Political Photographer and Ex-Ballet Dancer

After our hip and mind-opening Floor Barre class we sat down for a chat with our teacher Laurence Chaperon to learn more about her fascinating career in ballet and photography…  

USC: What’s your dance background?

I only started dancing at the age of 18 which is very unusual for a professional ballet dancer. I started because my gymnastics teacher at school thought that I would make an excellent dancer and organised for me to meet the Former Ballet Director of the Paris Opera.

She thought I had a gift for dance and should explore the possibility of becoming a professional ballet dancer. I really wasn’t interested in a career in dancing and so went to the meeting in a bad mood. But as soon as the director and I met he said “You need to dance with us.”

So I trained with him in Paris and, after three Years i have one engagement with incredible choreographer Robert Petit but i préfére to wait one year more in mein school and . Four years later I was a professional ballet dancer.

I then moved to Germany to dance with the State Opera. My dance career was a wonderful and enriching experience but, at the age of 34, it was time for me to move on. At this point I decided to re-train to become a photographer which is what I’m doing now.  

USC: What made you decide to become a photographer?

I’d always wanted to work as a photographer and knew that it would be a great thing to do after myreer in ballet came to an end. So I studied photography and during my studies I met somebody who owned a photography agency. His focus was mostly on politics and working with the press.

So I spent two years shadowing him and met many people in the industry. Soon I found myself amongst professional photographers who worked for Times Magazin, Stern (Spiegel) and more, and that’s how my career began.

Since 1999 I’ve worked as a freelance photographer, mostly in politics and I continue to teach Floor Barre as a passion. And, of course, I love to photograph dancers when I get the chance. (Here’s Laurence Chaperon’s photography website.)  

USC: How did you get into Floor Barre?

When I was training as a dancer in France we would train in Floor Barre at least twice a week. The exercises helps injuries and reduces the risk of injury. I believe all dancers should practice Floor Barre regularly for this reason. It’s a full-body workout so is ideal for non-dancers too.

Floor Barre is as popular in France as yoga or pilates is everywhere else. Most Floor Barre classes will have about 40 or 50 participants. It’s not as well known yet in Germany but it will be soon – word has got around about this class and it’s getting more and more popular.

Many people think that in order to train as a dancer you have to dance, but that’s not strictly true. Floor Barre is fantastic dance training and there’s zero risk of injury as everything is on the floor. If you train regularly you’ll get the same long, lean aesthetic as a dancer.

What are the health benefits of Floor Barre?

Floor Barre lengthens your muscles and keeps your back and your posture straight. It’s not necessarily going to help you build big muscles, but it will create length and you’ll notice your muscles are more toned.

Floor Barre is especially good for you if you have problems with your hips. We hold positions on the floor that will improve the alignment of your hips and will help give you the same body-shape as a ballet dancer.  

USC: Is it similar to yoga or pilates?

It’s just as famous as yoga or pilates in France but the exercises are different as they resemble classic ballet positions. But the similarity is it involves a lot of stretching.  

USC: What advice would you give to USC members who are thinking of trying Floor Barre?

It’s a lot of fun! And it doesn’t matter if you don’t have any experience, you don’t have to be a dancer to participate. You’ll tone your body and you’ll prevent injury. Give it a try!  

USC: Have there been any moments since you began your Floor Barre classes that have made you proud?

Yes, loads. I teach a great group of regulars and we all have a lot of fun together. I’m so proud of their progress and it’s wonderful to see them improve week-on-week. And it makes me really happy when they tell me that they’ve had fun in my class.

Urban Sports Club has introduced a lot of new people to my classes which has been great – and I love to see new faces in my classes so come along and give it a try.  

Have a look on Laurence Chaperon’s USC page for a full list of classes.

And Urban Sports Club has plenty of ballet, barre and dance classes in Germany and France. Have a look at our website to see what’s on in your area.