Giving Ballet a Try

I've recently rediscovered ballet, which I grew up watching extensively. Thanks to YouTube, I've been able to find many recent clips of brilliant dancers as well as dig up dances I'd watched as a child and loved so much. Ravel's waltzes are so romantic and beautiful. Even though Chinese classical dance is based on the same fundamentals as ballet, there are slight differences in emphasis. I've been inspired to try and take some classes to work on my technique. I'm a bit nervous, but taking ballet can't be bad! (This photo is not of ballet; I'm in costume for an Uighur folk dance but I decided to have some fun and jump for the photographer.)

Back to Basics

After a busy summer of performances, I've tried to focus on bringing it back to the barre and have been paying special attention to where it all comes from - technique. It's definitely the hardest part, to me the most mundane and yet cherished hours spent in my life. Sure, I may dread certain skills and feel ill after the 6th cycle of turns or having been upside down for awhile, but without work there is no improvement. At least that's what I keep telling myself when I think I can't go any farther and my teacher says I look like I've taken a shower (ie I am very, very sweaty).