Seasons change but some things stay the same

I have 1,5 weeks of Summer vacation left before flute stuff continues, but today's the day that I'm going back to the barré! Yay :)

Last season (school year 2013-2014) was quite tough, lots of work and travelling. It all made me very tired often, but I managed to take Most of my ballet lessons. There was one on Monday & Friday evening, Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon. Weekends were a bit difficult with all the flute gigs I got, especially during Spring. Well, I Love playing so it wasn't that bad in the end, but still it's annoying when one has to give up one of the two passions. Even for a while... ;)

***

Winter was lovely, snow and Christmas and all. We had an "all white" number at the Christmas recital with the Monday-Friday class. Something I feared beforehand but something that turned out nice! :) Even bigger worry was the fact that none of the tutus at our school's costume wardrobe fit me... That's what you get for being tall and chubby. Luckily for me, they were going to order 3 new ones Anyway, so one of the new tutus was a bit bigger - my problem solved.

For the Holiday recital I had to get a white leotard. Seemed like a problem again, but eventually the answer was Porselli's webstore and WearMoi's Tamara -leo. It's a comfy model for someone a bit bustier, like me.  You'll find a picture here -> https://dancewear.co.uk/products/details&prodid=3057

***

Spring recital was the 30th Anniversary of our school. It didn't have a clear theme at first, but then it became "The Wonderland of Dance". So, there were all sorts of numbers... Ours was about the seasons of a year. We had 4 small groups, 3 trios and one duo, which was our Autumn duet (with E). It was my first time on stage en pointe since I quite dancing as a teenager, but I felt much stronger than ever. Well, before the actual show at least. It didn't go as smoothly as the rehearsals (for me), but it's really no use mourning about it anymore. But in my defence, I had some issues with my shoes in general rehearsal & performance... :P

***

Summer started with an intensive dance week, first ever in my hometown! I took pilates in the morning, samba & chacha in the late afternoon and ballet in the evening. It was Mon-Fri, lovely weather and happy people - not to mention the great teachers also. After that week our "summer regulars" continued = ballet on Mon & Wed evenings. But I got a problem with my right leg & there were some flute gigs (again), so I couldn't take all them classes.

Aaaaaanyway... July's been Super Hot in Finland. I mean really. I've found a Summer person inside meself, although my appartment is almost too hot to stay in during daytime. This week is supposed to be still with some 25 up to even 30 (celsius) degrees, but I'm still going to enjoy it. Autumn is soon here with the darkening days and rain etc.

***

So, in 3 hours I'll be at the studio, with my dance gear on and (large) waterbottle by my side. It's going to be hot, sweaty and, most of all, fun.

***

p.s. I got a new (used) phone from my brother and joined instagram & twitter. You'll find me in both by the name iepukka.

instagram.com/iepukka

The Ballet Week - Le carnaval des animaux (avec James Bond)

This is The EXCLUSIVE ballet memory,

the last one I'm writing during this particular Ballet Week -project.

Thank you Hannah for the lovely idea! :)

Right. So, theres the music by Camille Saint-Saëns. Just googled it and found out that the amazing Christopher Wheeldon has made a ballet to it. I'd sure want to see it... Actually I have been wondering, how come no-one's made it. At least I haven't heard of performances in Finland. 

...EXCEPT ONE!

May I present:

Carnival of the Animals

The pupils of my old dance school
(Also you Might recognize the narrator in the videos.) 

year something (in the 80's, probably May 1988/89)

*** Please, do not use photos without asking me first. Thank You.***

Our cool Lion King! ...with his (her actually) two loyal helpers, the foxes.

No photos of this one, sorry... But there were 2 hens (with tutus) and a rooster - over whom the girls were fighting :D

No photos of this one, either. 

Our lovely tortoise couple :)

You probably can Not guess who's the one looking down, when everyone else is looking up.

It sure is ME! :)

Look, I'm wearing a tutu!

Mother and the offspring :)

Our aquarium had goldfish in it. Lovely costumes!

