I got home from Japan in time to attend the last ballet class before the holiday, but having been awake for about 23 hours straight (12 hours of that in flight) I decided not to go. I just wasn't stable enough on my feet, and my legs were stiff and sore from the flight.
Because of all the travel I only made it to class every other week in October and November, with the last class being Dec 1st. Due to the holidays the next class isn't until Jan 10th, so it will have been more than a month. Perhaps more than that, as I may be traveling the week of the 10th. I did some stretching during my travels, but the muscles I've been using are different than those used in ballet. Clearly I need to spend some time this coming week preparing, or the first few classes are really going to be rough.
So what to do?
I've been toying with buying a portable barre for use at home for quite a while now. I put it off because at first I didn't know what I'd want or need, and then with class twice a week, every week, it didn't seem advantageous. Now I know what I want, and the time seems right to get one. The one I selected is the Vita Vibe Prodigy series 5-ft wide, double barre. It's light weight enough to move easily, folds flat, disassembles without tools, and seems to have a good reputation. I got the double barre model so I can adjust the upper barre for proper hand position, while placing the lower at a height I can actually get my legs on.
Speaking of legs on the barre... if I'm careful there's a sweet spot on the outside of my leg where the barre can rest without discomfort, but all too often in class my leg slides a bit and the barre presses painfully on tight ligaments in my ankles. Waybackwhen I wore knit leg warmers and bunched them up at my ankle for padding, but I don't have those now. I'm toying with wrapping the lower barre with some of the hollow foam sleeves made for insulating pipes to ease the pressure a bit.
They estimate 2-day shipping, so I'm guessing the thing should show up Tuesday or Wednesday next week. All I need to do now is clear space for it!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
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I got the shipping confirmation today: delivery expected Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteShipping weight is only 12 lbs (5.5 kg) which is lighter than I thought it would be. Amazon says it's 25 lbs. Some of the reviews have commented on its light weight as a minor issue. Worst case I have plenty of lead diving weights that I can strap to the legs to make it more stable.