Helping Hand Alert: Please go to FACEBOOK and find Chase Community Giving Application and vote for Chicago City Theater aka Joel Hall Dancers & Center - they could win $25,000!!!! And then tell your friends to do the same!!! THANK YOU!!
And so my adventure begins :)
I register with the same Not David from Sunday. I see MDB and hand over my performance survey from her previous night's performance. A member from second company, a member from first company, a young girl in pink pointe shoes, a returning regular and I complete the class.
MDB kindly starts our plie combination, but modifies it for pointe. I settle into class. Breathe in, breathe out.
Two demis, one grande, one port de bra, one releve, one plie - change position.
Our tendu combination has some addictives and yeast - we are changing feet from front to back to side with some fondus and su sus in there. I think MDB wants us to raise to the occasion. My souffle doesn't fall completely flat, but it's TOTALLY lopsided!!!
It sounds so simple and in essence it really is...BUT (you knew that was coming!) you have to be centered - no tipping or dipping.
Side Bar: No smoke yet...
Menty: What?
Side Bar: From our ears - brain does not appear to be on fire..
At this point, I can't remember the degage combination - I don't know if that means it was easy or that I blocked them out. I do know that after the rond de jamb combination was demonstrated - I stopped breathing properly.
The rond de jamb combination included some fonduing, a grand rond de jamb, some port de bra, some chambre and some going in the other direction. I apologize belatedly to the ladies that followed me.
Our frappes included a lot of holding, some petit battementing and something else, but lack of oxygen to the blood and brain will cause minimally forgetfulness.
I about passed out when we had to battement on releve - twice in the same combination on the same side.
Physie: I'm too fat to do this!
Side Bar: It's a three alarm fire up here!!!
Menty: Um? Maybe the fire men will be cute????
We move into another studio to do our floor exercises. Our adagio includes all the possible standing positions. But the two we must focus on are quasi devant and a carte - so we do it three times and MDB decides to not fuss because we got the two that she asked for 'mostly' right.
Our tendu combination includes a coup and pas de bouree to change direction. And then for kicks and giggles (our kicks, MDB's giggle), she adds the arabesque to the combination.
WARNING: No beginner ballet students were harmed during this combination.
MDB gives up and lets us stop after the second round for the sake of time.
We move to the corner and complete two different travel combinations. On the second combination we struggle. It's not a chasse - it's a pas de bouree, MDB instructs. We try it again. We still struggle. "Just name it something else. It will make it easier." MDB says. "I apologize in advance because I know I'm screwing this up!" I said. When we're done MDB releases us back to the confines of Joel Hall's wondrous world of sweat, mirrors, and dance.
My calves are still on fire.
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