Happy Champagne Sunday! I’ve you’re intrigued about the path to becoming a ballerina as an adult, read my first post here, and then follow along below!
My first private classical ballet class answered so many of my questions! As a brand new ballerina in my 30’s, I don’t have a natural ballerina hand position. I was sticking out my ribcage without even realizing it. I had my shoulders up and forward rather than down and back. I didn’t know where to look or how to tilt my head so that my body looks like its all flowing together, and my first private ballet lesson covered all of those little details. They (and many others) make such a world of difference to the way that your body moves and feels when you’re asking muscles to engage in a way that they haven’t before. I wouldn’t dare say that I have any of the corrections mastered, but I have been keeping a notes of the corrections I learn from each lesson, and I am working to engrain them into my body and mind as I learn the art of ballet.
My instructor is very technical, which works perfectly for me as a Capricorn, A-type, numbers-and-details personality. Every movement that I don’t execute correctly is broken down for me into each tiny movement or angle and I’m able to understand how the whole movement comes together.
If you’ve never been to a classical ballet class before, its similar to an Asthanga Yoga Flow class where it basically always follows the same format:
- Barre: This is exactly what you picture: exercises with one or both hands on the barre. This segment is technical, but it is also the kind of ‘warm up’, where it ends with a good long stretch at the barre.
- Center: Oh my, this is hard. Its combinations of the exercises that you’ve practiced at the barre, but in the centre of the room with no barre to help your balance.
- Adagio: This essentially refers to the temp that you’ll be executing movements. Its slow and purposeful, but you move through the studio, usually diagonally.
- Allegro: Similar to adagio, but faster!
- Reverence: Essentially, this is the ‘namaste’ portion of the class. It is the curtsy/bow to your instructor and classmates, offering them your respect and gratitude for their time and knowledge. I also see it as an offering to the music (if there’s a pianist in the room, you’d acknowledge them as well in your reverence), and the art of ballet: the dancers of the past and the essence of the dance. *I don’t want to take away the romance of the reverence, but I should also note that I’m pretty bad at this part. It can be a complicated combination of beautiful movements and thus far rather than looking like delicate, strong ballerina offering her gratitude and respect, I fear I resemble more Gumby or Pokey (my legs get tangled up and I swear it feels like theres four of them). If you don’t know what Gumby and Pokey are, you’re likely born in the 1990’s or later…
At Home Body Maintenance
As I mentioned in my previous ballet post, ballerinas take a lot of epsom salts baths (amongst other bone and muscle repairing remedies). I quickly learned that this is an essential for me and my body to feel up to the next day’s class. Keeping my muscles warm outside of class has helped to prevent any extreme soreness. I’ve also been doing half and hour of yoga/stretching at home each day that I have classes.
Since having classes twice a day, I haven’t been doing my usual weight-lifting, pilates or spinning… I’ll have to build up to that! I have been walking outside with my horses though – and its amazing what a long walk can do to loosen up your muscles! *Even though its been nice outside, I’ve still layered up with my snow-pants and winter jacket. I’ve been very careful to ensure that my muscles don’t get cold!
I’ve been extremely conscious of how much water I’m drinking. Ideally, it would be about 4L daily while doing this much exercise. I’m also carefully enjoying more protein than I would normally eat as a pescetarian (I’ll do a post on my diet soon!)
Lastly, I’m taking a BCAA supplement. I’ve never taken branched-chain-amino-acids before, but I found an organic supplier that I like, and I do notice a difference in taking them. I don’t believe in taking supplements as a lifestyle; I think we should get everything that we need through a balanced diet and exercise, but I’m putting my body through something fairly extreme, so intermittent supplementation is a good way for my body to ‘keep up’ with what I’m asking it to do!
I have so much more to share about what I’ve learned along my ballet path so far, and I’m so grateful to all of you who have been following my blog posts and my Instagram! Stay tuned for the next post by following my @ChampagneonSunday Instagram page!
xoxo
Em