Sunday, August 19, 2012

Fall Ballet Schedule

Oh gosh, so I was just working on my Fall ballet schedule - a total of 43 classes! Look at this sucker:

Walk-In Week: $10/class
Mon Aug 27th @ 6:15 PM (Walsh)
Thurs Aug 30th @ 7:30 PM (Clark - she's awesome!! my fave)

Fall Session:

(All Mondays are enrolled with Walsh)

September:
Thurs Sept 6th @ 7:30 PM make-up for Labor Day (Clark)
Mon Sept 10th Enrolled @ 6:15
Thurs Sept 13th @ 7:30 PM (Clark)
Mon Sept 17th Enrolled @ 6:15
Thurs Sept 20th @ 7:30 PM (Clark)
Mon Sept 24th Enrolled @ 6:15
Thurs Sept 27th @ 7:30 PM (Clark)
Fri Sept 28th @ 6:30 PM (Burnstein)

October:
Mon Oct 1st Enrolled @ 6:15 PM
Thurs Oct 4th @ 7:30 PM (Clark)
Mon Oct 8th Enrolled @ 6:15 PM
Thurs Oct 11th @ 7:30 PM (Clark)
Mon Oct 15th Enrolled @ 6:15 PM
Thurs Oct 18th @ 7:30 PM (Clark)
Mon Oct 22nd Enrolled @ 6:15 PM
Thurs Oct 25th @ 7:30 PM
Mon Oct 29th Enrolled @ 6:15 PM

November:
Thurs Nov 1st @ 7:30 PM (Clark)
Mon Nov 5th Enrolled @ 6:15 PM
Thurs Nov 8th @ 7:30 PM (Clark)
Mon Nov 12th Enrolled @ 6:15 PM
Thurs Nov 15th 7:30 PM (Clark)
Mon Nov 19th Enrolled @ 6:15 PM
CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING
Mon Nov 26th Enrolled @ 6:15 PM
Thurs Nov 29th @ 7:30 PM (Clark)

December:
Mon Dec 3rd Enrolled @ 6:15 PM
Thurs Dec 6th @ 7:30 PM (Clark)
Mon Dec 10th Enrolled @ 6:15 PM
Thurs Dec 13th @ 7:30 PM (Clark)
Mon Dec 17th Enrolled @ 6:15 PM
Thurs Dec 20th @ 7:30 PM (Clark)
BALLET STUDIO CLOSED CHRISTMAS 24TH-26TH
Thurs Dec 27th @ 10 AM and 7:30 PM (one Christmas make-up and one extra class; Perez/Clark)

January: 
BALLET STUDIO CLOSED DEC 31-JAN 1ST
Thurs Jan 3rd @ 10 AM and 7:30 PM (one New Year's make-up and one extra class; Perez/Clark)
Mon Jan 7th Enrolled @ 6:15 PM
Thurs Jan 10th @ 7:30 PM (Clark)
Mon Jan 14th Enrolled @ 6:15 PM
Thurs Jan 17th @ 7:30 PM (Clark)
Mon Jan 21st Enrolled @ 6:15 PM
Thurs Jan 24th @ 7:30 PM (Clark)
Mon Jan 28th Enrolled @ 6:15 PM
Thurs Jan 31st @ 7:30 PM (Clark)

For the most part, two classes per week. I can't wait until Fall Session is over so that I can consider taking Advanced Beginning Ballet in the Winter/Spring Session! 

Description of Ballet II (Advanced Beg Ballet): 
"Must have at least 2 years of Ballet experience. This is a good level for non-beginning dancers unsure of their level, those returning after some time away from the ballet studio, and those confident at the Beginning Ballet level. Dancers should have a full understanding of ballet terminology. Students can expect a full barre followed by center with pirouette combinations, petit and grand allegro with 1-to-1 and 2-to-1 foot jumps."

I recall that Nobu only has been dancing ballet for a year, but is taking a couple more classes per week. She'd only been taking Ballet for Non-Beginners (BBFNB) for 2 sessions before starting Advanced Beginning, so maybe Spring/Winter will be it! Maybe I'll have to wait til next Summer session to feel more confident to start it but I must ...  




