Returning to Relevé

I'm sure my fellow adult dancers can commiserate. What's the most frustrating, as someone who grew up dancing, is that I can't do things I used to be able to do. I was always a jumper growing up (especially grand allegro) and now I feel like I can't even get off the floor. Petit allegro is miserable for similar reasons, but also because I cannot get my brain and body to sync. I know the exercise beforehand and can mark it just fine, but once I actually start jumping my body just won't GO. I'm not sure how much of this is still weakness from not being able to dance for awhile and how much is...well...age. Ugh. Weirdly, though, I can do triple pirouettes now and never got those as a teen, so maybe its all in my head. Anyhoodle--updates! Ankle is definitely better--I finally finished PT last month! My flexibility still doesn't quite match on that side, so plies can be a little weird (especially in jumps...hmm). Its happiest when I'm using it-...

At the beginning of June, I traveled to Salt Lake City for the  artÉmotion Adult Ballet Summer Intensive , and it was THE BEST THING EVER. The classes were amazing, the teachers were amazing, the other dancers were amazing...I could go on and on. Plus Salt Lake City had some pretty amazing weather (sunny and hot all week, which I love). To sum up (I'll go into greater detail below), I HIGHLY recommend it and would do it again. In a heartbeat. With exclamation points!!  Side note: my ankle did fine, and I wasn't nearly as sore as I expected. More details on the program below for those that are curious.

Apologies for the non-creative title, but that's literally all I can think right now. A picture of me right now. I'm still plugging away taking class/barre, still have pain in my jerk of a peroneal tendon, am still doing PT, and am still super unhappy about how out of shape I am. The level of my weakness is really sort of unreal. It's like I haven't taken class in six years, rather than just one. The work and progress I had made prior to the ankle drama has just vanished into thin air. It's incredibly frustrating.

There are apparently stages of grief with injuries , and I think I've hit them all. One of my last posts was definitely during what I was thinking of as my "depression" stage, and today's post may very well fall under "acceptance." One of the newer exercises that the PT is having me do involves standing on one leg on the flat side of a Bosu ball and doing 15 rond de jambes (3 sets--my leg really feels it by the end)--without holding on to anything. The other folks there are thoroughly impressed with my ability to balance; I've taken to calling it my "circus act."  It has really been the inspiration to kick me out of my depression, because it has made me realize that I'll come out of all this even stronger than before. Maybe I'll even be able to do this: On releve! Can you imagine? (I can't really, but who knows!) Positive thoughts ;)

It's funny how often I get frustrated with something, come and complain/vent about it on this blog (which is its own sort of therapy), and then a day or two later the universe is like, "Girl, chill. Have some encouragement." We shared class with the kiddos again the other day, and when we do center together we split into groups of "kids" and "adults." The teacher gives each group a different combo, they perform it, and then we switch places. We had switched so that it was the adults turn, and the teacher said to the little ones, "When you're waiting your turn, watch Miss Glorie [me]. Watch her upper body--she moves exactly the way a classical dancer is supposed to move. I never have to correct her." I was humbled, and flabbergasted, and thanked her profusely for such a compliment. She danced with BOLSHOI, you guys. Handpicked from when she was young. I don't think I could receive a higher compliment, really. (I still like correcti...

One of the things I pride myself on is my ability to quickly learn and adapt to new dance steps and styles. I think ballet is a fantastic foundation for all types of dance, and my background as a classical dancer has been a benefit more than once. However, every once and awhile I come across a step that completely befuddles me. Most recently this is a tap step, not a ballet one (I don't often post about tap on this blog, but in addition to ballet I take jazz and tap classes). Y'all. PULL BACKS. I can't figure them out. The entire class was struggling with them at first, but slowly, one-by-one, everyone else in class has gotten the hang of it while I'm still scrapping across the floor like a goober. Very frustrating. Part of my problem is that I have trouble letting my ankles relax (something tap does that is very contrary to ballet). I also haven't found a visual that speaks to me. "Think up," my teacher tells me, ever so patiently. "Think of ...