tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.comments2023-12-05T22:03:34.084-05:00Dancing over the HillUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger345125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-85168045363515647212023-12-05T22:03:34.084-05:002023-12-05T22:03:34.084-05:00Hi "Anonymous"!
I think "The Maryl...Hi "Anonymous"!<br /><br />I think "The Maryland Nutcracker" runs for about 90 minutes. I'm on stage for about 7 minutes of Act 1, and not again until curtain call. However, when I am on-stage I am mostly front and center, and I do get a brief comedic dance with one of the pros. That's far more than I'd get if I were supporting cast with a large pro company, where I'd be lucky to be visible behind the corp de ballet, so I'm not complaining (at least not loudly).<br /><br />Thanks for the good wishes! I'm trying to give my foot time to heal properly so I DON'T lose mobility. I discovered the most painful thing in my role is running on stage for curtain call.<br /><br />Merde!<br />Reecehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04685892465275438201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-78314587734467681522023-12-04T14:35:25.169-05:002023-12-04T14:35:25.169-05:00I'm doing he party scene again this year with ...I'm doing he party scene again this year with a local company. Fortunately, our rehearsals are timed so the Act I cast is required for only as much as 90 minutes. There's no barre for the "party parents." Good luck with the injury. That which doesn't kill you can make you less mobile.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-37994459915741677132023-03-10T07:41:19.951-05:002023-03-10T07:41:19.951-05:00Hi, just wanted to drop a comment to say I found y...Hi, just wanted to drop a comment to say I found your blog recently and read right through; it’s so lovely to see someone’s progress (and all the ups and downs that accompany it!). I started ballet in 2019 in my mid thirties having never had a chance of lessons when I was younger; I’m really too big for ballet and have no flexibility but keep plugging on regardless! Your post about London did give me a bit of a chuckle as I’m about 99.9% sure the lesson you took at Central was with my regular teacher from the description you gave. The old school shut down a few years back - the new one was due to open for the start of the summer term in 2020 so as you can imagine that was rather disrupted by Covid!! They have a modern building near Waterloo now. We didn’t actually start at the new building until autumn 2021 in the end, although the school itself resumed earlier. At some point during the Covid period we switched from having recorded music to having a live pianist. We did prerecorded classes the first couple of months of lockdown, then started to do zoom classes so we at least got feedback, then we restarted in studio at a few different venues with safety measures like very restricted numbers and open windows - the switch to live music came during that. We occasionally had to go back to zoom classes whenever the government changed guidance! The live classes were often hybrid, with a dozen or so of us in person and another 10-20 following on zoom. <br />Hope all is going well with Dream.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-72392678463159528942023-01-30T10:17:51.567-05:002023-01-30T10:17:51.567-05:00Wow... I've been accepted as a supporting cast...Wow... I've been accepted as a supporting cast member!Reecehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04685892465275438201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-89069881011309497782022-12-16T08:43:22.308-05:002022-12-16T08:43:22.308-05:00I haven't attempted a tour en l'air in yea...I haven't attempted a tour en l'air in years. Maybe I'll try one again and see if the changes I've made for pirouettes have also fixed my tours.<br /><br />Yes, I'm an admin for that FB group. I offered to help approve posts and member requests, and the next thing I knew I was running the group. Reecehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04685892465275438201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-77093778201176578042022-12-15T19:12:06.038-05:002022-12-15T19:12:06.038-05:00I find that practicing tours en lair has helped my...I find that practicing tours en lair has helped my pirouettes. You really know it if you are leaning incorrectly or if your head is throwing you off. Good blog - I remember reading it years ago. Are you one of the admins in the Facebook adult ballet group?