Saturday, October 29, 2011

Sick and tired of being sick and tired - NO BALLET :(

Okay. Now it's been almost 2 weeks without a class. Last week there simply was none (except the one on Monday with younger folks, who were somewhat better than me) because of the Autumn break. This week? Major cold. I thought it would be over in a couple of days, bit of sneezing etc. NOPE. It's getting worse, as the coughing began yesterday. Yay... My insides tickle. And. I. Don't. Like. It.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to go and Watch the class. There's a small, sort of a balcony where I can sit, so I won't be among the people actually attending. I'll take my notebook and a pen, write down as much as I can, the routines and possible "public" corrections that might be useful. It's going to be super annoying just to sit. I'm already sure they'll have new lovely routines and pirouette exercises... I've been missing the latter so much.


The balcony.

I shall observe...

...and get wiser. Yes. (As if.)

Maybe it's time for some more rooibos with lemon, ginger root and honey. With an episode of Oz.

Have a nice Saturday! :)

Friday, October 28, 2011

Dreaming of a Home

I like daydreaming.
A lot.
There are many things I like to dream about.
One of them is a home of my own (at the moment I'm renting).
Weheartit.com has too many lovely photos of rooms and details I like.
Maybe one or some of them will end up in my home one/some day?
I'm hoping so ;)



Everything! ...except the antlers/horns on the wall.

Everything! ...except the carpet floor.

Everything! ...except the coffee tables.

Would like to sit & read here :) Though probably would have bigger armchairs.

The colors! And the sofa!

Stairs and books and... yep :)

I'm very much tempted to organize my books by the colors, but then they would be really mixed up. So, not yet, but maybe some day.

I know this is a shop of some kind. But look at those stairs! :D

Love it! Could have twinkly lights all year round.

Maybe a bit too industrial, but the right direction anyway.

The brick wall could be red.

What's with the tiny carpet? No! Otherwise - yes.

I would sleep here. But more space would be needed for the clothes.

Lovely chaos :)

Yes please.

Sweet zzzz....



Living rooms.
Libraries.
Kitchens.
Bedrooms.
Walk-in-closets.

Details later :)

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Twirling twirling... What's your favorite?

Mine is pirouette en dehors, from 4th position, to the right. It's a bit funny that I like especially this direction, because my left ankle is the worse one. I mean, just half a year ago there was handful of metal in it.

Second favorite would be... Well, none other but en dehors, from 4th, to the left!

Hmmmmm.... Actually. As I started writing this AND thinking about it - I can't choose between them. Really. Tomorrow there's going to be a class. I Have to try them for good and make up my mind.

But what I can honestly say, is that en dedans is more difficult, no matter what the starting / prepairing position is. 4th or 5th. From fourth the reason might be that one has to be more on the supporting leg (en dehors more on both feet) and at that point I try to swish with the same hand (as the supporting leg) too much and end up getting speed way more than I need... Or something :D

If there was a workshop dealing with pirouettes for dummies, I'd be taking it for sure. I know the basics, but lack the final skills to put them in practice. With my "dance-sisters" there's often talk about these moves and the more advanced ones do give excellent advice. I've started collecting them to a notebook, shall make a post later on to summarize them. There are just so many little things to remember - and they all have a huge effect on the final result. If only one would remember all of them when performing the turn - and would be able to actualise them -.-



I shall end today with this video with two great exercises. And a nice-looking man ;)


Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Colors and ballet - I heart them!


I've gone totally nuts over this particular picturesite, we heart it. You'll find my photo sets here, but I still want to present some of them separately. For instance, today was quite gloomy outside, so I'm bringing out colorful stuff that I like :) All photos I've found via weheartit.com, but the original publisher is different in each (as the site users know). Some photos on the site have a link to the resource, though often they've been already reposted from somewhere. It's tricky, as I'd like to know who was the original owner...

But for now, here you go!

www.dizzynails.com

http://www.allposters.com/
www.etsy.com
These aren't worth playing for Real, but funny to look at ;) (And you'll find them for example in amazon.com.)

Yummy!
For some guitar hero?




Photo by David Tribby / davidtribby.com -> http://data.whicdn.com/images/15758170/tumblr_lspyc1ek2Y1qbk0rto1_500_large.jpg

I've seen these in nature with my Own Eyes! :)

http://jeanieandjewell.blogspot.com/2011/08/ta-da.html
poketo.com
Who wins? ;)

http://mariamc.deviantart.com/art/Rainbow-ballet-195560201


LOVE these dresses!








