I'm taking Intro to Ballet at a local dance studio and it's too advanced for me. As I am possibly the most uncoordinated person you've ever met, this is fairly unsurprising. I frequently roll my ankles, trip over my toes and lack any sense of rhythm. Top that with the fact that the last dance class I'd taken was when I was six years old. In fact, the only thing I remember about dance class, save for the AWESOME bag I carried my stuffs in, was my mom falling asleep for a touch longer than she meant to and picking me up late (i was assuaged by the staff with so much candy I may have vomited it all up by the time I got home, not a bad memory).
Turns out, I need to go back to that six year old Ballet class because I literally know nothing about ballet. And being a 30 something girl in America that signs up for an Intro to Ballet class, this is apparently unheard of.
It started like this, our teacher was 10 minutes late to the first class. AWESOME, one sixth of the class done! But it allowed all of us wanna-be-ballerinas to chit chat. I kept hearing from my leotard clad classmates "Ohmygod it's been sooooooooo long since I've been to a ballet class I wonder if I'll remember anything" over and over and over again followed by something like "Yeah it was high school the last time I put these slippers on" once it was even COLLEGE. It should be noted, I was not wearing a leotard, or tights, or even legwarmers.
Whatever, it WAS fine.
I mean the teacher has a really horrid habit of teaching to the most experienced person in the room, NOT ME, so when I'm asked to count it out (what the fuck does that even mean?) I can't, but no one really bats an eye and someone else does it for me. When the mirrors show everyone I am physically incapable of doing the arm things with the leg things I ignore them and surprisingly don't blush (a very bad habit of mine). I'm pretty sore the day after class and I really do think it might be teaching me how to not slouch (another horrible habit of mine). Also, it is kind of making up for the complete lack of good yoga in this city.
Now if I can just make it through Intro so I can start dropping into the Beginners classes, which happen more than once a week, I might actually get somewhere. Also there's an Intro to Hip Hop class calling my name, and maybe laughing with me at the thought, bust still, SO MUCH FUN.
oh my goodness. kudos. the last time i took a ballet class really was in college. but it was a beginner class and it was mandatory. i was very good at standing straight and wriggling my ankles about, but the second we inched away from the barre, forget it. utterly incapable of following the choreography. sashaying across the floor made me want to melt into it. hip-hop? i think i might dig. but only if i didn't have to follow the directions.
ReplyDeleteBe warned of the hip hop class. I once took a hip hop class at Joy of Motion in Dupot. Everyone there dressed and danced like Jennifer Lopez. LOL. I loved the class but had a hard time with the humiliation facotr. Of course, if you stick with it, there's no where to go but up!
ReplyDeleteha ha... here's to looking less like a newbie... dancers never keep the bow, and always tuck them into their shoes, also wear your tights outside of your leotard and roll down the band of the tights. This is the cool-I-am-a-bad-girl-ballerina-look, I always go with an all black ensemble... Also the elastic gets sewn into the shoe so you have a "x" shape across your instep... keep trying, ballet is a crazy good all over workout!
ReplyDeleteAw, can you find a different class with a more understanding teacher? There are some decent ballet DVDs out there that teach beginner barre, all the positions, etc. Kelly's tips are good - especially tucking in your bows. Here's a "how to" for fitting your shoes and sewing in the elastic: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsWeS3C4flo
ReplyDeleteWish I could send you to see my high school ballet teacher - he is such a sweetheart. First class he would sit everyone down, no matter their level, and make sure everyone was on the same page.