No photos of this one.

Our cuckoo had her first pointes in this piece, too bad you can't see them here. (But in the finale you can!)

Our Lady Bird had had her pointes for a while already - and the loyal foxes are present! (p.s. That video is Not my favorite version of the Aviary, But there's James Bond in the beginning! Had to put it...)

Don't know if we had this at all, probably not because there's no animal in it. But this video is hilarious! :D

Just Love this fossil! :) Maybe my favorite piece - after the Aviary, of course ;)

Oh how we envied this girl and the Gorgeous tutu...

It was so beautiful :) (Mischa Maisky's playing isn't too bad, either.)

(There Should be a piccolo, not a c-flute, in this one. Boo.....)

The elephants can be quick, you know. Up to 40 km's/hour.

Elephant - the beast which passeth all others in wit and mind. (Aristotle)

(In right corner: the person with long ears.)

Thank You All for reading about my ballet memories.

This has been a very fun and interesting project. Also made me cry more than once.

(I'm really getting old.)

Couldn't be happier that I'm taking classes and dancing again.

It is a luxury to have 2 passions in life, and how they combine in each other. 

Now it's time to sleep a little - and develop(pe) new ideas ;)

Good Night!

Me and the Swan Lake (there really is one in our town.)

The Ballet Week - Additional Tuesday Memory!!!

NOW it is done. At least most of it. Scanning of the photos (that are Glued to the album)...

Fiiiiiiinally I'm getting the Photos & Music -post done, but it is only...

...volume 1!

Ballet Week is an idea I got from Hannah's Blog. 

Today it's all about ME! Haha! Well... it really is. These photos are from my Early Days, the First dance/ballet era. *** PLEASE, do not use the photos without asking me first. Thank you :) *** I'll attach some music, too bad I don't know all the pieces we did. But now, let's go!

My very first: The hedgehog goes milking. Or something :)

Probably my second, Bella Bimba :)

We had the music in Finnish, but could't find it in youtube :( Maybe Dean Martin is ok... :D

Also from my second year: Aunt Monica! I had The Most Amazing slippers, have to find another photo with them :) But I Did find our original music (the video is a bit... something).
 

I was too lazy to cut the edges off, sorry ;) But this seems like a Dance of the Mice, I think.

I'm not the one on front. You'll recognize me from my "smile" :D

These were taken after my First Real Ballet performance, The Chinese Dance! I was part of a dragon. Btw: Check out my fingers!!! I still remember how our teacher said they should be - thumb near the middle joint of the middle finger.

Here you can also see my First Ballet Leotard and the Very First Ballet Shoes :) Also we had this brownish eye-shadow (our teacher did our make-up). You can also notice my belly :D

This is from the Carnival of the Animals. I do have more photos, but they'll have to wait... ;)

The morning mood, by Grieg. I'm the one in the middle, swishing around... Btw, this was a set-up photo, not from the actual performance.

Still the Morning Mood. Probably the only real group picture I have.. You'll recognize me from the back row as the one who looks like falling any minute, haha... :) I like this costume very much.

Tomorrow will present the last part of my Ballet Week -experience.

I have a fun idea for it!

p.s. How interesting is this: many of the musics I put here have FLUTE in them, in a big role...

(or a piccolo in the Chinese)

...and I'm a flutist! :)

See you tomorrow!

The Ballet Week - Friday Memory

Today could be the end of my Ballet Week -

but no! Haha!

I've decided to continue all the way, Sat & Sun too.

Some fairly recent thoughts/memories today, 

but hey, yesterday's thoughts and happenings are memories today, right?

The Ballet Week is an idea I got from Hannah's Blog.

In August 2010 I enrolled to adult ballet classes, twice a week. Wednesday evenings (60 min.) and Saturday mornings (75 + optional pointe 15 min.). First class felt like coming home. Although I never was GOOD at ballet in my childhood/teen days, I still knew the moves. My first teacher had made excellent job in that area! (I'm very much certain she did all she could in the "other" area = my ballerina skills, but a teacher can't do it For the pupils. They can only give advice and help, but the actual work is the kid's duty.) Funniest thing about this adult class of mine was the following: 2 of my old ballet friends' moms were taking it, too! But it was nice, nothing else.

I had very little memories of what I actually Knew, the movements I mean. But as we did routines by the barre and in the center, everything seemed familiar. So I must have done them before. It was such a delightful feeling, to be able to move like that again. And let me tell you the (maybe) biggest reason why. 

Photo from weheartit.com

As I quit ballet and eventually all dancing, went to study, I quit moving (other than the necessary school journeys and stuff like that). And as I was responsible for my eating, it wasn't as healthy nor as regular as it was at home. I did eat at school during weekdays, but otherwise it was a bit too free. I didn't gain weight suddenly, no. But it lured it's way in me sloooowly. That sneaky thing... It didn't make me happy, as I realized it. One year after my graduation I went to substitute in a music school way up North. It was a very pleasant year, loved it. Colleagues, my pupils, the small town. My home was 2 km's from the center/work/stores and I had only my feet to move with, so there was plenty of daily exercise (also I would leave many times in a hurry, so had to walk Really Fast). Aaaand my house didn't have an elevator, only stairs = goooood thing. I lived in 4th floor. During that year I lost quite a lot of kg's without doing anything special to make it happen. When I moved back to Helsinki - back came most of the kg's. 

Two and a half years went by, my ankle broke, 5 months after that I moved back to my Hometown. And decided to start glowing (Johanna says ballerinas don't sweat, they glow). As I began to move in a way that truly made my mind, my body and my heart happy, also my appearance has been happier. You probably know what I mean. *insert wink here* I don't like basic kind of aerobics, it's not challenging enough (the routines). And I want the moving to be beautiful. Strech all the way to the tip of the fingers. And I'm aching after every class, I know I've been moving in a way that molds me. And it is all good.

My Favorite Degas <3 We had this in our dance studio's wall for years! (Photo from weheartit.com)

After three quarters of the year, I wanted to try pointe again. Bought the Boys (I'll introduce Sergei and Pjotr some time later), some paddings and faced the music. In the beginning I had to work A Lot with the ankles. And knees. And stomack. And everything. Harder than with the softies. But it was worth it. In May (this year) my ankle had som surgery and I had to give up the pointe stuff for the summer. But as August came again, I took the Boys (and every other class the other pair) out again. My courage with them has increased and I'm doing routines in the center too! In Spring it wasn't an option for me. 

Pointe work has felt easier now than it was before (I mean as I was younger). Actually  - almost everything is easier. I know much more and am able to observe my body more accurately, have the courage to ask if I'm not sure about something... And then there's internet. A HUGE storage of information available to all of us. It makes conversations (and blogging) and meeting new ballet-geeks easier/possible. I can educate myself in the ballet field so much easier than it was in the 80-90's. Also the fact that I live on my own now - I can go and see a ballet in the Opera house if I want to. My musical education makes it possible to listen more carefully and differently even the rehearsing musics we have. The list of endless possibilities and positive changes would be, well, Endless.

Like my Boys :) (Photo from weheartit.com)

Last year (the first of my Second Ballet Era) was about getting back in touch with the art itself and the routines. This year I have things listed I want to learn/improve. 

• Pirouettes. Really. Today I managed some clean singles, so when it's May again, I'm aiming for doubles. I want to. And they are close. Have to learn to handle the speed and remember the basics, because it's all about them. Even in the multiples. 
• Splits. On a good day it's possible with left leg in front, almost with the right. With both legs on the side - nope. But as I said before, they are easier now. And getting better. 
• Balancing. This is connected to the first thing on my list. But also for example in center adagios.
• Strength. Want more. 
• Height for my developpés. Slooooowly.... But it is possible. Connected to the previous.
• More "air" to my jumps. 
• ...

