Going Back to ballet continued...

[Michelle_Richer]

Another problem solved I hope. The loss of my Sleaford ballet class (for the Theatre one) has meant I have lost the Stretch and Tone class, which has been very beneficial to me. I’ve managed to get in at an Awesome Abs class for Sunday morning (its still running), I hope it has similar benefits.

[Michelle_Richer]

The Awesome Abs class was fun, only lasted 45 minutes, and I could have done more. Its now the day after and I now know I have done it, my tummy muscles are a little sore, so it must be getting to places that need it. Needless to say my next purchase will be an Abs board and hope that will ultimately push a few more inches higher on my développés.

[Michelle_Richer]

Done my first Ballet aerobic workout today for the new year, less than a week to go for my first class this year , cant wait, I really do feel like a fish out of water. Did a series of Salsa dance workshops over the weekend at the Radisson Blu Edwardian hotel at Heathrow, they were very good , lots of social dancing in the evening on three separate dance floors ( Salsa, Bachata and Kizomba), I managed to christen the main dance floor before anyone else by dancing with both of the organisers, something I always love to do. Unfortunately Saturday evening in the Bachata room, someone bumped into me from behind and managed to rip my dress, fortunately it’s reparable. I don’t know what the guy was doing who was supposed to be leading me, as it was his job to steer. I think the guy from behind danced into me and somehow got his foot caught in the bottom of my dress. It’s in the menders at the moment being repaired.

 

While I was there I made full use of the hotels Gym to continue the gym part of my daily ballet workout on both Saturday and Sunday mornings.

 

New Years Eve was another salsa dance party this time in Boston, another good event but a crowded dance floor, but stayed to see the New Year in. Managed to get home just before 1AM, just enough time to pop into my local village pub, get a drink and wish everyone a happy new year before they closed at 1AM.

 

So now my ballet fix is well overdue, cant wait especially for my two new classes.

[Michelle_Richer]

First class back this year, only three and a half of us again, all regulars, they say they will get in contact with all the previous ballet student and promote the class now everyone is back. My teacher also mentioned the possibility of one to one tuition which could be extremely useful providing it’s not too expensive and the studio is available when I am. The class tonight was another good one, I really love these small classes, you can learn so much more, but at the end of the day they are not financially viable. Glad to say I finally got my ballet Fix after the Christmas break.

 

On the down side tonight, I managed to get photographed by a speed camera, Grrrr. My own fault, I was feeling euphoric at being accepted by LAB and listening to Bolero, I didn’t register the restricted area signs and the speed camera. In future the sat nav will be on, even if I do know the way.

[JCS]

Not a good start to the term as I missed half last night's class due to something running late at work, and missed floor barre this evening due to signal failure disrupting the service from Waterloo!

[Fiz]

We started back last night and it was great. Eloise did more of her stunning arabesques and battements and if I didn't like the girl so much, I would be so jealous! She is stunningly pretty, a great dancer, very clever and so nice!

[Michelle_Richer]

Welcome back to ballet Fiz, we've missed you. I had another session this morning, my third this week. Nicky my local teacher has come up with some new moves for us, so thats good, I really enjoy her class, I think there were 7 of us today which is not bad considering it was very cold and thick fog. Did you do any prep over the holidays for your show next month, its getting close now.

 

I need to find a posh tutu for the London Amateur Ballet course in july, need to push the boat out abit for that one.

[lartiste]

It's great to be back in the studio it was my first two ballet classes of the term this evening and I have another class and pointe class tomorrow evening.I started my barre workout classes - ballet based body conditioning/stretching/strengthening classes - last Thursday and took the more advanced class - big mistake! I could barely walk the next day and I had to cancel my Saturday class I was so out of shape - so embarrassing! Does anyone have any foolproof methods for beating DOMS? I've tried epsom salt baths but for some reason this does not have the promised alleviating effect on my sore muscles, it works wonders for everyone else I know though.

[Fiz]

I have told the father of the studio owner about having to go to Harlow for another adult ballet class and he told me that if five people want to do it, he will get them to run another class! That would be great, as Harlow is about 35 minutes away by car and hell to try and park in these days. Everyone there is really friendly and I would rather have a 15 minute drive than the other one, especially during the winter.

[Michelle_Richer]

Hi Fiz

 

I hope you can find the other four dancers; two of the classes I attended during the week were struggling for numbers

I have a one to one private lesson booked for next week on pirouettes, so I can get my balance sorted out properly.

