Returning to Relevé

I've been meaning to update y'all on the crazy that is my dance life right now (maybe even with pictures!) but I haven't had much of a chance to sit down, or to take said pictures. Rehearsals are going well, though are exhausting as per usual. Because we're doing a musical, rather than a ballet, a lot of the dances are in character shoes (with a 1.5 inch heel), and that is its own special sort of torture. However, if the title of my post is any indication, that's not what I really came to post about. I am completely and totally frustrated by pointe at the moment. After my original foot problem , I eased back up onto pointe and was starting to do full classes in them (re-conditioning ones feet to pointe shoes is no fun. Especially when one is still sporting a super awesome bruised toenail on one foot). Then, of course, my luck went downhill. Two weeks ago, I started getting some pain in the Achilles area of my OTHER foot. Saw the doc, and it seems to be a diffe...

I've always been of the opinion that dancers are strong, and therefore (as a dancer) I probably have more strength than the average person. Apparently I am not nearly as strong as I supposed. In fact, I would venture to say that I am pathetically weak. This is a slightly distressing development. As I mentioned in a previous post, I've started taking some aerial silks classes. I expected it to be difficult, because I knew going in that I have no arm/upper body strength. I didn't expect to discover that I have absolutely no core strength, and lack some degree of leg strength (specifically the inner thighs...which was unexpected to say the least since I try to be conscious of using my turnout muscles in ballet class). I have a perfectionist sort of personality, so its frustrating for me when I'm not automatically good at something. Silks is something I am not automatically good at. Everyone else is class is able to climb, wrap their feet in without hands, and hang up...