You spin me right round, baby, right round

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So I am trying to work on the pirouette, as I said I would. The hardest part is the mental block about how rigid you have to be to do the pirouette. It’s perverse. From watching a pirouette, you feel like you ought to be able to sweep around like a scarf, but in fact you have to be like a lathe, as above… and you want to have a guy holding your knees straight the whole time because that’s, like, crucial. I still cannot remember to do this! Knneeeez!!!

Arma virumque cano

Last night Andromeda asked me what I do to make my arms and upper body so buff, and two weeks ago Swannie asked me the same thing… and I don’t freakin’ know, because I don’t do anything other than ballet.

It’s partially the strong lighting in the studio because I do look pretty sinewy in the mirror. Above are my arms in home lighting. That’s not too Madonna-y, is it?

I suspect it’s also excess testosterone, but when I say this, everyone laughs.

Slow Burn

We’re back for the fall term as of last Tuesday.

“Two arms, gulls!” U. bellows enthusiastically as we enter.

She is enthusiastic because she knows we hate “two arms.” In U.’s classes, “two arms” means everything will be slow and long and killing. Not hard on the brain, but so grindingly hard on everything else.

And so it was on Tuesday and Saturday, and probably will be tonight. My calf muscles feel like they are clamped to chains pulling a pair of 8½-ton trucks. Ehn!

Ending on a High Note

So our last class was a week ago Saturday… we’re off till September 7.

It was hot… I left puddles everywhere I went. And there were only five of us, so U. was able to give us that individual attention that kills you.

But among the five were two new girls — new to our class but obviously well known to U. from the university or her other studios — and one of them, Ginger, asked me between the barre and the centre, “So you’ve danced professionally?”… and… O_O… wow… though she may have only meant to elicit mutual interest in her own background, it was wind under my wings and in my sails and up my skirt. Thanks, Ginge!

Свадебка

So here is GJ, performing at her wedding reception. There were many beautiful dances. Even the groom and groomsmen got into the act.

It was a fabulous reception. Afterwards, Obiwan said, “It felt like we were at a show tonight.”

Woot woot

 

Yesterday the notice was up to pay for classes till July 31.

Hurrah! Summer ballet! My favourite time to dance!

I’ve missed it the last two years.

I’ll dance at your wedding; I’ll have a wonderful time

So we’re having the same frenzy of rehearsals and costume fittings and packed classes as we had this time last year for the recital… because GJ and Ullx’s wedding on June 26 has turned into “the recital.” The planned performances by ballet school members have actually eclipsed the wedding itself now.

In some ways, U. is more in her element putting on a dance recital than she is as mother of the bride. It’s perfect, really.

At first, they were not allowing GJ to dance (ironic: our best dancer!), but now I think U. may be doing something with her on the QT.

GJ was very upset that she was not going to be allowed to perform.

Everyone is more excited about performing than they are about the actual event. Poor GJ.