Despite this being nominally a beginner class, our class has gotten progressively more difficult. Mostly it's the irregularity in patterns, such as a tendu exercise that starts conventionally with four tendu devant, four tendu a la seconde, but then continues with tendu devant, tendu seconde closing in back, coupé closing in front, tendu devant, tendu seconde closing in back, coupé closing in front, tendu devant, tendu seconde closing in back. Then, of course, the whole exercise is repeated derrière. Although the overall timing of the exercise fits a four-count, the shift from a regular four to a three-three-two, and the speed with which we're doing it, a lot of the students have trouble with it. I can do it as long as I don't think while I do it; thinking about either the sequence or anything else will cause me to blow it.
We had enough time to do grande allegro at the end of class today, something we sometimes don't get to. Sauté arabesque, brush though to a chassé en avant, and repeat to the other side. A third sauté arabesque to the first side, but then a chassé en arriere, turn and brush to an assemblé en tournant. This last step confused most in the class, so the instructor demonstrated a couple of times.
For those who aren't familiar with this step, here's a short video (not me!):
I think I've done this one before because it felt pretty comfortable right off the bat, though I wasn't getting quite all the way around to where we were supposed to end up facing. Like everyone else I tried it a couple more times before we did the combination, and heard a couple of the women behind me mutter, "Showoff!" When I turned to look, the they were grinning madly. One came up and offered a fist-bump. After class, she came up to me and told me she thought my jumps were "just amazing."
Ok, I'll admit I have difficulty accepting compliments. I'm delighted by being able to do a step like this with basic competence. But "amazing"? Naah. Maybe after I win the lottery and can spend 4-5 days a week in the studio...
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