• Home
  • About
  • Published Work
Bethany Keats

Bethany Keats: writer, PhD student, ballerina

Purchasing pointes: the misfit, the first fit and the second fit

January 14, 2023 by Bethany Keats

I got my first pointe shoes when I was 27. And as more adults discover the enjoyment and benefits of ballet, the number of mature dancers going for their first pointe shoe fitting is increasing. But we’re not their market. The main demographic for new pointe shoes has, and will always been teenagers. This can … [Read more…]

Posted in: Ballet

Reflections on 10 years of adult ballet

January 14, 2023 by Bethany Keats

In mid-2022, I reached a milestone: 10 years of adult ballet classes. I started ballet when I was 26, after my gym closed down and I didn’t like any of the alternative gyms on offer. With a 90 minute commute home from work, outdoor sport was out of the question and I thought dancing would … [Read more…]

Posted in: Ballet, Life, the universe, and everything

We need to talk about vitamins

April 11, 2021 by Bethany Keats
Looking down at a hand holding a burger, a beer on the table next to it

The vitamin aisle at the pharmacy is overwhelming. Rows and rows of small bottles displayed by brand, not by content. I have to walk up and down multiple times to find what I want. I try to catch the eye of a staff member but no one comes. I see one helping a father and … [Read more…]

Posted in: Life, the universe, and everything Tagged: life

The nouns and adjectives of adult ballet

March 16, 2021 by Bethany Keats
angled photo of four women at a ballet barre

Re-posting a blog I wrote in 2014. As adult ballet becomes more popular around the world, I’ve seen an increasing amount of gatekeeping on the word “ballerina” and a claim from some that it’s the exclusive domain of professionals. It’s not. Ballerina baləˈriːnə A female ballet dancer. Origin: late 18th century: from Italian, feminine of ballerino ‘dancing master’, … [Read more…]

Posted in: Who am I?, Wisdom Tagged: ballet

The power of pointe

February 16, 2021 by Bethany Keats
Bethany on timber floor looking at the camera, mid-tying of her pointe shoes

My pointe shoes are healing. Mindful. I take them out of their bag (pink mesh, tied with a ribbon), feeling the cool satin, and move the ribbons to each side of the shoe, smoothing them out to make sure they’re not twisted. I adjust the seam of my tights so it doesn’t cut into my … [Read more…]

Posted in: Life, the universe, and everything Tagged: ballet

Book Review – Rodham, by Curtis Sittenfeld

December 10, 2020 by Bethany Keats
Book: Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld, Snugglepot bookmark peering over the top, dark timber background

Asking the question, What if Hillary Rodham hadn’t married Bill Clinton?, Rodham speculates a future for Hillary and explores what contemporary politics in the US could look on the other side of a sliding doors moment. This is one of those rare books where if you’re not feeling it at the start, it’s worth persevering. … [Read more…]

Posted in: Books Tagged: book review, books

2020-1 Summer Reading Recommendations

November 22, 2020 by Bethany Keats
Copy of the book "Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands" on a colourful background

A “summer reading list” is a list of wishful thinking. A pipe dream of lazy summer days by the beach or the pool, or even on the couch with a cold beer. The reality? More of the same we’ve had for the rest of the year, just hotter (and in 2020, less covid lockdowns). But, … [Read more…]

Posted in: Books Tagged: book review, books

Short story: A North-South Dance

October 31, 2020 by Bethany Keats
legs of dancers in pointe, flat, and demi-pointe shoes

This is my non-entry in the Townsville City Council Short Story Competition on the theme “My life in the North”. Just because I’m not eligible to enter doesn’t mean I can’t write something. The fan whirred.  Click. Click. It’s uneven. A wobble each rotation. I can’t remember the last time I slept in silence. A … [Read more…]

Posted in: Who am I?, Writing Tagged: ballet, gardening, life, Place, short story, Writing

Book Review – The Biographer’s Lover, by Ruby J. Murray

September 17, 2020 by Bethany Keats
book "the biographer's lover" on a wooden table next to a takeaway container of pasta with a fork in it

This book deserves more attention. The concept is excellent. A fictional artist, Edna Cranmer, and her unnamed biographer, alternating time periods to tell their interwoven lives. It subtly tackles class boundaries, the status of women, and the complex relationship between memory, legacy, and truth. The way the story moves and flows and drops hints, then … [Read more…]

Posted in: Books Tagged: book review, books, Place

Lockdown: Tiny people in tiny boxes

July 24, 2020 by Bethany Keats

If you toss an unbiased coin, the chance of landing tails each time is 50%. But, if you toss an unbiased coin 12 times, the chance of landing tails every time is 0.02%. That’s a bit like what lockdown has been like for me. On a given weekend, it’s not unusual for me to spend … [Read more…]

Posted in: Life, the universe, and everything Tagged: ballet, gardening
1 2 3 Next »

Recent Posts

  • Purchasing pointes: the misfit, the first fit and the second fit
  • Reflections on 10 years of adult ballet
  • We need to talk about vitamins
  • The nouns and adjectives of adult ballet
  • The power of pointe

Archives

  • January 2023
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • April 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • January 2019
  • February 2018
  • July 2017

Categories

  • Ballet
  • Books
  • Life, the universe, and everything
  • Who am I?
  • Wisdom
  • Writing

Copyright © 2023 Bethany Keats.

Omega WordPress Theme by ThemeHall