I could add things forever, but the first one is the biggest thing for me at the moment. It's something I like and want to do better. The others aren't technique - I mean, they are basics everyone has to do and improve. But they're not a certain movement (okay, splits are but we don't do them that often in routines). Pirouettes are. You do them differently, in many ways, but still there's the basic twirl I have to make stronger.

That's where I'm headed. (Photo from weheartit.com)

But now, my plans for the weekend. Tomorrow morning ballet, Cinderella in the afternoon (FNB). Sunday has lots of knitting happening at my place. For the blog? Weeeeeelllll....... Photos and some music.

p.s. Today I got an old vhs-cassette from a ballet "colleague". It's the Spring show of our dance school in 19th of May, 1992. Watched it straight away when came home. I'm 11,5 years old in it. Oh the nostalgia!

(This beautiful photo was also found from weheartit.com)

The Ballet Week - Thursday Memory

Today I wanted to write about why I quit ballet as a teenager.

It's maybe not the happiest memory, but not the most miserable one either.

It's something that effected my life still quite a lot later, in a very good way.

Ballet Week is an idea I got from Hannah's Blog.

I never was the most flexible type of a body, so I should have streched a Lot at home. I did - but only sometimes. Also I grew quite tall quite early. I remember once when waiting for mom/dad to fetch me from the swimming hall, our teacher was there, outside having her break. She asked me how old I was and then there was some talk about my height. Nothing bad or depressing, but still it was clear that she'd been thinking about it. So had I. When being the tallest of our class (we had mixed classes, ours with the next upper class), combined with the lack of natural  gift for being a ballerina, I felt often that I didn't belong there. But it was only in my head, this feeling. None of my friends or our teacher Ever said anything that would have suggested it. Just recently I found some of my oooold calendars (pocket model) with some diary-sort-of markings in them. They verify my memories of how I felt. 

This shows somehow the weird feeling(s) I had... (Photo from weheartit.com)

It was very ambivalent, to feel not belonging somewhere but at the same time liking the dancing very much. And the friends. And the fact that ballet classes had been in my life for So many years that I didn't know how Not to go anymore. *** It was actually the same thing at some point with my flute lessons. I started at the age of 7,5 years and the rehearsing wasn't my favorite thing to do. Luckily I went to some music camps and got very inspiring teachers. It motivated me and my flute friend a lot, which also affected our regular teacher. He noticed how much we liked playing for example duets and that kind of stuff, so we started doing it a lot more! :) *** 

My last spring with ballet was very disjointed. I was sick often and had to skip classes (or sometimes I'd go and watch). Our teacher thought that I didn't want to do it anymore, she said at one point to mom. But I did. The Christmas and Spring shows were wonderful, at the old theatre house (which doesn't exist anymore). And yet again, the friends I had. But, come next August... I didn't enroll to classes anymore. I had so much to do at the music school and often we'd been talking with this flute friend how we would go studying and where etc. About not enrolling - I felt bad that I didn't go anymore. Would have wanted to go and see my teacher and say that it's not her fault. She knew that I play flute a lot, and with the other stuff it probably wasn't a surprise to her. (And as I now work as a teacher too, I kinda notice these things also...)

Photo from weheartit.com

But I didn't totally quit dancing. For couple of years I'd been taking modern dance classes and jazz (somewhere it's been said that our jazz teacher's style is known as Soul jazz). Continued with them. There was a break for a year sometime in between, but then I went back. Loved the music this teacher had! (It was the same teacher in both classes.) Many times in modern dance we had stuff from classical to... well, everything! I remember for instance doing a bit to Mozart's Requiem (Lacrimosa), so beautiful. Also we had a proper coreography to (I think...) Prokofjev's music. I'm sorry for not remembering the exact piece. But we had a men's suite on, trousers and a jacket, with some top or shirt under it. And a green beanie (soft hat). Also in jazz one of the bits we did in class, one of my absolute favorites was to Marvin Gaye's "What's going on". 

Had to buy the album for myself. It's still one of the best I know.

For many years I kind of forgot about ballet. After quitting dancing for good (also jazz and modern) I took sambic (samba & aerobic) for half a year, but it was a bit boring... Couple of times I went to see the school's Spring show, but it felt so weird not to be a part of it. But soon I started studying to be a musician & teacher, so it was a whole new life. In a new city (Helsinki, my dream) and new people and new challenges, new friends. Our studies didn't include Any kind of exercise, so it was up to us students to get it in our spare time if we wanted. My first year I had some basics of tai-ji (as an optional course), but then other stuff prevented it from me. As I still thought I'm not ever going to be a pro dancer, I didn't even Think of maybe taking dance classes. And there would have been So Many possibilities in Helsinki! Only in the end of my studies and during the couple of years I just worked (after graduation) I started thinking how much I actually miss it. Ballet.

Photo from weheartit.com

But I never had the guts to take classes in Helsinki. There were no friends of mine who would've taken them with me. But as I moved back to my original home town (Helsinki is my second home ;)), I decided to take the bull by it's horns. My middle brother's girl friend had taken classes younger, so she started with me. 

...and what a feeling it was, to put my hand on barre after 15 years (or 14?), start the warm-up routine, then pliés, tendus... WOW. It was all still there somewhere, in my spinal cord so to speak.

Certainly not me, but this is where I love to be :) (Photo from weheartit.com)

More about it tomorrow, dear readers! :)

Also I'm going back to class again tomorrow.

Yay!

The Ballet Week - Wednesday Memory

(First of all I want to tell you: I managed to participate in class today!!!!!! Ha! In your face, stupid flu...)

Time for some more ballet memories, yes? Indeed, sire! 

Today there are color codes plus some pointe points!

Ballet Week is an idea I got from Hannah's Blog. 

Colors, colors, colors... If you think about leotards, those swimsuit-like tight-fitting costumes ballerinas have, there sure are colors to pick from. If you're an adult. Same thing with the design/shape of the leo. As a child (until teenage years and sometimes after that, too) there are strict rules of what to have and wear. So did we, but there was no complaining - because everyone had the same stuff. 

In my last post (Tuesday memory) I explained our first leotard. Very simple it was: white tank-model with pinch front. The second color we had was light lilac, which we had for shorter time than the whites. But couple years anyway. It was actually quite the same design, tank with pinch front, but different manufacturer. 

Almost like this, but different color :) (Photo from Piruetti webstore, our leo was by someone else)

Our next leo - also my last one during the First Season of my big dance career - was blak. Same design as above (the picture), probably exactly the same. But black. And I liked it, maybe the most. I still have it - also the last white one and the light lilac. Should take a photo of them together, for the old times' sake, haha!

I remember one girl (in teen years) had this kind of model in burgundy, it was So Pretty! Nowadays I've got one, but the camisole straps aren't nice with my sports bra. (Photo from Piruetti webstore)

Getting the first pointe shoes. I'm disappointead that I can't remember the year it happened. Bummer... But I remember buying them with mom! There was a tiny ballet & other dance store by the church in the center called Jumppari. I even might still have a plastic bag somewhere from this store, might be the one I carried My Shoes home in. I tried some shoes, the store lady checked that the size was okay. I think we got the ribbon from her, too, but here I'm not sure. I had asked for advice on how to sew the ribbons and the platform from our teacher, there's still a notebook with a picture I drew (don't know where in my flat, but I Know it exists). 

Freed's pretty ballerina :)

5½, star, X

Oh the nostalgia...

Hello :)

We were told to put bandades to our toes to keep them from bleeding (sometimes they still did) and lamb wool around them. I still have a small pile of it. The year we got our pointes, our dance school had changed it's location. Now we were in an old potato flour factory! But it was huge, lot's of people had their own work spaces/studios in it. Some classes were also held in the local swimming hall, we had one studio in both. That's actually how it Still is, except that the swimming hall studio has no longer barres in it. Which in my opinion is really dumb... There aren't many ballet classes, probably just the one I sometimes go to (when I have time & some extra money), But it's for adult beginners. And it's quite crucial in the beginning to Have that Barre... Well, the folks (all very nice, by the way) are adjusted to the situation and they don't complain. (I do, but not aloud in classes.) The teacher's great and it would be very interesting to have her classes with... yes, the barre!

