Ballet encourages self-expression, good health, mindful presence, and vibrancy in life.

Dear Friends,

We have the pleasure of speaking with Tasha Bertram, a renowned ballet dancer and teacher. Her DailyOM course, Aging Gracefully with Ballet, brings together years of classical ballet experience, wisdom, and passion. This program is for people of all fitness levels or abilities but has a special focus for women who are seeking a practice to stay fit and healthy as they age.

Course Overview
In this course, classical ballet instructor Tasha Bertram teaches the basic principles of ballet to exercise the mind, memory, and body. Each lesson was designed to help you gracefully move and feel liberated. These routines will inspire you to fully embrace your womanhood, while improving your posture and attaining more inner and outer balance. By the end, you'll become more limber, joyful, and confident than ever before.
  • Receive a new lesson every day for 1 week (total of 7 lessons).
  • Have lifetime access to the course for reference whenever you want.
  • Select the amount you can afford, and get the same course as everyone.
  • If you are not 100% satisfied, you may request a refund.

How much do you want to pay?

$15$35$50

This is the total amount for all 7 lessons


Interview With Tasha Bertram

DailyOM: Ballet is traditionally an art form studied from a young age and is considered to be one of the toughest forms of exercise. Why is it that in recent years it has become so widely available, encouraged, and even proscribed by health practitioners for all age groups?

Tasha Bertram: I think people are hungrier than ever today for anything that offers fitness and health. It is wonderful that ballet has come into this realm with its benefits recognized by professional health practitioners worldwide. It is now considered to be much more adaptable to different needs than we once thought, and it is even widely used as a form of natural medicine to boost health for men and women of all ages. We have realized that anyone can practice and enjoy the uplifting spirit of dance that ballet provides. Ballet encourages a strong physical frame and a place for self-expression. It deals with good health, good presence, and vibrancy for life, so why wouldn't everyone want a part of it?

Being a professional dancer, the health benefits come to mind later, for in the early days of training, a young dancer is ambitious and driven. It is only when a dancer becomes older and physically less capable that the deeper gifts of ballet start to emerge. At this point an aging dancer has to find something else beyond the extremities of the demanding technique that ballet requires. For me, it was returning back to the studio in later life, where I was forced to find alternatives for the benefit of my now aging body. At forty-five, my body needed respect and in giving it that, I discovered things I had not known before. The attention to detail became magnified as I worked with extra care to achieve what I was after. From this new perspective, it became fascinating to witness my own body responding as I nurtured it back into shape and strangely enough, the quality of my work was finer than it had ever been before. This is how I came to be inspired to share my work with others.

DailyOM: Why do you believe ballet can be so beneficial for women going through their menopause years?

TB: During menopause when our bodies need more attention and care, the multitude of physical benefits ballet offers can be especially helpful. Through the practice of ballet, we can strengthen the body, build stamina, develop graceful lines, perfect balance and posture, and above all, discover a new form of movement where joy and pleasure can be experienced and creativity expressed. The combination of all these things has a tremendous effect on our morale, and we start to gain a new confidence in ourselves in this place of womanhood. There is a lot of negative press on menopause that we do not need to adhere to; instead we can use this special time for growth through which we emerge radiant and ready to truly start living.

Now, if we consider the mind when performing a step in ballet, it becomes totally engaged in achieving a desired result. This process addresses each part of our body being in a certain place, in a certain way, using certain muscles, and on top of which an interpretation is then added. There is a lot going on and in order to carry out all of this, we are by nature in a present state of mind, removed from daily concerns or worries we may otherwise have been fretting over. This alone presents a remarkable advantage over other forms of exercise and is the reason why you can leave the studio in a much different frame of mind than how you entered it. When we alleviate stress and anxiety like this, we reduce the stress hormones that play such a big role in the onset of symptoms during menopause. This course provides you with enough knowledge to safely practice something I consider to be nurturing for your body in a sustainable fashion. Ballet gives you more elegance and grace as you rebalance yourself and allow happiness to be your healer.

DailyOM: Is it necessary to have had previous dance experience to benefit from taking this course?