***

Autumn break (one week) is over. Got a terrible cold during the weekend, dislike! But our Suzuki-training was great again. Learned lots of new things - also got inspired by wonderful colleagues. Didn't get to try the other ballet teacher's class in Helsinki (on Friday), but there'll be other chances. Now I'm waiting to get a bit better quickly, so I can attend the Wednesday class. It's been a whole week without dancing, dislike this also!

I was planning to watch many many whole ballets, but did I? Nope. Other movies? Yes. Luckily soon it's weekend again and then there's time to see maybe one Nutcracker and a Swan Lake. Perhaps a Giselle, too. Until then, it's work and pirouette-dreams.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Tourist at ballet class

Precisely 3 weeks ago I sat on the balcony of Finnish National Opera house with 2 friends, watching Blood Wedding. BUT: before that I took 2 classes with a teacher I've heard so much about. And I can honestly say: all the praise is true!

Because of our planned schedule I could participate in the beginners' class and the basic level after it (also we had to leave a bit early for the "show"). But what I can tell you, I was SO nervous beforehand! Most of it was unnecessary, but tiny bit helped me to stay sharp - even when the moves were very easy for me. To put it shortly, I didn't expect any corrections because of being a tourist, but was pleasantly surprised of getting some, both classes.

Yap, that beautiful building in the middle... Photo courtesy of Footlight.

Okay. So there I was, going in to the building of Footlight at Mannerheimintie (Helsinki). Love that hallway!!! Makes it even more glorious to go and have a class with a master. Went there almost super early, but it was good to have time to "catch my breath", change in to my dance gear, warm up a little. A dance-sister came quite soon, too. I was really happy that she made it to the first class, didn't feel so "orphan" anymore. So, soon we went to the studio (smaller one, number 3 I think) and took places by the barre. I was in the corner, near the pillar on the same wall as the door. Dance-sis was right next to me (well, on my left side, haha). There were only about 8-10 people in the beginners' class that time, so Madame had time to look at all of us.

I was actually in front of that black clothe :) Photo courtesy of Pointe Til You Drop.

What I was waiting for the most was actually seing Madame "in action". Despite her problems with her back, she was lovely to look at. At some point the right leg just rose by her ear (12 o'clock), nothing tight to see there! Only a relaxed and skillful person. And her arms in the port de bras... Wow. I also enjoyed very much to be taught in combination of English & French. Feels so different from the Finnish terms that I hear usually all the time. Btw, I have to say that Madame was taller than I thought! But oh so petite in other ways... Very polite, but firm. Some hands-on-correcting, even for me! :)

My corrections were mostly about my upper back, shoulders and chin a little. In tendus I heard very often this "Cross your legs!", which has been a bit of a subject this Autumn for me, since I'm taking classes with 3 (sometimes 4) different teachers. They all have their own styles. But now I know who want tendus/rond de jambes in the back (derrière) to be very much crossed, meaning the toes to be in line with the supporting leg's heel. And I admit that with the others I don't cross That much. But back to Madame. Corrections for the whole group were her "favorites" - "Strech your knee! Present yourself!" Also very often she said to tuck the lower tummy in and our bum had to be in, too, but also tailbone down. She had a fun word for the buttocks, but I don't remember it!

When we had a streching exercise by the barre and in the end of it lifted our leg from the heel to the side, Madame wanted our head to be to the other side. Also the upper body to tilt there, too. She wanted even me to tilt, though my legs won't rise much. Tried it twice. With the right leg it kinda happened, but the left, disaster... :D But otherwise I think I did well during the class. In the end we had some stuff in the middle, and I got the show small jumps as an example because Madame could not do them. Well, she didn't ask me particularly, but asked if someone could. And as no one did, I decided to hop a bit. I think my dance-sis did too? :)

I have amazingly bad memory, when it comes to the routines we did. I can remember only one of them, but that one I remember exactly right! It was this port de bra we did by the barre. First in relevé with right hand, then left. After that in the first position (no relevé) with both hands at the same time (twice I think). The hands were like this (eyes on the hand all the time): first position, second, third, then a looooovely move down = head tilts to the working side a bit, fingers/palm on the opposite cheek side. And when doing it with both arms, in the end they are of course crossed and head tilts the the side which hand is on "top". (Sounds a bit complicated, no? It was and Is easy, but explaining not so easy.) Something swan-like there, for me.

So I made it through the first class, happy and alive. The second class had twice the amount of people, even more, so Madame had only a little time per person during class. But the fun thing was that there was another dance-sis AND a former studying friend of mine! :) Too bad there was basically no time to catch up with them... (Luckily we have this thing called internet. Blogs and facebook etc.)