Okay okay, back to the point(e). The first exercises were tough. We were facing the barre, allowed to have Only the index fingers on it. The idea was that we wouldn't be hoisting ourselves up with our hands & the barre, but with our center body & legs. Relevés in basic position, sloooooowly up, sloooowly down. Later on much more, but this was The Exercise I shall remember probably always. And how it felt ;)

In my previous post I made a list of the first coreographies we had. I try to remember some more. 

• The Jewels - a dance made by Irmeli Toiviainen (from Kerava, our teachers colleague), music was nice (orchestral), but I don't know what it was... This is the one and only, where I've been wearing a tutu!!! We borrowed green leotards from another ballet group (different teachers pupils), white tights, POINTEs, white tutu, green "tiara" we had to make ourselves (it had green "pipe cleaner" and sequins). Oh and we put those green sequins also in the tutus. I was Really Jealous, when one of my class mates got to wear a tutu previously owned by Natalia Makarova. And if I remember correctly, another one got our teachers old tutu... They didn't fit me, bohoo... :D
• The Moonbeams - same year as Jewels, also made by Irmeli Toiviainen. This had 3 parts, tutti - solo - tutti. We used to have 2 shows in one evening, first one with the smallest children also in it, the second with a bit different coreos (but quite much the same). Moonbeams was in both, we had 2 soloists. The music was by Jukka Linkola, from a Finnish movie "The Snow Queen". I'll put the videos here later. I still like them. Our hair was in ballerina buns, we had the lilac leo under, the chiffon tunic from Morning Mood on top, white tights, pointes... It was quite nice :)
• Tarantella - we had this I think 2 years in a row (first year was the same as Jewels and Moonbeams), some people changed in between. Also we had different clothes. Music was a traditional Italian tarantella song (well, instrumental). First year I think our hair was in buns, but the second it was this French/fishbone braid. First year clothes: the green leo, a Lovely Giselle-type (act I) knee-lenght skirt (veeeery wide hem/like a "clock" when it twirled) in light green, brown wide belt, white tights and white soft shoes. Second year: black leo, burgundy color Giselle-type skirt, white shoes? Oh dear, my memory seems to end here :D The coreography Might have been the same both years.
• A Hungarian dance - we had shoes like Mary Poppins' (got to borrow them from City Teather, even though they normally don't rent their shoes), black leather up and over our ankles (halfway to the knee) with some heels, black leo under, white shirt with short puffy sleeves, red knee-lenght Giselle-type skirt with white puffy petticoat (it was fun!), white small apron over the skirt. The others had their hair in a bun, but mine was already Short - others (3 of them) had a green ribbon around their bun and in a bow, I had the ribbon in a bow and attached to my other shoulder :) This coreo was taught to us by a substitute teacher, our "own" had broken her leg. 

I Know there have been other performances as well, but can't remember any more. It's a shame. At some point I had part of the Spring Show brochures, but now they've gone missing. But I Might get some old videos to borrow from a former dance class mate's mom, she told me they've got all of them! Have to remind her sometime :)

Photo from weheartit.com

My next post will be about why I quit. How did it feel. What else was going on at that time of my life. Not so happy stuff maybe (as this), but still important to think about. As many adults say that they wish they'd never stopped playing that instrument (piano, guitar, violin etc.), I'm saying now the same. But LUCKILY made the decision to Start Again. I couldn't be happier about it. I think my body says the same ;)

So, yet more to come... This thing is good for my mind :) 
I hope You enjoy it too!

The Ballet Week - Tuesday Memory

Okay, my trip down the memory lane continues. Time for those first years of my Real Ballet epoch, starting at the age of 6,5... And I want to remind everyone - Ballet Week is an idea I got from Hannah's Blog.

