Sheila Beelam Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Fiz will pm you - to keep technical stuff off this thread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 2, 2012 Author Share Posted December 2, 2012 Totally unballet - the woman is a total vampire! We have not been lucky with neighbours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 I will have an unexpected bill too, on the way home from ballet the other night the break warning light came on the dashboard, I guess it’s the brake pad wear indicator, so it will have to go in again this week. I guess with cars it never ends. Don't despair - we had this recently, and it turned out to be a faulty warning light switch and nothing to do with the brakes at all. Here's hoping... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_Richer Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 taxi4ballet I wish I knew what the problem was, if its pads I would be inclined to go to Quick Fit, lower cost and done quickly, but that’s only pads. Main dealer is far more expensive, plus a time delay as I have to book it in, but they can deal with all types of failure, that is my dilemma. Fiz Have you tried planting garlic in your garden, which is supposed to keep vampires away? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 No, Michelle, just bulbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Fiz, this is the Bloch leo that my dd has: https://dancewear.co.uk/products/details&prodid=2868 Or this one if you don't like the lower back...http://www.blochshop.co.uk/product/chiwa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 They are both very pretty but I know our teacher wants to keep costs down as we have to provide our own costumes and several girls are in a great many routines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_Richer Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Hi Fiz Fantastic news, I have had replies from both prospective classes, the theatre one does do performances, there is one in July and there are only eight in the class. I’m hoping its still running the third week in December as it would be good to break the ice with them before Christmas. I can’t go the week before as I’m back with ROH as a drop in dancer again, and that already booked. The performing arts one is closed during that week, so that will be the new year, thats a Thursday and I have no other classes that evening. I will put the Sleaford one on ice after Christmas as I really will miss there stretch and tone class, just in case things don’t workout or alternatively I do the theatre and Sleaford ones on alternate weeks, I have done that before with Salsa classes to gain the greater experience. But hopefully the theatre one will keep me entertained and stretch my abilities, especially as there is a chance of performing. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 Excellent, Michelle! Enjoy yourself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_Richer Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 (edited) Hi Fiz I will, its what I have been looking for. I was very envious of you performing at your class. But its not all good news, I found out why the brake warning light came on, I am loosing brake fluid, admittedly very slowly. The brake reservoir is hidden in this car but I found it. I’ve topped it up, but there is a damp patch on the garage floor. I rang my garage but the guy was busy, he’s ringing me back. Poo more unplanned expense!. Edited December 3, 2012 by Michelle_Richer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 Oh, isn't that the always the way right before Christmas? I am going to Harlow ballet on Saturdays come the New Year and I might do their Tuesday class as well! I took the bull by the horns and rang them and they were just about to email me back. I can't wait! Boo and hiss to my horrid neighbour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_Richer Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Hi Fiz Well done you, I so happy its all coming together at last, I must dash as I have to be on the road to Lincoln in 15mins for Mondays Ballet. See you late x 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Fiz I went to Harlow Ballet when I was small in about 1970! I was taught by Leo Kersley, who sadly passed away not long ago. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 How amazing, Taxi. i knew about Leo Kersley's death. it was in our local paper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_Richer Posted December 3, 2012 Share Posted December 3, 2012 Good class at Lincoln tonight with lots of personal tuition. There were three of us at the start of the class, half way though one of the girls had to leave, she has done this before, I think she has another class to go to, teacher was quite happy. Both girls were quite young not much more than 20, I loved it, it matches the age of my self image, I guess I’ve never grown up Ha ha ha. So for the remainder of the class there was only the two of us, that really is the smallest class I’ve ever been too, and fantastic for learning. I would prefer that any day to a class of 30+ dancers. The downside is a class that small is not sustainable. Apparently we have around 19 dancers if everyone should turn up, but I think the maximum at anyone time did not exceed 12. Not sure why it was so low this week other than it being very cold and near Christmas. The other class in the melting pot, Contemporary Ballet, looks as if it won’t get launched until around March, I’ve tried to persuade my teacher to make it Tuesdays otherwise I’m going to have to alternate classes. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 How amazing, Taxi. i knew about Leo Kersley's death. it was in our local paper. Funny really, I only remembered him because he was a man, and since my mum is no longer around to remind me I couldn't remember much else. A year or two ago I googled his name and found lots of info about him, I never knew he was so highly regarded in the ballet world and had written books etc; and had been taught by a pupil of Maestro Cecchetti. I was pretty small at the time, and quite useless at ballet, but have fond memories 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_Richer Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 The cold weather seems to be driving my ballet class girls away. My Wednesday class usually has around twenty dancers but tonight there was only six, not a bad class for a Wednesday (I like small classes). There were several questions raised and comments I made, the teacher said we dont do that in this class, its in the next one up, which they wont allow me to do. Most of the movements done in that class are done in third, however she did say I could use fifth tonight(small consession). However I did tell her at the end of class, that I had selected alternative classes for the new year. But I will still keep the door open with that school. The stretch and tone afterwards was quite good, that seemed reasonably full, for once I managed to get my nose down in contact with my leg in spite of my boobs being in the way, that was a first for me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 5, 2012 Author Share Posted December 5, 2012 TOOW wouldn't come tonight as she lives at the top of a hill and was afraid she might slip...No comment. My especial little pet wasn't there either but my other one was, so that was all right. They are both beautiful dancers and their extensions and battements put mine to shame 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_Richer Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 We did remarkable well this morning considering my Thursday local class is quite small, we had 7 including me. But for the first 5-10minutes there was only two of us, we had a newbie this time too. The things that frustrate me the most is Développé’s, my Tuesday class which is a sort of fusion of Latin and ballet run by Nicky my favourite ballet teach. In that class Nicky sometimes does a Développé walk. I’m always front line and stand opposite her, when she does that walk, she walk towards and sometimes past me as I walk towards her, she always has that knowingly cheeky grin to say “ Your not there yet”, the rest of her moves including the high kicks are no problem for me. But that walk is so infuriating. In ballet class she does not take things as high, but I think that is deliberate for the mature ladies in our class. Today we did a bit of a strange exercise, not sure how it was supposed to help. We where divided up into groups of two dancers. One dancer would start with there foot back in a Tendu, small brush forward and back on 1-2, then a high brush on three when your partner was suppose to catch your foot and pump it up and down. My partner was too frightened of hurting me; she would let my foot fall before she would catch it. On the last time we did it, I got her to hold my foot somewhere near. Mine tends to be lack of strength rather than flexibility, the left foot I can extend it to just four feet, but the right to only three foot eight inches. I really want to clear five feet from both legs, I’m still making progress but its painfully slow Grrrrr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Are you sure she's not getting you to play an aerial game of Twister? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_Richer Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 Are you sure she's not getting you to play an aerial game of Twister? Probably, I’ve got an even bigger problem now, I missed the back end of my salsa class last night, which I tend to do after ballet, but I don’t generally get there until after 9pm, but it was too late last night. I sent them a little sorry email and told them I would not be there next week (At ROH class) at all but should be back the week after. So they have told me I’m a naughty girl and I have penance to do. I am to go to salsa in a red tutu and do a Ballet warm-up for the class. Well it will be a cool down as I will not be there at the start, but I now have to think of something that’s ballet related dance wise that non-ballet dancers can do, plus I need to have the appropriate music too. It doesn’t need to last much more than 5 minutes but it must be fun and enjoyable by both guys and girls. Am I going to do it, your dammed right I am. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Last year, when dd was 12 and I had been explaining at Parents' Evening that she was continually ignored in her dance class, and no-one took ballet seriously, she was set much the same task by her school GCSE Dance teacher, namely to come up with a 'ballet warm-up'. I pointed out that they type of warmup she normally does was fairly hard and regular school students might not be able to do it. The teacher said 'Oh, they will find it easy, remember there is a Disco Freestyle National Champion in the class". Tee, hee! Along with grand plies in 2nd, box splits, and a great many sautes, she put in some developpes and grands battements. DD said that everybody's eyes were popping out of their sockets when she was demonstrating, they were struggling red-faced and panting to follow the moves, and the teacher couldn't do any of the exercises either! Seems like they learned a new respect for ballet that day... