Dances with Fatness

A Fat Woman's Journey Into Dance

[danceswithfatness]

A real ballet performance!

On Saturday I went to the Omaha Dance Project performance, hosted by the Nebraska Arts Council and the Omaha Academy on Ballet.

A friend from high school, a professional dancer with the San Diego ballet, came back to Omaha to dance the lead role of Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty.

After 6 weeks of ballet, I have even more appreciation for the hard work, athleticism, and dedication of the dancers!

[danceswithfatness]

Dance OOTD

All Torrid- light teal jersey hoodie, black cami, black leggings

Hair back in a bun with a dark teal scrunchie

Dance was so fun tonight! We spent time at the bar working on pirouettes. And then Natalie, the dance instructor, took away the bars and we actually did pirouettes! Well, I seem to be able to get 3/4 of the way around with my foot by my ankle. I need to strengthen my releve to help with balance and having more time to snap my foot into coupe before going and landing in fourth position.

Our final moments were doing little grand jete’s across the floor and man, did I feel joyful. Our recital music was playing, and I felt good being able to do little leaps without pain!

[danceswithfatness]

I Slept Through Dance

I fell asleep on the couch after dinner. I woke up when dance was supposed to be starting. I’m disappointed that I didn’t make it to dance, but I need to honor my body and clearly my body was telling me that it needed rest. 

This blog is about my movement and my body and honoring my body is an important part of this. I’m a little frustrated in my body this morning. I wanted to wear a new pair of black skinny jeans but they were just a little too tight, so I’ve been thinking about ways to change my body just to fit into these pants. Then I took a tumble while teaching and didn’t have the leg or knee strength to push myself up. I want to gain strength and that feeling of capability in my body. 

[unicornmrv-deactivated20190908]

[justmeagain4]

🌷💫

[danceswithfatness]

Monday Night Dance

Dance The Other Night: Leaps and Bounds

Last night’s dance class was PACKED. Apparently they never capped enrollment so we have a really full class of 8-10 adult women. So there were too many of us to be at the barre.

Which I’ll admit is pretty frustrating. I like barre. It feels like a good warm up while also reviewing technique. I hope we get back to the barre sometime soon.

Our class was on jumps and leaps last night. We talked about the four different types of leaps: two feet to two feet, two feet to one foot, one foot to one foot, and one foot to two feet. Do I remember any of the names of the leaps we work on? Not really. The only one I really remember is “Pas de chat” - step of the cat.

I’m wondering about transitioning this blog into a general movement log - talking about the joyful, non weight loss based movement that I do as a fat person.

[danceswithfatness]

20 Min Hip Opening Yoga Flow

The first movement activity I ever loved was horseback riding.

The second, hiking. 

The third is yoga. I started learning and trying yoga during my ED treatment days. I try to do yoga as often as possible, preferably every day after work. 

I could have done yoga Monday before dance, but I didn’t. Yesterday I had a work event so I didn’t get home til late. But today I knew I wanted to go home, get my yoga leggings on, and get to work on finding some flow. 

My go-to YouTube yoga teacher is Tiffany Croww. She’s a plus size lady who makes yoga accessible. So I used her 20 minute hip opening flow to get into stretching my chronically tight hips. 

Now I’m zoned out on the couch watching her series on restorative yoga. 

[legendary-scholar-deactivated20]

[danceswithfatness]

Back to Dance!

Dance tonight! My routine returns this week as I am back to work. 

One thing I am really looking forward to is establishing my movement and exercise routine in the new semester. Monday is dance day, obviously, and I’m even considering adding another dance class to my Mondays... Tuesdays and Thursdays will be barn days, and yoga will be Wednesday for sure, but hopefully every day! 

[danceswithfatness]

No Dance Tonight

And I’m pretty bummed about it. Holidays are hard as someone with anxiety - my schedule and routine get messed with and it makes me feel wonky. It’s also been too cold to engage in some of the other movement activities I like, like walking/hiking, or riding my horse. I suppose I could put some yoga on. 

[danceswithfatness]

Your outfit looks really cute 🥰 I love that baby blue top :)

Thank you! I found it on Amazon and thought it would be a fun ballet-inspired outfit to try :)

[lionofchaeronea]

Ballet Rehearsal on Stage, Edgar Degas, 1874

Happy World Ballet Day!

