Not a class for babies. A continual bombardment of challenges that leaves one wanting to work harder; learn to balance more steadily, hold the leg higher, jump with more precision and height, and spin more accurately, all the while making it look easy and elegant. Ballet is a demanding mistress, let there be no doubt. Not for babies.

On the other hand, the development of the Nutcracker continues with shepherds and little lost lambs. Lest you feel foolish for donning finger-horns, consider this: We must step into the mind of a 5-year-old in which fairies and evil mouse kings are easily brought into the plane of reality by sparkly costumes and frightful masks. Their minds are fresh, open, and primed for enrapturement, and the actual face behind the mask is the least of their concerns.

Moreover, ballets like the Nutcracker in all its hokeyness keep the dance alive. We don the finger-horns for the little ones. The little ones in turn are inspired and dream of putting on their own tutus and ballet shoes. They step into their first ballet class, not aware of the 600-year-old torch that they are about to carry. And so it goes.

-items to figure prominently in the next semester's classes: arabesques and pirouettes from 4th
-items welcome on the antique chair: ischial tuberosities, glutei maximi
-items to avoid putting on the antique chair: anything that is not your butt
-Surgeon general's warning: PNB's Freudian interpretation of the Nutcracker is bound to lower one's serotonin level significantly. May cause despair or aging. Avoid watching if pregnant, plagued with deteriorated telomeres, or seeking inspiration.

Where have all the yellow leaves gone? They have tombe'd off the Symme-tree and left it bony-bare. Time marches on. We barre to unusual sounds: the lulling pluck of harps; cymbal crash; and the strains of tango. A lovely adagio, but time marches on. Sissone ouvert, grande and venti.

Thanksgiving Morning Class

-first snow falls on the way to the studio-- a good day for woolly gray jumpsuits
-creating a sense of straightness along the cervical curve from the 7th vertebra (aka vertebra prominens)
-pas de vals: a compound move; a sweeping move
-extra-long Southeast Asian-flavored reverence
-Marieke matched the flurries today; she took with her the snow, leaving only the silent wind and wet ground

Thank you, Kip, for the gift of a 600-year-old treasure called ballet. It is more than a dance-- it is a philosophy; a way of life; worth seeking as the knights of King Arthur sought the Grail; worth abandoning all other callings for; worth the days of frustration and doubt, which are punctuated by exceptional moments of beauty, of visible improvement in technique, and of love for the art form itself as manifested by myself, by those around me, and especially by you.

Candidly yours,

A

The foot brushes over and over,
striving to generate heat from floor to inner soul

-idea of bourree is to keep the knees glued together; overcross back leg; undercross front leg
-a lesson in homophones: pas de bourree = step of the bourree (a French folk dance); pas de bourre = step of the pissed (drunk); do take care to do the correct pas in ballet class
-Marzipan up to the bassoon, and a Waltz of the Flowers pass...we were dancing! To Tchaikovsky!

Observation: When one goes from speaking to listening intently, the face undergoes a marked transformation; similarly, when one goes from listening intently to performing, the face undergoes yet another remarkable transformation

Hypothesis: Performance is an act, but one need not don a costume and wig in order to assume the "look" of performing; it is more than a superficial "look"-- it is a distinct state of mind; listening intently is also a distinct state of mind, similar to focused; each of the facial transformations noted in the above observation indicate an internal transformation from one state of mind to another; performing, like beauty is more than skin-deep; it projects both outwardly and inwardly

December approaches. We learn to put muscles and skin on the bare bones. Recovery of the Lost Commandment: Thou shalt not wiggle thy eyebrows to show emotion. Thou shalt breathe life into a dance through indication of motivation, using head, eyes, and hand. Thou shalt push off the floor with a superhuman strength such as that which has the power to move not just thee, but the entire planet down a few notches. Thou art the Chosen One.

Analogy of the day: At the organizational level, ballet is very similar to grocery shopping. Milk, eggs, bread, avocados-- check, check, check...But if you keep following the person in front of you, you'll just end up with a bunch of coffee!

PS: Analogies are not meant to be taken as perfectly isomorphic one-to-one mappings. All analogies come with an implicit understanding that they are to be taken half in jest; ie: not too seriously. They should be taken just seriously enough to ease understanding of the concept at hand and no more. Cake, eggs, milk, butter-- each of these items could have been replaced by any other item found at a supermarket; peanut butter, for instance. Also, the habit of making grocery lists need not be a universal one in order for this analogy to function as a learning tool.

"...and then we were backstage, where everyone else was chatting, and what was I doing? Chewing my gum..."

Tonight's class was characterized by extreme hilarity.

