Alexander

The sort of correction when the instructor, in passing, seems to make a very slight adjustment to an arm or leg without comment and then moves on but the feeling is so different and connected and whole and thoughts flood in "oh, my, its like this!"... and I then spend the next 10 classes trying to re-find it again.

1 hour ago, alison said:

 

Oh please

I forgot to gurgle in a possessed sort of way. I'm sure there is a rule against gurgling.

Vaganova head tilt- I just had to go the wrong way. She reached up and corrected it.. somewhat reminiscent from a scene in the Exorcist.

Paraphrasing: "don't find yourself in-between. Either be here or there but if you are in-between you are nowhere. Be here!" (or there, there was some soliloquy as to whether here was better than there).

The sort of correction where all attempts at verbal communication have been terminated and they creep up behind and (I cannot quite describe the effect) they have a good rummage to sort things out around the haunches...and it's OMG! What have you done?!...It feels..ODD.

And then they walk away... probably to do stealth rummaging elsewhere.

Not sure if this will be helpful. Franziska Rosenzweig has a Berlin ballet retreat 30th July - 3rd Aug.

https://www.holisticballet.com/berlin-ballet-retreat

Alex

This on entered my ballet brain recently, "you'll never be able to turn without knowing how it finishes"...hmmmm

2 minutes ago, TYR said:

 

In any case I think Anna sees me as an agent of chaos

We shall plot. Every ballet class needs some commedia dell'arte... I shall, hmmm lets see... hmm be Il Capitano. That should draw out some spicy corrections....

3 minutes ago, TYR said:

So you're hoping organized chaos is at least better than just chaos?

Well, hmmm, going to have a bit of think about this one. Hmmmm... well beyond my meagre efforts.

Can we do Sarabande? Real slowly.

11 hours ago, TYR said:

A vintage showing from Anna!

 

"Excited, but not frantic" (this was about piqué turns)

 

"You need to think about the inner circle and the outer circle, if you get it right it's an incredibly strong position" (about arms in turns in general, v good)

 

 

I was there! My little ear lobes just quivered with excitement - circles, what circles, who, what, where?...

... and...

Well, yes Anna, but at least one dancer here would just like to attain a proficient level of frantic but I don't think this is a good place to argue..

Picking at the barre can be a little tricky.. choices, choices. Prime spot right next to the instructor.. real close to capture every minute detail and soak in all the tasty morsels of ballet advice. But then they can spot everything in minute detail too.

So, I found myself basking in commentary on what makes the the ideal position for port de bras 5th postion gazing on with admiration, spotting things in the mirror... hands forward, turning in, with a good shape to be seen by just raising the eyes and.... "just in the fringeline"

[pause]

"IF WE HAD ONE"

Goddamit... I'm paying good money for this! Coming to class with comb-over, see how yer like that!

9 hours ago, Peanut68 said:

.be it dancing at a village fete ...

Contradanse [country dance]..super fun and has its own discipline. Not sure if its possible to add classical ballet steps but going straight into sousou during Mr Beveridge's Maggot would get my vote. Full on Jane Austin turbo mode.

Cost of living probably has something to do with it as well? And perhaps a lack of local marketing. I mean I don't see ballet in the shopping malls or other public places to show ballet is here, give it a go?

I must admit that doin' a swan having a bit of a bad day... I'd be first up for that. Character swan dance.. YES! But true, there will be folk who want to do the dances but not put the work in to do the technique. So the challenge might be to get that balance. In the fencing world there is non-cooperative play usually at the end of class - it is the part of class fencers want to do; unscripted and fun away from the drills but instructors can offer - you work, you get to play, if no work well its more drills!

16 minutes ago, LinMM said:

 had to work out our own choreography based on the themes the teacher had set

 

I've done this a few times with other dancers in a historical dance context. It's pretty cool getting us to think and feel in different ways how to relate to music, adding contrast and engaging in a creative process.

Surprised there isn't a repetoire of beginner, intermediate etc choreographed dances to work at that use ballet steps... that would be awesome. I suppose a counter-argument might be, well, dude, you gotta be proficient and up to a standard or, you can do the dance but you really do need to improve technique and if you really do want to do minuet then perhaps this isn't the best place to do it.

This is my experience coming to dance late in life. Ballet is supremely good at technique, conditioning and working to a syllabus but it, IMO, centre work doesn't replace what other dance forms offer. Ballet may be focused on performance and presentation to an audience but if only it could widen its appeal to include dancing choreographies with, say, a partner or with other dancers at any level. We'd learn choreography, distance, responding to a partner etc. In other words, ballet isn't as social as it could be. Now, no, that doesn't mean a whole bunch of chat while holding mugs of tea but perhaps ballet is missing an opportunity? That is the joy of well, er, dancing....dances! 

General question. If someone, should, and I'm not exactly identifiying this person, practice the role of Baron von Rothbart... with a distinguishing limp and an allergy to swans... would this attract correction?

Thanks. Ballet centre free-for-all is rather daunting. Though having gone to a a historical dance class where we circulated and clashed more than the chariot racing in the Circus Maximus I sorta understand things can get a bit gladitorial if not managed.. I think knowing ones limits and being aware not to be dufus or selfish is probably key.

Needs a firm teacher to set the boundaries and maintain herd discipline.

Just add thing to this thread.. I was thinking about trying Anna's General class. I'm probably wanting a bit more of a challenge than beginner class which I still go to but don't think I am intermediate. Noting that I may need to step out of centre if too much or I am getting in the way of other dancers.

The sort of correction when everyone is in the centre facing the mirror and still and the instructor is saying something and we're waiting, waiting, waiting to start and then the instructor's voice drifts through all the dancers and their legs and arms and reaches the ears...and then the realisation that in fact they have seen something in the mirror and an immediate adjustment was required about 10 seconds ago.

Stiffling down a giggle during ronde de jambe and paraphrasing "some of you are making the foot wonder around... like one of those annoying cabbies... you don't want to be an annoying cabbie"

Er.. I suspect that when one is doing centre work and one hears that one is being a "soloist" this could be construed as a correction? Er.. .DOOOOOOOOOHHHH!

Oh, here's a good one... the instructors' ability to change things up. Like, oh, we're doing that one again.. mark this, mark that yadda, yadda... and then... WHAT!???!!!!!.. and then blind panic as I've suddenly realised there is a a variation and the awful, forlorn realisation that something is going to be corrected...

22 hours ago, TYR said:

 

Yes, I'm at the barre, I hear it, the logic seeps through.. sometimes barely, I may even nod.. but yet again the wibble wobbles return...