Well - When I posted on facebook the 21 randomthings about me I mentioned ballet. Ever since I keep thinking about it. I really really really believe it is the most beautiful thing in the world. I got to talk to Cody a little bit about what I loved about it but ... well he's a guy. So I figured :) I'm going to write about it on here.
First things first. I learned ballet at The tri-cities acadamy of ballet aka Mid columbia regional ballet. Beautiful. Debora Rogo and Diana Howard were my main instructors. Can I just say how greatful I am that they were my instructors. For those of you who don't know much about ballet, it can be pretty spendy. Debora is the owner of the company, and she let me dance with discount to my tuition and I think at one point no tuition. She was so understanding of our financial situation. I am so glad she had a beautiful heart and let me keep the one thing I loved so very much at that time. If she hadn't I would have had to stop because of financial problems.
The dance studio was my second home clear up until I was 13 or so. The girls that I danced with were AWESOME. Beautiful. I found some of them on facebook, and I saw some of their pictures, and I think they are so amazing! There were a lot of good times. Unfortunatley, I was pretty shy some of the time, I may not have acted shy all the time but I really felt shy and that I didn't fit in as I grew up with these girls dancing. Sometime I wish would have been different was my selfesteem as a child.
I was in the Nutcracker each year from when I was 8 - 13 years old. That was the highlight of my year. There is this make up powder that was used all the time, and the smell triggers the feelings I had while waiting for performance and rehersals. I was an ice fairy, a blossom, a rat, an arabian, chinese, bon bon, a fairy...and thats it I think. Soooo much fun! I Loved it! :) My favorite part was watching the dancers who were in the company in their parts. My FAVORITE ones to watch were the Spanish hot chocolate and the Snow flakes.
When we moved to Walla Walla we drove back and forth from dance in order for me to keep up. After a year of that, we could'nt keep doing it and I didn't dance for another year or so. Then I finally started up again with the Walla Walla dance center with Idalee Hutsonfish. She was a lot of fun and very different than what we did in dance at the tri-cities. She was a blessing as well. She let me dance for little tuition at the begining, then at the end, we traded and I taught some dance classes for my tution and was an assistant for others. She was tons of fun as well! I still really missed my old studio. I was really up and down with my technique and willingness to work. As I got older and went through a lot of changes I found out that I had Scoliosis which affected my balance because my neck is actually striaght and on its way to curving forward (ew.), hips, and knees. The best I was able to dance was when I was able to go the chiropracter and that helped SO MUCH! I was able to balance, do multiple turns that I had never been able to do before! I wish I would have known what was up and why no matter how hard a tried i couldn't do many things.
While I was on facebook today I did a little bit of stalking.....whoops. I know. But there are a lot of girls who are linked to other people I know who I've danced with that have pictures of them dancing. They are BEAUTIFUL! It is so awesome to see some of these younger girls who were just little little to me doing amazing things! I do, in a way, envy them. Not only are they skinny, strong, and flexible, but they're confident in what they do. I can't say that I haven't done anything well with dance. I learned a TON on what to look for technique wise from Debora, and i've applied that in my teaching and helping out in dance classes. Even though I myself have not been able to perform the best technique, I can see it and manipulate others bodies to help them be in the correct shape. My favorite students - Yes I had favorites - were ones who wanted to use the corrections I gave them and try better and they looked 10 times better than the others who were there just because. They worked their butts off. It was really hard, in Walla Walla, to find many who had that drive to be good at ballet. I felt like many of them were taking it so they could excel in Jazz, which is great of course...but I just love ballet technique. Seeing these other girls I used to dance with are great at both.
Half of me wants to get up and try again. The other half remembers how much work and time it takes to get into it. I need a hobby though. I'm afraid to do it by myself. I don't have the resources anymore. I am not in college anymore so I can't really use their studio, nor do I have the time. When I first came up to college I started taking a class 2 times a week to just sort of get back into the groove. I was EXHAUSTED. I couldn't do HALF the things I could before. The begining exercises made me shake and sweat like crazy. Then up here I was also teaching some technique classes at a little dance shop here, just so they could do better with jazz/modern...but mostly creative dance for younger kids. I tell you what - they hated technique. I don't blame them really....because it wasn't drilled into their brains that technique is that gets your butt somewhere.
I have a couple favorite experiences. My first one was something I anticipated for YEARS...my first pair of point shoes! :) MAN I loved them. They were PINK...unlike some of the other brands. My foot was really skinny and didn't fit into the Block brand. So this pair was pink. My first time getting fitted for point shoes was so exciting! Gaye and Debora were there to help us and check and make sure they were good. Then they taught us how to sew on the ribons. IT was awesome! I think I still have them in my time capsul somewhere. Anyway - when we started training using our point shoes, it was my favorite. I loved to dance en point. But - I admit i hated turning on point... I didn't find out until later that that was because of my screwed up balance and I did fine later after I had a some therapy with my neck. Anyway - I remember in class practicing some different kind of jumps (i don't know how to spell them....sote's, this one you jumped on one foot and the other was pointed behind your ankle...) anyway - in point shoes sometimes its hard to jump. But- with my pink shoes I could jump very well! They had me demonstrate and i felt so happy! :) :)
Another memory - I was in summer dance labs and we had a male instructor teach us. I believe his name was Robert. He was a fantastiac dancer, very funny, but honestly I was TERRIFIED of him at first. I worked SO DANG HARD so that I wouldn't have to be corrected by him. Anyway - as I was working hard, I think i must have been doing ok, because he asked me to demonstrate an grand randejam --- who knows how to spell it? and i'm not even sure if thats the right term.. I can't believe its been 2 years since i've danced..anyways...doing that where your leg is at a 90 degree angle to your hips up in the air and you carry it from front to side to back and then lower it. He was happy that my butt was tight and that i didn't drop it. I was happy about that, but still, terrified.
I had private lessons from Whitney Similar who later became a professional dancer with a company in California. My counselor in high school knew her and told me some stories of when Whitney was younger and dancing and some of the self esteem struggles she had the same as I did. Although, I was NEVER near as good a dancer a she. :)
One of my favorite past times with the girls in tricities was we'd get in a big train while waiting for rehearsal or class and give shoulder rubs or 'tickle' each others backs ...that sounds wierd to write, but it was just what we did when we were bored.
I have dreams every couple months that i'm still in ballet, or that I went back to ballet to study in tricities and I suck each time. its disappointing! HAHA. But i still see the same people and the same teachers.
Anyway - i've written enough I guess. :) I just miss dance. I think its beautiful. I wish i had the energy, resources, and drive to do something about it. I guess its a fun memory to have though :)