Which of the following stories lacked a pointe?:

(a) the toilet paper discussion
(b) the hilarious gum story
(c) the account of a ballet called "The unicorn, the gorgon, the manticore, and the spleef"

Answer: (b)

Non-answer:

The point of (a) was three-fold: First, if you've ever seen a guy standing in the toilet paper aisle with a calculator in his hand and an Excel-like spreadsheet filled in with the price of every single type of toilet paper on display in that aisle...most likely that was K. Second, Trader Joe's makes K angry, whereas Walgreen's has the best deal on tp. Third, use the toilet paper cached inside the silver cylindrical tube next to the toilet.

The point of (c): You're about to go onstage to dance with a unicorn, a gorgon, and a manticore. Do you really need to smoke a spleef now? Seriously unnecessary...

Selection from Everyday Russian Phrases for Ballerinas:

идиот! = idiot!
дурак! = fool!
Ёб твою мать = ....your mother
Береги́сь палка = Watch out for the stick
спасибо = thank you
Здорово повеселились! Давайте ещё как-нибудь повторим = That was fun! Let's do it again.

--K gives us insight into the more vulgar aspect of the Russian Method. Fear, loathing, and a big stick generate perfection-- or at the very least, hyper-alertness.

Dialogue @ Whole Foods:

"What are you doing right now?"

"Grocery shopping."

"What are you really doing right now?"

"Paying for my groceries."

"No, I mean what are you really doing right now?"

"Strengthening my core, baby!"

Other matters to ponder while standing in line at Whole Foods:
-longer neck
-in turns through first, send energy from floor to toe to knee to hip
-head changes position via a circular motion
-head tilts even more at initiation of coupe pas-de-bourree
-dark matter
-wave-particle duality

Request deNIED! Today's class was characterized by:

-4 right angles (within the scope of Euclidean geometry)
-4 sides of equal length
-an area of A=x^2, where x=side length
-a high degree of symmetry (4 lines of reflectional symmetry + rotational symmetry of order 4)

But then again, one woman's square is another man's triangle.

Ballet walks:
-resist downward motion
-do not emphasize downward motion
-head remains as level as possible

-ballet moments can be divided into moving and static counts. In fouettes and sissone ouverts, visualize hitting the static poses: 1! 2! However, do not linger on the static poses.
-in fouettes, shoulders start turning softly before actual pivot initiated by hips.
-in ouverts, launch slightly back while shooting up
-(theatrically) watch hand throughout entire plie warm-up

Teaching is the act of revealing a magician's secrets. Ballet, like magic, exploits the human perception process. However, its tricks are no mere sleights-of-hand. As well, the mind and body are connected, yet distinct entities. Comprehension in the mind does not automatically translate to comprehension in the body. You may know it, but it takes work to KNOW it. Otherwise, physicists would make the greatest dancers. Imagine the injustice: the greatest minds are also the greatest athletes-- "the athletes of God"! That this is generally not the case is proof that there is some justice in this existence. I use the term "proof" loosely. Onward:

-fouette is a study in double rotation. Other examples of double rotation: 4th port-de-bras and recovery from back cambre
-use back, not weighted supporting leg, to lift up from 6th port-de-bras; another application of the concept of using an unburdened body part to lift the weight off the burdened body part
-the Newer Method of executing pirouettes
-ideal thought process following a command to "reverse it":
Okay, think: What was the first thing we did? Efface front! Ah yes...
-actual thought process following a command to "reverse it":
WHAAAAAAT? Oh god...oh god he said reverse it! Reverse what? What did we just do? Can't think...How does he have perfect turnout even with those bedroom slippers on? Focus! Okay, think: What was the first thing we did? Efface front! Ah yes...
-grand rond de jambe en l'aire is a subterfuge! The candle needs more space to rotate. A sleight-of-hand involving breaking squareness of hips. The magician diverts the eye by an identical circling action of the arm. The hand speaks volumes, but a bedroom slipper speaks tomes plus the entire Encyclopedia Britannica set from A to Z. It is difficult not to laugh as the bedroom slipper stares me right in the face in all its blue and purple yarniness. And there it goes...a grand rond de yarn, more like.

Amongst the ubiquitous black and pink, a blue sky walked into the studio and took her place at the wall barre. She lit up the entire room.

-working leg leads compression/decompression of supporting leg's plie
-deepening the plie: to have room to deepen the plie, must start with a shallower plie; deepen plie in fondu adagio; deepen plie in fouette
-the fouette has left the barre; we are left to grab at thin air
-giant wheel pirouettes: a lesson in taking imagery too literally
-"corset" higher for cambres on sus-sous

The yoga blocks were revealed to be fragments of her being, as blue and vibrant as she.

