Returning to Relevé

I've been pondering some changes to my usual class attire. I'm a creature of habit, so when I started dancing again I just wore what I've always worn to class: leotard, convertible pink tights, shorts (originally knit, now spandex), and pink canvas slippers. My usual ballet gear just isn't doing it for me anymore Alas, because I am now an adult woman*, this combination is not as flattering as it might have been when I was 16.  These days, I have what I like to call a "J-Lo" thing happening (bootylicious!), and I'm pear-shaped. This is a lovely shape to have when one wants to wear cute a-line dresses (which I do).  It is, however, a difficult shape to dress when one has to wear ballet attire. Why can't I wear THIS to ballet class? (Traveling Cupcake Truck Dress, from Modcloth)   For example, I have tried several brands of tights in an effort to find a pair that doesn't have a waist band threatening to sever me in half.  No l...

I have this fancy metal screen in my bedroom: It matches the metal bed frame I inherited from my parents when I moved out of their house, and is nice and old timey (I'm a bit of a history nerd).  I like the "pretty, but rustic" look. It sits off to one side of my bedroom, "hiding" the door to the bathroom (which is blocked by cat litter boxes on the other side, so I don't use that door).  It has no purpose other than to be pretty and decorative. I have found a second use for it: Who knew, right?

My body has decided to go on strike.  I've been having some pain/aches around my ankle and heel, but its another thing that comes and goes depending on its mood (I assume).  It's only my right foot, which I had sprained (twice) over 10 years ago, so I originally thought maybe it was just not as strong and needed time to get used to all my dancing and pointe again. It has continued, so I started thinking maybe my never-ending point shoe saga was to blame--and I'm sure isn't helping things. So, since we're on a break from classes (during which I fully intend on just RESTING for once), I made an appointment with a foot/ankle specialist to get it checked out, just to be safe, especially since after break I'm going to that SI. Good news: not my Achilles.  Also not an os trigonum issue (whew).  Bad news: I have some inflammation/tendonitis in my flexor hallucis longus tendon* . (yea, trying saying that fast...or at all). Its the tendon that runs from your ...

We had our show last night, and things went pretty well for me.  We had some hiccups with staging/timing on a couple of numbers due to not having had a full dress rehearsal, but overall it went well!  There's always a little something that doesn't pan out quite like you want, but they're always minor things that I'm sure the audience doesn't even notice, so I try not to dwell. Two of my coworkers came to the show, much to my surprise!  Neither of them had said anything about coming, so when I spotted one of them in the audience I couldn't help but give her a big grin (luckily, it was appropriate to the character I was portraying). I had spent most of the day being anxious and nervous, but by the time we started dancing I was as calm as can be.  I was glad, because during our Christmas show I'd been super nervous (for reasons I can't explain).  In the past (when I was younger and doing Nutcracker every year), I'd get nervous right before going on,...

I have a dumb knee. I don't like to say its a "bad" knee, because it still totally functions (quite well, actually), but it has some issues due to past injuries/surgeries (meniscus tear).  Every once in awhile it will ache (typically when the weather changes, which my friends find hilarious), but then it will feel normal again.  Sometimes a particularly rigorous class will make it ache too, but its nothing a little post-class icing/elevation/resting can't cure. At least that was true until a couple of weeks ago.  The weather had been weird again, so when it started to ache, I didn't really think anything of it.  Then last week I somehow managed to overstretch my hamstring on that side, and it REALLY ached. I'm naturally hyperextended, so I figured the combination of overstretching (and also forcing my knee back while doing so), plus the weather stuff had just made it irritated in general.  I wasn't really doing more classes/rehearsals than I had be...

Our pointe teacher is leaving; today is her last day. I am super bummed because she is amazing and fabulous. Even though I was often the lone adult dancing with the teens, she always made sure to treat me the same--give me corrections, compliments, encouragement. She was amazing and I'm sad she's leaving us. She was both really technical (which I like), and lots of fun (the class has several inside jokes now). That's been one of the things I've noticed about my school, and I'm not sure how common it is elsewhere, but it really does seem like teachers come and go fairly often. I wonder if its common in the dance world? I guess its a symptom of dance teachers also having other jobs/lives, so I can't imagine its completely uncommon. Just a total bummer when one of your favorites has to leave.

I've decided to chronicle my dancing shenanigans in blog form!  Let's see how well I can keep up with it. I've made an About Me page, but just for the sake of saving your clicking finger, here's a short rundown of who I am:  I am a dancer in her early 30 who has recently started dancing again after a long break.  I take both ballet (which I originally started as a youngin') and jazz (a recent development).  I was inspired to start blogging about my dance adventures because I'm a big fan of both The Remedial Ballerina and Adult Beginner .  Reading dance blogs was one of the things that really helped motivate me to return to dancing.  I figured the more of us out here in the blogosphere, the more encouragement someone else might get to try or restart ballet. (Go do it!)