balletchap

Well- more rehearsals! Due to two of the ladies dropping out we have hashed
and rehashed the piece. Hopefully if there are no more cast changes, we
should be back on track!

So far we are about 2/3 of the way through, and have got to the bit I
dreaded/looked forward to depending on what mood I’m in; the big pas de deux
section. I say pas de deux but at present there is one of me, and 5 ladies,
so I guess it’s a pas de six!

We had a first go at some of the lifts with varying success- I’m sure, with
practice that I should get them, but a little extra coaching wouldn’t go
amiss. (Anyone any suggestions who might be able to help with this?) Having
said that, I’m having a ball, so I mustn’t grumble. I am going to grumble
however about how battered and bruised I am though- I look like I have been
beaten up!

Well that’s it for now. I might attempt to get to a new class tomorrow-
report to follow if I make it! (5th or 6th time lucky!)

Where do I start? I have been very remiss at writing my blog of late- so much has been going on and I have been so busy! So apologies if this ends up either being:

A)    Very long

B)     Lots of chunks.

First, let me start with a positive- another fantastic UKBTM (United Kingdom Ballet Tweet Meet, for the uninitiated) organised by the wonderful Becca Jukes, and taught by the equally wonderful Karis Scarlette. New venue, some new faces, some familiar.

A great class that (I think) pushed all concerned, I know I gained lots out of it. As before, it was an absolute pleasure, and dare I say privilege to be taught by such a knowledgeable teacher. Having said that, I can’t leave out the lovely ladies that I shared the class with- It was great to be with such a fine group who clearly take their dancing seriously!

The second half of the meet was a lovely social, in a particularly fine venue. A great opportunity to chat about all things dance, and get to know people a bit better.

A wonderful day, and I look forward to the next one!

Next, a minor crisis! One of my classes is doing a show this term (we are ensconced into a theatre school) and due to the change of normal class schedule to accommodate rehearsals it moved from a Tuesday to a Wednesday.

When I do my other two classes of the week.

Bother.

Frustratingly, it was smack bang in the middle time wise; normally I would be passing Newport Pagnell service area at about that time!

Lots of thinking occurred in the next 24 hours after I found out- I simply couldn’t go down to one class a week, but I couldn’t miss the show either. A difficult phonecall and email to my two teachers explaining the situation was my final solution. Both Aime and Sophie were very sweet about it, and more understanding than I could have hoped for.

As luck would have it, my rehearsal class had to be moved by fifteen minutes as it clashed for someone else (she is in three of the show numbers- dedicated or mad, I can’t decide) – meaning I have a (tight) sprint across Bedfordshire and can make 2 out of the three. Currently considering my options for finding another class.

Moving on to the rehearsals (you would have though I planned this…) what a culture shock! Having never rehearsed anything more than a school play I had no idea what to expect. And to be greeted by “oh, we are glad you can do it, the piece kind of pivots round you…”

No pressure then.

After rehearsal two, we now have a vague story, and have choreographed about half of the piece. We kind of ground to a halt as my pas de deux partner is on honeymoon, (Congratulations Alice) so I spent a large section of the last session standing about with Debbie (the teacher) saying things like “ok ladies, while you do your bit, Dan and Alice will be doing… something” I’m sure it will be okay, we have till the 19^th of July to get it right. Not that I am counting, or nervous. Honest.

Oh! Before I finish I must sing the praises (again) of the lovely ladies at Just Ballet. Having started rehearsals, part of the piece requires me to fall to the floor, in spectacular fashion. This plays havoc with ones knees! A quick tweet to @justballetuk on a long shot to see if they had any knee pads, as they had none on their site. Quick reply, they sorted me some out, (along with some other bits) and they dropped through my door next day. Fantastic to find a retailer that really does care, and provides a good service. I for one will be going back to them in the future.

So, I think that’s me caught up; I promise to be less rubbish at updating, hopefully in the very near future I should be doing some reviews of a dance something (not sure what yet) and more updates on the rehearsals.

Move it 2013- Well what can I say? Overwhelming is an understatement! If I’m honest, wasn’t sure what to expect, but there was lots of it!

It’s a kind of mix between a trade show, a dance showcase all topped of with open classes.

Did I enjoy it? Erm… I think I did! I’m not great in crowds so I’m glad I went on the Friday, that was MORE than busy enough for me.

The main stage shows were all very good, even the stuff that wasn’t to my taste. Tring Park and Elmshurst were my personal favourites. However there were LOTS of very talented people.

I got to meet the lovely ladies from www.justballet.co.uk who were able to offer me a range of fantastic shoes even in my size!

My main criticism is that there wasn’t as much ballet stuff as I would have liked, and virtually nothing for us chaps.

But as I said on the day “ballet is a minority dance form, adult ballet is a minority of that, and adult male (non pro) ballet dancers are rare beasts indeed!

Greetings reader, what has been occurring in the land of Balletchap?

Well quite a lot if I’m honest! Back to classes with vigour, and I’m not sure if it’s a good thing, but it doesn’t feel as physically hard as it once was; now I’m fairly certain my teachers aren’t going soft on me, so I guess that means I’m getting fitter!

I have taken on a shiny new class since we last spoke- due to retiming of another class I can now get to a 2^nd class on a Wednesday, just for confusions sake, not my old 2^nd class, but a different one! This requires a 30 mile dash up the motorway across 3 counties- how’s that for dedication eh?