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-81756388922002877712022-12-10T22:41:58.834-05:002022-12-10T22:41:58.834-05:00Hi Reese! This is Christina again. I'm a reg...Hi Reese! This is Christina again. I'm a regular at MYB and have mainly been taking Susan's classes in recent months. Your class level descriptions are spot-on! Beginner II totally depends on who is teaching it. Meanwhile, I've heard good things about the Monday night Intermediate class, but like you, haven't gotten the courage to try it myself. Another one of the regulars in Susan's classes takes it, and said that it is about on par with the Tuesday/Thursday Beginner II. I asked her if realistically, I could do it, and she said yes. I haven't tried it yet, but maybe will in the New Year.Christinanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-84504263776119305232022-09-27T22:01:15.280-04:002022-09-27T22:01:15.280-04:00Hi Reese! It was good chatting with you last week ...Hi Reese! It was good chatting with you last week too! I’m glad you reached some sort of peace and understanding over what happened, and are not letting it get you down. On a related topic, I wish they would bring back Julie’s Advanced Beginner class! I was taking that class before COVID hit. I liked the class because it was more challenging than Julie’s Beginner II but not as fast-paced as Susan’s class. That might also help with the crowding in the Sunday Beginner II class. It’s almost impossible to get into that class without registering several days in advance. If there was an Advanced Beginner class afterwards, some students may take that class and not the Beginner II.Christinanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-45977320957337075432022-09-22T23:53:59.842-04:002022-09-22T23:53:59.842-04:00Hi Christine! It was nice to chat with you this ev...Hi Christine! It was nice to chat with you this evening.<br /><br />I think I've run the gamut of possible reactions to this. After much contemplation, I think I've come to understand her rationale.<br /><br />I had conversations this summer with Julie and several other instructors expressing my frustration with having uneven instruction over the almost 40 years since I took my first ballet class. I feel like I wasn't taught some of the basics, or wasn't taught them well, and that's been limiting my progress. I've encouraged all my instructors to give me whatever feedback they feel is appropriate, because I want to improve and recognize that this is how that will happen.<br /><br />Julie has not been holding back on giving me feedback, either before or since this incident, and while it can seem nit-picking it's constructive nit-picking. Thus, I've settled on believing that Julie thinks it'd be better for me to fix more of the fundamentals before moving to her more advanced class. She might also be thinking I was planning to replace her Sunday B2 class with the Wednesday AB class, rather than add the Wednesday class.<br /><br />Is this "gatekeeping"? I guess it is, in some ways, but it's her class. I could butt heads with her over it, but it'd be a pyrrhic victory. (I did this in college with my freshman composition teacher, and vowed not to repeat the experience.)<br />Reecehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04685892465275438201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-60243895731788600002022-09-20T17:02:37.137-04:002022-09-20T17:02:37.137-04:00Hi Reese! This is Christina. I'm a regular a...Hi Reese! This is Christina. I'm a regular at MYB and we know each other from Julie's and Susan's classes.<br /><br />I was taken aback when I read your post. It must have been so discouraging to have the instructor say you weren't ready for Advanced Beginner yet. I didn't realize MYB did that kind of gatekeeping with adult classes. It's also strange, because there is usually a wide range of levels in each class. For instance, Advanced Beginner classes often have adults who are regulars at Beginner II classes all the way up to Academy kids and professional dancers who are looking to improve their technique. Besides, some dancers take certain classes simply because they're what works best with their schedules. I was talking to another regular last week, and she said that she would prefer to take the Beginner II class on Saturdays, but logistically, it doesn't work for her right now so she takes a higher-level class.<br /><br />I'm sorry to hear about what you went through with the Wednesday classes and hope that you don't let the experience get you down. You know you're always welcome at Susan's classes, which are kind of like Advanced Beginner anyway!Christinanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-69379843396861709152022-09-05T12:03:06.087-04:002022-09-05T12:03:06.087-04:00I'm sorry to hear about that Wednesday busine...I'm sorry to hear about that Wednesday business. That hurts. I'm constantly dealing with the conflict between an expectation that I will improve with practice and a body that is falling apart. Ballet is fun. It helps posture and muscle tone. But it's murder on the feet, ankles, and knees. At 25 I could jump and leap like crazy ... after running for two miles uphill to Washington Ballet School. Now I'm terrified of destroying something and having to quit dancing. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-88493721891804678482021-06-25T03:33:46.765-04:002021-06-25T03:33:46.765-04:00The really sad thing is I knew this would happen.
