December delights

[jimpickles]

We had an end of year dance concert/party at the adult dance school last weekend - we all (a hundred plus) sat around the edges of the hall and each group did their little bit, then we had a drink and a chat. I didn't realise that there were so many groups in the dance school (which is adults only, and ballet only) - about 15 of them, and how high the quality was of the better ones. Sitting around, I thought "this is what life should be like!" - like-minded people together, having fun, and dancing. Also the mixture of people all in it together - long-time students who are still very good as adults, rank beginners like me, and several ex-professional dancers who were at the Australian Ballet or Queensland Ballet, with no-one being superior or snobby. It is this mixture of people that makes it such a special place, well lubricated by the positive and sunny outlook of the people who run the school. So a good time!

 

Jim.

[Claude_Catastrophique]

That sounds like paradise, Jim! *sigh* I wish the situation here would like the one you described but it is all different: You hardly find any training for adults, none which is advanced, only intermediate or beginners and the classes are so small that you have to fear with one student leaving that that class will be canceled. It is extremly frustrating as teacher and as student but this is the wrong thread to whine about that.

 

Instead I had a nice moment in modern class yesterday. We did some jumps across the floor and when my turn was over a couple of girls turned around and told me how beautiful my jumps were. They asked me in a jokingly manner what they had to do their jumps would be as light as mine (they know how long I dance ballet) and we had agood laugh about my answer: "20 years ballettraining"

[swantobe]

Jim - my husband has mentioned emigrating to Australia once or twice...after hearing what you just said, I think I might soon be BEGGING to move to Brisbane! What a wonderful studio and opportunity for you. Claude - I love your sense of humour and your posts often make me laugh or at least smile. Well done on having such nice jumps.

[Redbookish]

I took my first whole class in almost a year, my first class at all in 2 months yesterday morning.

 

missvjc, after your long journey in recovery from injury, that is just wonderful news to hear!

[missvjc420]

Oh thank you, Redbookish! It has been a long haul, and it's not over yet, but I can see the light. Hopefully this coming year will be a healing one for everyone.

[Serendipity]

Missvjc, I understand completely. It's exciting to be able to do even that bit after being off for so long. I worked my way up as you did, but didn't have modern. You're doing a lot more than I did when I returned from my injury.

 

Good news here: I was evaluated by a new teacher yesterday to see about what pointe class to go into in this other school. She has a beginner and an intermediate-advanced class. I took the upper class first, did okay - barre was not difficult but there were some tricky things in the center which I wasn't really ready for. I attempted most of them, though.

 

She said to stay in the upper class!!! She said the lower one was definitely NOT for me.

 

This brings me to about 7 hours of pointe class a week. Most of my classes now will be on pointe, actually. Total class time will be 11 hours. I'm actually feeling more comfortable being in pointe shoes than in flat. :-D

 

 

AND....YAYYYYY!!! Just googled the distance between the school offering Sunday classes for adults and my site for choir practice. Only 15 mins drive between them. I can do BOTH!! YAY!!!! (fyi, choir would take precedence on Sunday, if I had to make that choice....)

[missvjc420]

Missvjc, I understand completely. It's exciting to be able to do even that bit after being off for so long. I worked my way up as you did, but didn't have modern. You're doing a lot more than I did when I returned from my injury.

 

Well, I've been ok'd to take class for the past 4 months, but just went to the gym and gave myself a Pilates session and barre/center daily because of the house buying issue. Now that we're done with that (and in debt forever) I can afford to take semester classes at the community college and get a $10 student discount at one of the studios in town. I'm probably working no harder than you did, Serendipity, because you also did so much at the gym! I admire that, but I'd like to do less there, where I don't really have eyes on me other that my own, and more in school. I want to just go to the gym for cardio, weights, and hot tub privileges!

[Serendipity]

LOL! That's all I go to the gym for now, as well. I don't get to the Pilates classes because of when they are, either.

 

You'll get there!! :-)

[Serendipity]

I posted a major trouble (for me) on the other board but must post the pleasurable one:

 

On Monday, I saw a major widening of my split in grand jete. I used a technique someone on another board elsewhere suggested and WOW! What a difference! I didn't expect it to look so good. It only works so far on the right side, but, hey, it's a start. I'm quite pleased!!

[jimpickles]

I used a technique someone on another board elsewhere suggested and WOW! What a difference!

 

What was that technique?

 

Jim.

[Claude_Catastrophique]

Thank you for the flowers, Lau!

 

Monday in class I tried the pirouette tips by Gilian Murphy from the Eliza Gaynor Minden Book: And they really worked! I feel much more selfconfident now in multiple turns.

[Serendipity]

Oooh. Claude - I'll take another look at those, then. I need pirouette help for multiple turns.

 

Jim, it had to do with thinking that they are two battements rather than just straight leaps. I was kicking up my front leg but not the back. This time I attempted the back as well and wow! what a difference! I was very nearly to the extent of my floor split (which is not fully down but down enough to look reasonable in the air if I could do it).

[Claude_Catastrophique]

Indeed they are. I have to admitt that they are mostly things every dancer kind of knows but when I really do think of them, it works. Especially the first one was extremly helpful to me.

[swantobe]

Claude - I ordered that book and I'm waiting for it to arrive. I'm so excited and glad it helped you.

 

Serendipity - that's such a useful way of thinking of grande jetes. I'll definitely try that next time

 

Missvjc - I'm so glad you're recovering from injury and back into dance.

 

 

My "delight" is that I finally managed to find a pair of pointe shoes that might, just might actually work for me We'll see how I feel after a couple of classes in January though

[Lidewij]

Maybe, if my university schedule allows it, I can take 2 more classes/week after the christmas break. I asked my teacher today whether I could join the teen classes on the days there aren't any just for adults, and she said it was fine and I should certainly try it. They will be a bit younger, but I'm 19 so it isn't a huge difference.