Though I was pleasantly surprised to meet several fellow grown ups in my intermediate ballet classes this week, the same cannot be said of my elementary classes, where I was the one and only adult.
I know a lot of adults would feel uncomfortable in a class of 8 and 9 year olds, but if I am completely honest with you? While I prefer taking class with students closer to my own age, I felt surprisingly okay about taking class with children.
They're just kids, after all. They aren't scary. I actually like kids!
And at the end of the day, it's not about who is in your class. It's about learning ballet, and the elementary levels move at the perfect pace for me to truly focus. I have time to think about my technique, and throughout the movements, I coach myself in my mind: "Posture! Neck long! Shoulders down! Turnout! Stretch! Push your feet! Use the inner thigh!" and so on and so forth.
In my humble opinion, the elementary levels are in many ways more valuable to me than my intermediate classes, where, all too often, I devote every last bit of energy to remembering a complex combination and in turn, neglect basic technical concepts.
Here's my hope: after enough elementary classes, the basics of ballet technique will become so natural to me that in my intermediate classes, as I learn the combinations, most of the technique will just happen, because I have developed all these neuro pathways in my brain: the pathway for posture, the pathway for turnout, the pathway for pointing the feet, and so on and so on and so on.
This is my hope, but only time will tell.
(Photo of students from the Vaganova Ballet Academy)
Occasionally when I missed a ballet class growing up, I would do a make up class with a younger class. In some ways, it was much harder, because it was all about technique! I am taking my first ballet class after FIVE years next week...I am a little nervous to find out how out of shape I am, but I am so, so excited nonetheless. I have been loving your ballet posts.
ReplyDeleteThank you! And I hope you have so much fun in your ballet class! That's so exciting. :)
DeleteOh how I admire you for this. I don't know if I could handle it but I love your thought process. It makes complete sense to go back and reteach your brain these techniques so that later they come as second nature. Good luck and keep us posted!!
ReplyDeleteNot sure if it's admirable or just a little bit crazy, but thank you so much for your sweet words. :)
DeleteMany would be discouraged. You keep on! So proud of you.
ReplyDeleteYou have no idea how jealous I am that you're able to take ballet classes five days a week. Right now I can't even afford to take one, but hopefully I will be able to soon. Enjoy every minute of it! :)
ReplyDeleteYou are brave! Keep at it!
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