Semaine 2

Last night, I bought a pair of brand new pointe shoes that I found on eBay... while it's completely premature and almost entirely silly that I got them, they were only $30 and in my size (well, per the Grishko size chart) so I couldn't resist! Jeff OK'd me in getting them, expecting I was asking for shoes that were over $200, so at $30, he couldn't say "NO" :) Anyway, they are Grishko 2007's (they got SUCH awesome reviews on Discountdance.com), in size 3XX (equivalent to a 6 medium width) with a super soft shank (reviews say I should get a medium, since the shank wears out really quickly even after a couple of weeks of classes). For my size, there weren't any other shanks to choose from. So anyway, the Grishko "2007" is here. So basically, for the next two years I'll just put my foot into the shoe and daydream until the day I'll actually be allowed to dance in them (if that day comes...). Ah, I need to be more optimistic! hahaha...

Grishko "2007"

Had class #2 tonight at WSB. There was a substitute instructor today, and she was a lot more difficult than Maggie (she's away this week), mostly because she was a lot more critical of every move I made - which was really good but I felt like I was a huge ungraceful oaf! I didn't realize how hard it is to keep your knees straight while in First Position and bend down to touch the floor WITHOUT your butt moving back; i.e. your legs and back form a 90 degree angle...

                   Butt and legs straight & perpendicular to the floor (Left) vs. Butt not perpendicular (Right)

I'm also really realizing that I need to stand much straighter, keep my butt in a lot more, and stretch my hips more. It's so hard to get into the real Fifth Position, that it looks ilke a Third Position that's brought in to the opposite toe vs. toe-heel bilaterally. (see below)

My Fifth looks more like this little girl's (Left), vs. with toes-to-heels on both feet (Right)

From my right ankle sprain in 2008 and again in 2011, I am really feeling its limitations when going into demi  and grand plies which reminds me that I need to work a lot harder on stretching out my right ankle before class, and probably every day. Last week, I got ahold of two TheraBands from the Physical Therapy department at my hospital and have been working on pointing my toes and building strength up. But, it seems like what I need to really work on is stretching out my hips to get that Fifth Position looking better! Well, now I know what this week's homework is! 

This week was stretching with the barre, tendu/battement en cirque, tendu/rond de jambe, and coup de pie! Not as many "new" terms this week, but I seriously need to start reviewing new terms with the instructor at the end of the class, so I don't forget their names!

Terms from this week: 

Frappe 

Coup de pie