Reflection of the First Week
One week ago, I was sitting in my friend's apartment, having fifteen simultaneous panic attacks about the beginning of my summer intensive.
One week later, I am so hyped to get started on the second week that I wish it was bedtime already.
Some things have been difficult--since I haven't had formal pointe training in 10 years (my pointe classes in the past year were all open classes a level down, taken en pointe), my turns, echappes, and hops en pointe are all pretty abysmal, and our variations teacher asked me if I was okay, because it looked like there was "fire in my shoes". I got over it, kept the shoes on, and have only lost one toenail so far. The teachers have been so incredibly supportive and friendly, and have given me more corrections in a week than I think I've ever received in my years of training. I'm doing pretty well, all in all. I even managed to not smack my partner in the face during pas de deux.
We also finished the week with a character class, which I think might be my favorite. There's something very viscerally satisfying to me about character dance, and our teachers not only taught us steps from all over the world but also taught us the history behind those dances (by the way, Joffrey Summer Intensive kids--pack your shoes and skirt even though your welcome packet doesn't talk about character classes!).
I had to contact the Joffrey administration, because I am enrolled in the performance track for the intensive, and the last performance is July 23rd at 1pm. I also leave for the Bolshoi in Moscow at 7pm that evening, and I am stressing (six weeks in advance) about this scheduling conflict. I've been told that I will need to take my luggage from the dorm to the theatre to the airport, which means I'll probably have to be drinking calming tea the whole time, but that's for a later date.
Bonus: JBS hosts a free massage clinic on Saturdays--students from a nearby massage college show up and they get to practice on people with sore muscles and we get massages. It was my first massage and the guy basically fixed my lower back and hips, which have been bothering me for the better part of a year. A good end to a good week at the Joffrey Ballet School.
For something completely different, I went to my first Krav Maga class today (yes, the Israeli self defense system) and never have I been so out of breath--not after Bikram, not after ballet intensives, not after riding a bicycle cross the Cascade Mountains. I can feel the bruises forming on my arms, and I have never smiled so wide while walking home from exercise. I first decided that I would try a self defense/martial arts class because a.) I am a young woman living in the year 2016 and b.) how else am I supposed to become the Black Widow; and I found a studio literally one block from the JBS dorms. Naturally I signed up for an intro class and I really felt rewarded by the kicking and the punching and supportive group of women that I trained with. I have another lesson on Saturday and I'm already pumped.
All in all? Panic attacks were for nothing, the first week went awesomely, and I'm ready for another six.
One week later, I am so hyped to get started on the second week that I wish it was bedtime already.
Some things have been difficult--since I haven't had formal pointe training in 10 years (my pointe classes in the past year were all open classes a level down, taken en pointe), my turns, echappes, and hops en pointe are all pretty abysmal, and our variations teacher asked me if I was okay, because it looked like there was "fire in my shoes". I got over it, kept the shoes on, and have only lost one toenail so far. The teachers have been so incredibly supportive and friendly, and have given me more corrections in a week than I think I've ever received in my years of training. I'm doing pretty well, all in all. I even managed to not smack my partner in the face during pas de deux.
We also finished the week with a character class, which I think might be my favorite. There's something very viscerally satisfying to me about character dance, and our teachers not only taught us steps from all over the world but also taught us the history behind those dances (by the way, Joffrey Summer Intensive kids--pack your shoes and skirt even though your welcome packet doesn't talk about character classes!).
I had to contact the Joffrey administration, because I am enrolled in the performance track for the intensive, and the last performance is July 23rd at 1pm. I also leave for the Bolshoi in Moscow at 7pm that evening, and I am stressing (six weeks in advance) about this scheduling conflict. I've been told that I will need to take my luggage from the dorm to the theatre to the airport, which means I'll probably have to be drinking calming tea the whole time, but that's for a later date.
Bonus: JBS hosts a free massage clinic on Saturdays--students from a nearby massage college show up and they get to practice on people with sore muscles and we get massages. It was my first massage and the guy basically fixed my lower back and hips, which have been bothering me for the better part of a year. A good end to a good week at the Joffrey Ballet School.
For something completely different, I went to my first Krav Maga class today (yes, the Israeli self defense system) and never have I been so out of breath--not after Bikram, not after ballet intensives, not after riding a bicycle cross the Cascade Mountains. I can feel the bruises forming on my arms, and I have never smiled so wide while walking home from exercise. I first decided that I would try a self defense/martial arts class because a.) I am a young woman living in the year 2016 and b.) how else am I supposed to become the Black Widow; and I found a studio literally one block from the JBS dorms. Naturally I signed up for an intro class and I really felt rewarded by the kicking and the punching and supportive group of women that I trained with. I have another lesson on Saturday and I'm already pumped.
All in all? Panic attacks were for nothing, the first week went awesomely, and I'm ready for another six.
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