A big change

[skip]

Hi there everyone of you!!

 

i just wanted to let all of you know that under the extreme pressure of finding a new job, i just had two offered today (after two months of pain while searching for THE job)....coming sunday will be my last day at the airport and monday, i'll start with my new job. it's something totally different, but it's kind of a troubleshooter job with a parcelsendingcompany in the netherlands (it's not a dutch company though). i was also offered a position in a hotel as a receptionist, but didn't take it, because the other job was gonna bring me more moneywise.

 

and moneywise is where the balletnews starts. since my surgery, my recovery has been going smoothly. i was already allowed to start ballet again, but because i want to stay at my old balletschool (which is 45 minutes away by train) i needed money to pay the tuition AND the trainrides. since i found a fulltime job, i can start taking balletclasses again and i hope that i can take 2 classes a week.

 

more good balletnews, tomorrow will be my first balletclass since a year!!! i've been invited to my teachers examsession to inform parents about the RAD and suddenly i was told that she has one class at 10 in the morning before the exams start in the afternoon and she asked me to come!! !!

 

i can't do all of the class yet, because i'm not allowed to do all the jumping yet (still need to work on that with my PT, but it will come), but i'm already happy i can touch that barre again to do my plies !!!

 

sorry if this is kind of a rambling, but, i just wanted to share!!!

 

~SKIP~

[Victoria Leigh]

Congratulations, skip! Sounds like a win-win situation Very glad you will be back in classes!

[skip]

thanks ms. leigh!!!

 

i took my first class again this morning and let me just say in the first place: it was great to touch the barre, doing plies and everything!

 

i'm still in the process of getting back to all movements, so i can't jump yet (in a couple of more weeks, i should be able to start simple petit allegro exercises again and then build it up to grand allegro), but i was able to take the rest of the class.....

 

i did barre, port de bras, pirouettes (first balance and then i tried a single ... wow, did i just feel happy doing that turn...i know, it might sound very silly, but for me it's quite a big step after a year hoping and waiting to get back to class) and i also did adage.

 

then, the jumping section started, so i waited and for the girls who did their pointes on, they were doing very simple rise and releve exercises and since that's allowed for strength, i was able to join that part again!!!

 

and yes, for the job, it's truly a win-win situation. the job enables me to take classes again. probably not this week, just to find out how my times are going to look, but, the week after, i'll get in the train to go to ballet!!!

 

i know i still have a long way to go before getting at my old level, but my teacher said it wasn't too bad after a year off and my friend (student at a professional dance school here) said that she couldn't tell i had surgery and hardly could tell that i took a year off.

 

if no-one minds, i'll keep you updated about my recovery back into balletclass!!!

 

~SKIP~

[Guest LisaB]

Skip,

Good news. Please keep us updated. It's always good to hear people's stories about returning to dance after an injury. I find it very motivating.

[Jaana Heino]

Great news, skip; I hope you'll be very happy in your new job (no question if you you will be that in class ).

[skip]

ok, lets update !

 

i've had 3 classes so far (actually 4, because i did 2 today). everything is going pretty easy and my ankle is not bothering me. today, i went to the doctor for a check up and he was very positive and i can start building up strength for pointe again by doing relevés en pointe with two hands on the barre, one hand on the barre, no hands on the barre and then on one foot, two hands on the barre and one hand on the barre. each step takes approximately (sp?) a week. with jumping, i'm at the step one hand on the barre, jumping on one leg.

 

at class today i just did every pirouette in the first class double without a problem why did i never do them before ??

 

strength has gone away a little, and sometimes i don't really feel the difference between correct and incorrect (although it takes a minor change to be in the correct position), but i need to work on that to get it back.

strength with the height of legs is also gone a little, but if i keep working hard, i hope it will come back soon. first matter now is my ankle, to come back to be able to do everything.

 

class on tuesday and second class today were of a very nice level. challenging to see what i'm able to do so far. like, today, we had fouette turns in class, i just skipped that....i feel comfortable turning, but don't want to hurt it if i make a mistake with the consecutive releves. next time, i'll step to the barre, make the correct movement, but won't turn, just to get the feeling back.

 

my teacher doesn't mind me making minor changes to exercises if it's still a little too much, she's just happy i'm back in class!

 

sorry this is not built up like a chronological logic story or whatever, but i just wanted to update you and have pretty much on my mind (also some sad things....but i won't go in to that....), so, just as a summary.....

 

barre is going pretty easy and steady (sometimes i just do things on flat when it's supposed to be on demi-pointe)

adage is going well, just that i can't get my legs as high as i used to/too (correct form?)

pirouettes are going well, as long as it stays to simple singles, doubles en dehors and en dedans, pose turns (en dehors as well as en dedans), chaines, i need to get back working on it. fouette turns, well, i already said that above, i need to work on that too. today we did pirouettes, finishing in attitude derriere, well, turning was ok, but the landing, let's practise that some more!

jumping, i'm working on that at home, to be able to start simple petit allegro exercises and for pointe the same, i need to work on that at home.

