ballerina

Degas

Vogue

From the paintings of Carlotta Edwards and Degas to my affection for ballet flats (French Sole are the best), the ten years I spent doing ballet (and tap, character and jazz) have permeated my life and wardrobe.

Junko Shimada - SS 09

I was a terrible ballerina - I hate rules - but I still love the aesthetic. Apparently when I'm bored I unwittingly put my feet into first position - standing waiting to cross the road, deciding what sort of yoghurt to buy at the supermarket.

So. Hair in a topknot, wraparound cardigans, little skirts, opaque tights, ballet flats, Repetto jazz shoes, leotards (curses upon you American Apparel, but they just look better under dresses and high-waisted jeans). All in my wardrobe, yet never to be worn together at the same time. Ick.

Before Van Morrison was a MOR, sappy love song writing creep, he made seminal album Astral Weeks. It's a cult classic, and one of my favourites - languid, mystical, romantic, layered without being trite. He recorded it in two days. Two days!

"With varied rhythms and frenzied vocals, mixed with bizarre lyrics that evoke images instead of coherent ideas and narratives, Astral Weeks has been compared to the school of Impressionism in painting, which similarly seeks to evoke emotions associated with an image."

The best song? Ballerina, of course.

And step right up
Just like a ballerina
Stepping lightly

Van Morrison - Ballerina