I'm sharing a memory or two every day, for one week. It's actually quite fun! :)

I remember certain things very clearly. As we did routines with one hand on the barre, the other wasn't on second position. Or it was half way there. The elbow was up, but fingers gently on our shoulders. I think it was a very good way of learning how to keep that elbow there, up I mean. (Later on the hand on the side was of course on second.) 

Another thing was ballet polka. It was one of our favorites! We did it en diagonale, not facing the corner but our side that way. And variation 1 (the easier) was to polka our way to the other corner without changing from side  to the other. Variation 2: change sides, but not a whole turn. Later on, var. 3: change sides with a whole turn. 

Also we liked the small jumps. Don't remember how many of us there were in our class, but we stood in 2 rows. Then it was 8 jumps 1st row, 8 jumps 2nd row. FUN!!!

My very first "leotard" was like this, but I used it only in the children's dance classes. (Photo from Piruetti webstore)

The first shows I was in, we had usually 1 coreography. I remember some of them, but not all. And unfortunately not the exact order... But here are some details:

• The Chinese Dance - Who can guess our music? ;D Well yes, it was from the Nutcracker. I've actually done it twice. First time round I was part of a huge dragon! Not the head luckily, it was a really heavy thing... Second time we didn't have the dragon, only the small Chinese folks. I remember we once performed it (the 2nd version) in the town library. Pinkish kind of satin jacket and capri length pants, bordered with black-yellow-green ribbons. And the white shoes.
• The Elephants - of course from Saint-Saëns's "Carnival of the Animals". Big grey ears, loooooong grey legwarmers (all the way from ankle - up to the groins. And a tail. But no trunk :D There are photos also from this, just need to be scanned. Oh I forgot! White shoes! White leo!
• Pizzicato - music by Strauss (one of them...), a Pizzicato Polka or something. Have to dig it from youtube. White leo, white tights, white ankle socks with lace, white soft shoes.
• Morning Mood - yeeeeees, music from Grieg's "Peer Gynt". I have couple photos from it somewhere. We had our hair open, with small curls in it, small fabric roses attached. White leo, No shoes, a lovely white chiffon tunic with some satin ribbons on other shoulder. And a chiffon scarf to swish around with!
• Some kind of doll dance??? - don't remember the music nor the moves, but the costume! We still had the white leo, white tights, but a light blue long-sleeved "jacket" with white decorations. And a white "pill shaped" hat! ...aaaand the white shoes. I think. (At this point I think we had already started with the pointe shoes, but didn't perform with them.)

My second leo was like this. Except the color (white). And in the first version there was a piece of fabric/ribbon over the pinch in front. Later on (as we bought bigger version) it was like here. But NO skirts ever...  (Photo from Piruetti webstore)

My first ballet shoes (the softies) were white. We all had white, until in teen years some had black. But it was Rare... In the beginning we had one elastic ribbon sewn over the foot, later it was cotton ribbons (like the satins we had in pointes). These days almost no-one has ribbons in their soft shoes. Last Autumn I put ribbons in the Black Shoes I got, but after the first pair I've sticked with double elastics crossed over the foot. Nice and firm. Also I used to have full sole shoes, we all did. Always. These days - no-one. I do like the split sole more, have to agree. But back in the 80's and 90's we Did Not Know there was such thing as split sole! Our town had ballet shoes in 2 places, then only in 1. And not much in either one of those shops. 

Almost like this. But the sole wasn't stiched like that under the toes... Have to check from that one Old Pair I've still got :) (Photo from planetdancedirect.co.uk)

What kind of tights? Well. Just white ones from any shop or store. No ballet-brand needed. Except that once we needed pink And white ones, and were recommended to order them from Piruetti. But they were almost the same as our old ones, just pricier. Also during my teen years I think I always had white tights. I'm not absolutely sure. Some had black ones, but not many. These days, you just name the color and we have it. (And I like it ;))

Could have been our class :) ...though we didn't have a piano in the corner (or at all). (Photo from weheartit.com)

More reminiscing coming up tomorrow! :)

The Ballet Week - Monday Memory

I got the idea for "Ballet Week - Memory per day" from Hannah's Blog. 