 

ms. leigh and mr. johnson, do you have any other pointers (besides the strength-scheme the doctor gave me) for regaining strength to get back to level (RAD adv. 1/2) quickly without overdoing anything and regaining confidence needed for exercises like fouette turns or jumps on one foot and stuff like that?

 

~SKIP~

[Mel Johnson]

Skip, I'd be careful about taking two classes in one day for at least the first couple of weeks after returning. One will be plenty. Then, if no trouble is experienced, you can add a class.

 

I'd be cautious on fouettés as well, until you are certain that your foot can take the repeated relevés required for whatever number you have to perform.

 

As far as you've described it, the regimen for building back foot and ankle strength seems all right, but remember, everything else needs toning up, too. You seem to have an instinct for not rushing things; I'd follow that instinct if I were you.

[skip]

Mr. Johnson,

 

I really am careful, because I want to keep dancing (a year off has been long enough). I asked the doctor at the checkup yesterday if it would be possible with my foot and he said that my ankle shouldn't be the biggest problem. It's just a one time, because I had the day off yesterday, so I was able to join the class. I followed the doctors instructions to keep listening to my body and as a precaution didn't join when an exercises was taken more than 1 time.

 

The fouettes were just an example of an exercise a waited for the others to finish. Would it be a good idea to practise the movement at the barre or would you advise to first do consecutive releves with my foot in pirouette position?

 

Yes, I discovered everything needs some toning up....my muscles were a little sore Wednesday morning and this morning .

 

My teacher is also keeping an eye on me, but usually I step out before she tells me to and might hurt myself.

 

 

You seem to have an instinct for not rushing things; I'd follow that instinct if I were you. 

 

 

well, I'm usually to stubborn to follow my instinct. In the past, it happened that I took several classes and enjoyed all of them so much, that I didn't have enough energy anymore for the next class. By that time, it was just more that I couldn't do things just half. I still can't, so, avoiding to hurt my ankle with my stubborness (sp?) I just step out before!

 

Thanks for your advise!!

 

~SKIP~

[Mel Johnson]

Before fouettés, check yourself out on them, temps by temps. (Generally speaking, a set of temps is a pas, as a set of pas is an enchainement) Do the relevés in pirouette position first, then try yourself in the fouettés at the barre, then if everything is all right, go right ahead!

[skip]

thanks for your advice mr. johnson!!! i really appreciate your it!! i'll try doing some consecutive releves in pirouette position at the barre.

 

now i'm off for practising my pointe exercises to start gaining strength for pointe again (totally approved by the doctor!!)

 

~SKIP~

[skip]

I just thought to give you an update after three weeks of ballet!

 

Classes are going fine. I'm not experiencing any pain or discomfort doing class. Barre and centre practise is going well, although I can feel I need to build up my strength again for holding legs at 90 or above doing longer adage exercises.

 

Pirouettes are going fine and I tried some fouette-turning last week, I was able to do 3 or 4 on my left leg (which was the leg the surgery was on) and on my right leg, I was able to complete the exercise (7 fouette turns, RAD advanced 1).

 

Jumps, I'm still building that up. Jumping on 2 legs is no problem anymore, so, I'm able to complete the petit allegro exercises. Jumping on 1 leg, I can do it, but I need to build up some more strength. I cannot repeat an exercise for several times yet, because then I have to sit out the next combination. So far, I did some petit allegro work on one foot and some allegro work.

 

Pointe, building up is still going on, but I'm able to do rises and releves on two feet and I participated in doing courus last night. No trouble with my ankle and that is a big relieve to me! The pain I experienced 2 years ago in the front of my foot doing pointework and my achilles aching a little while doing slow rises is totally away.

 

My teacher is very supportive and in the past, because I was always taking exams, I always was pushed a little, just to do everything a little more difficult. That's not the case now and she allows me to wait if we repeat an allegro combination.

 

I took class yesterday elsewhere, with a teacher that I also know and she asked me if I can come sometimes as an assistant teacher. I'm very excited about that and would love to do it. It's just that I'm still a little hesistant (sp?), because that would leave me almost no night with spare time anymore and I would never eat dinner at home except for the weekends.....I'm going Monday just to see what it's like in that class and she asked me yesterday to teach the kids an allegro combination, which went, in my opinion, pretty well, and the teacher was happy about it too.

 

Sorry if this is boring for anyone, I'm just happy to be able to share my recovery somewhere!

 

~SKIP~

[Victoria Leigh]

Sounds like really good news, skip! We are delighted to hear about it.

[Jaana Heino]

It's not boring.

[Mel Johnson]

Absolutely not boring at all, and useful for our younger readers to see the story of someone who's doing a return to class after time off in a safe, sane, and correct manner.

[skip]

I'm glad to hear that you appreciate my recovery process written on here! And yes, Major Johnson, I hope this is useful for anyone returning to ballet after some time.

 

If I have enough time, I might write another update in another few weeks....

 

~SKIP~