At least when it comes to ballet. But that was to be expected. Last night was my first ballet class, and especially after images of the Russian National Ballet in my head, there was no way to prevent feeling clumsy, whipped, and awkward. Like Juliette, I am taking this class through the Madison School & Commu- nity Recreation department, which is also where I took my bellydancing class last semester.
My instructor was a surprise! While I was expecting your stereotypical once-was-a-dancer, tall, skinny, 50-some- thing white woman, he is actually a black, heavy-set, late-20s, very gay jazz dancer named Marcus. But who needs a prima donna when we're all beginners? He was funny, self-deprecating, energetic, and completely relaxing. I think every one of the students felt a little goofy about what we were doing, but we could not have been more goofy than Marcus - which I think was part of his instructional technique.
I have only taken one or two ballet classes in my life, but they were as basic and unstructured as the one Juliette is in. I think for travel and money reasons, I just never had the opportunity to go back. I have only fleeting images of posing before the mirror like the little dancer in my music box. So feet positions, French terminology - all of that was new last night. We made it through all five foot positions, plus plié, relévé, tendu & dégagé (both en croix), sauté, glissade, and chassé.
Obviously we did not learn these to gorgeous perfection in our hour-long class, but Marcus seemed impressed by our ability to keep up. He insists that we're all good enough to make it to pirouettes by the end of our ten weeks together... which will be nice. I am glad the class is not weighted down by one or two people who are unable to pick up instruction at a moderate pace, because I would like to get my money's worth!
My butt hurts this morning, which is a good thing. I suppose that implies I was doing something, at least - something my tapes from The Firm are not providing. My hip joints tend naturally to rotate quite wide, making my first position look really nice, but with my toes pointed at such an extreme outward angle, my footwork was unstable. So I can get into a nice first position, and tend to do so against my will, but then I cannot maintain enough grounding to continue. I will have to work for more stability and intentionally retard that natural element of my flexibility, which is a shame because it is the only one I have. Maybe it's something to do with childbirth?
Oh, I am glad I've been working out these last few weeks. Last night would have been far less enjoyable and much more flat-out difficult without the three weeks of preparation I have given myself. I just ordered four new DVDs off of eBay; I have had these other four for almost 18 months and I am sick of looking at those instructors' faces, hearing their fun little cheerleader voices. The list price for the four workouts is $72, but I got them for $27 (including shipping - I love eBay).
I had a great diet day yesterday with no cheating, so I have returned to the goal of getting myself back to a healthy place. And now I have my fun new class to add to the mix!
My instructor was a surprise! While I was expecting your stereotypical once-was-a-dancer, tall, skinny, 50-some- thing white woman, he is actually a black, heavy-set, late-20s, very gay jazz dancer named Marcus. But who needs a prima donna when we're all beginners? He was funny, self-deprecating, energetic, and completely relaxing. I think every one of the students felt a little goofy about what we were doing, but we could not have been more goofy than Marcus - which I think was part of his instructional technique.
I have only taken one or two ballet classes in my life, but they were as basic and unstructured as the one Juliette is in. I think for travel and money reasons, I just never had the opportunity to go back. I have only fleeting images of posing before the mirror like the little dancer in my music box. So feet positions, French terminology - all of that was new last night. We made it through all five foot positions, plus plié, relévé, tendu & dégagé (both en croix), sauté, glissade, and chassé.
Obviously we did not learn these to gorgeous perfection in our hour-long class, but Marcus seemed impressed by our ability to keep up. He insists that we're all good enough to make it to pirouettes by the end of our ten weeks together... which will be nice. I am glad the class is not weighted down by one or two people who are unable to pick up instruction at a moderate pace, because I would like to get my money's worth!
My butt hurts this morning, which is a good thing. I suppose that implies I was doing something, at least - something my tapes from The Firm are not providing. My hip joints tend naturally to rotate quite wide, making my first position look really nice, but with my toes pointed at such an extreme outward angle, my footwork was unstable. So I can get into a nice first position, and tend to do so against my will, but then I cannot maintain enough grounding to continue. I will have to work for more stability and intentionally retard that natural element of my flexibility, which is a shame because it is the only one I have. Maybe it's something to do with childbirth?
Oh, I am glad I've been working out these last few weeks. Last night would have been far less enjoyable and much more flat-out difficult without the three weeks of preparation I have given myself. I just ordered four new DVDs off of eBay; I have had these other four for almost 18 months and I am sick of looking at those instructors' faces, hearing their fun little cheerleader voices. The list price for the four workouts is $72, but I got them for $27 (including shipping - I love eBay). I had a great diet day yesterday with no cheating, so I have returned to the goal of getting myself back to a healthy place. And now I have my fun new class to add to the mix!
7 comments:
Yay for your ballet class! I started taking ballet in college. I love the adult classes because there's absolutely no pressure. Last November I started up again with a ballet class at our local Y and it's a lot of fun. I love the combination of exercise and classical music. In fact, I keep meaning to blog about ballet.
You need to have audacity to start ballet at the age of 30!
I remember I was talking with a rather famous contemporary dancer (when I was working in Venice), and she revealed that she started dancing at the age of 25! I was astonished. She was still a student of architecture, when she decided she wanted to be a professional dancer. She left school and headed to America to realise her dream. And she did: she was in the same dance company of Caroylin Carlson and her assistant at the academy in Venice.
I would love to start taking cont. dance class, I love all the creative concept of it: the fact that there is a no pre-defined choreography and that it is mainly based on improvisation and expressionism. The basic concept is that the same movement can be modulated in hundred different ways and so become art.
Who is 30?? Not me!!
Oppss, sorry. : (
Just kidding. The fact I'm 29 still is just a technicality. I am pretty reconciled to the big 3 - 0 already! And I tend to think that one gains audacity as one ages, so this is a good thing. I would not have taken this ballet class five years ago. I would have been too self-conscious of looking silly. In this way, age is a good, freeing thing!
I have to make a revelation: I look forward to turning 30 myself, so I can start saying: "at the age of 30, like me, bla bla bla" and I would sound more credible and authoritative.
It is in fact a big achievement. It is when you start having a biography and a memory. You can say 20 years ago I used to bla bla bla because 20 years ago you were 10, fully within the age of reason. : )
Said that, I have seven months to go and a few things to do to deserve the turn of the year.
When do you turn 30? I have less than a month to be "in my twenties," and I'm not sure I'm quite reconciled to middle age yet. I'll have to stop referring to myself as my husbands "twentysomething wife." And he's turning 31!
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