Thursday, August 16, 2012

Semaine 11 (Part Two)

I got my new swag in from Discount Dance Supply! I'd been lusting after some nice legwarmers and trash bag shorts for ballet class (originally mentioned in Semaine 5).

I got some new tights (I'd been wearing my light pink ones this whole time), so I got two new pairs of Slimz convertible tights that are super super soft. I got light tan ones and black ones. In addition to the 27" stirrup thigh-high Body Wrappers legwarmers (I got them more of a function of keeping my right ankle loosened up for some good grand plies) and Body Wrappers sweat-awesome trash bag shorts (well, they're really called rip-stop shorts), I got a new pair of ballet flats! They're Grishko's Ultimate split-sole canvas ballet slippers. I'm not sure if I need to be a size 7 in them.. Both the Capezio's and Grishko's recommended me get a 6 1/2 (half size larger than my street shoe size) which is perfect for my right foot, but my left big toe is a TINY bit smushed in both of the 6 1/2's. I'm sitting here stretching the left one out with a rolled up sock in the front. I already tried warm water on the toe and wearing them around the house to stretch 'em but no luck so far.

Anyway, to burn some extra calories, at around 2 pm today I'm going to go to the gym and do some cardio with my trash bag shorts on haha. Then tonight's 6:15pm class with Carmen Perez, last BBFNB class of the summer! I'll have one more punch on my card, I wonder if I should just use it for Basic Beginning on Tuesday or if I should just save it for the Fall class. Extra classes are now $16 for me since I'm enrolled, and the class card makes each class out to be $18/class, but if I already bought it, I may as well use it for a class I'll get more out of, right? I think Basic Beginning is a bit too easy now (SO SO SO glad I can say that now!). Advanced Beginning Ballet, here I come next year! =P Maybe next Summer??

Walk-In Week is coming around the corner! With $10/class, I'm already adding two classes to my schedule!

Monday August 27 @ 6:15-7:30 pm
Thursday August 30 @ 7:30-8:45 pm

*************
Tonight's class was great! We had Carol Clark as a sub since Carmen Perez was at the beach this week, but it was a nice replacement! Everyone loved her, she is probably my favorite instructor out of everyone I've ever had (Carmen Perez, Irina Wunder, Leisl Swogger, Silvia Burnstein, and Carol Clark), she was lighthearted and the most real of all of them. I think all the instructors at BalletNova are wonderful, but my favorite is Carol.

We had some challenging fondu floor/halfway/90 degree exercises, and my favorite centrework exercise was a pirouette prep one (starting in Fifth with hands on hips, plie-passe x 3, then plie to pirouette and finish behind, then switch feet). We did about 3 sets of that exercise. We did some first/second/changement jumping exercises where I need to learn to turn out less so I don't keep landing on the balls of my feet unbalanced.

Since my Bunhead Buddy wasn't with me tonight, I didn't have anyone I wanted to nerdily ask to record a clip of the corner exercise. Today was a chasse, degagé with attitude exercise which was fun. We did it first with arms in Second and head front, then we did it with arms in arabesque position with head straight, then we did it with arms in arabesque with head facing the acting leg, then with hands on hips. Hands on hips was awkward. The other exercise was a chassé-grand jeté exercise which was a lot of fun. Here's a video of a grand jeté (though honestly she looks like she's performing a developpé):



I debuted my new gear tonight, but Kelly wasn't there to laugh with me in the trashbag shorts...

Trashbag shorts, leg warmer on the bum ankle, and new canvas slippers. I'm officially a fan of canvas slippers over leather. They don't stick annoyingly to the studio floor when trying to do dégagés. 

Studio C, where class is held every week

Beautiful portraits line the walls of the studio's hallways. This is one of my favorites, because they're the kind of photos I'd want to have taken of myself when that ONE DAY COMES! :) 



Monday, August 13, 2012

Semaine 11 (Part One)

This post is going to be short and sweet - have to wake up at 5:30 AM for work in the morning! 

Tonight's class was Irina's Monday 7:45 pm class, but substituted by Leisel, the awesome sub from last week's Monday night class. I really like her and she has such a beautiful pointe.