...The really sad thing is I knew this would happen.<br /><br />LOL! Yep. And yet we do it to ourselves anyway....<br /><br />Tropical Threadshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10577923650038624948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-25629024993780024492021-05-05T23:32:15.240-04:002021-05-05T23:32:15.240-04:00Hi Reese -- Like you, I have not been back in pers...Hi Reese -- Like you, I have not been back in person to Maryland Youth Ballet since last February and have not taken a virtual class since last May. I am fully vaccinated now but don't know when I will make it back. In the meantimes, I have been following online video classes (Kathryn Morgan, etc.). I miss everyone and being in the studio!Daphne d'Olneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01489105785201684041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-79319043254547598782020-12-21T00:18:42.873-05:002020-12-21T00:18:42.873-05:00We've been extremely lucky here in Australia, ...We've been extremely lucky here in Australia, and I'm not in Victoria so haven't had that extra long lockdown.<br /><br />But I tried some online zoom classes, as of course, there were no classes for about 3 months, and you know? Just ... SO didn't do it for me. I didn't like them at all. Even just a ballet get-together on Zoom with my ballet mates, all doing a session one of us had prepped, didn't do it for me, or really for a few of the others either. <br /><br />Eh.<br /><br />But yes, on the bright side, in spite of having rellies in a number of the worst hit places in the world (bizarre how neatly my family's places of resident matched that so neatly. Done a lot of worrying this year.... And now everyone is in lockdown again) everyone is still ok *fingers firmly crossed*<br /><br />I hope it stays that way for my family, and your family and friends too.Tropical Threadshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10577923650038624948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-2698876861119029242020-10-19T19:29:42.164-04:002020-10-19T19:29:42.164-04:00Hi Reese! This is Christina again. Until the pan...Hi Reese! This is Christina again. Until the pandemic began, I was a regular in Julie's and Susan's Beginner II classes. <br /><br />To answer your question, I've always loved the Nutcracker. I grew up watching the TV version starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland. I still enjoy that version but have since learned that it is not a "traditional" Nutcracker. For instance, Clara is not supposed to dance en pointe, there is not supposed to be a love story between her and the Prince, and she is not supposed to take over the Sugar Plum Fairy's role in the second half. For more about how to tell if your Nutcracker is traditional, check out this article. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/arts/dance/what-makes-a-traditional-nutcracker-ballet.html<br /><br />I think MYB's and the Washington Ballet's versions are more traditional. Speaking of which, I heard that MYB is going to some sort of virtual Nutcracker this year.<br /><br />If you take a virtual class at MYB again, make sure to report back as to how it went! I would be interested to hear if they have changed their format for the virtual classes since they began holding limited, in-person classes. I haven't taken an in-person or virtual class since March. I miss ballet but wasn't getting much out of the virtual classes and like you, wouldn't feel comfortable going in person until the pandemic is completely behind us.<br /><br />Please take care, and continue to stay safe and healthy!Christinanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-86107067950197171362020-08-17T22:44:07.323-04:002020-08-17T22:44:07.323-04:00Hey Christina! Good to hear from you. I miss going...Hey Christina! Good to hear from you. I miss going to class a lot, but I'm right there with you on going back. This will end some day and we'll all be back in class.Reecehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04685892465275438201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-4554664599220207722020-08-17T19:21:00.865-04:002020-08-17T19:21:00.865-04:00Hi Reece! This is Christina. Until the pandemic ...Hi Reece! This is Christina. Until the pandemic started, I was a regular in Susan's and Julie's Beginner II classes. I enjoyed reading your update and hope that you're doing well. Like you, I dropped out of the virtual classes....I didn't feel I was getting as much out of them as I do in-person classes. It was also annoying to have to keep moving my laptop every time we turned around to "side 2," and I couldn't find a set-up that worked. Our studio is offering limited in-person adult classes starting this week, but I don't plan to go. I won't feel comfortable going back until a (safe and effective) vaccine is widely available. The studio is too much of a petri dish, with people in close proximity breathing heavy. I miss ballet, but am also enjoying taking walks in my neighborhood and doing workouts on YouTube. Meanwhile, I hope that the studio is doing okay financially. They must be experiencing a major loss of income, with the spring concert cancelled, in-person classes cancelled, and probably the Nutcracker cancelled this year too.Christinanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-19022581523381444202020-04-18T16:03:37.758-04:002020-04-18T16:03:37.758-04:00It’s possible to screen mirror your iPad to a flat...It’s possible to screen mirror your iPad to a flat-panel TV. This will enable you to see the instructor from two angles as well as seeing the action in a larger format with the better sound from the TV. Some new smart TVs can do this easily. Others, such as Samsung, need an app called AirScreen to mirror from iOS. I’ve mirrored the iPad to a Samsung with AirScreen active on an Amazon Fire Stick. I’ve done the same with a 12-year-old Sony.Shieldhousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16629310564185064088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-32687068448364243492020-02-29T14:09:25.729-05:002020-02-29T14:09:25.729-05:00Hi