The class in question (get to the point man!) is run by the lovely Amie Brotherton (http://www.amieballet.co.uk) and is a fab class. I like the fact I actually get feedback from the teacher when I do it wrong, praise when I do it right and a mix of exercises that both cement the basics and push my ability (or lack thereof) the class is mixed ability, and has such a nice bunch of people I don’t think I have gone away yet without having laughed sometime during the class- total contrast to some classes I have been unfortunate enough to go to. My advice- if you are ever anywhere near Northampton on a Wednesday night, make the effort- you won’t regret it.

Oh yes- before I forget! How could I forget!

I went to see the Balletboyz at Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre. Fantastic new regional theatre, I will be returning.

As for the “Boyz” What can I say? For those of you who don’t know what/who they are, they are a group of 10 male dancers who (certainly for me) challenge what dance is/can be. Using conventional dance, and other styles such as capoeira, tai chi, and parkour

They performed 2 pieces, one by Liam Scarlett, and the other by Russell Maliphant. The 2 pieces worked well together, as they were both so very different- the first being very fluid, and organic in the way it flowed. The second was much more physical, dynamic, and almost aggressive at times- there were moments where I thought “They mess this up, that’s going to hurt” but of course, they didn’t. Saying that, the performance was in no way reserved or safe, you could see and hear the effort the Boyz were using. I urge you to find them, watch them, and be amazed.

That’s all for now folks, but I have booked my ticket for Moveit 2013 so the next blog will probably be about that! If you are there on the Friday, I’ll give you a wave!

Bit of a different blog entry today folks thought I would do a bit of a review of one of my favourite dance shops; Freed of London.

Most of you have probably had a pair of Freed shoes, my first pair of ballet shoes were Freeds. In my opinion, they are a bit of a household name for dancers.

To the shop, a short wander from Leicester Square tube, a slightly longer walk from Covent Garden is on the junction of Cecil Court and St Martins Lane. The shop frontage, while small has a bit of pomp about it- it feels like a special place to go.

Upon entering, I’m always struck by how traditional the store feels- and that’s not a bad thing. The staff are always friendly, and incredibly helpful. They know what they are talking about, but never come across as patronising; unlike some other stores.

They also seem to have a superhuman ability to be able to tell what size you are- they haven’t got me wrong yet!

Speaking as a male dancer, the range of clothing they have is not bad- certainly cover all the staples; leotards, tights, unitards and of course, shoes. While they are not the cheapest, they are not overpriced, and in my opinion the quality is very good.

In conclusion, a shop stocked with good quality stuff, where you will get good service. Would recommend you visit next time you are in London.

Freed of London Ltd.
94 St Martins Lane
London
WC2N 4AT

Well, dear reader, what a frustrating few weeks!
The last month or so has been characterised by failing to get to ballet classes.
Cancelations, broken cars, road closures and sickness have all taken their toll on my schedule.

I’m down to two classes again now;
My Monday night class didn’t suit, far, far too crowded and cliquey for my liking.
My 2nd Wednesday class I wasn’t getting ANY feedback from the teacher at all. Which was a shame, as I actually liked the people in the class. I’ll miss them.

I might have the possibility to try a couple of more classes next term- both of which are unknown quantities at present- but I need to try and keep the impetus up.

One thing the lack of classes has shown me; this ballet lark is both good for me physically and mentally.
Shame you can’t get it on prescription!

 Monday night we had a substitute teacher as ours was unavailable. While she was clearly a good dancer, her teaching left a lot to be desired- it was a planned swap, so her lack of prep was disappointing. Coupled with the fact she insisted on referring to retiré as a relevé throughout the class- is there such a thing as a petit relevé?  And probably a couple of personal things- please use devant and derriere and not front and back! It’s a tendu devant, not a point your foot to the front!

Also, I’m a grown up- I don’t need to be taken through a 15 minute warm up and 20 minute warm down- eats into an 1 ½ class rather…

Tuesday teacher was off sick. Bless her; she did look awful- so one of the more experienced pupils “took” the class. In the end it became a bit of a choreography session, something which is quite a way out of my comfort one at the moment, and those that were happy to choreograph didn’t really take into account the ability (or lack thereof) of some of the other dancers (i.e. me) no ones fault really, but it did dent my confidence.

Wednesday, first class was okay until a couple of pupils (mother and daughter) rocked up late, then proceeded to have a conversation between them. For the rest of the class, sharing what were clearly private jokes. It really got to me, because (rightly or wrongly) I’m sure some of their mirth was at my expense. I’m probably overreacting, but they are the sort who peer down their noses at you because you are an adult and you DARE to only be starting out.

Second class, as you can imagine I was emotionally wrecked by this point- started with a nice section of barre (chair) work, and a passable porte de bras spoiled by my constantly over-critiquing what I saw of myself in the mirror. Then onto an adage section- the format of thee class is we learn a new dance every term. This was out first go at it and I know I wasn’t the only one who was totally overwhelmed by what was thrown at us.

Comes back round to Monday again… and for the first time since I restarted, I skipped class- I just could not be dealing with it. And I am to unwell tonight (hence the blog) not a good start to the new week!

And I am sat here questioning what I want to get out of dancing. And at the moment, I don’t know.