Markham Heid is a contributor at TIME. He is the author of The Habit Trap, due out in early 2027. Bethan Mooney for TIME In ballet training, the barre is the horizontal handrail dancers grip while ...

As a lot of young kids did, I took ballet classes from my toddler years until I graduated college with a degree in dance (focusing mostly on contemporary dance). From ages 15-21 I also taught ballet ...