How this for getting out there and trying something new? With an open-mind for cultural experiences, I started to learn ballet in Russia.

Let me give some background to this story though, and then you’ll see why it’s remarkable.

I’ve been pretty sporty all my life, but had never before ventured into the world of dance. This was pretty much ruled out as an option for me with a pretty lackluster attempt at physical culture – aged three – my parents still have the photos. While all the other girls were prancing prettily, I just expanded my girth by puffing out my protruding pot-belly, wedged my hands on my hips in exasperation and stared at the ceiling in disinterest.

Thus, following a more natural inclination, I thought it was perfectly natural to arrive in Russia and start to seek out a women’s football team.

Obviously Bend it like Beckham hadn’t been released to the Russian market, because everyone greeted my request with astonishment “Yes, you can find football teams in Russia, oh no, not YOU personally, women don’t play football.”

Hmm…

A few months later, a Russian friend of mine told me she had found the perfect solution to my non-activity woes. That we could learn ballet together, she’d already found the class, I only needed to buy shoes during the week and we would start on the weekend. Relax, she assured me, I’ve done it in Berlin, it’ll be great, you’ll love it.

Realising this was not open to negotiation, I went off to buy my shoes and reluctantly slouched along to the first session.

In fact, I slouched along to every Monday and Saturday session for the next six months. By this stage I was hooked, but the slouch was inadvertent, there’s something not quite ballet about my posture and every week my shoulders would inevitably get wrenched back into the same “proper” position, which I would invariably forget by the next session.