Thursday...

and I can't wait to get back to class.  After an inspiring Wednesday spent with working dancers, I want to work, too.  But first the gym and yoga and then a swim...after a little sleep.

...swim over -- instructor is giving me thumbs up looks.  He was disciplining the children today: "Do you hear me?  I am shocked at your behavior."

As a friend said, dancing is not the gym.  The regular teacher has been detained with rehearsals so I am having Thursday class with the director of the school, but I'll have a go.  After all, professionals can do anything anyone tells them.  I will try to remember what my teacher has said:  squeeze muscles, activate quads, hold your back, straight legs, don't bend knees, point your toes, spot, hold your arms, plie straight down with your legs, not your body; don't lean forward, bend your torso, it looks so much more interesting.

What did I leave out?  Well, that's enough for a start...nervous, but I really want to take class.  Courage!

Deltoids and lats -- you can use the incline or over your bed.  Stretch your arms out to full span and press back.  Feel the muscles under your shoulders in back.  Shoulders down, arms in 1st position and push down against me...if you had a partner, that is where you hold yourself, otherwise your partner has a hard time....   Class was great!  I am so intimidated by people.  Dance it, mental you get it, but physically feel it.  Use your incredible turnout, rotate more.  Barre was fun:

Plies, arch outside foot, arch inside foot, grand plie, port de bras, roll down parellel, stretch away from barre parallel.  Temps lie, plie, flex foot, bring to first, plie second, tendu use metatarsals.  Developpes and attitudes to developpe, arabesque, pas de bourre.  Frappes, higher, higher, swing attitude, straight leg to passe, balance, frappes double en croix.

Center:  Grand battements with pirouettes, soutenu pirouette from 5th; pique attitude, step step, pique attitude, developpe seconde, rotate to arabesque, promenade, plie, releve, faille, cambre pas de bourre, fondus grand ronde jambe, plie arabesque pas de bourre, your best pirouettes, sou sou, back leg to passe, hold, walk off.

Jumps were glissade jete, ballonnes, ballotte sou sou, quatre, trois, pas de bourre en tournant, sissonnes, changements.  Jete goes up, only the glissade moves.  Assembles front, back, side, sissonnes.

Grand Allegro:  chasse, saute de basques, jetes, walk, pique third arabesque, tour jete, chasse pas de bourre, grand jete.  Again, use the lats when jumping...and this helped my legs.

Corrections:  in attitude, extend arms to first balcony, keep extending your arms in all poses.  We use our legs so much, why?  To work the backs of our legs, to turn out.  I want you to use your arms the same way.  Expand your chest and rotate your arms to use your back.

Now I am drinking water, stretching and listening to a live African singer and some amazing African dancers.  I think I heard some French...well, time to go home and do it all again tomorrow.  And use my carriage, thank you.

About being more professional, I think I need to present myself more.  We all have faults and we are afraid to show them, but that is what makes us human and unique.  So, I should not be afraid of being more physical and showing off my feet, even though they may not point, or showing off my legs, although they are not always straight, etc.  And hold my head up, focus...I always want to look down, thank you teacher.  I should take this class again, hmmm...because, like you said, you can always do everything the same way, or you can do more and go farther to the other place.

Honestly, if it is done in good faith, nothing can look bad.  Now back to stretching my feet with my new theraband!