Turning 'pointe' in the Maldives: A ballet retreat that moves body and soul

Body specs: smudge under five-foot, heavy runners thighs, middle-aged. I'm about to attend my first-ever ballet class and I don't quite fit the mould. It doesn't feel like a regular first-timers' session either. I've joined a ballet retreat on the heart-stopping heart-shaped Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Maldives. The teacher, Karis Scarlette, was trained by one of the world's best ballet companies, the Royal Ballet. Questions brew like the storm sitting on the horizon as I head to the studio: will I be awkward, clumsy, unable to move artistically? After all, ballet is an art form associated with grace and beauty, the most elegant of all dances.

I had arrived in the sky-scrapped capital, Male, the day before and boarded a seaplane to reach the atoll where I'd be staying at the luxurious Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort for six days. Flying at low altitude presented an incredible view of hundreds of aqua-hued atolls, glistening gems in the ocean's jewellery box. Thirty minutes later we'd bounced down to a warm Maldivian welcome of boduberu drumming, coconut juice and champagne.

"Ballet is like learning a language - you start with the basics: 'Hello, how are you, what is your name?' If you can teach those things, you can build on that." Karis, who began ballet at two years old, explains as we grip the barre. Toned, poised, with wavy blond hair piled neatly atop - she's the quintessential ballerina.

"Squeeze the glutes, engage adductors - join your two legs together so they feel like one," Karis instructs. "Eyes and face should look pleasant, not cheesy, not smiley."

My face at best is tense as I follow her lead trying to rotate both feet in opposite directions for the fundamental turnout - the first position. We progress to a demi plie, an out-turned knee bend.

"As you go down, visualise you're going up." Karis demonstrates. "Ballet is not a sport, it's an art form - when you dance you become the music." Her effortless, artistic movement belies the fact she suffered a severe back injury in her late teens, ending a promising on-stage career. She tells me that teaching people of all ages, from all walks of life and disabled people to professional athletes has enriched her life again.

We stretch, rise, squeeze, "grow taller", demi plie and "hold the moon" with outstretched arms.

"That, ladies, is your warm up!"

We practise routines to piano arrangements by Tchaikovsky and Schubert and I'm lost to the music, to the possibilities ballet provides for middle age, mental health, confidence and longevity. I think of nothing else but the position of my whole body. It is a challenging discipline and I leave class feeling "taller", reenergised.

The day gets even better when I head across a turquoise-streaked ocean to snorkel with the underwater world's greatest ballerinas - the manta rays. Liz, an onboard naturalist warns we might not see them as the season is ending. The weather has also turned squally and I jump into an empty dark abyss. Hope fades as we swim against a strong current. Slowly, like tutu-donned dancers entering stage-left in a Swan Lake production, a squadron of manta rays rise from the deep, one after the other, sweeping their extensive fins. They arise, dancing and swirling. I maintain the "stayaway three-metre rule" but they brush against me, bouncing off like cotton balls. They glide back and forth until one by one they drift down, disappearing to depths we cannot see.

The Maldives boast more than worthy glossy-brochure beaches, and the following morning I meet Nisha, the island's cultural buff. Over virgin minted mocktails and melt-in-your-mouth raw yellowfin tuna served with sushi rice dressed in salad, we chat about Maldivian life. Made up of more than 1100 tiny islands, the Maldives are easy to miss on the world map. Look closely, you'll see them dangling, a pretty pendant at the southern tip of India. With Sri Lanka to the right, Africa to the left, Oman north-east - the Maldivian people, who practice Sunni Islam, adopted traditions from those who came ashore in the 15th century during the spice trade.

Nisha tells me the importance of their community comes from Sri Lanka, their cuisine from South India, song and dance from Africa. "In our culture someone is always coming to help you, you're never alone. On our local islands people welcome you with garlands, drums and special desserts, and invite you to stay."

I keep this in mind as I head back to my over-water villa. The ocean stretches before me, and I snorkel up and climb down steps leading to the pristine underwater world. It's a soothing 28 degrees, and I spend the next few hours floating around coral caverns, tuning out to life above. Unthreatened by my presence, curious butterfly fish come so close I'm eye to fish-eye. I swim alongside sky-blue surgeon fish, black-tip reef sharks, regal angelfish and grumpy-looking grouper as I fall under the ocean's spell. The ping of social media, emails and apps are forgotten, and if the ballet barre wasn't booked, I'd stay a while longer.

"You are always the physical embodiment of the music," Karis says as we warm up. "You communicate with your face and arms in ballet - we don't use words, we use gestures. Think about separating your fingers so you can weave a ribbon through the spaces."

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Getting there: Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia all fly to Male, Maldives. To reach Baa Atoll, take a seaplane from the international airport.

While there: The Baa Atoll Ballet Retreat at Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort will be held in 2025. See karisscarlette.com/maldives-ballet-retreat for dates and prices, to be announced soon. In 2024, the five-night package started at $US4183 ($6708) for two adults. The retreat is part of Avani+ Fares' wellness program, which includes a freediving retreat in September and a kids' and teens' football camp in October.

Explore more: avanihotels.com; visitmaldives.com/en

The writer was a guest of Avani Hotels and Resorts.