Guest Medora Posted December 3, 2003 Report Share Posted December 3, 2003 Hi everyone. I just wanted to write tonight because since I've gotten back from surgery and have gotten back into shape and have been working hard, I've noticed that my attitude towards things have changed. I'm not sure if it's for the better or the worse. I still love to dance more than ever and I'm working my absolute hardest to improve, but it's like it doesn't feel like that much work like it used to. I still am as careful as I can be with things like turn out, arms, feet, but the tension that used to be there isn't there or something. I feel like I'm simply doing things and not thinking so hard about it, not trying as hard as I used to. When I fall off pirouettes and things, I don't beat myself up anymore over it, but it's like, "oh well better luck next time." I don't get all hyped up over things like I used to, I don't panic, I feel so much more calm about combinations and don't worry about making it like I used to. And the strange thing is, I'm making things every bit as good if not better than before, and I'm doing better with things like spotting than before! I guess this sounds like a good thing, but I worry because I don't want to feel like I'm slacking by not being so hard on myself. What is going on? It's like the spaz is gone, and instead of working arduously to hold muscles, I simply hold them and move on. I'm focusing just fine, I still concentrate, but I don't think about things like I used to. It's like I just do them and don't worry so much anymore. It's weird. So is it good or bad, or am I slacking, or is this new calm feeling okay? I may have dreamed all this up, but that's sort of how I feel. It's like I'm more relaxed or something, and it makes things feel easier, like I'm not fighting so hard to do things! Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted December 3, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted December 3, 2003 It's called maturity, Medora You have learned that life is not over when one thing goes wrong, and that one can deal with things, overcome them, and become better through the experience. In learning this, it has given you a new sense of confidence, which brings about the calmness and the lack of excess tension. Keyword: EXCESS. Excess tension stops movement. It prevents progress, and it actually stops the body from being able to execute ballet technique with enough freedom and flow of energy to allow it to happen. You were trying to MAKE it happen through too much thinking and too much worrying and overworking. So, you have learned a MAJOR lesson! What is happening now is wonderful, and totally positive! Enjoy it, and go with it!!! Link to comment
Guest Medora Posted December 3, 2003 Report Share Posted December 3, 2003 Yay! I'm so glad, because I've always been such a hard, hard worker! I just wanted to be sure I'm not becoming a slacker! Thank you so much, because I couldn't understand what was going on and why I'm not getting all worked up so much anymore! Cool! I hope to get a lot better this month! Yay! Link to comment
ConstanzaElisabeth Posted December 3, 2003 Report Share Posted December 3, 2003 Miss Sue has been trying to get that into my head for a long time now. Sometimes she will come up to me at the beginning of class and say 'maybe today you can just forget about all of the work and trust that your body knows what to do' and things like that. i rarely breathe when i dance and I am always so tense and concentrating on every little thing, but those moments when I do just forget about it and let myself dance, everything is so wonderful. its so much easier now, during nutcracker rehearsals when i am just too tired to put all that extra effort into it and I have to fill the entire stage with dancing, not just technique. It really is attitude-if you think it's easy, it is! (not that it is actually easy, but it feels like less of a struggle...) Link to comment
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