Wednesday, March 26, 2014

The perils of being a male ballet student

One thing I've learned from being a male ballet student is that it's impossible to blend into the crowd or otherwise stay anonymous. In a school with well over a hundred adults taking classes I suspect I could count the number of men who take classes regularly on two hands. I'd guess there's one male for every 20 female adult students, if that. When I check in before class I rarely have to give my name to any of those who staff the desk.

I was reminded of this when I went to pick up my tickets to the Spring Concert at the will-call desk. The woman sitting there often checks me in before classes, and when she saw me she remarked, "Oh! I know you!" and pulled out the envelope with my tickets. This after not having set foot in the place for six weeks.

Sometimes it's nice to be recognized. :-D

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

A bit of good news

Saw my doc today. She said I can go back to driving immediately, but she wants me to wait another three weeks before returning to class. I guess another few weeks won't kill me (I do have a barre at home), and I can spend that time trying to restore the flexibility in my shoulders.

Not everything I wanted, but it's still progress.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Six Weeks

It's been six weeks since my last ballet class. This afternoon I attended my school's Spring Concert, which showcases the talents of the kids in the pre-pro track. It's really inspiring to see what these kids are capable of doing.

I'm torn between wanting to rush off to class this week and holding back another three weeks as my doc originally suggested. All I want to do is barre, even a Beginner I barre, just a small step toward getting back to the way I was in November. I'll ask in a couple days when I see her.

Center would be an unplanned bonus, but I still have some significant limits on the mobility in my arms. I can raise either arm about half way to fifth, but not both at the same time. The lower positions don't seem to be a problem, but I need to see if I can still reach the barre from a full grande plié position.

And when is this winter going to end? We've had some nice days, but the forecast for Tuesday includes some snow. I'm ready for it to be warm!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

A bit better every day

I find excessively cheerful people annoying. You know, those who answer a polite "How are you?" with something like "If I was any better today it'd be illegal." *grrr*

Monday, March 10, 2014

I dance ballet. This is me OFF-balance.

As Samuel Clemens wrote in 1897, "The report of my death was an exaggeration".

Not that anyone was actually saying that, but who knows when I'll get an opportunity to use that Twain quote.

I'm not back in class yet, and I probably won't be until April. But the big, scary stuff seems to be behind me, and I'm starting to see benefits. Now it's just a long slog back to attempting my next double-pirouette.