Some years ago I participated in my schools "Adult Weekend Workshop", which is kind of like a 3-day fantasy camp for adult ballet students. One of the classes we took was Floor Barre® (yeah, it's a registered trademark). This class is a bit like taking barre while lying on the floor, with the intention of training a dancer's sense of proper positions without the stress and strain of fighting gravity. I've always wanted to take this class more regularly to see if it was really helpful, but it's been difficult to find a class I could attend due to schedule conflicts.
At varying points during the pandemic I thought about carving out time in my work-at-home days to take this class virtually, but I really think dance classes are not well suited to being taught virtually.
My schedule has recently become much more flexible, and I'm now able to attend these classes. Last week's class had three in-person students, including myself, and about the same virtual. I think maybe there's value in these classes. so I'm going to continue for a while.
Due to some soreness I wanted to allow to resolve, I skipped all the other classes I'd normally take until today's Beginner II class. I was especially interested in seeing how my turns would work this week.
Today's turns exercises in centre included a pirouette en dehor from fifth closing in fifth, then a pirouette en dehor in the same direction from fourth closing in fifth, and finally a pirouette en dedans from fourth closing in fifth (with a few random steps between for timing and positioning). During the instructor's explanation I attempted each of these turns and was delighted to find I could do all of them pretty cleanly, with decent spotting. However, when performed the sequence as a group to music, I found myself a bit off-kilter.
I think what's happening is that when I have time to focus on the elements of the turns, I can do them pretty well. But I'm still having to think about them, rather than the motions being automatic. When I'm distracted by remembering the sequence, including the filler steps between the turns, I'm not focused on the turn and they fall apart.
This suggests that I do understand how to do these turns, and they will improve with practice.
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