It's Just Me

I didn't want to go tonight. I was bitchy and bloated the night before and tonight I was just bloated. 

I look at myself in the mirror from the front, I turn to the side, I turn back to the front....shrug and put on my coat. Neither direction looks appealing, but class is class. I thought about staying home for about two minutes...but got in my car and drove over anyway. 

David's at the front desk and I see a long list of people, but it's for the modern dance class that is going to happen the same time. I see MDB behind the front desk using the other computer and we smile and talk about how adults are so similar to children - except they don't pop each other when the teacher isn't looking - usually! :)

MDB starts talking to another dancer and I wonder back around the corner - no one is waiting to go in. No one is putting on shoes. I go back to the front to see if anyone else has wondered in, just as the class is coming out. I tell MDB there is no one else- it's just me.  This typically means class is cancelled. This isn't the first time I've been an only...it probably won't be the last. 

MDB says, "I'll give you the option: I can cancel class and you can go home OR I can teach you. It's up to you."

Side Bar: Let's blow this popcorn stand - we look three months pregnant!

Menty: We have the option of a PRIVATE LESSON - WE ARE STAYING!!!

Side Bar: YOU ARE CRAZY!!! Fine, Fine, FINE! Don't listen to me - but if we end up on our ass - it's your fault. 

I line up at the barre in the Young One's usual spot (ok - so maybe I'm a little bit bitchy) and MDB has us start with the usual plies. There's a little more pressure because it's just her and she's the teacher. YIKES! 

First correction: Fingers point down.

Second correction: Fingers point down.

Third correction: If you guessed fingers point down....you'd be right :)

Then she adds tendus to our plies in first, second and fifth position. Next we do battements - but she calls them high degages - to trick us both into keeping our legs low. This is a wasted trick on me - I can't kick myself in the forehead and my legs are rarely above 90 degrees in height. I'm still screwing up the battement in second position, so MDB holds down my hips. We move to rond de jambs and I'm sinking into my left hip and my right leg lifts slightly so my leg doesn't get stuck. I can barely notice it - MDB can see it as if I'mgimping down the street - Hands Back At My Hips...

Menty: I'm worth correcting. I'm worth correcting.

Side Bar: Oh, shut up!

We do plies with our leg stretches and MDB is ready to go into battements, but we've done them already -so it's time for some violence! Frappe Time - and like McDonald's-I'm lovin' it - until I see the combination...

I manage to make it through the combination without too many misfires. 

We move to the middle of the floor and she gives me a SHORT ADAGIO! I complete the adagio once on each side - and I DON'T have to do it again! WEEEEEE!!

But I'm a little excited too soon. It's time to jump - echappe time! I want to do them in the center because most times I'm doing them at the barre. There is an actual arm accompaniment that goes with these jumps but I don't have it. So we try it two times with the arms - it's a flipping train wreck - so I try one more time without arms - it's fine - heels down in all positions - no rebound. 

Now it's time to practice pirouettes - inside. I like outside turns better. MDB reminds me to twist into my pirouettes - not PUSH. So I do them -2 each side and then try them again with a faster timing to get my head around....and lo and behold - I get around almost 2 and half times before my ass and the floor connect in a glorious collusion. It was one of those falls where you know you are going down and there is NO WAY to make it look graceful, pretty or painless. But my ass has a lot of padding across a wide hip span so I thud instead of smack. 

Menty: Shut up, Sidey.

Side Bar: I didn't say anything....I told you so is WAY TOO OBVIOUS...

I didn't hurt myself at all and get up without any help. Poor MDB is bright red, but she at least gives me a compliment on my timing, asks if I'm ok and then gives me a hug BEFOREshe starts LAUGHING.  I told MDB I would only do this with just us in the room - I would not be falling to floor in a full class :)

We wrap class up with a traveling forte combination and gather our things to leave the room. 

I'm glad I went to class tonight - even if it was just me :)