TB: No, it is not necessary to have had previous experience. Ultimately my reason for presenting this course is to provide inspiration for all women who are transitioning through menopause. I want to bring ballet to a new demographic of older women who are in need of some outlet to help support them through this difficult stage of life. The basics of ballet are explained in detail, so if anything this course is best suited to someone who is new to ballet. Having said that, it is always of interest to revisit the basics of any disciplined art where you have the chance to refine your work, perhaps from a new understanding. One can always benefit from any inclusive course that is practical and effective for your well-being, and working with new teachers always produces different results as well.

DailyOM: What do you enjoy the most about teaching ballet to others?

TB: Teaching teaches the teacher more than she ever learned as a student. I have learned more about people since I started teaching. Watching people come alive is a wonderful thing. Witnessing their character blossom and their physical ability transform. I love being present in this world with others where we all make that connection together. An understanding takes place between teacher and student that knows the power of giving and receiving. It is magic and impossible for me not to smile.

DailyOM: Tell us how you laid out your course and lessons. Are there specific areas of the body you focus on? Is there any equipment needed?

TB: I start from the beginning, where the fundamental principles of how the body is held are understood and experienced, before moving on through the course to address all the different dimensions that make ballet so enchanting. You see, when your body is held in the correct manner with the understanding of what is needed as you move through one step to the other, it becomes so much easier to master the exercises that are given and the artist in you becomes freer to express. When a body moves from a place of knowledge, it moves well and achieves the best results. With good results, we feel good, self-assured, and radiant, all of which leads to pleasure. Pleasure is happiness and as we know, when we are happy our bodies work in the most favorable way to mend and heal.

Every lesson will exercise the whole body. The different elements in ballet will change from lesson to lesson as we explore new ideas and alternative thought processes that bring together variety, poise, elegance, movement, music, fluidity, jumps, turns, additional steps, and the freedom of expression to create joy. The purpose is to provide a platform where you can maintain the thread of happiness no matter what is being attempted.

There is no specific equipment needed beyond a safe space and light clothing. I provide a list of alternatives for a practice barre of which there are many to choose from, and I have designed the barre work to support these options. A pair of soft flexible ballet shoes is preferable, but bare feet or socks can also work for the content of this course.

DailyOM: What do you hope students will achieve by taking this course?

TB: I hope students will see the glory of ballet as a tool for recovery and well-being, because ballet or any kind of dance is a form of healing. It encourages movement and the feeling of being alive. Our bodies need taking care of as we get older, and rather like an aging building, we do what we can to look after it and restore it to its natural beauty. I love how ballet reminds me to give thought to how my body feels and what it needs. When we dance, we show respect for who we are by listening and moving according to what we hear. We learn how to preserve our physical frame and understand what it needs as it speaks to us. Its purpose is to carry us through this lifetime for as long as possible; it deserves our attention, and in return it will reward us with longevity. Ballet provides a heavenly pathway through which to take this ride. I would like to awaken every student to a new appreciation and gratitude for their body.

I also hope that the importance of pleasure as a form of medicine is clarified. We need to find the things that make us happy in life and do them, because happiness is the medicine that reduces stress. As we gently slow down, we become more connected to who we are, and with the wisdom of age, we appreciate our life experiences. This is a time to find a new energy that will support us for the rest of our lives.

How Does It Work?
Starting today, you will receive a new lesson every day for 1 week (total of 7 lessons). Each lesson is yours to keep and you'll be able to refer back to it whenever you want. And if you miss a lesson or are too busy to get to it that day, each lesson will conveniently remain in your account so you won't have to search for it when you're ready to get back to it.

Free Gift
As a free gift, when you sign up for this course, you will also receive the award-winning DailyOM inspiration newsletter which gives you daily inspirational thoughts for a happy, healthy and fulfilling day. We will also let you know about other courses and offers from DailyOM and Tasha Bertram that we think you might be interested in.

Get Started Now
We are offering this course with the option of selecting how much you want to pay. No matter how much you pay, you'll be getting the same course as everybody else. We simply trust that people are honest and will support the author of the course with whatever they can afford. And if you are not 100% satisfied, we will refund your money.


How much do you want to pay?

$15$35$50

This is the total amount for all 7 lessons


Thank you, Tasha! Her joy and caring are infused in every lesson and routine that she teaches. By the end of the course, you will hold your body and presence in a whole new way, with more confidence, elegance, and beauty. Until next time.

Be well,

DailyOM