We’re suckers for all the signs of the season: the food, the festivities, the time with family and friends. And the quintessential Nutcracker ballet? Get outta town. In our minds, ballet and the holidays go hand in hand; we can’t help but swoon over that kind of grace when we’re up to our ears in the seasonal hustle and bustle. Oh, to achieve those long, lithe lines, that almost superhuman strength juxtaposed with that effortless elegance…

Mary Helen Bowers is the (gorgeous) mastermind behind Ballet Beautiful, a ballet-inspired workout that goes way beyond toe shoes and tutus. After ten years of dancing with the prestigious New York City Ballet (and training at the School Of American Ballet before that), Mary Helen created Ballet Beautiful for everyone and anyone who wants to keep their bodies as strong and graceful as a ballerina’s. Her program combines everything we love about the gorgeous dance form including targeted exercises and stretches that will take your body to the next level. Mary Helen makes for an encouraging, enthusiastic instructor and her years of expertise provides on-point guidance for all levels. It was Mary Helen who personally trained Natalie Portman for her Academy Award-winning performance in Black Swan! All in all, Ballet Beautiful is the fulfillment our inner four-year-old’s ballerina dreams come to life.

Check out a class at Ballet Beautiful’s gorgeous, sun-drenched NYC studio by joining in at home through Ballet Beautiful’s live online classes. Take a peek inside Mary Helen’s ever so chic gym bag below and get ready to live that ballerina life…