Blizzard Tuesday

After such a happy Sunday, the day ended with disaster.  As I sat in a bookstore downtown reading a book and having some coffee, I had laid my tote bag and things on the floor beside me and, absorbed in the book, I did not notice that my bag, wallet and ballet clothes were gone!

Well, I hope the thief is happy with my pink leotard, pink tights and pink ballet slippers and I wish him well in his robbery attempts during the Blizzard of 2011.  Thank you, Mother Nature.  The worst part is replacing all of my IDs; however, the dance studio said they would issue me a new card, considering the circumstances.  Anyone who robs a starving artist is beyond me -- we are criticized so much by the masses, who don't realize how hard it is to stay in shape, play an instrument, paint a picture -- all of this takes money, which they would rather have to buy things from stores for their "happiness."

My happiness today was getting myself together and going to dance class.  Yesterday I didn't do a thing and had to go about replacing everything that I lost, so it felt good to move and be thankful that I am safe, which is the most important thing, after all.

Class:
1. Standing parallel, slowly bend down and touch floor, walk out with hands as far as you can go and alternately bend knees.  Repeat, rolling head and then shoulders; also bend elbows to ground.
2. Plies with port de bras, really bending torso.
3. Tendu ball foot en croix; tendus in 1st with tendus en croix with arms.
4. Tendus 1st 5th en croix.
5. Ronde jambes with chasses forward, back, pas de bourre in circle away and toward barre.
6. Frappes front, side, side with beats.
7. Developpes front, plie, swing leg to arabesque; developpe seconde; repeat reverse.
8. Stretch leg on barre, grab leg with opposite arms and pull leg, opening chest; do splits, bend forward, arch back, point and flex feet.
9. Port de bras down to floor from 5th position.
10. Grand plies with grand battements.
Center:
1. Tendus forward, plie in 5th, Two tendus forward and back croise; 1tendu, grand plie.
2. Tendus 5ths with arms, efface back with elonge arm, tendus side to other side; repeat with degages.
3. Tendu efface, walk around yourself, developpe seconde, pas de bourre chasse arabesque; developpe efface, plie arabesque pas de bourre.
4. Waltz in line 2x, pirouettes, elance jump seconde, inside pirouette, detourne.
5. 3x pique turn, one soutenu, en diagonale.
6.  Cool down, walk to fondu 4th, port de bras, dancers moving at random ("Move, Dorothy, we don't have all day!")

Well, I was okay until the end when I get tired and want the class to end.  It was such a relaxing class for me, though, that I just wanted to float through the end, but directors and teachers have other things in mind.  It is movement that matters, not appearance.  When you look at a beautiful dancer, what do you see?  Is it someone who is attractive or do you wonder who they are and how they got that way.  I feel, like this teacher does, that we all need to move more and I constantly strive to learn how to look more beautiful as I am moving...just a thought.