Missing My MDB

Originally posted March 25th

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I went to class last night. I wasn't 100% sure that MDB would be there, but I was hoping. 

I thought she would be there on Tuesday, but no - I met thin chicks 1 & 2 instead. I don't know if I will see them again, but I do know that I MISS my ballet teacher. 

As I'm registering I see MDB round the corner and we smile. I wrap my business with David quickly so I catch her up on what's been going on in my 'other' classes and though I know she will read my 'adventures' I still want to tell her the missing parts. The things that I can't possibly get into 4 paragraphs of determined mind mutterings. 

When we walk into the vacated dance studio, I line up to the barre with Mac, Mary Kate and two other women. We are five tonight but we are determined. It's cold in the studio and we stay bundled in clothing. I only mention this because off and on between combinations, MDB has to take off a layer to show something and then puts it back on because it's cold.  We start our barre exercise with MDBs' usual plies - two demi's and a grande. 

The rhythm of her speech, the sound of her voice, the familiarity of the plie combination and I'm comforted. Each teacher has their own bag of tricks, combinations, methods and leanings - releves are important, turnout is important, the proper arabesque, thumb tucked, elbows back, balance, and on and on and on....

But right then, I felt like I was at home. I was safe and even if I screwed up - it was ok because its MDB and I'm worth correcting - because she knows me - not just because I paid for class.

And of course, because it's MDB now she starts adding crazy combinations in there that we are keep screwing up. It's all good until she concocts some seemingly simple combination of tendus that go from demi to full point, but then she drops in a plie, a couple quick ones and then the accompanying arm gesture - and GET OUT OF THE WAY - CRASHING AND BURNING - DANGER WILL ROBINSON -DANGER!!!

We all go down like a ton of bricks - not literally, but damn near.

Menty: That wasn't so bad

Side Bar: Yeah, if you don't look in the mirror

Menty: Deal!

Thankfully, MDB has opted to let us slide on doing it again. If she had actually missed us - she would have made us do it again...and possibly again :) She's a little twisted that way, but of course we love her anyway. 

We seem a little more apt at the degages, rond de jambes, frappes and battements - but just a little more. I don't want to give the impression that we rocked it...

We stretch and move away from the barre and line up for our adagio. We do alright with our port de bra, balance, plie spin, rond de jambe combination, but we must do it again because the timing is off. And because the timing is still off - we do it yet again.

Side Bar: Ok, so maybe she missed us a little. 

Now that we've massacred that combination, we move into echappes - my frenemy. I survive that combo with both knees intact and we move into our traveling combination, which includes some sorta balkan hopping step and an assemblage. And I must add that I'm not nearly as afraid of the assemblage, glissade and sissone as much I use to be. My mind will probably boggle at them all together still, but as long as it's not super fast - I think I could manage it!

Class ends and I walk over to MDB. We hug. She confirmed that she would only be teaching Mondays and Tuesdays for the upcoming summer. I hug her again. I've been missing her.