Reece! This is Christina again. It was great ...Hi Reece! This is Christina again. It was great talking to you today! I get your point that someone who was brand new to ballet would not get much value out of sightseeing. I think I was still impressed by how the new dancer who came to the Sunday Beginner II class managed to stick it out the entire time! I hope that she and the young woman who was there two Saturdays ago will return for classes -- maybe an Intro class or the Wednesday evening Beginner I.Christinanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-51977667226689722082020-02-16T22:55:02.836-05:002020-02-16T22:55:02.836-05:00Hi Reece! This is Christina. I'm a regular i...Hi Reece! This is Christina. I'm a regular in the Beginner II class on Saturday. I remember the young woman who came in briefly to the class yesterday, although I was standing across the room from her and didn't interact with her at the barre. Hopefully, she will come back to the Wednesday evening Beginner I class.<br /><br />There was another young woman in the Beginner II class today (Sunday) who was also a very new dancer - about the same level of experience as the young woman in the class yesterday. To her credit though, the young woman today stuck it out for the entire class. We talked afterwards and she was super sweet. I encouraged her to take the Intro class on Monday nights or one of the Intro enrollment sessions whenever they're offered. She could also take the Beginner I class on Wednesdays, although that class might even be challenging for someone with no experience. I felt sorry for her today, but was impressed by her tenacity in staying the entire time. There's still value in marking an exercise, or at least observing the class do an exercise - "sightseeing," as Julie calls it. :-)Christinanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-26119283908826027742020-01-10T12:49:45.643-05:002020-01-10T12:49:45.643-05:00That's why I teach pointe classes (pending app...That's why I teach pointe classes (pending approval/experience). It's so hard to find one as an adult! I just wish there was one *I* could take myself! *cries in adult dancer*<br /><br />That's definitely awesome that your area has so many adult levels. I live in Southern California in the desert area and usually if places have adult classes, they're one or two levels. But usually one level. My classes are pretty much a level based on the students, so if I have advanced students, I teach it more advanced but if I only have beginners (like right now), it's more beginner. I teach four classes (junior ballet [ages 8-12], junior lyrical [same], adult ballet, and adult lyrical) and I run them all this way. If I had full classes, I would open up more. There aren't really that many adult dancers in the area besides at the junior college and they just take dance classes there. But I'd love full classes and varied levels! BearikaBallerinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01657897405629411191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-80148223665378354772020-01-10T07:04:05.940-05:002020-01-10T07:04:05.940-05:00Honestly, I was quite surprised by the availabilit...Honestly, I was quite surprised by the availability of these classes. I tried for six months to arrange something like this and most instructors were against it on principle, or didn't want to have to tell an adult that they couldn't take the class if it was unsafe for them.<br /><br />But to your point about the availability of a variety of options in this area, I've been told that by others as well. There seem to be a few places where there are lots of options (NYC, SF, SJ, DC) and many places where you're lucky if you can find one adult class above the basic beginner level. I consider myself fortunate.Reecehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04685892465275438201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-3930320200971301102020-01-08T19:13:43.821-05:002020-01-08T19:13:43.821-05:00Man, I wish I was in that area. My area has tons o...Man, I wish I was in that area. My area has tons of dance studios (one of which I teach at) but none of them have adult pointe. I have to take Intermediate Ballet at our junior college and do it en pointe, which is okay but not what I would prefer.<br /><br />(Oh, uh, I always read your blog but I don't think I've ever commented. Love the content!)BearikaBallerinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01657897405629411191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-8437594360519589252019-11-15T10:01:51.902-05:002019-11-15T10:01:51.902-05:00Welcome to the class!
There are a few people who ...Welcome to the class!<br /><br />There are a few people who strongly favor certain spots. Some really like the barre next to the door. Some others like portable barres next to the window. I favor the far end of the front row. Most are not overly possessive of their spots but I guess some are.<br /><br />Aside from that I can't say I've noticed anyone being particularly unwelcoming. The mix of students changes every class, with some folk attending regularly for years and some one-and-gone.<br /><br />Much like it was in grade school and even college, most people want to hide in the back. Come take a spot with us cool kids on the front barre! :-)Reecehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04685892465275438201noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4345781051194758469.post-90361716445825874272019-11-14T15:42:31.295-05:002019-11-14T15:42:31.295-05:00I believe I was in that same class. This was only ...I believe I was in that same class. This was only the third time there, so everything seems a bit different from what I'm used to where I live (in Florida). The women populating the class seem a bit territorial and not terribly welcoming. Seems weird. <br /><br />Anyway, you should consider yourself lucky to live in a place with such a large array of adult classes in different studios. Here -- near the former home of Slim Whitman -- it's slim pickings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com