Byline: Amber Smith, Health & Fitness Editor
Who he is: Sean McLeod, 38, president of the New York Institute of Dance and Education in Auburn and father of two.
How he got started: 'As a singer, when I was in church, around 3 years old. I started martial arts shortly thereafter. My father made me start taking dance classes when I was 14 years old. My dad simply wanted me to dance because I was a performer. He felt to be legitimate, I needed to be a triple threat.'
What his first class was like: 'My dad would drop me off at the dance studio, and I would fake like I was going in, and I would leave. I did that for 13 months before I got caught.'
Then his father began depositing him into the studio. 'I begrudgingly took the class. I wanted to keep my manliness, if you will, so I rejected ballet totally and really focused on jazz dancing. I felt I could be more of a man doing that. One day I sort of woke up and recognized that I sort of liked ballet. I got good at it. When you're good at something, you tend to like it.'
Why it's his passion: 'Dancing done well and dancing taught well means good health and good life. When something is moving, it is the epitome of being alive. If it's moving robustly, we believe it's alive and healthy.'
What it requires: 'Anyone can do ballet. Can anyone do ballet professionally? No. It comes down to their desire. There is one attribute that I, as an instructor, cannot assess, and it's the master attribute whether it's in business, dance or sports, and that's desire.
There may be a person who can be kissed by God and triple jointed, but if that person simply doesn't want to dance, it isn't there.'
What he still works on: 'I wanted to get all of my full splits back. At 38, it's not too late. I cut a little bit of the carbs out, not all of them, because I like my carbohydrates. And I increased my water by like 10-fold It probably took me about 3 1/2 weeks doing splits three or four times per day. It wasn't about pushing. It was about holding a 30-count position. My objective was to get back my splits. I never said how fast.'
How he fits it in: 'I dance every day. I try to lead by example. I actually take the class while I'm teaching it. '
How he supplements dancing: Machine work at the YMCA, and martial arts. He's 7th degree black belt in ketsugen karate.
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John Berry / Staff photographer
John Berry / Staff photographer
SEAN MCLEOD teaches at the New York Institute of Dance and Education in Auburn.
