Doing ballet class for the first time in 20 years........

Well, I did it – I went to class today as a dancer and not a teacher.  First time for about 20 years.  I was originally planning to attend a Foundation or Year 1 class but my schedule this week leant itself to me doing class today – with 3^rd Year Dance Diploma students.  (So I could have a day to recover before teaching and choreographing on Thursday to tell the truth!!!) The teacher was very gracious and welcoming – we are great friends so I felt relaxed and comfortable.

He was faced with the pianist calling in sick so we had to use recorded music but the music he had was inspiring and it worked well.

I found a corner at the barre where I was not conspicuous, and focussed on what I was doing.  My rationale for attending a class was that I felt that after spending so much time interviewing students and teachers, it may be advantageous to actually experience learning again after so many years of teaching.

I learned several things:

• You have to focus in class – I faffed about changing from ballet shoes to my trusty slipper socks and had to work hard to catch the exercise that was being set at the time
• Working with the music is so important – it gives you breath, life, context, dynamics and pace and enhances your ability to maximise each exercise
• I was more aware of my upper body than I think I ever was when I was young in terms of the strength it holds and the use it can be – I think I used my arms, core and torso to compensate for my old hips and legs!!
• I had forgotten how much I love to dance – I really loved being back in a classroom as a learner and dancing.  I realised how deep my passion is and wondered if the other dancers felt the same way
• I got through the whole class, including grand allegro which was a surprise – I attributed this to consciously relaxing at the start of the 64 changements warm up jump, waking my thighs up with a few squats before the grand allegro and using breath to get me up there.  I also think that trying to allow my central axis to be aligned and relaxing my arms within an aligned shoulder girdle helped
• It is possible to negate being able to do a step by pre-setting a negative mind-set.  I fell over in my Advanced RAD ballet exam over 30 years ago doing fouettes en pointe to the left – and the pirouette combination today included fouettes on demi on both sides.  As we queued to start the left the negativity crept in, and even though I had pulled them off well to the right, I struggled to the left.  I tried to flip the negative switch whilst I was waiting to no avail which made me ponder whether or not once the negative thought is there what can be done to change it.  Was I not convincing enough in my own head?  Was I not seeing myself succeeding in my mind's eye?  I think I was guilty of both.  The mind is such a super power and this was an example of how it can win.  I need to consider this more in order to assist the students when they are in a similar plight
• I couldn’t help but observe the students a bit too – and I was concerned about how little they use their plié to assist with jumping, and I want to address this when I am back in front of them

All in all an interesting experience during which I did rekindled my dancer self and celebrated what an amazing thing it is to dance, as well as raising my consciousness in several areas.  I am not sure what I was expecting as an outcome which was probably for the best.  I think overall I am more aware of what ballet may mean to each individual and just how much your personal physiognomy influences what you can and cannot do, physically, and how much your mind-set can affect outcomes.  Apart from the fouette moment I actually felt serene throughout, and on a high for the rest of the day.