Dancing for Green Bay

Today I discovered our instructor is a Green Bay Packers fan. She told us that if we didn't get a certain sequence in the center right, the Packers will lose. I guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow afternoon to see how we did.

Oh class, how I've missed thee

For the first time since the 22nd of last month, I managed to get to class. This was the "Level 1" class at the Raleigh School of Ballet, which presented not huge challenges but may have been just what I needed after almost a month off the floor. I came close to skipping it, as the siren call of my hotel bed was strong, but I'm glad I didn't.

I was a bit surprised to find that the instructor remembered me, given that I haven't been there but once before, and that was a couple months ago. Then again, male ballet students aren't exactly common in these parts. Yet there was another man in tonight's class! I'll admit to a twinge of competitiveness, and I think I may be a bit better. But both of us were pretty clearly near the top of the class tonight.

I was a bit hesitant to attempt even a simple pirouette en dehor tonight, not wanting to totally botch it from lack of practice. But when I tried it, it worked quite well in both directions. I even attempted a few fouette turns, and they worked better than I remember from class last month. Hmmm... Gonna have to ponder possible explanations for that sometime.

Winter weather freak-out

Last weekend, events conspired to keep me from class. So I promised myself I'd get to class tonight even though I'm 300 miles from home. What could go wrong?

One problem with traveling to areas where winter weather is uncommon is that they aren't prepared to handle it. With a forecast of the possibility of a bit of sleet and maybe freezing rain overnight, everything is shutting down. Including the ballet studio.

Maybe I'll do some stretching in my hotel room, cuz there ain't much else going on in this town tonight.

Not a whole lotta shaking going on

Right after my posting on Dec 24th I came down with whatever has been going around. I don't know if it was a cold or an attenuated version of the flu, but it knocked me on my ass through the weekend after New Year's. Yesterday morning, just as I was about to collect my dance gear in preparation for last night's class, I received notice that classes were canceled due to snow. Gimme a break!