My first class!

[Guest AidanM]

I just had my first ballet class, and it was the hardest, funnest thing I've ever done. The girls were so supportive and helpful. We were doing some sort of grand jete, with a develope(sp?) and I was having serious issues with it until one of the girls threw a jacket on the floor and said "Jump over it." And it worked, I did it!

 

I think that the parts I had the most trouble with were even more fun than the parts that I found easy. I can't wait to do it again.

[BarreTalk]

Congratulations!

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your very first class. Ballet is so difficult many people don't enjoy it until they've had several classes. I counsel those to stick with it - it's worth the klutzy feeling you have at first.

[2 Left Feet]

I love that they actually threw a jacket on the floor for your jette's. I had a teacher lie down on the floor to make us jump over him. It was very funny, but we all jumper higher!

[Guest Jete]

Glad you enjoyed your first class. Seeing that my first class was when I was a wee boy of 5 years, I don't remember the details. I do remeber that I had one of the best times of my life and smiled that whole day.

 

As for the jete technique, my first technique teacher at Washington School of Ballet used clothing articles and piled them up every class until we could jump over them all. Now I can get quite good lift while extending my legs to their maximum in jetes. The clothes pile helped!!

[jimpickles]

I like the advice of thinking you are jumping over a large puddle (or a lake).

 

Jim.

[dancerguy]

What might also help if you want to go further, even though grande jete is actually more about height, is taking two shoes and moving them further apart every week. Thats what I had to do, I used to almost move backwards in grande jete (don't ask me how).

[balletboyrhys]

the jacket thing is funny. i had a teacher who used to sit by you during adagion and your leg could never touch her head. as my extension got better she would just stand and i had to keep my leg above her head. she was short and im fairly tall and with long legs but it sure did the trick to get me some strength with my extension!