New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is no twinkle toes, but he gave ballet his best shot recently for a feature story from GQ. And there is video to prove it.
Gronkowski was paired up with Nathaklia Arja of the Miami City ballet to go through an introductory crash course on the basics of ballet. Gronkowski was, well, not the most graceful. He was, however, optimistic and positive in a way that you would expect from Gronk.
The idea of football players or other professional athletes taking up dance in the offseason is not quite a unique concept. In the same light, hockey players have been known to take up figure skating. The benefits of ballet for football players has been outlined before, with a focus on flexibility and balance along with agility and mental focus. At the University of South Carolina, a dance appreciation class may seem like an easy credit for football players, but a handful of football players have taken the class and defended taking the class by suggesting it has helped them on the practice field.
Are we going to see Gronkowski back in the dance studio to practice his ballet? Probably not, but never say never. Gronk knows no boundaries.
[GQ]
