Lack of ballet

In August (2011) I was super-happy, 4 classes of ballet in a week! Then in the middle of the semester our Monday pointe got combined with our Wednesday's "normal" class. This January (2012) both of them got cancelled. So I was left with 2 classes of ballet - Not Enough!!!!

As there were no options for more ballet, I figured jazz would be fun again, after some (10 at least) years. Sunday class was my plan, also took a look at other types of classes and latino jazz seemed interesting. So I'd get 4 classes in a week and the only negative side being the fact that they'd be All between Friday and Sunday. Spring semester seemed quite fine and dandy *happy face*.

.....aaaaand now it seems that the latino class will be cancelled, due to what? No participants but me & teacher. It's really a bummer, because it's fun and challenging at the same time. Also the teacher Might move to another town in the Autumn, so there probably won't be classes then either. But it's not definite yet, so not worrying too much about it.

....buuuuuuuuut today I enrolled in a Contemporary Dance class, an intensive one!!! *happy face Again* It's next week and won't be cancelled, I asked. There are enough people coming, yay! And the teacher was in same ballet / jazz / contemporary classes with me as a teenager! (Enough exclamation marks?) Here she is:

Hanna-Kaisa Rajala

Photo from http://eridance.net/etusivu/

Photo by Matti Kivekäs

Photo by Matti Kivekäs

I'm sure it will be interesting, also probably quite challenging - it's been also about 10 years since my last contemporary class (ha! except that one class I took in Helsinki this January). 

This week's Friday I might go to Helsinki for some ballet, if everything goes ok (we don't have our regular class). That would mean meeting one new teacher more, but I've heard So Much good things about her that I'm only positive about it. Saturday there's the morning class (regular) and then probably the last latino jazz. Last week I got a private class, as there was no-one else, quite nice.... And effective! Sunday there's the "normal" jazz. Then my vacation and the intensive course (Mon - Fri), Saturday with a 90th birthday party (friend's grandma), Sunday with... Nothing. Free day :)

p.s. Yesterday I got a message that these 2 pairs have arrived - we made an order together with some ballet geeks. Yay!!!!!

Bloch - Neo Flex slip-on jazz shoe

Bloch - Pump

First classes and Ouch!

I was quite excited on Friday, my first ballet class in 27 (TWENTY SEVEN) days! So I left home early enough, walked in the snow and storm (haha) (well, it Was snowing and windy), got to the buildings of the culture center and... fell. I was walking with normal speed or even slower, but under the fluffy snow was icy hard snow. Hit my knees hard on the ground, left one more than right. There were two ladies present, who didn't ask me if I was okay, only expressed their feeling of surprise and fright. Luckily I got up quickly and could walk just fine. (And as a flute player: Luckily didn't injure my hands or face!!!)

Not a good start for the year, I say... :D

To the barré! Our Friday-teacher was on a good mood. We had nice routines, interesting ones even. Turning a lot, new hands and stuff. My legs were Super Heavy after the break and being sick, but what I'm proud of: not giving up even on the adagio! :) Pirouettes weren't visible by the barre that day, but I tried. Next week I'll try more.

My Friday spot :)

In the center we did tendus, jetes, grand battements, some pirouettes (did better than by barre)... Lot of routines. My goal was to remember the moves, on the second round to improve my balance. In the end we had some big jumps. Also a fun set across the floor (in diagonal):

Preparation - chasse & sissonne arabesque - chasse & sissonne arabesque - chasse & sissonne arabesque - some bourre suivi - chasse & sissonne attitude - run away... (gracefully, of course - haha....)

Another was like this (straight across the floor):

Chasse & sissonne (working leg flies in front, hands in third pos.) - chasse & sissonne (same) - chasse & sissonne (same) - prep. for soutenus -> 2 x slow soutenu - 3 x fast (double speed) soutenus - end in third arabesque.

The 90 minutes didn't feel as long as they sometimes do, in Friday evenings... ;) Anyway I was happy to leave, as my dad came to pick me up and there was SAUNA waiting for me. Loved it. Some good food with the parents, then home. On Saturday morning I was super sleepy, with the left knee hurting a bit. Didn't feel like going, but would have regretted it So Much. So I did go and it was great. Interesting routines, though I would have liked to do a bit more in the center (our barre took 60 out of the 90 min. we have). Also we had 12 people participating + our teacher, quite many for our class. It was weird in the center, as it felt even crowded. But managed to Not hit anyone!

On the left we've got the longer barre, in front the shorter one :)

Saturday's center adagio consisted of temps lie par terre, in different directions. I liked it, because it's stuff I know well :) ...easy, might one even say... Some tendus & pirouettes, not bad. Across the floor (not diagonal) some biggish jumps. For the pointe-15-minutes I had my boys in work, the Capezios. They felt So Nice... But the box is still too big and the vamp too high. And overall they are a bit too big. Next week I think I'll take my girls (Bloch Suprima) or their friends (Serenade). I _really_ would like to get the perfect pair. But this season I'll go with these that I have. If the Bloch's still behave badly, then the boys have more work.

These I wear with the boys, as there's too much space round my toes.

One more class to report! It was the latino jazz in my old school (same as my morning class). The Thursday class that I was planning, has been cancelled. But I maybe prefer this weekend one, as I'm not tired from teaching/working myself. This new teacher is actually an old dance friend, we had some same classes as teenagers. She's developped this jazz variant herself, it combines the typical latin moves (samba, salsa, cha cha etc.) with jazz. And from what I can say based on the first class, I like it. Challenging for me, yes. But still fun! Also I might be the oldest taking it, but I hope the younger ones won't think it's weird...

Today there would have been the first (normal) jazz class, but in the morning the knee didn't feel good, so I decided to skip it. And try next week again :)

***

p.s. I would Love to have more classes in the morning (or before 12 am). It makes me wake up smoothly (despite sweating) and gives excellent feeling for the rest of the day.