The week before I just couldn't make myself go. Tonight, I ran out of my condo when the first doubtful thought crossed my mind. I had already decided I was going to class after work, but as the 2.5 hours tick by before I actually get there - inertia and doubt set in - and then there is more mental anxiety to get moving again.
Thankfully, I had changed into dance wear when I first got home. I'm sure you can appreciate how uncomfortable ballet class would be in dress slacks, a cowl neck sweater and hoop earrings.....
So I get there early, check in with Rich (and he can have a name because he knows mine and can pronounce it correctly), and watch Miss B's class in the fish bowl. This class is level 10,000 squared and raised to the 13th power. All students have WTF face, but they wouldn't have it any other way :)
I tie up my belly dance pants (and opted not to work out pants), put on my striped knee high tights, and loop my long sleeved tee shirt over my head leaving my arms covered. The studio is chilly. As we (Miss M and I) wait for the other class to end, more newbies round the corner followed by two regulars.
Class starts with 5 women and 1 man.
Miss M demonstrates the plies - two demis, one grande, two releves, one stretch in first and second positions. In fourth and fifth, we skip the grande altogether. I watch the newbies struggle. Three newbies = three WTH Faces. It also doesn't help that one of the regulars is wearing pointe shoes - increase intimidation factor by 10.
Miss M demonstrates the tendus, one tendu, one tendu with fondue - alternate again - then second, arabesque, then three quick tendus, one hold, three quick tendus, one hold. I watch the newbies struggle.
Menty: I wonder if their inner dialogue is as active as ours..
Side Bar:....Nah - I can just see 'what the hell, what the hell, what the hell' circling their foreheads....
Miss M demostrates the degage, rond de jamb, and frappe combinations. And you guessed it - I watched the newbies struggle.
Menty: I remember when that was us.
Side Bar: I remember because it is STILL US!! This is fundamentals....
Menty: Oh yeah :) Opps!!
Side Bar: I'll just take that pat right off our back..
Even as we stretch our legs in fourth and second position on the barres before battements, I see the confusion on their faces. Battements don't really change the lines creasing their foreheads, pinched lips and wild look in their eyes.
When we move to the center floor combinations and Miss M begins the adagio, I watch WTH go to WTF fast. The one man in class whose super power was be obnoxious when he didn't understand or get a combination was met with 10 raised female eyebrows and nervous laughter from Miss M.
After we make it through turns, we did jumps - four jumps in first, two echappes, three changements, one pause, two glissades. No my brain did not catch on fire - or stop and restart thinking. And when the music moved up to tempo, I didn't flustered, faint or hesitate. I jumped (and pointed my feet), got the arms right for echappes, was on time for my changements and nailed my glissades! I wanted to yell TA DA!!!! I didn't because then I would have been obnoxious.
We moved into the waltz step (with and without turn) and then ended with the a sissone going across the floor. I call it hopscotch when it's only in one direction - two feet jump, landing on one. It's more complicated then that, but I can call it whatever I want - as long as I do it right - TA DA!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment