Really really completely and entirely BAD day

[Guest fastfeets]

I've just come home from class, and I have had the worst day. Actually, no. Let me amend that...the worst MONTH! I've been in this downswing for some time, and I swear, I'm getting worse, not better. I'm rather feeling hopeless tonight. (poor me, waaaah)

 

I'm just frustrated, I know. It's so hard to come back from being pretty skilled, to starting over. My mind knows what to do, my body refuses to cooperate. I can't even balance more than a few seconds en passe'! *sigh*

 

Tonight, I couldn't manage a clean double...really, not even a good, solid single, for that matter. My balance has gone wacky, and nothing felt 'right'. I felt completely out of alignment.

 

Maybe I'm setting my expectations too high right now, but I *know* what I was capable of years ago, and I can't understand why I'm having so much trouble with simplicity now.

 

someone hit me, please...heh. Better yet, pour the wine.

[Jaana Heino]

I notice my balance being worse if I miss just one class, and it is almost completely gone if I have a two weeks break... (Only I've been taking classes for only two years or so, though, so I have less to lose than you, too.) It's natural, I suppose, as it's not so much about knowing how to do it but having your muscles trained to doing it.

 

Nevermind, it will come back. Just stick to it. Meanwhile, let us have some wine.

[Guest fastfeets]

Jaana, thank you I'll gladly pour the wine!!

 

I've been trying not to dwell on it too much today, but I suspect I'm bringing it on myself. I'm demanding too much of myself and am not getting it...no one would. Ballet takes a lot of time, and patience, and every achievement is a small change....I have to remember that.

 

But I was feeling really wretched and untalented after last night, and wasn't willing to go another class (which would have topped 3 hours of advanced ballet..) to see how much worse it would get. LOL

 

I'll be back in there friday, as always. No classes for me today, but my son has his jazz/tap class...so I'm pretty sure my teacher will have a few things to say to me.

 

On a positive note, though, one of the advanced girls told me last night that she admired my tenacity, and fearlessness for coming back to ballet, and I was an inspiration to her. How much that touched me.. I nearly lost it, right there.

 

I love these gals...they're tremendous people.

[antbobby]

Hey, pass the wine.... move over on the couch!

 

I'm sorry you are having a bad time. Wah!

I'm really depressed myself. I have extremely bad sciatica. It has really paralysed my right leg down to my ankle. It impacts your nerves and your twitch and reflexes. What that means is that in addition to being in pain when I'm lifting my leg, I have absolutely no strength in the leg to hold it up. It makes me sick. I have worked so hard in the last year to the point where I was getting really strong, balanced, 2 sided, blah blah blah and it is like starting completely over!

 

I am so bummed. Wahhhhhhhhhhhh!

 

Please pour me a glass!

[Guest fastfeets]

antbobby, there's plenty of room on the wine couch!! That sciatica sounds wretched...I'm so sorry you're having so much pain.....here, have another glass of wine.

 

I just placed an order for custom made bloch pointes today, so i'm in a little happier spirits, but then, I didn't have a class today...tomorrow could change all that...argh..

 

That starting over thing is positively grueling...waaaaaahhh!!!

 

maybe we need an all whining thread....heh ;)

[old shoe]

"But I was feeling really wretched and untalented after last night, and wasn't willing to go another class to see how much worse it would get."

 

Thank you for expressing soooo well how I often feel! I have been taking ballet as an adult since 1977, yes, that's 26 years, and still can't rely on my feet to point, my legs to be straight, etc. And I don't balance well and the scene with pointe is really so pathetic it's comedic! But, I just can't stop loving it and as soon as I get home from the awful class/week, I can't wait to go again.

 

Is there still room on the couch for another whining wino?

[Rio]

I think I know how you feel.

 

I've been doing ballet for almost 8 months. At first, there was so much to correct and so much to learn that I felt I was improving at a rate of knots!

 

Now, my technique (bad feet, sub-optimal turnout) is tripping me up. I actually feel as though I am regressing! It seems to me that my developpes are getting lower, my pirouettes even more disastrous and my turnout even more atrocious!

 

I've started 2 more classes (Cecchetti method) and am back to learning a new syllabus and feel more like a hippo scooting across the studio trying to keep up than a ballet student!

 

Imagine my distress when I found out that exams are in September and a small part of the syllabus is pointe work! And I've a lot of work to do before I get *there*! (as eager as I am)

 

But, I hold to the philosophy that although you may never be perfect, there is always room for improvement. Whether it be my bad feet (therabands were purchased this morning for exactly this!) or turnout, I know there is some improvement to be had!

 

Incidently, how long is a student expected to work at the syllabus before taking the exam? I'm sure it varies from person to person, but what is the average?

 

Rio

[Tancos]

Just a thought: if this "downswing" has lasted a month, you might want to see a doctor and make sure that you don't have some quiet, low-grade infection that's sapping your strength.

[Guest fastfeets]

Old Shoe, there's *always* room on the whine couch for more!!

 

Tanco, I hadn't thought of that...but I may just schedule a little physical next week. I'm due for an xray on a stress fracture anyway, to be sure it's fully healed...ha...more like being sure it *was* a fracture (as it felt fine within hours...). Thanks for the heads up....it was an angle I hadn't considered.

 

I had a much better night tonight. My teacher said I was 'glowing', whatever that meant. I'm assuming it was a good thing, til he accused me of having a soul..can you imagine that?! heh heh...but I must have been doing something right tonight. He was correcting me a lot, but also complimenting a lot. I bunged the fouette turns, but no reason to sweat that. Those are hard! grrrr...

 

I wont say my downswing is over (so as not to jinx a good night), but I definitely feel a bit better. Not nearly as much stumbling, and such.

 

 

Rio, I have no idea about exams, actually. I can say this, though. Take them when you're ready, and not a moment before. ESPECIALLY if you're talking about pointe work. You've got to have the strength and confidence or you're risking serious, devastating injury. There's no set time for individuals...just do you're own thing, and enjoy it (like i can talk, right...ha)

[Guest beckster]

Rio, I took my first exam after 2 years of ballet. But the exam certainly wasn't designed for adult beginners! One girl in my class had been taking that grade for less than a year, and got a much better mark than me - that's what happens if you do exams with talented teens who have been dancing forever! It is very difficult to say how long it will take you, since each person is different and each syllabus is different. I think you will know when you are ready. And if you don't know, your teacher will!

[Rio]

Well the girls in my cecchetti class are aiming for exams in September. That's 6 months to learn the syllabus!

 

I don't remember it being that quick when I was a young lady! (I didn't do exams, but the other girls in my class did).

 

My teacher has told me that my participating in the exam is at her discretion and that, should I not take the exam, I may either progress to intermediate (we are currently doing intermediate foundation), or stay in the intermediate class.

 

If I don't do the exams, I think I will remain in the intermediate class until I am ready to do so.

 

Thanks

Rio