[selmamelo-deactivated20240111]

[peaceinthestorm]

Edgar Degas (1834-1917, French) ~ Four Dancers, 1899 

[Source: nga.gov]

[danceswithfatness]

What I wore to dance class last night looks an awful lot like what I wore for fun on Sunday

[danceswithfatness]

Dance Class Number Two

Last night was my second dance class and I’m proud that I even went. I have a bit of a cold, the weather turned and made the roads icy and unpleasant. But I decided to commit to dance and show up. 

While I was hoping we’d spend more time doing a barre routine for warm up, we moved straight into specific moves, including pas de cheval, frappes, petite battement, and grand jetes. I felt more capable at keeping up with these maneuvers and steps than last week. I was even proud of myself for doing an actual leap with speed.... even though the first time I nearly crashed into the barres. 

I think to get better at all of the moves and elements, I might start implementing barre routines/workouts at home just to increase foot and ankle strength and basic competency/literacy of the moves. 

[sheris-musings]

Ballet is Not Just for Kids: Tips for Adult Dancers

The arrival of ballet studios in all metropolitan areas means that the study of dance is more open than ever before. Due to this, adult classes have exploded in popularity. Ballet is now open to any and everyone, and people take classes for a variety of reasons. Whether you tool ballet when you were younger and wish to return or just like ballet, here are a few tips.

Consider Your Reasons

There is no real right or wrong reason to start ballet. But knowing what your reasons are can help you find a studio that suits you and shares your goals. Looking to perform? Make sure to ask studios about their adult performance opportunities. Hoping to get in shape? Keep this in mind when gauging the intensity of adult ballet classes around the area.

While adult ballet classes are not drastically different from studio to studio, their end goals do diverge a bit. Writing down your reasons for starting ballet ensures that you ask the right questions before you sign up for classes. This way, you can find a studio that’s oriented with what you’re hoping to get out of ballet.

Determine Your Commitment

You may think that adult ballet classes are geared entirely toward the casual, non-committal dancer. While some are, many have stepped up their adult training.

If anyone outside of the studio hints that you shouldn’t be in ballet class, you can always respond by explaining the numerous health benefits and cultural understanding gained by being an adult ballet student. Not to mention the fact that ballet-based workouts are growing in popularity, both on TV and in gyms. This means that, in selecting a school, you should define what your time commitment will be. Ask yourself how many classes a week you want to take, and if you want to be involved with performances. How much will your body be able to handle? What do you want to be paying?

Commitment in ballet means many things, from physical endurance to finances. Figuring out what your limits and desires are will help you find the place that best matches you. The last thing you want is a school that you can’t afford, or a studio that doesn’t offer you enough classes throughout the week.

Starting School

Once you have found a school that aligns with what you want out of ballet, it’s time for class! Make sure to inquire about the dress code for adult classes.Sometimes it can be lax, while other times there are requirements. Knowing the dress code in advance will allow you to determine the best dance wear for you. Don’t worry about buying hundreds of dollars in leotards and cover ups. At most, you may have to purchase a leotard and tights. Outside of this, you can keep warm with simple sweat pants and/or t-shirts.

At your first class, be sure to inform your teacher of any and allhealth problems or past injuries. By telling your teacher, (s)he will be able to guide your practice in such a way that you both avoid injury and receive the maximum health benefits of dancing. For example, if you have a knee problem, you may be told not to jump as much as other students. Your teacher may also be able to give you additional strengthening exercises to make your knee (and its supporting muscles) more stable. Don’t feel as though you have to get in shape or stretch to prepare for your first class. The exercises performed in class are designed to warm up your body before any high impact work. Think of ballet as going to the gym: It doesn’t require a workout, it is a workout.

Keep an Open Mind

One seldom addressed issue in adult ballet is that of the adult dancer’s mindset. There is still a stigma attached to adults starting ballet in many ways. It is considered normal to start as a young child, and odd for an adult. The worst thing you can do as an adult dancer is to think that you’re “weird” or “wrong” for starting ballet. Of course, any school will have younger dancers also attending classes. But don’t think that just because you’re an adult, you shouldn’t be dancing.

Allow yourself to enjoy ballet class for what it is, as opposed to any standards or preconceived stereotypes you may have in mind. In your school, there will always be a dancer younger than you as well as a dancer older than you. Ballet is for everyone, regardless of height, weight, race, or age. Keep an open mind in class and you’ll be able to love ballet, instead of being intimidated by it.

[sogirrrrrl]

Art by Riley Sheehey.