I got to class about 40 minutes early (I had to pick up my car from the service center, which is close by and closed at 7 PM) so I had a long time to stretch beforehand. The Company dancers were warming up next to me, and wow - I have a long ways to go! You could just tell they're so good just by watching them stretch!! They were all thin, lean, long, and when they pointed their toes and stretched out their legs, you could just imagine how great their technique is.

I took a photo of my floor pointe so I could compare it in the next few months and see how much I have progressed. Here's my "semi-start pointe" in the first photo and then the second pic is of me stretching out my feet before class in the second photo. It's not very impressive... but it'll be a benchmark.
                                

One of the company dancers was able to comPLETELY bend her foot

So you see where the pink arrow is pointing to? This Company dancer could literally TOUCH that part of the foot directly to the ground where it was practically bent in half! **way farther than this foot**

I found this contraption online at footstretch.com that looks tempting..



 
At €133 (€98 for the foot stretcher + €35 for air mail) it's kinda pricey ($163.98) 


Anyway, tonight we did the really good pirouette practice for centrework, a glissade-jete-tombe-pas de chat combo, and then a repeat of the corner exercise routine from last week (I know I need to work on getting my arms better and looking less flimsy floppy and more crisp...?!)


I think Kelly and I are progressing pretty well - well, where we're keeping up with class where we are right in the middle skill-wise? Next class is Thursday 6:15 pm!!

Monday, August 6, 2012

Semaine 10

Monday Night Class: 

I'm sitting in my bed in the dark with my glasses on, hair wet, and with my laptop open. I am having a Carrie Bradshaw moment here, and it's funny how that's never crossed my mind before. I guess it's because I'm usually sitting on the couch when writing my blog entry.

Anyhow, this week is a Monday/Thursday combo, and tonight I just finished up my first of two classes. So this will REALLY be a two-part blog entry! Irina isn't in town this week or next week (sad) but the substitute instructor is still a good temporary replacement. She was the same instructor from week 1 for Perez, when she was in Argentina (or was it Chile?). Ontop of that, Kelly (my "bunhead buddy" I'll call her) wasn't able to come. I wasn't too nervous about going to class alone this week, which to me, is a sign that I'm feeling a little more confident with my technique and skills to keep up with the rest of class!

Irina Wunder (aka, best teacher ever)


Anyway, tonight's class was pretty easy. Barre work was for the entire first hour (which is more than usual) and centrework for the last 20ish minutes. Barrework was lots of dégagé, battement, coupe envelope (pronounced "on-ve-lope-ay") and  pirouette prep exercises, then barre stretches. Thinking back, it's hard to remember what took the whole hour! Centrework was really simple from my pointe (hehe) of view, which I guess means it was REALLY easy for everyone else! We did quarter, three-quarter, then full pirouette exercises and a soute arabesque combo with these running-leap things... oops, forgot to ask at the end of class what they were called. I guess I'll be asking my coworkers this week!

Oh something interesting - I met a girl in class named Joo. She's 22 years old and has been taking ballet with BalletNova for 1 year now, and before then, was only taking jazz (and at a different studio). She's taking BBFNB like me, and then also taking Advanced Beginning Ballet. She said Advanced Beginning is a pretty hard class, and she's one of the girls who totally keeps up with my class. I asked if she was going to take pointe soon, since she's in Advanced Beginning (the class you are required to take in conjunction with Intro to Pointe) and she said "OH NO!" and she said MAYBE in a year. She said that other girls ask the instructor (Constance) to see if they can begin pointe. So anyway, there's hope right? If she only started taking ballet 1 year ago and with the class I'm taking now, in a year I should be able to ask the instructor if I can progress to pointe. It'd probably help if by the Spring semester I can make it into Advanced Beginning. Hopefully my technique after the next semester (Sept 3-Feb 3) is up to par to advance. Supposedly you're required to take 2 classes per week with pointe (aka, Beginning Ballet for Non-Beginners, Advanced Beginning Ballet + Intro to Pointe). That's big bucks!

