperfect approach to everyday creativity.
The Magic in the Mirror
I sit in my ballet studio catching my breath while the faint scratch of a vinyl record spins in the corner. My hair is swept up in what my ballet teacher used to call a disaster. But to me it is something entirely different. It is the messy ballet bun.
Cinema and Stray Curls
When I go home at night I wrap myself in oversized knit blankets and turn on a classic black and white film. There is a raw texture to those old movies. The lighting is harsh but forgiving and the heroines always have a stray curl falling across their cheek right when the scene reaches its emotional peak. They are not perfectly polished. They are beautifully human. That is exactly how I feel about the way we dancers wear our hair after six hours of grand jetes and endless pirouettes.
Unraveling the Armor
Creativity is not born from rigid perfection. The tight slicked back buns we wear for performances are striking but they are armor. The messy bun is vulnerable. It is soft. It tells a story of physical exertion and heavy breathing and sweat cooling on the nape of the neck. When I twist my hair up with a single rusted hairpin and let the flyaways catch the studio light I feel like an actress in a French New Wave film. Every loose strand is a tiny rebellion against the rigid discipline of classical dance.
A Sensuous Present
Think about the scent of rosin dusting the air mixed with worn leather shoes. Think about the soft piano melodies drifting through the hallway. In these moments I catch a glimpse of myself in the sprawling mirror. The shadows highlight the chaotic twist of hair resting at the crown of my head. It is entirely sensuous. It pulls you into the present moment and reminds you that art is made by living breathing bodies.
So let your hair unravel a little. Let the shadows play across your collarbones. We spend so much time trying to look flawless when the real magic happens right when things begin to fall apart. Find your own version of the messy balletcore aesthetic and let your everyday life feel like a beautiful vintage movie.
