The Adventure Continues: Ballet I - Skipping Skinny Land

I did not go to ballet on Monday. Finding after 12 total hours in my Honda Civic with my friend and student, Athanasia, we were both painfully stiff on Sunday afternoon. My stiffness continued even after I walked for three hours straight (flat out refusing to get back in a car or sit down for more than 30 minutes at a time) and stretching for more than an hour.


The idea of jumping, bending or battement-ing frankly made me consider checking into hell for a brief visit. So the warm place aside, I went by the grocery store to pick up some odds and ends, stopped by Joel Hall Studio to drop off an apple for MDB, and drove myself as quickly as possible back to the home front where I soaked for a hour-ish.


But while the jumping, bending and battement-ing definitely deterred me, the idea of looking at myself in the mirror was the biggest deterrent. I have put on some fall 'padding' and being surrounded by mirco-mini-women with long, lean lines, pointe shoes, greater ability and higher battements are about as close to hell as I really want to get.


Even now, as I sit typing this, I should be at least 1 minute into Ballet Fundamentals, but I can't go. I can't make myself find my 'less fat' pants, double down sports bra, fitted top and walk into Joel Hall.


I could tell you exactly what would happen tonight - I would register with Not David version 5.0, greet Miss M at the back benches while changing my shoes, chat with one of the regulars or a newbie, walk into class and line up at the barre not facing the mirror, and make it through barre with a bit of confusion, at least three combination screw ups and some commentary by Side Bar and Menty.


The floor combinations would be some daunting combination of strength, grace and balance - mixed with some jumping, turning and arm work - followed by some traveling combinations that I will completely flub up going to the right and fix going to the left.


I know all this, but I can't go to class because I don't want to look in the damn mirror. And I don't want to look because looking won't change it. So if I don't look, maybe it won't be so bad. But then I'm standing in 'skinny' land....and that makes it even worse.


So I'm skipping skinny land tonight and Monday...I will keep you posted about Thursday.