Its OFFICIAL I am an adult ballet student!

[thebill]

Ok so after like a month of nervous anticipation, and biting my nails off as to how I would feel in a room full of graceful dancers I finally attended my first class tonight. After all the nervous build up of "what ifs" in my head it turned out to be absolutely harmless... well my legs might disagree but whatever.

 

I showed up a few minutes early and there were like 2 young girls in the lobby and a girl that was my age and some lady. We made small talk and the lady asked what class we were here for. We both said the adult class and the kids muct have belonged to someone else because they just ignored us. I mentioned that I am the most uncoordinated and unflexible person on earth and that i had sympathy for the unfortunate instructor. The lady I was speaking to informed me she was the unfortunate instructor and laughed and said she could handle me.

 

So we went into the studio which was like a giant closet with mirrors down the wal, but no clothes hanging anyplace. Just a big open room with a handrail running down the side without a mirror. We sat on the floor, and the lady began to et to know the three of us that showe dup a little better. For a first class we looked like some unexperienced kids. There was me in my sweatrs and tshirt and running shoes, and the girl that was in the loby with us was wearing jeans because she simply planned on observing, and another girl arrived in sweas. She was th emost experienced of us with a whole semester of dance. Well I guess the teacher was th emost experienced. She appeared to be "mom with kids" aged and said she has many many years of dance instruction. She was very pleasant and accomodating because I was not the most nervous there and I was quite tense.

 

She laid it all out how we would start at the beginning and move from there, and the class was designed for beginners and they meant beginners. They assumed we knew nothing and taught us everything from the start. She explained the barre and all the terms we would need for the night.

 

We learnd plies and tendus and then did several of each. We then did some stretching and then did some moving accross the floor.

 

We were there for about an hour and 15 mins and I can honestly say the stuff we did was very very simple in ballet world, but for my uncoordinated self it was like nothing I had ever done. Did you know there is a muscle on the top of your foot that you can stretch? Neither did my feet...

 

All in all the class was very fun, and i am looking forward ot my next one.

 

Hope this didnt ramble, and I figured this could go in the mens forum since I am one or the adult board since I am also a 22 year old adult beginner so if this belongs elsewhere please feel free to move it mel. I put it here because I igured more people would see it.

[Mel Johnson]

Nope, this is the place for it. Sounds like your teacher has a plan for getting adult charges used to the work environment, starts by teaching some basics, and then just cutting loose and moving. Keeps it interesting!

[thebill]

Yeah it was very cool. The teacher is professional and all, but laid back too. She is pretty cool, and the other two girl sint he class seem to be at a very beginner level like me, well one does at least. The other has had some training aparently. Anyhow I am pumped, and It looks like someting i can definately enjoy.

[Kate B]

That sounds great, thebill. Keep it up - you're doing exactly the right thing just by having fun.

[DreadPirateRoberts]

... you're doing exactly the right thing just by having fun.

I love the way you said that, Kate! That's a valuable

way to think about all of our avocations, and (I suspect)

many vocations too!

 

(And, I know from personal experience that it is SO

easy to be self-critical when beginning a new endeavor,

instead of keeping the fun of it all in mind...)

 

Thanks...

[thebill]

Fun is my middle name. What could be more fun than being in a room surrounded by a lot of attractive in shape ladies wearing spandex? All while getting a great workout too.

[BarreTalk]

"What could be more fun than being in a room surrounded by a lot of attractive in shape ladies wearing spandex?  All while getting a great workout too."

SSSSSHHHHHHH!

 

You're supposed to keep that part of ballet a secret. Next thing you know a bunch of new guys will show up and over-crowd the barre.

[Kate B]

I know this is off-topic, but where on earth is 'dirty dirty south Yo'?

[thebill]

Specifically I am in Auburn Alabama, and from Atlanta originally. The term comes from hip hop music. The south is refered to as the dirty sirty. Yo just means yo. Its like oy backwards.

[Kate B]

Aha. Cool! (I thought Yo. could be an abbreviation for a state, like IA or NY!)

[Tarthulhu]

I graduated from Auburn University, and spent a couple post-college years living there. I loved it.

[thebill]

Very cool! Its also cool that you escaped the Alabama Bubble and made it to Kali.

[Guest gotnothing?]

Hey, congratulations! I'm still looking for an adult class by me. Hope you have a great time!

[thebill]

Thank you! My second class is tonight so I am looking forward to it.