Jovial January

[Mazenderan]

Post your January successes here!

 

Desperately racking my brains for something that might qualify.........my turns were marginally less vile this week?

[Marjolein]

Today was my first class of the year, and my first class in my new school. I stopped going to my old school because most of the class time was used for recital rehearsal. I really like the new school, it's only a 10 minute bike ride away, the studio is nice and there is live piano music. I will start taking 3 classes a week there. It's a really reputable school, one of the oldest in the area.

 

I've hardly taken classes from a female teacher or from a Belgian one, most of my teachers have been male teachers from abroad, teaching in French, English or broken Dutch. My new teacher comes from Antwerp and teaches in the local dialect, which I find very funny. She's really good, she's the school's director and was trained at the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp. She gives lots of corrections and puts a lot of emphasis on placement. I'm a happy dancer! :-)

[Balletlove]

Sounds great Marjolein, I hope that you get to have lots of happy days there.

 

Today will be my fourth class of the year and although I wouldnt say that there was anything specific to be happy about I am just soooooooo happy to be back at ballet, I am feeling the effects of not having done anything ballet related through the holiday's but that is okay a bit of stiffness are a class is always good news.

[Lidewij]

Since I started taking Pilates in September, my flexibility has increased a LOT! It had stayed pretty much the same over the last 2 years and now, wow!

 

Today my left and right splits were closer to the ground than they had in years! Also, my side extensions now go to 100°, and they have always been at about 80°! (I have to say this is when holding onto the barre, I don't think I can do this in the center) And the ones to the front are also improving!

 

I was already wondering, "everyone says Pilates helps their ballet so much, but I haven't really noticed my core being stronger or my balances better.". It has done something, just not what I was expecting/waiting for!

[BlleFille]

Someone in my class told me that my pointe is getting good:) They actually said that my arms and even my bourees looked better than one of the company dancers...not to brag but made me feel good as I am still very much a beginner!!! I do well with a little praise:)

 

My chaines and pique turns leave A LOT to be desired though!!!!! Oh well.....one keeps trying!!!

[Clara 76]

I want to brag about my adult students. First of all, the 'get' my sense of humor, so we have a few laughs. But mostly, I'm so proud of them for making the committment and coming every week, applying corrections, and they are improving!!!!!!!! It's just so neat to watch!

[Balletlove]

Lidewij you have just made my day... flexibility is just one of my lacking points BUT I have found a pilates teacher now and am off to classes next week...

 

Blleflle - your arms are better... WOW that is a huge compliment in my opinion!

[ami1436]

Clara - that is one of the best posts ever to read. Hopefully, someday, many more of us will have the sheer joy of taking your class!

[Marjolein]

Last week I struggled with my double pirouettes. Today they came out perfectly clean! And to top it all, inspired by my smooth pirouettes, I decided to try fouetté turns (after a really long time, I was pretty good at them about 7 years ago). I managed to do 10 fairly clean to the right and about 5 to the left!!

 

And I got a nice compliment from my musical theatre dance teacher (who teaches a mixture of ballet and jazz). I asked him a rather technical question about tours piqué, about the transition from a tour en dedans to one en dehors, and he just looked at me and said: What are you doing in this class, really?? :huepfen:

[BlleFille]

You won't believe who taught us today and is probably going to be one of our teachers!?? Katja Bjorner, from the movie The Dancer and the Royal Swedish ballet!!!!!

What an amzing dancer!!!! And she was teaching litlte old us!!! WOW!!!

[Marjolein]

Again clean double pirouettes in class. So happy!

[Tari]

_{I'm going to Lausanne next week to attend the Prix de Lausanne! (As a spectator, of course) This is a dream of mine coming true!}

_{And I managed to get a ticket for the gala on Sunday with some of my favourite dancers!}

Edited January 24, 2012 by Tari

[mermaid7176]

Tari-

 

Lucky you! How fun! You will have to fill us all in on how it goes (a trip recap would be wonderful).

[Tari]

What exactly is a trip recap? Sorry, English isn't my first language.

[Marjolein]

Yet another great class. Because of a rehearsal, the advanced and beginners class was combined. This was great for my confidence, it's awesome to be admired. :clapping:

 

A milestone for me: the teacher was explaining the adagio at the barre and I was thinking how much I hate adagio because I find it so hard. We started the exercise (developpés on relevé) and I was so surprised at how easy it went. I actually enjoyed it. (And it was great to see the admiring looks from the beginner class who were stretching while the advanced class did adagio.)

 

And I had a little revelation in class: I looked at myself in the mirror and realised: OMG, I'm actually really quite thin! I could never see myself as thin, as I am curvy with hips and boobs. And I never believed it when people tell I'm so skinny. But now I saw that I really am. My hips and boobs are not as big as I thought, it's just that my waist is so disproportionally small. I'm so happy I could finally see it.