Now that the stress of the holiday season is beginning to recede into the background, you’re either eager or reluctant to get back into the studio swing of things. If you’re more on the reluctant side, read this for inspiration: 50 girls, aged five to eight, now get to take ballet class in war-torn Gaza—with hundreds on the waiting list.

The Al-Qattan Center Centre for Children in Gaza started a pilot ballet program over the summer. Parents report that the ballet classes have helped their children—some of whom have already lived through four wars—get over their trauma and deal with stress better. Watch the short video below to see the newbie ballet students in action!

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