Last week I enrolled in Mondays at 6:15 PM with Walsh (BBFNB) and that itself was $329 for 5 months. If I enrolled in a SECOND class ontop of that (hypothetically if this was the POINTE semester), PLUS enrolled in Intro to Pointe, it would be an additional $329 (there's a small discount if you're enrolling in more than 1 class, but I'm not sure what that discount is), plus $100 for the pointe class. So that's $760! Yikes. =/ I guess I should try to work some overtime shifts at work and save up! At least I have time on my side... haha...

I'm getting ahead of myself... let's keep on practicing my turnout for Fifth Position and my simple single pirouette. As if that wasn't already hard enough!

Thursday Night Class: 

Carmen "I get down to business" Perez

Tonight's class was pretty good, a little confusing. Carmen goes through her combinations quickly but the tricky part is that she makes one tweak in the middle of the combo and I forget which direction to resume the normal part of the combo! So she'll do an exercise en croix with four frappes to the front, four to the side, four to the back, then back to the side with single single double-double, then four to the front, four to the side single single double double, then four to the back. Then repeated while on relevé. The combo itself isn't complicated, I think it's just that my short term memory lacks and I just lose my place in the combo forgetting which way to start again.

Centrework was easy, we did some pas de chat-pas de bourré-changement exercises, pirouette exercises, and then cornerwork (across the floor) was this exercise that I so poorly will demonstrate:


I messed it all up at the end with the pas de chat, nervous because the advanced intermediate dancers are trickling into the room and here I am doing a simple routine haha... anyway, the end would've just had a pas de chat executed with the correct foot leading! I need to work on not looking so much like I'm in karate class and be more graceful =/ oops. 


Thursday, August 2, 2012

Semaine 9

Not as much to update this week, the class with Irina Wunder on Monday night (BBFNB) was similar in the centrework and cross floor exercises; pretty easy to follow! It was still pretty challenging don't get me wrong, there were unpredictable combos with frappes, battements (pronounced "baht-mahn") with interesting port de bras craziness ("go down, and then come up and then back around and toward the barre and away, and back to fifth" for instance). But the centrework was easy to digest, even after running to the bathroom to pee real fast (which takes a lot more time than you'd think, considering a sweaty mess of a leotard, tights, shorts, and tank top) during a 2 minute stretch break between barre and centre. Monday night's "intimidating" cross-floor exercise wasn't as scary as anticipated - it was the same combo that we did last week (not the pas de chat video, but the one with the balance - pronounced "ball-ahn-say," pirouette thingamajig). What a relief!



(my half-used 10-class card for BalletNova; why there are 5 classes for $90 and 10 for $180 is beyond me. Can't we strike a better deal for dancers with a higher level of financial commitment??


Thursday night is another night's class of BBFNB but this time led by the scary and non-smiling instructor Perez... dun dun dun! After being around Irina's cheery smiling adorably graceful Russian (?) instruction, I really am dreading feeling like a big dummy in Perez's class. I hope that I've learned something since my last class with her, so that I get some sort of positive feedback. I'd take Irina's tougher class any day compared with Perez's daunting glare of disappointment!

**update** Did not end up going to Thursday night's class unfortunately. I got my days mixed up (my Alzheimer's is probably going to start coming in right about now, early at age 28...) and thought tonight's class was ALSO beginning at 7:45 PM only to realize after Kelly texted me, that it was at 6:15. Fail. I would've been at least 15 minutes late and in the world of ballet, being late is a BIG NO-NO. However, today, my friend Megan and I watched Monday night's episode of Bunheads, so in a way, I got some ballet in, right? She did mention battements! :(

Next week is Monday night 7:45 PM AND THURSDAY 6:15 PM! Oh well, at least I still have my punches left on my card!



disclaimer: some of my ballet terminology may be a little off... our instructors for adults don't really harp on the names of moves, which is sort of a downside... I usually try to hold off and ask the instructor after class. However, if I miss my chance, I'll run it by a couple coworkers who know, like fellow nurse Cynthia and/or nurse practitioner Tammy who's incredible memories are still fresh with ballet terms as if they'd just taken off their pointe shoes! Please feel free to comment and correct me!