Many of the routines were the same as in the beginner's, so it eased my mind a bit. Well, in the first class there was more stuff facing the barre, now it was mostly with one hand on the b. I was very curious to see the other dance-sis in action, but there wasn't time/space (as there was so many people). The whole class would have been 60 minutes, but we left 15 minutes early, so no middle floor for us in basic level. One thing happened to me for the first time Ever in this class - there was a man! (I've had Jarmo Rastas substituting his wife when I was a teen, but that's not the same.)

***

What was in it all for me? Very basic things, but So Important.

- The knees. Strech them, baby!
- The upper back and shoulders. Relax them, but still present yourself... Don't forget the chin!
- Tummy & bum in, tailbone down.

Everything can be dancing. When we do the very basic routines, one has to breathe and listen to the music. Look at the hands as they move. It's not easy, but it sure is worth it! :)

***

Who is Madame?

Photo courtesy of Footlight.

Marie-Pierre Greve
Principal Dancer @ Royal Danish Ballet (retired in 2008).


***

 
More Footlight for me in the future? Yes pleeeeease! :) If only the timetable allows me... This weekend I'm having training/education (Suzuki stuff) from Friday till Sunday - and there's a Friday class that I just Might take. The teacher is going to be different, but as nicely spoken of as Madame Greve. And as I've heard also, super effective when it comes to basic elements of ballet. And that's something one needs always. I'm (of course) talking about her!

The studio will be different (this is bigger, number 1 I think) and level will be J1 (next from the basics). Photo courtesy of Pointe Til You Drop.

  
***


Yesterday I took another tourist class, but here in my hometown and with younger people... More about it later, but for now: my bum hurts!!!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Welcome to our Friday class!

Today I went to studio super early to warm up and strech properly. Also I took my camera with me, in case there would be no others yet and I could manage to take some photos. And I did! :) So let me present:

The Friday Studio

Well, the door ;)

From the door to the windows - I like the view with red brick buildings.

My spot by the barré is where my bag is :D

Mirrors on the left.


Haha, it's me! (Looks like I'm wearing college trousers or something... Am not, though.)

This is where I glow. 


***

Additional photo -> I got mom's old piano on Wednesday (parents bought a grand piano for themselves). Viuhti thinks it's a good place to hang out.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

What the Bloch????

Okay, haven't been writing too often lately... But I'm tired = need my Autumn break -> which will be next week, yay! :) More time to think, analyze, write And watch then. I've got a loooooong list of works to see and a place where to see them. Excited I am! :D

But for today it's all about My Bloch ;)

As a kid and teen I had only a few ballet items, meaning leotards, tights, shoes and so on. One pair of softs, one pair of pointe shoes. One leo. Maybe 2 pairs of tights. One pair of legwarmers. These days... Well, I've got maybe too much ;) But there're just soooooo many options these days! Also in shops that aren't actually selling ballet stuff, but things that can be worn As ballet stuff. BUT: I've purchased some "real" clothes etc, some would call them labelled. Some Capezio, some Intermezzo, but mostly they seem to be Bloch. I found pictures on their site, actually all of them that I have :) So here you go!


Suprima -> http://www.blochworld.com/shop/p-154-suprima.aspx

Prolite II (canvas, one pair black, one like the picture) -> http://www.blochworld.com/shop/p-171-prolite-ii-canvas.aspx

Lydia shrug (mine is black, super soft) -> http://www.blochworld.com/shop/p-148-lydia.aspx

Lucy (knitted shorts, super soft) -> http://www.blochworld.com/shop/p-893-lucy.aspx

The name of these is actually Quite hilarious!!! :D It is "Makeeta", which in Finnish means "Sweet! / Cool!" -> http://www.blochworld.com/shop/p-856-makeeta.aspx

A navy blue wrap skirt (it says satin ribbon on the site, but it's not, more like the same chiffon as the whole skirt) -> http://www.blochworld.com/shop/p-703-professional.aspx

Leotard called Dreamer <3 (mine is red, like Xmas red... :D) -> http://www.blochworld.com/shop/p-853-dreamer.aspx



***

Additional picture. These I would like to get, want to test them. I like the Suprima's on my foot (as I've got quite tapered toes), but the platform Is very small. So, Serenade's... Maybe.

Serenade -> http://www.blochworld.com/shop/p-152-serenade.aspx



***


Haven't yet been wearing the skirt, the knitted shorts nor the leotard. But as the weather gets colder and colder, the shorts will be tested quite soon I think :)

That's it for now. Next subjects will be for example a report on my 2 classes with an amazing teacher in Footlight (Helsinki). And of course the works I've seen! Romeo & Juliet from 30th of April, Blood Wedding / Scheherazade from 27th of September... Would be fun to write about a Swan Lake I saw in the beginning of 90s - if only I'll find the brochure somewhere. Lots of ideas :)