Tuesday, February 06, 2007

My first ballet class in the US!

Only ballet could make me leave home on a 10oF (-12o C), “biting wind” weather at night. I decided to try the Alvin Ailey school, so I went to the open intermediate ballet class. I was outraged by the price of the slippers I bought on my way, at Capezio, 38 dollars for a leather split sole!! Anyway, I always was knew ballet isn’t cheap…
The class was full (specially full of very flexible and good people), it was almost 40 students, but the room was very big so everybody was accommodated well. I immediately thought that there was no way in the world the teacher could notice me in that setting, a fact that was at the same time good and bad. So I just found a place at the barre and tried to follow. The sequences were complicated but I could keep up. Everybody else seemed to have been taking the class for a long time cause they knew everything. The center began ok, with the tendus and all, but as she advanced I got somewhat lost. The big jumps part, usually the last part of a ballet class, I didn’t even try to do. So I decided to be humble and try the beginner class (which later I found out is not even that beginner, actually they have a category called absolute beginner, which is for real beginners). On my way out, I found out the same teacher, Kat Wildish, was teaching a beginner class right after the one I had, so I just stayed there for one hour and a half more, so I wouldn’t have to come back some other day to make up my mind. The class was really good, she actually gave practically the same sequences, except she took more time to explain them, which was perfect! The great thing is that in the 1st class she had already “noticed” me and nodded approvingly when I was doing a cambre and on another occasion she corrected my ribs. Then on the 2nd class she noticed I had stayed, so she approached me in the middle of the barre and asked if I had brought a bottle of water, and if not, I should drink lots, and that I could leave the class to do that. It was really nice of her, I wasn’t expecting that because of the huge number of students. I’m definitely staying for this month, I’ll try to take it 3 times a week. (the good thing is hat you pay per class, so you don’t really have a whole month or year commitment, like we do in Brazil, and I can also try different styles or even different levels at the same time)
The only downside is that today I’m really sore!! Hahahaha Two classes back to back after one month completely off, you imagine…But we dancers are masochistics so I’m digging even the soreness hehehehe :D I’m so excited!!!!!!
Actually, the real downside is that now I definitely have to find a job soon, otherwise I won’t be able to keep the fun going :(

PS: Yesterday I wrongly identified the bridge in the picture as the Brooklyn Bridge, but that’s actually the Manhattan Bridge, they’re side by side. I corrected in the post already.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Am I allowed to comment in Portuguese? I really don't think so... haha. Dé, you're really crazy! Taking too classes at the same day? After a month of vacations? You're the only person on Earth I can imagine doing this!!! hahahaha This school seems very good and I was hopping you would choose it. Sounds like a dream school! The good thing is, when I finally come to visit you, we can take a class togheter! I'll make sure to bring my slippers, though... I hope you enjoy the new teacher, the new classmates and that you get a job soon, because ballet is not cheap! Kisses, honey! I miss you already!

Dea said...

you bet sistah! hahaha
babi rasgando o ingles! assino embaixo de tudo o q vc falou viu?
Ah e hoje lembrei de vc, tinha o DVD do center stage na farmacia (!) por 9.90 hehehe
e tem mais, eu falo que a Tonya, essa de quem eu sempre comento nos meus posts, eh a minha Babi americana, ja sabe por que neh hehee
beijos e te espero pra arrasarmos no Ailey!!! ;-)