"No counts...I will count...and by 'no counts' I mean 'no music'..." 

We can always tell when K has had too much coffee. This evening's class was in a word, rigorous. In two words, rigorous and goofy.

Proposition 2.5.11: Lifting an arm has consequences all down the back
Example: Throwing the barre arm up into 5th while in passe retire will likely throw the back, and thus the entire body off balance
Solution: Bring arm up with care; investigate the aforementioned "consequences" on the various back muscles

-when turning on sous-sous, look up to stay up
-common ground found between ballet and brain surgery: both must think way ahead...or rather, abrain
-the Cat in the Hat makes an appearance. It forgot its hat. It did not forget its gloves.
-Aristotle's Poetics

Ballet En Solitude

Arabesque stretch
-slide leg back while keeping center of gravity in place; stretch/lean torso forward in opposition
-application: in ouvert, hit (1) balletic leprechaun pose, then (2) arabesque (stretch/lean torso forward)

Pit-Scapula Impulse
-in high arm, expand from scapula, not arm
-in chaine/pirouette, use impulse from scapula/pit

Pirouette
-passe leg is part of, not separate from, body
-use pit-scapula impulse
-continue to spread/rotate/throw supporting leg in opposition to passe leg
-continue to spring passe leg into attitude position

Beauty in Austerity

I am struck by the juxtaposition of Spartan rigidity to the effeminate grace that characterizes ballet and ballet class. The thing is, the majority of movements in ballet may appear to be soft, light, and airy, but these outward characteristics belie their source: tension, tightness, and weightedness. The austerity of the dance is reflected in class, which is generally serious and focused. We may walk through the doorway in silly, talkative moods, but once the plie music plays and class begins, things get serious pretty quickly. Others might find this austere nature of ballet class a turn-off, but I love it. There is beauty in austerity, especially when it is married to soft, effeminate grace. It is a noble beauty.

How I love Thursday class! And Wednesday, and Monday, and...but especially Thursday!

-answer to the head direction question in pas de basque: Yes, no, yes, yes...no, yes, and no. Alas, the exact answer is not expressible under the binary response system
-purpose of grand battements: to learn how to throw with power, but not be thrown off by it; we throw on 1
-in this art form, as much as we are beholden to gravity, we aim to brand the concept of flight-- the image of suspension in mid-air-- into the memory of the audience


Armpit space:

-shrinking of armpit space is a mechanism of protection from the cold, wildebeests, bears, cheetahs, cheetos*, and other frightful beasts of prey; otherwise, maintain pit space
-in particular, use pit space to create "lift" in assembles and other jumps
-the practice of maintaining armpit space begins where?

(a) in assembles
(b) in New Jersey
(c) in the very first exercise at the barre

*mmmm, cheetos...

...this introduces an important concept: that of imagining...in your mind's eye...where you want to end up [ie: visualization!]

-tourists read maps as if from a great distance
-4th beat 4th beat 2nd beat 2nd beat beat ...Easier said than done. Sometimes not even.
-I spied a satisfied smile! Coincidentally, it appeared ever so momentarily just after the class jumped in unison for the first time in the history of the studio, then seamlessly changed lines.
-sissone ouvert trajectory: up, then turn; do not allow back leg to flop; to overcome blind spot, visualize where you want to end up (Ushuaia)
-pas de basque en dedans does not morph into temps-lie
-coupe pas de bourree en dedans/en dehors does not switch directions until the second step
-in side cambre, imagine bending scapula, not arm; arm follows b/c it is attached
-temps lie elance: the coupe is a rising action
-a great weight is attached to my tailbone, pulling it to the floor, while a balloon (ie: my head) rises to the ceiling... :o)

(a) In dance, the "music" must be immediately committed to memory-- or perhaps someone should invent sheet dance. Would sheet dance make us dumber? Did sheet music make musicians dumber? Did the invention of writing make humans dumber? Nay...

(b) What is it about Kip's counting that renders us unable to jump together? And what is it about the music that also renders us unable to jump together? What is it about the floor that makes us land at different times? It must be an undulating floor! Indeed...

(c) Which of the following is an example of a full sentence in English?

-pivot
-arms...round
-rabble rabble
-A sous-sous happens in the second movement of coupe pas-de-bourree.
-Ana wa enta khalas.
-tro-lo-loooo-lo-lo-lo-looooo!
-Kalbi ga nuhmoo nuhmoo mashissuhyo.
-Down with zippers!
-Boycott shampoo! Support real poo!

PS: Symmetry restores sanity better than a rally.