Heard in the hallway

Summer maintenance classes are winding down and there is already talk of December's Nutcracker performances. Unfortunately I over heard the AD tell one of the instructors that I am too old for any role but party parent while I was warming up in an adjacent room. Ouch!

Summer classes

Summer is here and a group of very vocal adults have managed get all of our classes back for the summer, we have gone from one class on Saturday morning back to our regular three classes a week. Oddly enough a nearby studio that I used to attend who pretty much ignored adults considered us just recreational students there for a ballet style stretch class. NOT! Methinks there is a spy on our in out midst with ties to the competing studio, very strange.

On another note I have been getting some private lessons in Pas De Deux over the last few weeks and am blown away that several of the adult ladies I take class with are more than willing to be my victims so they can learn with me. Who knew?

Wow two years since I’ve been here.

Lets see….what’s happened in the last 24 months after Coppelia. Three of my classmates and I went to Richmond in August 2015 for the Sunking Summer Workshop and became the Denver Team as we four were the most students from any one city. We worked our tails off during the days and gossiped over dinner and drinks every night and meant fellow adult dancers from all over the world all of who are a little crazy, must be an adult thing. Only one of our group made it back for 2016 and none of us are going to be able to make it for 2017 but there are plans for a reunion in 2018! One of our group has been diagnosed with lung cancer, she’s one of the lucky ones that can use a blocker instead of chemo or radiation and has been showing up to classes with the goal of making it to Richmond in 2018 the rest of the group has told we were in for the workshop with her.

Got the opportunity to do Mouse King and Mother Ginger for our 2015 Nutcracker production, whole lot of fun but I don’t know if I’d ever do Mouse King again found I have a touch of claustrophobia when I wear the headpiece. Sad thing happened late spring when the owner of our studio announced that he was stepping down and away the dance world after five years of running one of the best studios in the Denver area.

Several of the instructors along with the board decided to find a new home for our studio we now share a space with another dance studio not as high tech as our old home and there are some minor conflicts but guess that should be expected when you mix bun heads with competitive dancers. We did lose a lot of students with the move, keeping my fingers crossed that the ranks build back up to keep the studio healthy.

The studio did a 2016 Nutcracker and I got Mother Ginger again along with the parent part dance but ended giving up the role as the was way too much sniping and bad mouthing from two of the males brought in to do other parts. I will never understand how someone my age can be seen as a threat to guys half as old as me. Guess it’s their problem and not mine. I got the role of Sancho Panza for the Don Q production and while not a dancing role I had a blast doing the character and got to learn how to do some acting.

It’s the beginning of summer for 2017 and adult classes are on maintenance and only running a couple of classes during the week so not a lot is happening. I did however start a weekly private Pas De Deux class with a couple of the ladies from the studio and a very unforgiving Russian teacher. Very basic work and I never knew my arms could get so tired! More on this as we progress over the summer.

Out of the mouth of babes

It’s been a long week of regular classes and Coppelia rehearsals so that by the time Saturday rehearsals came around a lot of the dancers were more than a little tired and getting careless, me included.

The start of the third act is when the Duke appears and walks across the stage acknowledging the bows from the towns people. Music starts and no Duke, little hand tugs on my sleeve “Aren’t you the Duke” she asks “I am” I reply then turn back to watch the activity on the stage. Moment later another tug on my sleeve from the same little hand “Aren’t you supposed to be on stage?” It then hits me I am not paying any attention and am late which forces a restart of ACT III.

After the act finished a very embarrassed me walked over the owner of that little hand and thanked her for reminding me of my cue and apologized for ignoring her prompt.

Analogies

We all use analogies to describe something to someone especially when it’s a little abstract and it’s no difference in a dance class and can be “little” female centric and times.

In the past I’ve been told to use my bun to help me find my center, or imagine that I want to keep my long earrings from touching my shoulders as a means of keeping my head erect. My all time favorite came the other night in a modern class when the instructor was trying to help a bunch of beginning students get the proper feel for collapsing from the upper shoulders during a movement across the floor, she said to imagine our boobs getting heavy and pulling us downward. Really didn’t have anything relate to that but I pretended as best I could.

Fun and Games

Costumes for Coppelia are starting to arrive so I got fitted for both the Duke as well Mazurka and Czardas last weekend. There is something about putting me in green costumes. Last Nutcracker had me in a light green coat and pants and I got a little kidding about looking like a leprechaun, welp the Duke’s costume is green, deep emerald green jacket, knickers and a top hat and to my disappointment no cape. Sigh.

The Mazurka and Czardas costuming is nothing more than a vest and tights. The costume mistress had a gleam in her eye when she told me that the part of the costume included tights that matched the color of the vest thinking it might embarrass me a little. With a straight face I replied back that I guess I will need to buy a dance belt suitable for stage. Don’t think she realized that I have been on stage before in tights in the past. Now the other guy in the Mazurka might have a problem with wearing tights, would like to see his face when he gets fitted and informed.

