Only 2 classes left!

This was kind of an extra week, as we weren't suppose to have classes - but eventually we did! :) Next week there's still one on Monday, one on Wednesday. After that? It's just waiting for the end of August. Fall semester begins on 20th.

Today's class was as intense as Monday, with a horrible-ish weather outside (warm, raining, oppressive...). Barre-combinations were the same, except streching (Monday: talon a la main / today: whole body in use).  I was a bit on the slobby side, but didn't give up.

In the center we had a new tendu-routine, with a pirouette en dedans starting from 4th but efface! Those we have really seldom. Other stuff was familiar / same as before. But fun :)

The thought that really hit me as I came home was this:

I've taken classes from 9 (NINE) different ballet teachers this year!

During Autumn I had 4 of them regularly, during Spring only 2. But 3 more every now and then (in Helsinki). Plus one who was a substitute couple of times (in my hometown). Aaaaand one whose class I tried (for "fun") in October in our town. It's all quite funny and also very interesting, as I had only one teacher as a kid/teen. All these teachers have been different, more Russian styles but also one French school. Some others somewhere in between. I really have to empty my brain in the class and focus on who's teaching and what are her priorities. (And yes, they've all been women. Would be interesting though to have a male teacher sometimes.)

I'm a bit nervous about the up-coming year. There's going to be only a few chances for adults and ballet in our town, Friday evening and Saturday morning. The only other possibility is to take the "advanced teenagers/youth" classes, but the Monday class is 8-9.30 pm (ends quite late.......) and on Friday it's the same time as the one I took this year. Probably will try to take some tourist classes in Helsinki again, but can't decide them now. 

About equipment -> As I wrote earlier, my favorite pair of soft slippers are right on the edge of death :D Well, one could still use them after next week, but I think there's a limit of how much one wants to put tape in them. And I've got some pairs waiting, so it's like starting school as a kid - every Autumn you get new pens and stuff, now it's new slippers! :)

...and tomorrow we're going to Helsinki with 2 of my brothers. Shall pay a visit to 2 dance stores, maybe the 3rd one also. But just maybe. New pointes are on my list, but have to figure out some little details first. Anyway, hoping that it's not raining all day. 

A detail of a statue in Esplanadi Park, Helsinki :)

Today in studio

Spent half the day doing nothing. After that - some nailpolish fumes. After which it was time to pack some slippers and a bottle of water, then take a quick ride (with bike) to the old potato flour factory. When walking up the stairs I felt like a big bag of that dusty product. I'd been waiting eagerly to get back to barré, but my legs and body didn't want to do it. Luckily my persuasion skills were quite good today! :) Had plenty of time to change clothes, put 3 bobbypins to my hair, walk to the studio.

I've taken photos of my summer outfits, mostly with the phone but also some with a real camera. Decided to use lots of colors this season! :) Have to put them on this laptop and make an exhibition, haha... Today was black with purple -day. Purple leggings and top, some purple flowers on the black shirt, blackish (well, dark-gray) shorts. Last week it was mostly Brrrrright red. (Saw a lovely shirt at H&M, had to buy it...)

So, as I got my place and started warming up, The Feeling kind of got over me. And I knew it was going to be a good one, this class.

via weheartit.com

We've had a guest "star" this summer, a 7th grader boy whose mom is a regular at the class. He goes to the Opera Ballet School (in Helsinki) and is quite good for his age, I think. It's nice to look at his pirouettes and jumps (he sure has that ballon). Today he had a school friend over, who participated also. Another nice thing about this 7th grader is that he's very polite. I really appreciate kids who know how to behave these days. I've seen enough of those who can't do that. 

Ooooookay, about the class. Barré routines were new, all of them. The musics were new, haven't heard them during these 2 years. It's always fun! :) Felt a bit lazy in grand pliés, but tried to fight against it. There was literally no feedback (to me) during the whole 90 minutes, but tried to give some myself, inside my head.

In the centre... Well, mostly it was the same stuff as last week, but they are interesting routines, so I'm not complaining. What I _am_ complaining about are my pirouettes. They were somewhat les miserables this evening... Felt ashamed. Managed to get a small grip at some point, maybe next week will be better again. Hope so! Other moves were much much better.

Here's some dust from that tricky little friend, the Pirouette Fairy... ;)

In the end, for about 10 minutes, we had a chance to practice en pointe. I felt tired and worn out, but still wanted to wear those shoes, so that's what I did. But what I didn't do was centre work, kept myself by the barré during all routines. Concentrated on knees (straight), releves (do not jump), my core (keep it tight but active), shoulders (down) and chin (up). Except that for reverance we all were in the centre.

So it happened once again. A sweaty 90 minute dance class made me feel lighter, happier and... well, Able. I could do things I didn't know 2 years ago I'd be doing again. And they were almost easy again :) I think I've stayed in love, all these years.

Now it's time to strech a little bit more and then sleep. About 3 weeks left of my summer holiday.

Recently in the studio

I haven't been writing too much about my classes lately, but I sure have taken them. To put it short: we haven't practiced fouettés after the couple times nor the variation I mentioned, but there has been a lot of other useful stuff.

For example...

