Ballet Reflection #3

My ballet class the other night was mostly review of what we had learned in the previous two classes. There was a new person in the class, so the other student and I aren't getting as much individual attention, but I know the basics well enough now that I am confident I will be fine. The warm ups and basics come very naturally to me now - plies and piques and arabesques feel very normal to me now, as well as things that are tricky at first, such as foot positioning. For example, in first position the feet are together at the heels and pointed away from each other at an angle. At first this felt quite abnormal, but now it feels normal to start in that position and then to return to it after my foot has been moving around. Essentially, the simple things have become pretty automatic. I have also noticed that I am improving on the other things we learned, like jumping in arabesque, balancing, and the various twirls I have been taught. I was not at all tired at the end of the class, but I did feel relaxed and well-exercised, like I had a good workout. I am ready for the physical intensity go up, I think, because I have definitely built up strength in my legs and improved my balance. Between classes I have been practicing my positions and other steps, so I am improving quickly.

Ballet Reflection #2

In this week's class, we continued to progress very quickly. The beginning of the lesson was dedicated to reviewing some of the things we had learned before, basics such as positions and plies, arabesques, and stretches, etc. The next three-quarters of the lesson was spent learning more complicated steps and moves. For example, we learned how to leap in arabesque and different complicated spins, as well as improving our positioning and footwork. I was surprised by how easily the harder things from last week came to me when I tried them again, and also at how easily I was able to pick up the more complicated steps this time. I also tired less easily in this class, possibly partially because I practiced during the week. I think that I am making good progress in ballet, and am looking forward to the next class.

Ballet Reflection #1

Monday was my first ballet class at the conservatory, and I thought it went really well for a first lesson. There is only one other woman in the class, with whom I get along, so the teacher is able to really focus on how we are doing compared to in a larger class. We learned a lot for the first day, probably more than 10 or 15 different things: I don't remember all the names, but there were first position and plies, second position and plies, deep plies, ballet stretches, arabesques and piques, among many other things. It was a lot to take in for a first lesson, and by the end of it my legs were quite sore (but in a good way). The two person class is moving quite quickly since there are so few of us and we are both picking it up quickly. There isn't much to say, except that I learned a lot of things, far more than I would expect for the first lesson, and managed to work up a sweat. I have been practicing my balance and different moves since Monday, and I am quite excited for my next lesson.