Mary Helen Bowers

“All of the vintage photos of Ballets Russes are so inspiring.”

“I love berries, greens, and salmon.”

“Ballet Beautiful is about finding balance and making fitness a part of your life in a happy, healthy, rewarding way where you get to feel pretty and look beautiful. It's not about beating yo...”

“My body needs a lot of protein because I exercise so much. I eat dairy, meat, and gluten, but I stay away from white flour, sugar, and processed foods.”

“You won't find me in a sports bra and low-slung leggings.”

“For the hair, a few French hairpins and a tortoiseshell clip will dress up any bun!”

“I don't believe in depriving myself; it's an unhealthy state of mind.”

“Making fitness a priority will energize you, make you look and feel better, and help diffuse stress.”

“I've learned that there are many people out there who want to feel powerful and strong on their own terms, who want to tune out the noise and the punishing nature of grueling workouts. With...”

“Could you physically lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks? Maybe. But there's no way you could do that in a healthy way or that you could maintain it.”

“Generally speaking, I love a workout that includes stretching and toning exercises for legs and core on the mat paired with ballet-inspired cardio and Barre exercises to get the heart rate u...”

“Nail polish is like the icing on the beauty cake.”

“I had the opportunity to train with Natalie Portman for 'Black Swan,' and the program we created was intense and involved a lot of travel.”

“I launched Ballet Beautiful not long after finishing at Columbia and met Natalie Portman shortly after. We began training and preparing her for her role in 'Black Swan.' From there, I contin...”

“Before founding Ballet Beautiful, I was a ballerina with the New York City Ballet.”

“My approach in general is to take really great care of my skin, but I try not to overdo it and not use too many crazy products.”

“For ballet dancers, style is about melding personal expression with physical form.”

“The image of a pregnant woman embracing her figure and really putting it out there can be scary to some people, but I don't let that stand in my way, and I don't think other women should eit...”

“I find that the thing that makes every body look the best is great toning, and really, really targeting the muscles, and low cardio, where you're sculpting and getting your heart rate up but...”

“Most of the time, even if I'm at home in my sweatpants, I probably have a pair of slippers on.”