Classes and rehearsals

Last few months have been crazy busy. Copelia rehersals started up early January and while I didn’t get Dr Copelius as I had hoped for I was given the opportunity to learn the part for acts I and II until the pro starts in April. Which means basically I get to learn the character and be there for the rest of the cast to react to during rehearsals without the pressure of performing the part, that actually worked out well for me. I do have some small parts in the show doing the Mazurka & Czardas in the first act and the Nobel man in the third act for the wedding scene. The ladies in my class are having a ball with this giving me curtsies in the hallways whenever we go past each other or if they get into class before I do.

Besides rehearsals the studio as added another adult ballet class and one for beginning modern, so those combined my previous classes and the Pas De Deux have given me a full week which I hope will help me prepare for the summer workshop in Richmond this August. Already chatting with some of the others attending the workshop through a Facebook group and they seems as friendly and silly as my regular classmates.

Long past due update

It’s been over a year since I’ve update this blog, pretty much as there hasn’t been a lot worth writing about. Did another local SI at Denver Ballet Theater which was fun as I got a learn some character work as Sancho Panza from Don Quixote the only other event to come out of the SI was a broken right toe doing échappé with the ladies in pointe class.

And then another Nutcracker, I tried for Mouse King but it didn’t happen and the part went to a local pro, so I ended up doing the parent dance again and ended up with the same partner as the previous year which made it a snap to remember and Melissa and I ended up helping a lot of the other parent dancers learn the choreography.

Shortly after Nutcracker I decided to leave one of the two studios I had been taking classes from as they started treating the adult students as just adults taking a ballet class rather than serious students that want to actually learn and receive corrections to help us continue to improve, which turned out to be a good move as DBT added a third evening ballet class for adults as well as a modern class which to my utter surprise I am enjoying this time around and believe it is improving my body awareness and may actually improve my ballet technique.

Sadly, I didn’t get a part in Copellia for the spring production for DBT. But recently was asked to fill in for Dr Copellius until the pro doing the part can start in April. I’m not an understudy which is what my classmates keep saying because I am only learning the choreography that involves interacting with the other dancers but I’m learning something new which is great.

So it’s on with classes and look forward to the Sun King Dance camp in Richmond this coming August.

The Hands Have it

Been driving to Denver Dance Center and taking weekend classes while my regular studios are closed for a short break. (First time in three years that both and been closed at the same time.) Very challenging taking classes with current and retired pros from Colorado Ballet.

Our instructor demonstrates very little so many of us fall back to either marking the steps with our hands or feet to make sure we understand what she expects as she describes the movement. While she was explaining a jump combination myself and many around me were using our hands to mimic what were supposed to do, apparently the entire class was doing the same thing with their hands as when she was finished she turned away from the mirror to face us and told us that “our hands looked very nice and hopefully it would translate to our feet”.

Decisions, Decisions

Wow, three months since I’ve even though about making a new post.

Classes at both studios have wound down and their spring shows are finished. Just waiting to find out when adult classes are going to be offered for the summer, rumor has it that each studio will be offering two classes a week and one will again be offering a Adult Summer Intensive.

I did their inaugural season last summer and that in part prompted the birth of this little blog. I have been agonizing over doing this summer’s course because I was a little disappointed that repertoire got dropped last year due to the fact that so few adults came to class on a regular basis. Think there were only about four of us that showed up each day and that made it difficult for the teachers.

I loved the idea of spending several hours a day in class and getting to pretend I’m living a dancers life for a few days. I need to make a decision soon tuition is due and I need to take time off of work.

Sigh

Going to class has been getting a little depressing of late. Both studios are in full swing for their Spring Shows and the adults aren’t expected or invited to participate. I keep telling myself that I really don’t want to be on the stage as I’m too old and not all that good and I seriously doubt that anyone really wants to see an old guy on the stage. But there is still a part of me that would like to be doing something.

A little support

Wednesdays instructor thinks the adults need lots and lots of strength and technique training and we probably do. So we are facing the barre doing relives, you know the one’s 16 in first then 16 in second very quickly with lots and lots of repetitions pulling into sous sous after each 16 with arms in second. (ugh!)

We had completed several sets and had just finished 16 in first and there I am feet in as tight a sous sous as I can get and holding my arms in second trying not to let the elbows turn down when I suddenly feel a hand resting on my left hand, I reactively turned the palm up to offer support and then realized that this isn’t a partnering class what am I doing? I look over at the lady next to me who's hand is resting on mine,she blushed and whispered that she didn’t want to fall and reached out for my hand before she actually thought about what she was doing.

From the other side of the floor I hear the teacher call out “Very nice, but wrong class”.

More Lifts

The partnering instructor is clearly working towards getting the girls to a level of comfort with some of the intermediate lifts fairly quickly, I know there is a lot talk about getting ready for Summer Intensive auditions so maybe the two are related.

