Finally clean doubles

[Marjolein]

Finally, I have consistant clean double pirouettes. I'm not a turner at all, I'm one of those bouncy, jumpy dancers and turns were always my least favorite part of class. Now I love it, I love the feeling of spinning around twice so quickly and landing smoothly.

 

We did a typical pirouette combination today. Just preparation, turn left, prep, turn right. I'm the only one in class who does doubles and today they all stopped to watch me turn

 

I don't understand though. I was so bad a turns, I took a long time off and I've come back with good doubles. I do feel like I have gained some kind of rest and ease in my dancing, it was always so tense.

[ripresa]

Congratulations Marjolein!!!!!!

 

This happened to me too!!! I am a very good jumper. Very often the teacher would make everyone watched while I jumped, but I could never turn. My turn was so wobbly and so bad compared to everything else. I noticed everytime I took a break from ballet my turns become better.. then it will become bad again. Except my last break.. I think it's because I've been being more conscious of my posture outside ballet.. but who knows?

 

Anyways, now I can do clean singles from fourth positions! It's a huge deal to me. And other turns are improving too.. finally Maybe this whole "turner" vs "jumper" thing is a myth ;-) My teacher used to consider herself a jumper until she danced with another company and the instructor there called her a turner.

Edited April 9, 2008 by ripresa

[Redbookish]

Congratuarions, Marjolein!! that's great.

I was so bad a turns, I took a long time off and I've come back with good doubles.

Isn't that always the way? I'm a turner, and I've noticed that. too.

[Marjolein]

On the other hand, I put on my pointe shoes at the end of class to do a couple of minutes of barre work. My feet look absolutely horrible on pointe. But I'm not rushing to be back on pointe. I might do some relevés after class for strength, but I'm not even thinking about pointe class at all. (let alone pirouettes on pointes)

 

Oh, we also did a bit of fouetté turn prep at the barre, turned out I can still do fouettés as well!!

[Laschwen]

I am so glad to hear you are coming along in class so quickly Marjolein. It is encouraging to all of us who have trouble coming back after illness or injury.

 

I am impressed with the doubles too. I was close to clean doubles once upon a time but am still living in anticipation of getting to doubles again.

 

Congratulations and keep us posted.

 

Laschwen

[ami1436]

Congrats Marjolein! I'm slowly back into classes as well, after a long time off for a variety of reasons, most recently injury... I fell during a pirouette when I got injured, and today it was so clear that I was petrified of them!

 

Like you, I'm more of a natural jumper than turner - it's amazing how having some time away alters the body, and the approach, just enough!

 

Congrats congrats!

[Blanche]

I don't understand though. I was so bad a turns, I took a long time off and I've come back with good doubles. I do feel like I have gained some kind of rest and ease in my dancing, it was always so tense.

 

I am finally feeling that my turning ability is more consistent than it used to be, but in the past my best pirouette days were the first day back after time off. I think that after the time off, my body, at least, forgot the bad/incorrect muscle memory that had built up (probably from the tension and fear), and I was more able to focus on the correct movement without being held back by the the obstacle of tension (physical and psychological). It is very freeing!

[Ann_hphg]

You are so right!

 

My first month back, I had the most astonishing turns! I did clean doubles within 2 weeks of being back. But these days, I am starting to struggle again. It's sad, cause the euphoria of turning fades rather quickly once I start to struggle to turn.

I'm way more of a jumper than a turner... And it never occurred to me, but you are every right, the best turns always have happened after taking breaks.

There was a time, before I stopped dancing to heal an injury, when I had found good balance, I could get good turns and that didn't diminish my ability to jump... But then I retired for a while... And well, the search for the balance now continues

[Agnes1022]

Rock on, Marjolein! I manage a decent singles, although my teachers tell me to stay up longer. On the rare ocassion, I unintentionally manage a turn-and-a-half and my teachers smile that I even managed the extra half. But even then, my working foot comes down, not because I am ready to put it down; it just comes down, because it has to!

 

So my $64 question is: how does one do a double?....intentionally.