#ballet dancer

[franklinthemouse]

How did partnering go with a new person partnering me you may ask (no one asked but I'm telling you anyways)

I blurted out I have trust issues from partners in the past... And that was one of the first things that the new trainee heard from me

[lucylovesverity]

[es-samba]

[latetothepointe]

I took my first notes after class recently.

Funny how the same principle applies as to any sort of classes in conventional education, i.e. write down as much as you can remember and try to summarise. Really go over the material in your head, and because this is a dance blog, I have to add going over the choreography in your head as well as any corrections or tips you've received.

The notes in question (and I've left them almost as they were – just added slightly better formatting):

• Turnout in passe on one flat foot: focus weight on heels, active glutes for turnout control, shoulder as counterweight to turnout knee on other side

• Jumps in fifth: dont overcorrect (this is about the little jumps)

• Developé "dirt lines" over legs – brush past in change dont disconnect (teacher gave a cute tidbit they use in ballet academies – shoes are dirty so leave marks in tights and that's how they clarify how legs should be brushed during a change from front to back and back to front) (side note: this may have been part of a slightly different exercise, but I remembered it as part of the developé section)

• Plié before doing a pirouette – cross behind in fourth

• Overpointing in coup de pied (this was a correction for overuse of toes rather than having more control over my arches)

• Heels down before standing up in plié (personal observation of mine is that I also need to stop lifting my heels in pliés sometimes, as I still do this on occasion)

• ENGAGE CORE IN BARRE WORK (yeah... my core is extremely underdeveloped and I couldn't figure out how to use in at a pilates class a few months ago, but making some steady progress now)

• Teach legs to hold weight through jumps and memorising combos (i.e. being more mentally prepared for the choreography)

---

On a more positive note: I understand how to do pirouettes and soutenus now. I'm not saying AT ALL that I execute them with any degree of reasonable accuracy, but I have most of the basic mechanics down and have finally focussed on using the head turn.

A note I did not take was a helpful tip about how our eyes are important for balance and I should avoid looking anywhere but straight ahead.

I am a huge fan of the teacher that does the Monday classes, as he gives so many helpful tips and is generally cheerful and has such a friendly demeanour that I see people feel just as comfortable as I do when asking him questions.

All teachers I've encountered in ballet so far are all good in their own unique ways, but this one is one of only a few I've seen that seems as if he was born to teach. He's really engaged and helpful, and I personally prefer teachers who will take the time to physically put you right a little bit so you know how the position is supposed to feel, rather than just verbally trying to explain it to you – if they even notice you specifically at all.

This teacher somehow manages to be helpful in busy classes as well as ones with smaller attendance. If I ever take a teaching route myself in my regular studies, I hope to be a little bit like him.

[sukunastoenailclippings]

in my head they are together

[lucylovesverity]

[latetothepointe]

Officially past the 25 hr mark.

Things I've learnt thus far:

• I actually can improve my resting posture through ballet

• Oh, tendus are supposed to look like that (i.e. drag over floor and only point toes at the final stop, so to speak)

• I slowly melt at classes during this heatwave even when an AC is mildly on in the background

• Everyone is better than me (as in they are actually better at everything than me) and that's fine

• I keep forgetting that my grand total of classroom hours isn't even at 30 yet and look how far we've got already

• Pirouettes are sometimes scary, sometimes not

• Everything remotely approaching fifth position and doing things that require any type of balance in the centre make me feel insanely frustrated

• I have no real balance to speak of and do not understand what to do with my lower back

• Apparently strength training was way more important than stretching

• Apparently strength training was way more important for turnout than stretching

• My mood swings contain a lot of "I'm ready to quit this shit" and "this is literally the most engaging thing I've ever learnt"

See you all next week when we will have made it past the 30 hr mark and I'm ready to split hairs at the next bout of frustration!

In all seriousness though, I am actually improving very rapidly, to the point where I can clearly tell it's happening, even though I also get confused about what I'm doing half the time. I've added some mild glute-strengthening exercises to my lazy stretching routine (and should probably stop forgetting the core also exists) so I can build it up a bit so that I can avoid feeling temporarily disabled after more intense workout sessions.