December depredations

[Redbookish]

Still not in class because of workload and general exhaustion. I know that getting back to class will help give me energy. Next week, maybe ....

[TemptressToo]

Pirouettes are still the bane of my existence. They give me so much grief. Both of my teachers are really pushing me to improve them. I just can't find a shred of consistency where they are concerned.

 

Any ideas? How about 10 a day of each (en dedans, en dehors, both sides = 40 pirouettes)?

[Serendipity]

You can use the technique that helped me FINALLY be able to do them!!!

 

Quarter, quarter, quarter, quarter, half, half, full turn, from fifth. I find doing them from fifth helps me keep centered. After you get that, do them from fourth.

 

I did 8 in a row on pointe last night on each side with only a little wobble - and I credit my teacher's teaching technique with helping me!!

 

Oh! and in each of the above positions, hold the retire as long as you can before closing to fifth for the next one.

[Je Suis Aimee]

Temptress, I do the same thing Serendipity described. That and half turns at the barre. It not only helps you get the control and strength needed but works well to keep pirouettes clean after you've gotten the hang of them!

 

I also vouch for a statement I read one of the myriad of times I googled this topic: "There is no particular trick, pirouettes come when you practice them every day."

[Marjolein]

I couldn't go to class because my car window was smashed.

 

My navigation system was stolen, and so were the christmas ornaments I had just bought

[Lidewij]

I have a really bad cold, I feel miserable. The fact that I slept bad the last three nights probably contributed to the cold actually breaking through, I don't have those very often.

And also today I suddenly got pain in my back. It feels like it's just one vertebra, in between the low ends of my shoulderblades. It came up when I was just sitting in front of the computer, quite badly at first. I lay down immediately and it went away, but now it's been around vaguely all day.

 

I have to go to the doctor's anyway next week, so I have another thing to ask her I guess.. Never had any trouble with my back before! (I'm only 20 of course, but still, I remember that a girl in my class in primary school had to stay home and lay down for three weeks once because of her back!)

 

edited to add: I probably also will not sleep tonight because my nose is 'blocked' And I have a driving lesson early in the morning.. Next ballet class is on Monday, so I hope I'll be better by then!

[Balletlove]

No ballet until this time next month as the studio has closed for the Christmas holidays. I absolutely LOVE Christmas but would really like to be able to dance through the holidays too.

[Mazenderan]

My hip hurts and is very limiting in class. Fed up.

 

Also - brises. You are weird and difficult and I can't wrap my head around you.

[Serendipity]

Ugh. I had to miss 4 days of classes due to work commitments. And though I did a LOT of walking up and down, and a LOT of standing during all of this, my muscles feel like they've already atrophied. My next class(es) are killer ones on Monday. Not sure I can cope. Two days off is bad enough, but I have missed 4. I'll be lucky to even be able to bend over....

[Claude_Catastrophique]

I went to a bookstore today and they had a small but nice ballet section. I wanted to have a look at all these fancy books but they managed to put nearly all of them on the highest board so that I could not reach to get them, because I am too short! I felt like the cat staring at the canary in the cage. There was nothing around to climb so I had to wait until a someone tall passed by I could ask. I ended up looking at one book because it was morning and not too many tall people were around. I think I have to go back with a pair of plateau-shoes and high heels! :-(

 

Then I have to rant another time about stupid parents in the changing room: Recently there were 6 of them having their coffee-break in the changing room. The kids were all taking lessons and we have got a waiting area for parents with nice chairs to sit on and newspapers and everything. No, they have to chat in 6 (!) in the middle of the changing room (that is small!) about other dance schools and how bad/good they are regarding their 4-years-old becoming the next Fonteyn.

 

And oh yes: I agree with the brisés...they are weird and my brain cannot cope with them (I think my legs could but just my brain can't get them)

[Tarthulhu]

A short list of aggravating things:

 

1. I'm frustrated with the class levels at my ballet school. The difficulty gap between absolute beginners and the beginners classes feels too large. I really want to take the beginner level, as the absolute beginners level isn't difficult enough, but the beginner classes seem more like intermediate class.

 

At first I thought it might be the teacher, so last night took a beginner class with a different teacher - and it was even harder. Pirouettes en dehour and en dedans in the center as part of combinations with zero instruction on how to do them; assemble sissone brise entrechat combinations, again with no explanation. At least the other teacher had a sense of humor; last night's just got aggravated when we couldn't remember his long combinations.

 

Is this usual? The absolute beginner classes don't even cover grand plies, let alone these other steps. I forced myself to finish the class last night but for the first time ever, wanted to leave and have a good cry somewhere.

 

2. Students who are obviously /not/ beginners, taking the beginner classes. And making it clear that they are bothered by students who can't perform the steps. Perhaps this explains #1, but then why bother offering different levels of classes?

 

3. Brises. As others have already noted.

 

4. Teachers who are friendly one moment, and then ignore your existence the next. I mean basic courtesy, like saying hello in the hallway as you pass by on the way to class. It's pleasant when they say hi. But it seems as if I say it first, the response is a glare along the lines of 'why are you talking to me?' Everyone has bad days, of course, but this has been a pattern over the past three months. And it really is a matter of a simple greeting and not attempting to have a conversation.

 

Vent over. Any comments or observations would be appreciated.

[Je Suis Aimee]

Brises in begginer's classes? Wow. I'm in int/advanced and we haven't really covered them yet.

[Tarthulhu]

Je suis aimee - Yeah, that was the reaction of about half the class I could relate to the post you made on the other board about difficulties with your teacher, as the one from last night seems to have a similar style - hope you find a class/school you can enjoy!

[rlyons]

Went to see the local production of the Nutcracker....it was really nice.... BUT there were some Grandparents next to me and my boyfriend who were videoing their precious grandchild (or so I guessed) and talked the whole way though, oo'd and aah'd and generally made a racket. I was so annoyed as I had paid over $100 for the tickets! AND I'm too wimpy to say "please be quiet"..

Also...this was a nightime performance and people had really young screaming kids in attendance in the audience...so young that they were crying half the time...WHY!? OH WHY would one bring a new baby to a ballet!??

 

I know this is the Nutcracker...but where is common courtesy....?

 

[LaFilleSylphide]

Wow, that doesn't sound like a beginner class at all. My experience with beginner class is a less boring approach toward a Grade 1-3 syllabus for adults. Y'know, pliés, grand pliés without movement of arms/ports de bras yet, tendus, jetés, half ronds de jambes moving onto full ronds de jambes par terre, easy low fondus on flat, practicing retiré and practicing odd number switching of feet for exercises that close in 5th position. Even that's a little complicated. Center would never involve brisés or large sissone ouvert type jumps... I find things like glissades, chassés, skipping, petit sauts in 1st, echappé into 2nd, and running into a large saut de chat!

 

I love taking ultra beginner classes, and I think many other more experienced dancers do too. I hope that other beginners don't mind, and I certainly hope that the more experienced dancers don't act high and mighty. In beginner classes I find that I can seriously concentrate on things like correct rotation, alignment, and strengthening. I wonder if you feel the same way about this that I do, but in my opinion, beginner class is equally difficult as an advanced class because of the slow controlled muscle work. If one concentrates hard on which muscles should be working, a regular tendu exercise can hurt as much if not more than a fast, complicated exercise where one is practically flailing trying to catch up! Haha!

 

No comment on the snooty teachers. It's happened to me, and it happens to a lot of other people. Some people are just snooty, or some people really might not recognize you in plain clothes in a crowd, honestly!