Show Time

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The preparation and rehearsing is over. It's time for my girls to hit the stage tonight.

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I'm so proud of how hard they have worked these last few months.

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I hope they will get on that stage and have a blast. That's what dancing is all about.
(And remember the steps.)

Last Class

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Today I taught my last ballet and pointe classes for the school year. Their end of the year recital is next week, so we spent the entire class times cleaning and perfecting their dances. It was slightly exhausting.

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I'm excited for the show. Just hoping the girls remember all the details since we won't rehearse again until the day of. (Eek!) I'm sure proud of their improvements in the last few months. They have worked hard, and we've had some good times together.

Summer classes are off and on in July and August. I'll be teaching ballet technique three times a week for five weeks. I'm really excited to have them a few times a week. Improvement happens more quickly, and it just works out better that way.

Oh, how I miss dancing!

More than a ballet lesson

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Last night in technique class, I had the girls write down their personal answers to five questions. I had been wanting to do this little activity for the past couple of weeks but hadn't yet.

Class had started off well, but after barre we got a little side-tracked talking about stretching different muscles and other body alignment questions. I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to get the girls to think beyond their technique for a moment. Luckily, I had grabbed paper and pens as I ran out the door before class.

Here are the questions* I asked:

1. Tell my why you want to dance.
2. What do you want to learn from this class?
3. How can I help you specifically?
4. What can you do to make our class better?
5. Where do you want dance to take you?

We laid on the floor on our stomaches with our heads pointing in toward the circle. Very relaxed and informal. As I thought of and asked each question, I wondered if I would get the responses I was hoping for. I wondered if they would take this little exercise seriously and go beyond the basic responses.

We finished up just as class time ended. I tucked the papers and pens in my bag and drove home. After eating dinner and putting Miss M and Mr. T in bed, I eagerly pulled out the papers.

As I read through the first girl's paper, my heart sank a little as I read the answer to question #5. She said, "I love to dance, but I'm not very good; so I don't know yet."

I remember having similar thoughts during my dancing days.

I have a great desire to teach the girls about the impeccable beauty of ballet and to love it as much as I do. But, there is more I need to teach them. I want them to push themselves to places they didn't know they could go. I want them to learn to be artists and not just technicians. I want them to find ways to express themselves and their emotions through dance. I want so much for them. I realized last night that, above all, I want them to love themselves. I want them to be happy with who they are and to strive for their best excellence.

I look forward to the upcoming classes where I can hopefully share a few small things I have learned in my own ballet-life journey.

*The above questions or similar questions are helpful for every aspect of life. I feel rejuvenated when I refocus my own desires and plans of action.

What helps you stay focused on your goals?

Back in the studio

Last night I taught a ballet class.

I have been in love with ballet since I started taking classes at age thirteen. I have not taken class regularly since I graduated from college. There are many different emotions I experience when I dance. Some days, dancing was a way to calm myself after a terrible day, a place where I could dance away my worries. Other days, those ninety minutes were a place I could focus my energy and work on perfecting my technique. I could push myself to do things better than I had before.

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Ballet is about striving for the unattainable perfection. You can always lift your leg a little higher, jump further, or do another pirouette. That is what makes it so beautiful. A dancer should constantly evolving. You can dance every day of your life and continue to learn. You continue to improve and push yourself beyond where you have been before.

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It was through ballet that I learned some of the most valuable lessons in my life. Dedication. Passion. Control. Disappointment. Joy. Frustration. Reaching. Beauty. Strength. Growth.

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And so it is with life.

I'm thrilled to be teaching again. It's been far too long since I have been in a ballet studio on a regular basis. I am excited to share what I have learned through the years with the girls I will am teaching.