So last Saturday we spent quite a bit of time on doing what he called throws, the girls would go into Sous sous then a deep Plié where we catch them on the rise at the waist and literally help get them higher by doing a slight throw upwards, far enough to allow us to catch them thighs against our chest then lower them down into a fish, some of the lifts went well especially when the girls remembered to lean slightly back during the lift and a lot of misfires probably because there is still some trust issues.

Sure were a lot of gasps the first few times we practiced even with a spotter which should make next week really interesting as we are supposed to start learning shoulder sits and even more accompanied by red faces at the mention the we would start working on shoulder sits next week end.

Out of the mouth of babes

Wednesday night classes are really starting to fill up with new students,so right now this particular class is starting to slow down to accommodate the newbies so for a while I am going to treat the class more like a technique class and pay close attention to how I’m doing some of the “easier” movements and hope I haven’t been sloping through them.

On a funnier note…. One of the ladies I take class with is a French National, teaches at an local international school and has a five year old daughter who also takes a class at the same studio and for this season has the same instructor as mom does. During warm-ups the other night the instructor mentioned the wonderful talk she had with this little girl about how nice it is that she is growing up in a bilingual home and can easily speak two languages to which the young lady replied “Oh yes I can speak French real well and it helps that mom speaks a little French also”.

Giselle Variation

Welp after class last night I finally worked up the nerve to ask Mr Taylor about learning the variation from Peasant Pas De Deux dance in Giselle and to my surprise he said yes.

I have never learned any variation in my previous ballet life and would like to learn at least one while I can still walk :) No desire to ever perform the variation or let anyone else ever see it, I just want to learn.

I know it'll probably have to wait until next summer as he has YAGP and the Studio's Spring Show to do so it'll give me time to make sure I can do double cabrioles to the front and back (used to be able to those) and tour en l'air's without falling on the landings. The variation runs 52 seconds and I'm using this video as inspiration as I'm going to need it!

What Extension?

After what seemed like forever (two weeks) it was back to class last night and unlike in the past I couldn’t do the maintenance classes because I had to work and no weekend classes because I couldn’t afford it. Only maintenance I did was what I could do at home when I remembered to. Flexibility and turnout loss wasn’t as bad as I expected but what the heck happened to my extensions?!?!?! Before the break I was proud of the fact that I could get to 90 degrees, in class last night I could barely make 45 degrees and that was with a whole lot of effort and that wasn’t consistent one more thing to add to the goals list. Rest of the class regulars struggled also so I wasn’t alone. Our Russian “Ballerina” didn’t fair very well either, for someone who carries around an attitude of superiority you would think that she would at least able to do a degage to second center floor without losing her balance or fall down the each time with did a grand plie in center and blame it on the winter break. I just smiled and went on.

So it's been two weeks with no classes due to winter break for the kids classes and I am soooo ready to get back into class. Been using my NYC Ballet exercise CD and some of the wife's Pilates exercise CD's to try and help stay in shape but it's just not the same. Like a fellow member on a Web Form that I read said "The inactivity is driving me crazy, like an addict deprived of his drug."

Something a little funny

Holidays are near so attendance in the adult classes is dropping and not much going on. Got a chuckle from Alexi in Monday night's class when he wanted to someone (me) to demonstrate for the class, "We need to review Fourth Arabesque", wiggling finger to me "Come here, I need a demonstration dummy" I know what he meant but I know what I and the rest of the class heard. Cracked up.

Done and done

Did our Nutcracker performance last night and it went well especially considering the horrid dress rehearsal earlier in the day. Theater sound system didn’t like the cd with half of the music and quit partway through the show and the back up disk was at the studio. The Mother Ginger platform broke the day before and had to be partially rebuilt in the dock area of the theater. And what I found really disappointing is the professional dancers hired in to do the character parts, cavalier and prince rarely made rehearsals and when they did were usually late and generally very rude. The younger kids were told early on to look to them for examples of how to rehearse and behave in the theater, the amateur adult dancers carried themselves much better. I’ve done two Nutcrackers in the last two years and while fun I think I would like to be back in the audience watching, something odd about being on the stage after the years of watching my youngest daughter perform. Have to be honest with myself as I would really like to do something else besides the party scene, like maybe mouse king or another costumed part where it’s not apparent that I’m an older male. It’s time to return back to being strictly a student, anonymity sometimes has it perks.

A week to go

Don't know whether to be happy or sad that Nutcracker is next weekend. My partner and I are working well together and know our parts and the musical ques so it's easier to polish the little things to make ourselves look better. And the story being told is rich with more detail that I seen in other Nutcrackers. Guess that's the part to be happy about. The sad part is that it looks like none of my family or friends will be coming to the performance. Mother in law has Alzheimer's and is taking up more and more of my wife's time, church potluck is the same night as the performance and mother in law is instant that she and Cathy go. Looks like my daughters won't be there either, one used to be a dancer but go hurt and now won't watch anything, says it hurts too much to watch. Other daughter and her husband don't have any interest and friends from last year made empty promises about going so I haven't said anything about this years performance. Makes me feel pretty down right now.