Two weeks off due to travel and illness. Thirty four hours in flight in a coach-class airline seat. Insufficient time spent stretching on my own. To top it all off, the 12-hour time shift left me with enough jet-lag to lose track of time and arrive at class almost 10 minutes late. This meant I missed pliés and other opening stretches. Pick a body part and at some point during class it hurt. (Ok, maybe not that part, but take your pick of the rest.) My calf muscles protested the most, but they didn't make good on their threats to cramp.
On the other hand, I still felt like I was one of the better folk in the class. I'm not competing with anyone, but it's the easiest way to gauge my progress. Right now, inconsistency is my biggest problem. I can see a time coming when I'll move myself to the Beginner II classes. Not yet, but it's coming. That excites me enough to keep me going to class on a regular basis.
Tonight was another class first, with FIVE men and 13 women in attendance. Not that it makes any difference, but I've never been in a class with so many other guys. Since I arrived late I ended up on one of the side barres. Both the woman who slipped in after me and I got nearly immediate corrections on technique, which felt slightly punitive, but they were technically appropriate and delivered in the instructor's normal tone. Most likely coming in late drew her attention and she saw things that needed fixing, so I'm not complaining. I did manage to score a compliment on my petit jetés at the end of class: I may not have the flexibility to get much extension in attitude and the like, but I can get altitude in jumps and I'm even keeping time doing it.
A little side observation. I'm often one of the last out of the little men's dressing room, and I'm amazed by the stuff people leave behind. Tonight I was the last out, and there were still a large polo shirt, a small T-shirt, two leather dress belts, and a pair of large footless tights with white leather slippers still stuck in them. wtf? The slippers alone are probably worth $45. I guess someone was in a real hurry!
On the other hand, I still felt like I was one of the better folk in the class. I'm not competing with anyone, but it's the easiest way to gauge my progress. Right now, inconsistency is my biggest problem. I can see a time coming when I'll move myself to the Beginner II classes. Not yet, but it's coming. That excites me enough to keep me going to class on a regular basis.
Tonight was another class first, with FIVE men and 13 women in attendance. Not that it makes any difference, but I've never been in a class with so many other guys. Since I arrived late I ended up on one of the side barres. Both the woman who slipped in after me and I got nearly immediate corrections on technique, which felt slightly punitive, but they were technically appropriate and delivered in the instructor's normal tone. Most likely coming in late drew her attention and she saw things that needed fixing, so I'm not complaining. I did manage to score a compliment on my petit jetés at the end of class: I may not have the flexibility to get much extension in attitude and the like, but I can get altitude in jumps and I'm even keeping time doing it.
A little side observation. I'm often one of the last out of the little men's dressing room, and I'm amazed by the stuff people leave behind. Tonight I was the last out, and there were still a large polo shirt, a small T-shirt, two leather dress belts, and a pair of large footless tights with white leather slippers still stuck in them. wtf? The slippers alone are probably worth $45. I guess someone was in a real hurry!
How do you leave behind footless tights with slippers stuck IN them? Aren't the slippers over the tights, or more accurately, not even connected because they're footless?
ReplyDeleteRE: hurts: after I had 6 weeks off on holiday on the other side of the world (with no time for all the good intentions to practice at least a little bit), I came back and felt like I had to start at the beginning. I knew what I wanted to do and how, but my body didn't do it. I was too out of shape and there was too much to focus on all at once. It was funny how my teacher acknowledged that I'd been away and told me not to strain myself or I'd be unable to walk the following day - then the next time she walked down the row she gave me corrections beyond what I was (sorely) (barely) capable of doing! :)
The tights were inside-out, with the slippers half sticking out of the legs of the tights. I'm guessing the wearer peeled off his tights while still wearing his slippers and slipped them off as he pulled his tights off.
DeleteOh! I understand now!
ReplyDelete