February 27, 2013

Oops…

…I’ve been neglecting this blog again.

It’s really tough to write about ballet when you can’t do any of it, and that’s been one of the reasons I’ve avoided blogging. Good news is, I don’t have a stress fracture, but my leg still has its moments when it hurts like hell–especially after some speed walking I shouldn’t have done to get to a meeting on time on Sunday. I have another ortho appointment a week from today.

Does anybody have any recommendations of good yoga video online–I’m in desperate need of SOMETHING to do. Sitting around doing nothing has not been good for me.

The other reason I haven’t written here in a while is that I’ve been busy. I’ve been writing articles for local dance publications like crazy–I’ve had three published in the last two weeks and I’ll be writing another about a performance this Saturday.

Passion Ignites Kariamu and Company

Review: Hold Me To This, Temple University MFA Thesis Concert

Review: An Evening of Duets

In addition, I saw a show at Bryn Mawr College Saturday and then had a workshop with the wonderful Claudia LaRocco from the NYTimes and ThePerformanceClub.org. I was truly a great experience, and I learned a lot about writing.

And, because you’ve probably been missing some ballet advice here’s a few articles to read until I get my act together:

On Balance: How to Nail Long Balances

The Ballet Bun: Best Practices (okay–it’s meant for parents–but that doesn’t mean it’s not helpful).

And not ballet advice, but if you’re a Bunheads fan, here’s an article from Times Magazine on why the show is important:  On the Importance of Bunheads

Please fill me in on what you’ve been up to!

 

Filed Under: Ballet, Ballet Class, Blog, Etc., Info Tagged With: , , , , , 2 Comments
January 31, 2013

Dancing in the Street?

Well….kinda.

 

I don’t usually ever dance in public. Even practicing in an empty studio felt weird (A local studio was renting during the daytime for super cheap rates– so me and the boyfriend decided to get some extra practice in as well as some photos).

 

Sapporo subway platform

 

But recently, I’ve found myself marking out combinations (or other moves) while waiting for the subway to come. While occasionally I’ve done this while walking somewhere with the boyfriend or in my apartment, I felt the need to do it right after class on Monday while waiting for the subway–otherwise I was never going to get the beginning of the combination–a sequence of balances en tournant–into my brain. I often find that if I spend time thinking about the moves after class I can sometimes figure out the ones I couldn’t get in class. Bu, I can’t wait too long after the class has ended or I just won’t be able to remember the moves.  Maybe not the execution, exactly, but I can figure out how a step was supposed to be performed if I didn’t get it when it was first explained.

 

I looked like an idiot on the subway platform, but hey, I think I finally may have figured it out.

 

Do you dance in public? What tricks do you use to memorize tricky combinations?

 

Filed Under: Ballet, Blog, Info, Outside Class Tagged With: , , , , , , 6 Comments
January 28, 2013

Beginner Ballerina Profile: Aerialist Sarah Jean Kaye

This week’s profile (well, technically last week’s) is Sarah Jean Kaye, who began taken ballet again after a long break to help her improve for aerials.

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20121002-DSC_1246-Edit-2Adult Ballerina Project: When did you start doing ballet as an adult?

Sarah Jean Kaye: I recently started taking class again after a long break of five years off from the ballet barre to improve my line and hip flexors for aerials.

ABP: Did you ever take lessons as a kid?

SJK: I took ballet growing up 2x a week for a few years but by no means was a ballerina. I took jazz and acro at a dance studio that only used ballet as a supplemental training, where is should have been the main focus! I took ballet to help stretch me out but sadly with years of contortion style acrobatics training, I stayed short forever at 5’3.

ABP: Why did you decide to take ballet as an adult?

SJK: I missed the regimen oddly enough. I think because I always idolized ballerinas but knew I never would be one with 90 degree turnout that I wanted the challenge of going back into the classroom. When I was a child training to be a performer, ballet made me always feel negative about myself because I was short legged with a very athletic build, no turnout, and extensions only to 90 degrees. Even though I had a very bendy back, my legs and hips just never went anywhere. It was very disheartening and frustrating. Now as an adult, I am over the fact that I was never going to be a ballerina. Now I realize it makes me a better person for going after the challenge. And it finally makes me feel beautiful when doing it. As a adult ballerina, you are not competing to perform against classmates but all reveling in how it makes you feel.

ABP: Where do you take classes?