 

I went to my Friday Salsa classes and dance tonight, I took my ballet slippers with me, towards the end of the evening when everyone had sat down I had the whole dance floor to myself, I tried doing travelling turns to Salsa rhythms, the first track was a bit quick and it didn’t work very well, then our DJ put on a much slower salsa track, it was a Christmas vocal in Spanish but it had a really nice melody with it. Then the turns worked reasonably well but there was a protruding wooden divider in the floor, it was only 3 or 4 mm high, but it was an annoying obstacle to try and avoid.

 

Sunday I have another full dance floor available for a short period, so I intend to utilise that, my salsa dance teachers are quite comfortable with me using the floor providing I’m not in the way or distracting the other Salsa dancers. I will of course be dancing salsa too, but if I get a clear 15 minute for a bit of ballet practice on the large dance floor that will be fantastic.

 

Although I know virtually everyone at these venues, I still to a bit of courage to go out on the dance floor doing ballet at a salsa dance, now the ice is broken I think it will become a well used facility for me, as my own studio is a bit too small ( 3 or 4 travelling turns and you are out of space).

 

How is your show rehearsals going?

[Fiz]

I am so fed up with it! I could dance it in my sleep, Michelle. Still, it will be over in five weeks and I can get on with learning something new!

[Anna C]

Which leotards did you get in the end, Fiz? :-)

[Michelle_Richer]

Hi Fiz

 

How are you getting on finding those other four dancers so your new proposed class can fly.

Another option is to get the organisers to do a single taster session to attract new dancers, you could help. We do that at our salsa classes regularly to attract new dancers which helps keep a vibrant core of dancers to keep the group going. Unfortunately I have know several other classes fold after a week or too, it must be promoted if it’s to fly.

 

Been to my Lincoln ballet class tonight (Monday) and that turned out a bit unusual. I set out quite early as it was snowing but mostly sleet but the weather forecast wasn’t particularly good.

 

When I arrived the manager was in the reception area, so we had a bit of a chat, and he made some comment about me looking after the place ( My teacher was in the studio doing a Zumba class) and I thought he was joking. I ask him if it was alright if I made myself a coffee, and so I did. When I got back he had his hat and coat on, case in his hand and he was ready to go. Needless to say it dawned on me, he was not joking. Then he explains some road on his way home was being closed, so he needed to get home before that happened. So I guess I got promoted and was in charge of the dance school for a while, well that’s my claim to fame.

 

Another small class, our half a girl stayed all evening this time so that was good, and we our other young girl who is a regular now and a newbie too, also in her early twenties, so there were only four of us. We started on a new sequence this week which is to be built up week by week, so that should lead to real progress and I hope well polished routine. Another really nice session with our fantastically helpful teacher, who brought me some books in this week to help with my developee height development.

[Fiz]

Anna, I am so sorry, I did not see your comment earlier. We have managed to buy the black lace cap-sleeved leotards and Mary is making black "silk" skirts with black lace frills which match the leotard lace (Good job, Mary!). I think it will look nice as a scene.

[Anna C]

Lovely! Sounds like a really pretty costume. :-)

[Fiz]

There are two people I think might attend it, but it's difficult. The only other adult dancer is moving and I meet very few people at the school because of the time of the lesson, Michelle.

[Michelle_Richer]

Hi Fiz

Seem like your project to get the new class launched need a bit of positive promotion.

Have you thought about getting the school/college to advertise the class in the local press with a first free taster lesson, you can also use free advertising cards in local shops and supermarkets. Even better if you can get leaflet done, then drop them into other dance classes around your area that do social dancing like Salsa and ballroom, you would be surprised at the number of ladies that did ballet when they were children. I remember chatting to a group of ladies at one of my salsa events, there were about 10 or 12 of us, at least 6 had done ballet as children, two of them now have joined one of the classes I belong too.

 

What lady / girl can turn down all the benefits from such a class, Im sure you can think of more to promote it:

• Strength

• Balance

• Co-ordination

• Mobility/flexibility

• Tone

• Corp stability

• Improved posture, line and body shape

• Articulation of feet and back

• Grace

• Freedom of movement

• Expression

• Artistry

[Fiz]

They won't do that, Michelle. Kerry is very professional and I don't think she would go for the idea. No ballet tonight because there is freezing fog again

[Michelle_Richer]

Hi Fiz

 

Do you mean she won’t go for the idea because many of the prospective dancers won’t be experience to an appropriate level for her intended class?

 

Yes the freezing fog is causing problems; one of my classes was cancelled tonight as most girls had text in they were not coming, I still went and had a private lessen anyway, I was travelling 3 times as far as there most distant student. It was awful and not a nice journey with freezing fog and temperatures down to -4, but for me it was still drivable.

 

Tomorrows evening class at Footlight Performing Arts has also been cancelled, but that’s down to illness, pity as I was looking forward to that one.Still got my local day class though.

 

So what do you have as plan “B” now Fiz?

[Michelle_Richer]

Hi Fiz,

How is plan "B" going

 

Only Three at my local class, due to the bad weather, at least Nicky our teach wont be out of pocket as most of us pay by term. Another good class and the time goes so quickly.

 

One of the girls came back to mine, so we carried on for another hour of ballet practice in my studio.

 

As my evening class at King Lynn had been cancelled due to illness, I managed to find another class at Peterborough as a fill in, dropped them an email and got an immediate response. Peterborough for me is just over 20 miles away, so I allowed extra time due to the bad weather. Another girl arrived early too, we sat chatting in the dance schools waiting area, she was of the opinion that it would be a small class, somewhere between 4 and 8 dancers, it filled up at the last minute, there 14 or 15 of us, unfortunately the studio we were allocate was a bit small. Teacher was very young but never the less it was a good class. It was unusual from the perspective that we commenced by running and skipping around the room in a big circle, I guess that was a warm up. Barre work was relatively small but some unfamiliar combinations, certainly keeps ones mind active. Centre work started off a bit awkward due to the number of dancers until our teacher divided us up into two groups. Again for me new unfamiliar moves and combinations, some I don’t mind saying, I made a bit of a pigs ear of, and needs some serious polishing, but it was all new material for me to get my teeth into. From that I cant now just leave that class as a fill in, I will need to review this after experiencing my new Kings Lynn class, then decide which class, or if to time share between classes as I do on a Wednesday.

 

The more classes I go to, the more I realise I don’t know, but the more I learn, its fantastic, just love it.

[Sheila Beelam]

Sounds like a positive new class Michelle! I'm impressed that you manage to find so many adult classes and variety is great for exercising the brain cells...

[Michelle_Richer]

Hi JB

 

Yes it is a positive new class but I almost blew it with my enthusiasm for correct terminology, a nasty habit I have picked up from one of my teachers who is a stickler for detail and to a lesser extent from membership of this forum. But I don’t think there is any long lasting harm done as they are still speaking to me.

 

Had another goodnight tonight at salsa, towards the end of the evening when the dance floor cleared was time to get my ballet slippers on for a few travelling turns across the floor. I was doing Pose turns across the room when Debra one of my salsa teachers and a very good friend, said “wow how do you do those”, Debra did ballet when she was very young, her mum was a professional ballerina and ballet teacher, but Debra never followed that as a career. So it was fun teaching my teacher Pose turns.

 

A big problem I have with adult classes, many classes don’t teach turns due to the risk of dizziness and possible injury to the more elderly adult dancers. Those that do, often only have a single turn imbedded in a sequence of other movements where even spotting is not essential. Unfortunately if I take them home to my own studio to develop them, I can only get 3 or 4 successive travelling turns across the room, where as an empty dance floor I can easily do 10 -20 which is great for keeping time with the music and spotting, in fact I can almost do them to any Latin rhythm which tends to be playing whist I am practicing. They are probably rubbish now to the tradional practice pieces, but for me its about dancing and taking it out of the classroom.

[Michelle_Richer]

Only two of us at the Lincoln class tonight due to snowy conditions, really easy class as the other girl is a newbie, still very enjoyable though. However it did end in a bit of a disaster, we were already over time working on a new sequence of movements for our little dance which ended with alternate hops with other leg in attitude, really easy, but then my supporting leg went with muscular pain in my lower leg, not sure if I’ve pulled something or just sprained. I can walk on it reasonably well, but I cannot go up on a releve on that foot.

 

Hope its OK by morning with a bit of TLC, as its my Dance Fever class at 10AM (Fusion of Latin and ballet) fitness class.

[Aurora]

Have you heard of dancemasterclass.com? It's a summer school in Italy and they take adults, there's an adult beginner course this year too. I've never been though.

[Michelle_Richer]

Hi Aurora

 

Tank you , it looks interesting, just had a look at the site, but unfortunitely clashes with the London Amateur Ballet Summer Intensive which I am booked on, but may be worth a look next year if Im not doing ballet in the US, or can squeeeeeeze it in. Thanks again x.

[Fiz]

No ballet last night either. I have some rotten virus giving me swollen glands, aching joints and a high temperature

[taxi4ballet]

Could be Strep - see doctor!

[Fiz]

I don't think it is. My throat is ok. If I have to be ill, this is bearable. I just have a fluctuating temperature and no energy. I'm fed up about missing ballet two weeks running though

[Anna C]

When I had glandular fever my throat wasn't that bad (whereas with tonsilitis it's like swallowing knives), so it might be worth getting a checkup Fiz. Hopefully it's "just" a flu-like virus. :-(

[Michelle_Richer]

Hi Fiz

 

I wish you a speedy recovery and hope the snow stays away too.

 

I have had a pretty rubbish week too, firstly I hurt my foot (see post 320), then Tuesday on the way back from Dance Fever class, I had a tyre go flat on an awkward piece of road, had to decide if to wait for my roadside recovery people to come out, or to try and change it myself in the slush and snow. I got the spare out and managed to loose the wheel nuts, and a large box van stopped in front of me with their hazards on, two knights of the road came over and changed the wheel for me, they were fantastic, so the age of chivalry is definitely not over. I took the wheel to a local garage to see if they could fix the flat, unfortunately the wheel inner rim was dented in places, so I was redirected to a specialist tyre place that refurbished damaged wheels. They had a look at it and said, they may be able to straiten it but there is a risk with it being alloy that it will crack and they would phone me tomorrow with the result. Fortunately I had no more classes on the Tuesday. 

 

Wednesday morning I got the call, the wheel had cracked and that garage had not got a replacement wheel, they suggested a breakers yard about 6 miles away, so I went there, no wheels of that type available. Now I’m starting to get really worried, I’m thinking there is little chance I will make ballet tonight, it’s too risky without a spare and also in bad driving conditions as it a 25mile journey both ways. I also have a private lesson booked and a regular class too, my hart sank, I was loosing control. I returned back to the garage and the young man there was very helpful, he found suitable rims on EBAY, but my comment to him was, I need something today, I cant wait for carriers to deliver it in 3 or 4 days time, fortunately he found a breakers yard on EBAY that was about 30 miles away, so I took their phone number. Hey presto they had a wheel with tyre, so I legged it over there. At least I would make ballet, I was rushed with very little prep for my private lesson, by the time I got there I felt really drained, but by the end of the regular lesson I was starting to enjoy things again. That evening I also got a phone call from by brother-in-laws son, to say Ken my brother-in-law and very close friend had been taken into hospital with a suspected stroke. I started to think things cant get much worse and I still had the house to tidy up as I had a couple of girls coming round after Thursday mornings ballet class as a self help continuation of ballet training in my studio, needless to say I was very late going to bed.

 

Thursday up late, little prep for girls self help session, got in my car to go to ballet (local class), and the lights warning indicator came on, indicating bulb failure. As usual our local class was a good one, but one of the girls could not make the after session. When we finally go back to mine, the other girl confirmed I had lost a break light. I open my front door and amongst the letters was my fixed penalty notice from the police for exceeding the speed limit past a speed camera. Thursday evening was also a new ballet class, where my performance was rubbish. Partly too little prep on my part and partly new unfamiliar routines which I always encounter with new teachers.
.
Friday managed to see Ken in hospital, most signs of stroke has disappeared, speech only very slightly slurred, but he is still quite poorly. Finally got to my Salsa class late, the beginner’s class had already started, with several ladies without partners. I dropped off my coat and joint the circle of dancers and lead one of the spare ladies. Once I started dancing the rhythm and the music was just the therapy I needed, I could have cried with relief from that horrible week.

 

Next week the only way is up.

[Anna C]

Heavens Michelle! :-(

 

I do hope next week is better and less stressful for you.

[Sheila Beelam]

Indeed Michelle! X

Interesting that you referred to your Salsa class as therapy - in times of stress I have always found my ballet classes to be just that. It's the one place that my mind can't wander and think of the millions of things a "grown up" should be doing instead of dancing!

OH used to think I was crazy trying to squeeze ballet classes in to a hectic schedule of children, work and accountancy exams - he soon realised he was never going to understand the need to dance!

[Fiz]

Goodness, Michelle, that sounds so stressful! I am sorry and hope things improve for you greatly next week. x Spanned, my throat is fine now. I remember the awful sore throats with tonsillitis but the worst one I ever had was when I was developing glandular fever I have a rehearsal tomorrow but now my ribs hurt. I am sure it's a virus.