Originally posted on June 2, 2011________________________________________
Due to sheer exhaustion and lack of nightly 32oz frozen hurricanes, I felt like skipping my regularly scheduled ballet activity and considered throwing myself a pity party. However, I just know that if I put off my first class back, it will only go downhill faster.
After walking into the studio and seeing Not David at the desk (again), I wait in the line that has accumulated and spot MDB chatting in the back. Part of me wants to run over and hug her; the other part of me knows if I get out of this line to do so, I’m going to have to get to the back because Not David is super slow. I’m finally registered, hugged and lined up at the barre.
Side Bar: Here we go…
Menty: This won’t be so bad.
Side Bar: Famous last words.
Ms. J and I were the only two people in class which means MDB would be handing out corrections like Halloween candy…..frequently. As usual, when I’m gone for long periods of time, MDB must fuss. I was most happy that our plie combination did not change – they are one point of consistent comfort. But when we made it to tendus – MDB concocted some cockamamie combination that made my eyebrows run for my hairline.
Side Bar: Did she just say yo mama?
Menty: Ummm…not exactly?
MDB gives us the combination again (four tendus front, side, front inside leg, then eight back outside leg, four side, four back inside leg and four front outside leg and plie – yes, COMPLETE brain fart moment) and then tries to explain it one more time. At which point I basically yell UNCLE! “Please don’t explain it again. I’m already confused so I might still get it right.” MDB has a mischievous smile on her face and laughs before turning on the music. And miraculously enough, Ms. J and I don’t do too badly.
One lady joins us after the tendu combination and MDB sticks her in the middle so she can watch someone in both directions. I find myself once again in the broken mirror. MDB gives us the same combination but for degages and demonstrates it for the sake of further confusion and WTFness – or maybe because she wants the new chick to see it.
We screw up the first side very well – which I’m going to point out was NOT my side. The left side was better (maybe) but I still think it would have gone better if she hadn’t shown us again. We move into rond de jambs which started with some battement fondu action. We massacre that poor little combination and move on to hurt, maim and kill the frappe and battement combinations. MDB moves us into our split exercises and make us whack our calves for shoulder exercises.
Our adagio was almost easy and brief in comparison to the barre. Having had that similar combination before with MDB screaming TOUCH IT!, I made a concerted effort to TOUCH IT (IT being my left or right thigh as my arm and hand passed it) every single time. But now I start to worry about the traveling floor combinations.
Side Bar: That seem easy to you, Menty?
Menty: Yup.
Side Bar: Are you worried?
Menty: Yup.
Side Bar: Oh shit.
Menty: Yup with a side of Pretty Much.
We move off to the side and start our first combination which involves chasse, pas de bournee, pirouette, and some funky forward balance business. We have to do it at least three times and we don’t even get it right going in the opposite direction. Our last combination involves preparation on AND (which isn’t a beat or count!) with hops, skips, glissade, pas de shaw (that’s not the right spelling but it sounds like that). And if you guessed we didn’t get that right either – you’d be correct.
But this is what happens when I’m gone too long and MDB misses me – a constant state of WTFness on my part and jubilant mischief on her part.
And the cherry on top is the studio might be cancelling my Tuesday class because of low attendance.
Due to sheer exhaustion and lack of nightly 32oz frozen hurricanes, I felt like skipping my regularly scheduled ballet activity and considered throwing myself a pity party. However, I just know that if I put off my first class back, it will only go downhill faster.
After walking into the studio and seeing Not David at the desk (again), I wait in the line that has accumulated and spot MDB chatting in the back. Part of me wants to run over and hug her; the other part of me knows if I get out of this line to do so, I’m going to have to get to the back because Not David is super slow. I’m finally registered, hugged and lined up at the barre.
Side Bar: Here we go…
Menty: This won’t be so bad.
Side Bar: Famous last words.
Ms. J and I were the only two people in class which means MDB would be handing out corrections like Halloween candy…..frequently. As usual, when I’m gone for long periods of time, MDB must fuss. I was most happy that our plie combination did not change – they are one point of consistent comfort. But when we made it to tendus – MDB concocted some cockamamie combination that made my eyebrows run for my hairline.
Side Bar: Did she just say yo mama?
Menty: Ummm…not exactly?
MDB gives us the combination again (four tendus front, side, front inside leg, then eight back outside leg, four side, four back inside leg and four front outside leg and plie – yes, COMPLETE brain fart moment) and then tries to explain it one more time. At which point I basically yell UNCLE! “Please don’t explain it again. I’m already confused so I might still get it right.” MDB has a mischievous smile on her face and laughs before turning on the music. And miraculously enough, Ms. J and I don’t do too badly.
One lady joins us after the tendu combination and MDB sticks her in the middle so she can watch someone in both directions. I find myself once again in the broken mirror. MDB gives us the same combination but for degages and demonstrates it for the sake of further confusion and WTFness – or maybe because she wants the new chick to see it.
We screw up the first side very well – which I’m going to point out was NOT my side. The left side was better (maybe) but I still think it would have gone better if she hadn’t shown us again. We move into rond de jambs which started with some battement fondu action. We massacre that poor little combination and move on to hurt, maim and kill the frappe and battement combinations. MDB moves us into our split exercises and make us whack our calves for shoulder exercises.
Our adagio was almost easy and brief in comparison to the barre. Having had that similar combination before with MDB screaming TOUCH IT!, I made a concerted effort to TOUCH IT (IT being my left or right thigh as my arm and hand passed it) every single time. But now I start to worry about the traveling floor combinations.
Side Bar: That seem easy to you, Menty?
Menty: Yup.
Side Bar: Are you worried?
Menty: Yup.
Side Bar: Oh shit.
Menty: Yup with a side of Pretty Much.
We move off to the side and start our first combination which involves chasse, pas de bournee, pirouette, and some funky forward balance business. We have to do it at least three times and we don’t even get it right going in the opposite direction. Our last combination involves preparation on AND (which isn’t a beat or count!) with hops, skips, glissade, pas de shaw (that’s not the right spelling but it sounds like that). And if you guessed we didn’t get that right either – you’d be correct.
But this is what happens when I’m gone too long and MDB misses me – a constant state of WTFness on my part and jubilant mischief on her part.
And the cherry on top is the studio might be cancelling my Tuesday class because of low attendance.
No comments:
Post a Comment