Keeping formation in the DMZ?


Life can be tense while stationed in a Demilitarized Zone. But South Korean soldiers amassed along the border are fighting back with a unique form of stress relief: ballet.  

Taught by a ballerina from the Korean National Ballet, soldiers are adding to their arsenal the grace and discipline inherent in the classical dance form. The practice offers soldiers much-needed balance and serenity, as well as provides an opportunity to form friendships with other soldiers. Now, stretching at the barre and practicing splits have become an artful extension to the tense line of duty.           —Ali Coffman, intern, July 28, 2016

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Photo: Reuters / Kim Hong-Ji

News source: Johnny Simon, “South Korean soldiers are fighting stress with ballet,” Quartz, July 20, 2016