This story is available exclusively to Business Insider
subscribers. Become an Insider
and start reading now.Have an account? .
Soldiers in South Korea's army don't just learn how to move across the battlefield. They also learn how to move on the dance floor.
After a long, tense day of guarding the Demilitarized Zone on the border of North and South Korea, what better way is there to blow off steam than by lacing up ballet shoes and practicing pliés?
Being a soldier in the South Korean army involves training with firearms...
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
...tidying up the barracks...
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
...and taking dance classes.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
Ballet is a lot harder than it looks.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
South Korean men are required to complete nearly two years of military service.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
The ballet classes are aimed to relieve stress for soldiers guarding the border near the Demilitarized Zone across the Korean Peninsula.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
It's the most heavily fortified border in the world.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
"There's a lot of tension here since we live in the unit on the front line, which makes me feel insecure at times," Kim Joo-hyeok, a 23-year-old sergeant, told Reuters.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
"Through ballet, I am able to stay calm and find balance as well as build friendships with my fellow soldiers," he added.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
Joo-hyeok also told Reuters that he plans to continue learning ballet when he's discharged from the army.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
And it's no wonder he wants to continue. A 2009 study published in Arts & Health listed increased self-esteem and improved coping strategies as positive benefits of dancing.
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
A lot of athletes also take ballet to improve their balance and coordination. New York Jets player Steve McLendon once said that ballet is "harder than anything else I do."
Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
Clearly, he's never tried guarding the world's most dangerous border.
