Resistance Is Futile

During the lesson on Monday I noticed I was getting a lot of cramp in my arches while pointing my feet and toes so I asked the teacher about it at the end. She informed me I had weak arches (oooh blunt!) and that I need to exercise my feet every day with a resistance band, put my toes in it and point and flex repeatedly. Tried it tonight but am still getting cramps, maybe it takes a while. 

On a plus note my turnout is quite good now, feet are in a straight line in first position and fifth isn't feeling so odd. 

Looking the Part

Ballet gear has arrived! Loved it until I put it on, then felt fat. This is why all ballerinas are really skinny, where a camera adds 5lbs, lyrca and pink tights adds 10lbs. *cringe*

Wish I knew French

Ballet class would be so much easier if I knew French! I'm only catching snippets of what the steps are called and so am inventing random new names for them in my head. Anyhow will try my best to describe today's class, sorry it's a bit ballet nerdish feel free to skip!

We start again with rising up onto tiptoes, warming up the ankles, then to the barre for pliés. First position, demi plié, demi plié, grand plié, change side and repeat. Fifth position, demi plié, demi plié, grand plié, change side and repeat. Then one hand on barre, fifth position, leg slides and points to the front 3 times returning to fifth each time, then to the side 3 times alternating in returning to back or front of fifth position ending behind, then 3 behind coming back to fifth, 3 to the side again. Repeat on other side. There was the semi circle foot exercise from last week, battement tendu, battement tendu jeté and grand battement. Then a new exercise when foot is brought up to calf and straightened while the supporting leg pliés but both legs must straighten at the same rate. Stretching.

Center work was good today, got some little routines going. First was fifth position, to first, to second and plié, then point one foot and keep it 'glued' to the floor, use the other foot to do 3 shuffles to turn and go into arabesque. The other was first position, point left foot forward, take 3 steps then on the last a sort of hop jump to do a 180 turn, spin round and repeat across the room. It really looked good when everyone was doing the moves together.

Also today they said there is going to be a show on the 2nd March and would the people who only go to the beginner lesson put up their hands, thinking this would exempt me my hand shot up. We got counted and announcement of 'Good, 10 of you, perfect for the show routine. I'll let you know when rehearsals are.'
Erm, sorry, what!? Looks like I'm going to be a ballerina on stage ;)

Jr Ballet Class

Saturday morning again, that means its time for Lumpkins class. Struggled to get there a bit today because we had a few inches of snow overnight and so the whole country stops working but hey ho! Managed to get there on time but there were a few girls missing. The girls began with more of a warm up today as the studio was FREEZING, literally, you could see your breath. So after a bit of running and jumping it was pretty much a repeat of last week, warming up the legs and feet, pliés, rising up on the toes, did that listening exercise where they jumped up at the 'ping'. All got to be fairy princesses again, Lumpkins surprised me actually this week as she was walking on her tiptoes this week when she was supposed to, last week she couldn't do that!

She's advancing fast but I still can't get her to pay attention to the end of the lesson, she was running about doing her own thing by the end *rolleyes*

Shoes and books

My shoes arrived today! So did some ballet books I ordered, I got 2 younger themed ones for Lumpkins and 2 older ones for myself :)

The shoes feel strange, the sole not going to the heel or toe is a bit odd but I like them. I got size 7 Bloch's with elastics sewn in (doing Lumpkins was a pain in the arse!). So I've been wearing them in around the house, practicing a few steps and using exercises in my book to improve my turn out which I must say is coming along very nicely.

The Morning After The Night Before

Ouch, ouch, ouch. I'm really sore today! Mind you, feet do not want to stand parallel and insist on being in first position, posture slightly improved. Result!

Adult Beginner Ballet Class

I was mega, nerdy excited about my first class. I did my hair up in a bun, sported some black leggings and a dancey looking top and off I went. Thankfully the studio was very easy to find, its right near some major landmarks in the town center and it's a wonder I never noticed it before. I went in the 'Dance Academy' door as opposed to the 'Theatre' door and up the stairs to the reception desk. Nervously told the nice man on the desk 'I'm here for the adult beginner ballet?' and he told me the teacher was just there at the end of the desk, she will show me up. There were a couple of people milling about her but none of them looked 'like a dancer' in my opinion except the teacher so I wasn't intimidated just yet. She showed us up to the studio and oh gosh it was lovely! Big, light, airy studio, floor to celing mirrors and barres around the outside, a beautiful curving roof structure since we were on the top floor. Everyone started putting bags on the windowsill and I followed suit, the teacher came over and asked me 'Hi, first time?' I told her yes and she then asked 'What other dance school have you been too?' so I told her 'This is the first one...' 'Oh! First time ever!?' she asked excitedly, 'Brilliant!' phew, that could have went worse, I was kind of expecting her to chuck me out.

The class filled up quickly and everyone started to get ready, most were casually dressed which was reassuring but then, horror of horrors, the girl next to me pulled on a pair of pointé shoes! OHMYGODIMUSTBEINTHEWRONGCLASS. PLEASE TELL ME IM IN THE WRONG CLASS! My brain screamed. No, there must be a class below this I thought as another girl pulled on pointés. I was quickly reassured with other newbies looks of horror, oh good I'm not the only one panicking  but before I had much more time to think about it the class started.

We began with a warm up, a run round the room stopping every now and again to do 3 bunny hops, then to the barre. I started to enjoy it really quickly, plié is much harder than I thought. We did lots of exercises but I can't remember hardly any of the names, I think there were some grand battemonts in there? Oh and some frappes. We did center work too, working on some turns, spotting, and little jump routines.

Oh it was brilliant! I loved every minute and thankfully the pointé girls stayed off the pointés, all though as it turns out I have good balance and was good at fifth position demi pointé, result! Class ended with a curtsy from the girls, bows from the boys and a round of applause. Then everyone filed out. I shuffled over to the teacher and gave her my £5 and she asked 'I hope it was ok, we didn't scare you?' So I told her I panicked a bit at the girls shoes but I really enjoyed the class, she told me the pointé girls are from the advanced class and she hoped I would come again. She advised me to get some shoes as it's much easier than doing it in socks.

I ordered shoes the minute I got home. I'm hooked!