Fashion Show!

Just back from Ellman's with a couple of new leotards and a new top!
This one is a halter,
This one is just a v front black tank

and this is the top.

Not a bad haul, eh?

We had our first repertory and variation classes today, for rep we are doing a little variation from Giselle, and for variation it is from the Bayadere, Kingdom of the Shades; so basically I am dancing a dead thing in both pieces!

We also had Jazz with Willie Hinton which was awesome (but exhausting) and a regular old technique class.

Day One.

Today was the placement class, and I did ask if I could try the next level (3a) this time.
Heidi observed the class and did move some people out of there at the end, but I was not one of them, although she did single me out for notes after the class, which has me a little freaked out! In general I felt pretty comfortable in there, and feel like it will work out ok.

After our 1 1/2 hour technique class we had 45 minutes of pointe, where I am in the intermediate/advanced level. I didn't feel it was all that different technically then the other level, but it did move a little faster. I did the whole class, but probably shouldn't have, what with my ankle issue, but I have ice on it now!

After lunch we had a nice long stretch class, which was followed by modern, with a drummer! FUN!
Now I am icing and elevating my ankle and waiting for a ride to the natural grocery store to stock up on breakfast and dinner items.

I have actually booked myself a session with Heidi's husband Chris who is a professional (dance) photographer this week. Every year people do this and I think they must be crazy to want to do it, but somehow I think this is the year when I should go for it. I have seen his work and he really is good, and knows what he is doing, and if I could get some lovely shots of myself en pointe now, while I am still able to do it... well maybe I am mad!

Tomorrow we start learning our variation for the Friday Performance, our repertory piece, and we have a jazz class; then a trip to the dancewear store in the evening. What's not to like?

Made it!

Thanks to Beccy's excellent airport service I had an uneventful trip, although the flight from SFO to Dulles was completely full, and so sleep really was not an option, I liked transferring at Dulles (D.C.) way better than the other routes I have tried, and was in Richmond by 9.15 this morning.

The red-eye gamble paid off, because the hotel did have a clean room for me to check into this morning, and I even ran in to my buddy Paul (from Seattle ) in the lobby.

Now I should really get some rest, but I am finally getting to feel excited, now that the logistics of getting here are out of the way.

It's good to be back!

As if i didn't have enough to do...

I volunteered to make a sign board for the Cassand Ballet. Gary brought the boards, I had some chalk board paints, and I took the photo from their website.Its not quite finished, but I would like to be able to take it to class tomorrow so they can see that I have at least made an effort!

Getting Ready.

Going to head out to Richmond again on Friday night, I am trying the Red Eye this year, because I usually travel from the very early hours of Saturday morning, and end up stressed out that I am going to miss the Saturday night dinner, and jetlagged by the time difference for the Sunday placement class.

I have a few things to finish before I go, and have been working on a quilted piece for a secret pal swap on Ravelry I have a bit of knitting to finish and am trying to get a crochet project started to bring with me.

Oh, and I have to arrange a cat sitter, get the children organized for their last week of school and the Ballet School Spring Recital, both of which happen while I am away, and I also took on the making of a sign for Cassand Ballet, which I have just started tonight, and should have done by Wednesday. A mite too ambitious, perhaps?

More of the Good Stuff

Some pictures today, yes I know I am way behind on updates! It is busy here!

Monday started with the camp photo, which is always fun! Heidi's husband is a professional dance photographer and he does a great job with our rabble. He is shooting the cover of Dance Teacher Magazine next month, which is very cool!

We then had technique with Kathy followed by an intro to our variation for the Friday performance with Danile. It is from Coppelia and is a little strenuous; but nothing compared to a certain pointe piece recently attempted!
After lunch we were back with Kathy working on the repertory performance piece, which is from Paquita. If you go to this video, we are doing the first 4.10 minutes almost exactly as this corps does, but without the excessive wobbling of the girl on the right at 4.04!

After 'rep' which went incredibly well, we had a jazz class, which was actually more of a modern class, we had some Horton in there! By this time my head was about to explode, so I stopped when she got into some turn sequences!

There was a trip to the dance store (Ellman's) arranged for the evening, and I managed to find my first ever low back leotard ( I was covering up my bra in basic tanks from the age of 16 on!), it is even in a Tall size, so it fits really well.

The evening ended with a 2 margarita dinner at Nacho Mama's handily located near the dance store. It was probably one margarita too many, but I was not feeling any major muscle pain!

Pushing it a little far?

Sunday was pretty rough! We got into the studio at 11am, for orientation and placement classes. What was pretty cool though was that Heidi asked me what levels I thought I should be in; being a returning student has advantages. I stuck with the intermediate level for technique (3a) and asked to be in the intermediate level for pointe too, and for modern.

Those of us at dinner the night before had decided that 3a had been enough work last year, and as many of the same people had returned, and we knew that the teachers would teach to the level anyway, I felt pretty comfortable with it all.

The 1.5 hour placement class was with Randall (who we only saw for pas de deux last year). I was much less stressed out about it, and was able to relax and check out the newbies! Randall's style is very lyrical, lots of epaulment and using the breath, even in basic barre. It was fun and straight forward, and felt good!

After a 15 minute break went on to the intermediate pointe with Tristi, and it was hard, but I felt it was not out of my reach, and I fared ok on all the one foot releves etc. A couple of people voluntarily left during barre and went down to the lower level class, and I certainly didn't feel that I had to do that, but it was a long 45 minute class!

After another quick break we had kinesiology (interesting stuff about the way we move, concentrated on backs and shoulders) but I was lying on a mat on the floor and felt decidedly sleepy! I roused myself for the last class of the day which started at 5.15 and I was soooo tired, but it was the intermediate modern class with a drummer and I couldn't wimp out of it!

Our teacher was Judy Steele, and thankfully she started us off with some slow stretching, but we worked up to a cool combination with some floor rolling which, of course didn't phase me at all, and some nice across the floor but it was to a 5/8 count and by this time I was beginning to loose it!

Our first day finished up at 6.30pm and we stumbled back to the hotel, went to the local Wholefoods style grocery store for supplies and retreated to our rooms where I had a long overdue appointment with re hydration and the foam roller!