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_Richer Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Wow good for her. I’ve had to move mine to a cool down as I will miss the beginning of the class. I’m already at two other classes that evening, Ballet + Stretch and tone. I have already sorted out a suitable easy sequence for them based on balancé’s, in the end my choice of music is based on a salsa rhythm which the class is familiar with. For me this is not about me showing how cleaver or artist I am, its about creating entertainment that the class can fully participate in and have fun, after all these are my dancing friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hfbrew Posted December 7, 2012 Share Posted December 7, 2012 Last year, when dd was 12 and I had been explaining at Parents' Evening that she was continually ignored in her dance class, and no-one took ballet seriously, she was set much the same task by her school GCSE Dance teacher, namely to come up with a 'ballet warm-up'. I pointed out that they type of warmup she normally does was fairly hard and regular school students might not be able to do it. The teacher said 'Oh, they will find it easy, remember there is a Disco Freestyle National Champion in the class". Tee, hee! Along with grand plies in 2nd, box splits, and a great many sautes, she put in some developpes and grands battements. DD said that everybody's eyes were popping out of their sockets when she was demonstrating, they were struggling red-faced and panting to follow the moves, and the teacher couldn't do any of the exercises either! Seems like they learned a new respect for ballet that day... Good for her! People do underestimate how hard ballet can be. Even some of my rugby playing senior boys struggle to get through a class without collaspsing on the floor at least three times!!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 I think it was the sautes that were the real killer, 8 then a quarter turn, 8 more and so on all the way round and back again, then repeated with 4, 2,and 1! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_Richer Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 (edited) Monday class very thin again, with the cold dark nights and Christmas, only two and a half girls including me. We have only one remaining Monday class now before Christmas. I really do hope this class can survive through the winter months as there are 19 dancers if everyone was to turn up. Not quite so many at the ROH ballet class this time (Wednesday), although its their last before Christmas. I took some chocolates this time as they dont appear to do anything special for christmas (Not like my other ballet classes). Starting next year they are offering a new intermediate level ballet class following their existing beginner class. I will be doing both on the same evening but on an ad-hock basis; I will have to see how it fits in with my new Theatre ballet class on the same evening. Managed to get back from the ROH just in time to catch the last half hour of my Salsa class (10.45pm), it was their last class before Christmas, managed to get a couple of dances and a few party nibbles. At least I got to wish everyone a happy Christmas and exchange a few hugs too. Edited December 13, 2012 by Michelle_Richer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurora Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 I went to my ballet class this morning to find it had been cancelled this week and there was a contemporary class instead. Very disappointed wasn't about to do contemporary tho lol! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 13, 2012 Author Share Posted December 13, 2012 I missed my first ballet class since March yesterday. It was so icy and there was freezing fog in patches around where I live and where I had to go. I agonised about it all day. I finally decided not to go when I realised I would have to de-ice the car twice in two hours - I did miss it though. I shall have to go up though, as I have to give in my cheque (what's that? ) for my leotard before the 15th but I shall do it during the day. We do have one more class, thank goodness. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_Richer Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Well well well girls, I thought we only had hard core ballerinas on this site. I must confess I was worried last night that my car would not start in the railway station car park when I collected it just before 10pm, the windows were frozen and it was very cold. Four girls included me attended this mornings ballet class, I was still in tights and chiffon skirt but I did leave my jumper on, as it was still a bit chilly in the hall. One of the girls kept her scarf on and Nicky our teacher said it’s the first time she has ever taught a ballet class with one of her students in a scarf. The class as usual was good, afterwards one of the girls invited me back for coffee and mince pies and a chat (mostly ballet), four and half hours later I went home, a really nice finish to ballet today. Tonight out dancing Salsa at Stamford, this girl never stops whatever the weather, as they say born to dance. A useful piece of info I received today from Scottish Ballet’s mail shot: Kick start your 2013 fitness regime with 'New Year, New You', the third in our series of exercise downloads. Following on from the hugely popular 'Core de Ballet' and 'Port de Bras' this download focuses on lengthening and toning muscles, and introduces barre work for the first time. Keep your eyes peeled for the new download launching on our website in early January 2013 I have personally incorporated their “Core de Ballet” as part of the cool-down to my daily ballet aerobic workout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_Richer Posted December 17, 2012 Share Posted December 17, 2012 Tonight’s class was a bit disappointing, the work we did was OK, its was another tiny class, at the beginning apart from me, we had our part time girl that only stays for half the class. The TOOW that was present last week had phoned in to say she would not be there tonight. For the first ten minutes I though I would be the only student later on, then our other regular young lady turned up. The class itself was fine, but our teacher and one of the organisers had decided that it was not a good idea for so few of us to go out for a Christmas drink afterward and we would leave it until January when more students are back.I can understand that but it was a bit of a let down. The good side is, they have decided to keep the class going and are going to promote it, including getting in touch with our existing core of absent students. I hope that promotion is successful, however I have a contingency class up my sleeve just in case things fail, but I would be very sad to leave this Monday class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_Richer Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 (edited) Classes all finished now for Christmas. I finished at Sleaford last night for the last time, exchanged a hug with my teacher when we said our goodbyes, it left me really sad in spite the disagreement we had about me doing dual classes. Met the principle last night, she was nice to, we parted on good terms. I felt a bit emotional all evening after that. Only four at this mornings class including me, just us hardcore dancers. I went in a red leotard today to add a bit of Christmas spirit. Our teacher decided we would do our normal work at the barre, without one to test our balance. Needless to say there were a few wobbles especially with grand plies. Nicky our teacher had combined the girls from all three of her classes (Ballet, Tap and Dance Fever) for Christmas lunch, I got to see a lot of new faces as I don’t do Tap. It was a lovely social gathering and the meal was really nice too, had to ignore my dieting for today though. I’m really looking forward to starting my two new class in January, even though the travel distances are much longer, with a third new class coming on board around March. Still lots of work to do over the holiday, two girls from one of my ballet classes are coming down to my studio to do some practice. As a result, we are forming a self help group. I have the training plan to write for that, so that should keep me out of mischief if I’m not dancing. Only one dance to go now, tomorrow night (Friday) yippee! Need to find something to replace my Sleaford Stretch and Tone class, ideally something local, as I have really benefited from that. Edited December 20, 2012 by Michelle_Richer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 20, 2012 Author Share Posted December 20, 2012 So I went to ballet armed with a card and present for my teacher to find that ballet had finished last week! I am a little irritated as when I took my cheque in to pay for my leotard, I mentioned about class yesterday and was not told that there wasn't one. Luckily I have the email of my pet ballet student so I could say Merry Christmas to her and through her to the rest of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle_Richer Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 AWWW Fiz, attention to detail sweetheart, that’s an opportunity missed. I have taken all my teachers cards, I even took one some chocolates. I have taken chocolates to most of the classes too, it just makes things a little special, apart from ROH I didn’t have any and there I only had one. The card I gave to one of my teachers last night included a sheet with a dance lesson attached, someone has to train the teachers, might as well be me Ha ha ha. It was a stroll dance called Kuduro which is danced at salsa parties, my ballet teacher last night also teaches salsa but did not know of this dance even though she played that music at her stretch and tone class (sacrilege). Had a fantastic Christmas lunch with most of the girls today, including some of those that did not show up for class. Not all girls went, but most did, for me anywhere there is a party, I’m a real socialite. Must soon start practicing my little ballet sequence I have to do as a cool down at one of my salsa class as penance. They have told me I must do it in a tutu, thats like saying to brae rabbit we are going to chuck you in the brier patch. I just want to see the guys faces when they have to come on the dance floor and do a little ballet, that will really make me smile as they think they are very macho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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