SJK: When close to home in Central Jersey I love to take at Princeton Dance & Theater, a studio opened by ABT principal Susan Jaffe & principal ballerina Risa Kaplowitz. They have a studio focused in premiere dancing and follow the American Ballet Theatre’s education and curriculum plan, yet it is so warm and nurturing there. I particularly like to go to the Ailey Extension in NYC and take from Kat Wildish or Finis Jhung. Each absolute masters at their trade, they have perfected the art of teaching adult ballet.

ABP: What is your favorite part about ballet?

SJK: Grand allegro. I am a fabulous leaper!

ABP :What is your least favorite part?

SJK: Probably a combination of left turns and my lack there of turnout. Both are my ballet arch-nemesis!

ABP: Who/What is your ballet inspiration?

SJK: : Marcelo Gomes & Sascha Radetsky have kept me coming back time and time again to see the ballet in NYC. I love the primas but there is something about male dancers that is just captivating, probably because I was such an athletic mover I actually relate more to their movement. But I do always aspire to look like the ladies on pointe! I would love to take pointe!

ABP: What motivates you to keep dancing?

SJK: The challenge to make myself better and be able to say that I didn’t let this conquer me.

ABP: Do you take any other dance classes?

SJK: I like to take a jazz or musical theater class when I can but most of my free class time now goes to aerial classes!

ABP: What are your hobbies outside of ballet?

SJK: Reading, any ridiculous adventure challenge like trampolining, flying trapeze, pole dancing, or indoor rock climbing (I like to say I tried anything once), watching modern family, traveling, seeing broadway shows, makeup, and occasional cap naps.

ABP: What advice would you like to give to those who want to start ballet or have just started?

SJK: JUST DO IT! Get over the hump, swallow your pride, allow those days when you are awful, celebrate the days you were amazing, and now there is always someone better and worse the same class as you!

ABP: Anything else you’d like to add?

SJK: NAMASTE! hehe

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January 24, 2013

Dance Book Club Anyone?

Recently I discovered that my university’s library has a small collection of dance-related books. I first went searching for them when I wanted to read Conditioning for Dance. Unfortunately, at the time, despite the library listing the book as being there, I couldn’t find it. I did however find Conditioning for Dancers. I haven’t read much of it (I’ve got some serious course reading to do now that my last semester of college has started and I’m enrolled in a Popular Fiction course–hello a novel a week). It looks really useful though, and it has some useful stretching techniques I’ve spotted as I flipped through the book. I also grabbed Dance Analysis: Theory and Practice, since I figured it might provide some helpful insight for writing critiques of dance performances.

When I read this article over at 4Dancers about The Pointe Book, I had to check to see if it was at my library. The books contains almost everything you’d want to know about pointe shoes, from their history, how to get fitted for pointe shoes, how to sew ribbons and elastic and care for them, how to teach pointe, information about pointe related injuries and treatment, and perhaps one of my favorite features of the book, sample pointe classes ranging from the first day pointe class from the American School of Ballet to adult pointe level

Cover of "The Pointe Book"

classes.

I also picked up Ballet 101, a complete guide to learning and loving ballet (which I haven’t read any of) because my knowledge of actual ballets is kind of lacking. I want to pick up a copy of The Ballet Companion as well; it looks like it could be a good resource.

Have you read any dance books? Which ones would you recommend?

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January 23, 2013

Floor Barre (and why can’t I take ballet in a swimming pool?)

dance-academy-heatwave-cart-c19In a post on my old blog (around the time I first injured my ankle/leg), I posted about how I wished I could do ballet in a pool. I’ve always really enjoyed swimming (I was a lifeguard full-time for four summers and part-time for two summers). I first got the idea from an episode of Dance Academy entitled Heatwave where the academy holds their barre class in the pool because it’s too hot and the air conditioning in the studio is broken.

While I have messed around with barre exercises a little in the pool, I don’t really have a place where I can put this into practice as my school only has lap swimming at odd times. So I’ve been looking into floor barre, or doing exercises normally done at the barre while sitting or lying on the floor, as an alternative.

This Dance Advantage article entitled “How Low Can You Go?”  lists several benefits of floor barre, including it being good for injuries, developing strength, and helping to improve with movement execution (including realizing what you might be doing wrong with bad habits).

While there are no floor barre classes in Philadelphia (that I could find) you can find a list of instructors of the method developed by Zena Rommet here. Another book I’ll be looking into checking out at the library is Maria Fay’s Floor Barre.

Would you ever consider doing floor barre or taking a floor barre class?

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