I went to the Beginner 2 class this evening. The last time I attended this class was the day before I got sick just after Turkey Day. When the instructor noticed me in the hallway before class her comment was a surprised, "Is that Reece? Come for your annual ballet class?" Yeah, it's been a while.
I told her I'd been sick and was still(!!) recovering and might have to bail early. I was hoping I wouldn't have to, but then again this is the class others have referred to as "Beginner 2.75". She said this would be a relaxed class, but the pace she set started me coughing and panting after the very first barre exercise. The coughing subsided and the panting didn't get worse so I stuck it out through the whole barre session. Center seemed easier and I did okay until about 75 minutes in when the allegro combinations wiped out my energy reserves. I sat out parts of the remaining 15 minutes but stayed through reverance.
One satisfying thing I noticed is that my pirouettes are definitely better than they were early this fall. Turning en dehor from fourth I'm getting up and stable, and finishing the turn when I want rather than falling out of it. I even had time to notice the position of the toe of my raised foot, which I've honestly never had time or stability to observe before. I did get told that I'm still putting too much effort into the turn, but that's something I can dial back and that observation came attached to a compliment. I'll take it! Turning en dedans feels like it requires way too much energy, but I'm completing the turn and not falling out of it.
I feel exhausted, but I also feel like I took another step toward getting back to normal. Or whatever passes for "normal" for a man on the verge of turning 53.
I told her I'd been sick and was still(!!) recovering and might have to bail early. I was hoping I wouldn't have to, but then again this is the class others have referred to as "Beginner 2.75". She said this would be a relaxed class, but the pace she set started me coughing and panting after the very first barre exercise. The coughing subsided and the panting didn't get worse so I stuck it out through the whole barre session. Center seemed easier and I did okay until about 75 minutes in when the allegro combinations wiped out my energy reserves. I sat out parts of the remaining 15 minutes but stayed through reverance.
One satisfying thing I noticed is that my pirouettes are definitely better than they were early this fall. Turning en dehor from fourth I'm getting up and stable, and finishing the turn when I want rather than falling out of it. I even had time to notice the position of the toe of my raised foot, which I've honestly never had time or stability to observe before. I did get told that I'm still putting too much effort into the turn, but that's something I can dial back and that observation came attached to a compliment. I'll take it! Turning en dedans feels like it requires way too much energy, but I'm completing the turn and not falling out of it.
I feel exhausted, but I also feel like I took another step toward getting back to normal. Or whatever passes for "normal" for a man on the verge of turning 53.
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