Fiz: You surprise me a little with you comment about performing in a show as you have to do it or else, isn’t that what this is all about, forgive me, I guess I’m a bit of an extrovert and exhibitionist anyway and would see it as an opportunity to do something Id been training all this time for, the icing on the cake. Anyway good luck with that show, as far as I know my teacher hasn’t ever put on a Ballet show, but I know earlier in the year she put on some form of tap dance show at the local civic centre theatre as a couple of the girls in my class performed there.
Drdance: OK about the motivation while being at class, I guess that’s true, but where its not possible you have to have enough self motivation to take thing forward. As for the small social element of class, I think I would rate that a bit further as I always enjoy class and never see it as a chore. I also do another class with the same teacher call Dance Fever which is a combination of Latin, aerobics with Ballet related moves for the cool down.
As for the Adage, I like it.
Your comment about intricate skills not being lost over night, well that depends how well that has been learnt over a number of repetitions, the quality of the muscle memory and setting of the neural pathways. For my social dancing classes, I learn a number of new moves every week some without names, unless they are refreshed regularly they will fade.
Anjuli_Bai Ref post 44, if this refers to me as the newcomer on the block, then I think you have lost the plot. Firstly I do attend a weekly Ballet class, secondly I do standing in 5th both in class work and as part of my daily routine, similarly with leg up on the bar for stretches, both forward and back but only in my daily routine.
Yes it helps if you have the feedback of your teacher, but there are times when you have to take the initiative your self. I have never ever been in a position where I have been forced to say “can’t do”, I’ve always been highly motivated in succeeding.