I've noticed a definite improvement in my flexibility, compared to last summer. The splits aren't a random success anymore, more like a yes-I-am-able-kind of a thing. They don't go all the way down so that I could just sit there comfortably, but quite close :) Have to specify that I'm talking about splits with one leg in front of me, the other behind. Sideways they are still far from the floor - but closer than last year!

Keeping the previous observation in mind, the grand battements are higher than Ever. Seriously. They didn't fly this high even as a teen. Definitely yay! Not close to my face/ear/back of the head, but I'm very happy about them.

After one class with Signora G. (teacher @ Footlight in Helsinki) I've started to get a new kind of grip on my developpes. I still do _not_ like them (nor fondues), but there's a thought of finding new muscles for the lifting part and keeping it turned out. This is something I have to constantly think and remind myself about. (Not that I would be all excited about it all the time, nope. But it makes the movement more interesting.)

I'm better at pirouettes. Biggest points (insights) have been the amount of speed, straight knee on the supporting leg and good & better & more better turnout on the working leg. Had to mention speed first, as it was the most important (or that's how I feel). As I wanted to figure out the clean single turns. I had always been taking waaayyyyy too much speed, then got troubles of all sort. But now it's quite good - if I remember the leg observations... And still last week I (we all at Señora S's class @ Footlight again) got a simple, yet so amazingly good, advice ->
When you're going to make a single turn, you must think about only 1/2 or 3/4 turn, then already about finishing the turn. When you're making doubles, it's 1,5 (or 1,75) turns and then finishing it. If you think of one full turn and after that finishing, you'll go over it and it won't be clean. Same thing with doubles.

So, in pirouettes - keep calm and (still) be quick. That's what S. said and she knows the stuff.

***

Have to continue later, there are more things I want to make notes about. Now it's time I pack some things for the weekend, a friend is getting married tomorrow and the wedding goes on for 2 days! :) 

via weheartit.com

Ballet slippers and Tiara!

Slippers I've been wearing regularly also this summer, every Monday and Wednesday, but tiara? Not once. Except this week 24/7! :D

The feathers are part of a cat toy :)

Essie: Ballet slippers / Orly: Tiara / Mavala: top coat fixator / Viuhti: the cat.

Lazy summer days on the balcony table... :)

***

I've been adding (again) some color to my dance classes also. I've had a pink day, bright red one, purple (with some black), orange... :) Green one is about to emerge, have to do some laundry first. 

And Finally a pair of soft slippers is about to meet it's end! And of course it's the one that's been my absolute favorite by far (Sansha Pro1). I've decided not to buy new ones, as there are some waiting already (not exactly the same, though). But new pointe shoes I have to, since none of the current ones work for my feet anymore. I'm dreaming (of a white Christmas but also) of Gaynors. They might be the answer to my very different feet (left one bigger). Or not. The first thing is to book an appointment with the fitter. Don't know when I'm able to do that. And when they are available at Footlight's. Make a call, one must.

p.s. For today's class I'm gonna wear the red stuff again, it was fun! :) And today it's been raining at last, so it might be possible to breath in our studio (Monday it was extreme, I tell you). 

Minus 7 by our National Ballet @ the Senate Square

As promised, here's rest of my photos from Friday 25th May. The work is indeed an excerpt from the fabulous 'Minus 7' by Ohad Naharin (music was a compilation). If you ever have the chance to see this, go! :)

The energy!

Getting ready... 

...to leave the stage...

...and mingle with the audience! 

Yay! :)

The girl (second from the left) was sitting next to me, wearing some supercool shoes!

Grand plié!

Some slow latin mood...

The girl with The shoes. (At this point she was the only audience member left on stage.)

Arabesques.

3 rows, each doing their own thing.

This was just before the final freestylish part! The dancers went crazy! :D No good photos from that part, sorry :)

Marimekko ♥ National Ballet

Yesterday went by too quickly, so now's the time to post some photos from Friday's first event - the traditional Marimekko's fashion show! This year the models were a bit different from the usual, they were dancers from the Finnish National Ballet. Which happens to celebrate it's 90th anniversary this year. What a coincidence... ;) Theme of the show was a certain Finnish tradition, this kind of a "barn dance". Except that we don't actually dance in a barn, but it's usually a building that contains a huge dance floor (called stage, in Finnish) and a stage for the band. And a bar, of course... :D Waltz, tango, polka, everything like that.

Coreography was by Johanna Nuutinen (dancer herself also at the FNB), fun, lively, captured the spirit of Finnish summer so well. There was a live band, too - drums, accordeon and double bass. They played some "golden schlagers", the sun was shining and everyone seemed to be in a good mood! :)

There are some amazing and fabulous photos of the show in the internet, by some real photographers (google them or find for example Mikael Rantalainen Photography on facebook). But here are some of mine - not so sharp and great, but I still had fun taking them, yes sir!

The directors... :)

Minna Tervamäki herself, grace and elegance.

The kids were so sweet.

Girls got the meet and perform with their idol!

Wouldn't mind dancing there myself :)

Up in the air!

Jamming with the kids again! :)

One of my favorite dresses.

Smiling... :)

Loved her short hair-do!

Who gets the boy? ;)

The Shoe.

The Shoes.

One of my absolutely favorite things in the show was the fact that everyone was SMILING. All the time. Fashion doesn't always have to be so serious, you know... :)