The idea is to share a memory every day for one week, a memory of ballet and me.

I want to write about how I began taking ballet classes. Where did it all come from? Why? I blame my dear mother for it all! ...but at the same time: Thank You, mom! :)

Photo from weheartit.com

Of course I can't remember everything exactly as it was, since I was quite young. Mom took aerobics at this dance school in our town and they had all sorts of dance classes, from kids to teens and older. I have some memories of being at these "children's dance" classes, usually in the bigger studio but sometimes in the smaller one. Once I'd cut my finger with a bread knife and had ONE stitch on it, with a white bandage tube over. A girl asked me (very condescendingly), what was That Thing on my finger... About the "routines" in chidren's dance I don't remember basically anything. Except that I didn't like it when we sat on the floor, legs strait in front of us, and had to push our heads to our knees. (These days it's not a problem, haha.) I've got some photos of my first performances, but they're glued to an album. Have to try to scan them some day!

This is almost like our skirt in Bella Bimba! (photo from weheartit.com)

These are some of what we had as coreographies:

- Täti Moonika / Auntie Monica (a kiddies' song about an aunt who goes to the market, there are different objects wobbling as she walks)

- Siili menee lypsylle / Hedgehog goes milking a cow (also a kiddies' song about, well, a hedgehog and her babies going to get some food)

- Bella Bimba (a dancing doll)

- Some song with mice in it (in the photos we've mice costumes)

At the age of 6,5 (we go to school in the year when we turn 7 - my bday's in December) I started taking Real Ballet classes. Our teacher was a former prima ballerina from the National ballet (of Finland), although it didn't mean So much to me as a small kid. But these days (yet again) it feels somewhat Amazing... I remember Arja having always her dark hair in a neat some sort of bun, many times a dark blue long-sleeved leo with a knee-length skirt. And teaching shoes something like this:

http://www.planetdancedirect.co.uk/

Our dance school was located in the basement floor of a big building in the center. The studios had small windows near the ceiling. Also I remember the dressing room, always had my stuff on the same side of it. The lobby was smallish, but there was a tiny fridge and sodas in it to buy! Usually I didn't have any, but Sometimes when waiting for mom (from her aerobics) I had an apple soda. The flavor disappeared from the markets for Years, but now it's there again. And I like it!

hartwall.fi

We had a white tank leo for a long time (bought new one as the old got small). Usually white tights with it. And white soft shoes, with elastic sown once over the foot. There was an open class for parents to see, I think once every semester? My mom used to come for Many years. The last time she came she was the only one. But I still liked it. So did my teacher, as by that time she'd known me/us for a long time. I've got some photos from one of these classes - we performed a bit of Swan Lake in the end! With turqoise tutus!

Ballet was something that stayed in my life almost as long as I was in school (elementary, beginning of high school). Just like music studies. So many memories to go with it. I like thinking about them. Also it always makes me want to meet my first teacher once more. Don't think it will ever happen, as she's no longer teaching anywhere and I have no connection to her... But who knows? Maybe we'll bumb into each other at the Opera house some day, watching a ballet :) I'd like to tell her how much she affected my life (though it didn't show in the end). And that I've started again. And I love it! Just to say hi from her old pupil Iepukka (as she used to call me, special nick name).

Good times. (Also it kept me in excellent shape ;))

Photo from weheartit.com


 More Ballet Memories to come later on this week :)

p.s. I talked with mom today (Tuesday 1st November). She said that we actually might have started our classes (aerobics - children's dance) at the same time! She didn't remember precisely. When asked why dance classes for me, she laughed and said that she didn't want to put me in hockey / soccer training :D And also I seemed to enjoy the dancing a lot, liked going there etc, so it continued.