Michelle_Richer

I've just checked out the RAD website using search and found something non-specific on the 15th of Feb This is the description for the Adult Repertoire Workshop: Learn choreography from a well-loved ballet and experience the way a corps de ballet dancer studies. Designed to improve both technical and performance skills.

Hi Lin What’s a little weather, don’t forget I have to travel down after a 4.30am start Saturday morning, do the workshop at the Coliseum, then travel back and perform a little bit of Coppelia at our Lincoln Show before I can go back home and snuggle up in a nice warm bed. It was a 4.30am start yesterday when I visited Northern Ballet, only to find out their show date is the same as our LAB GALA Grrrrr. Did you manage to book the next ENB Swan Lake workshop on the 10th of Jan, I was thinking about it but hesitated too long, its now sold out. However I rebooked my ENB classes before the same thing happened to them.

The Stage Door (located behind the theatre on Bedfordbury).

From ENB: "Over the past few months we have been working with Antonio Castilla, Ballet Master at English National Ballet, to review the classes and ensure we are providing the best service we can. One change is how we describe the classes and distinguish between the levels. Classes we now offer are: Absolute Beginners, Improvers, Intermediate, Advanced and Advanced Pro. Full descriptions below: Absolute Beginners Suitable for complete beginners, this course is a perfect introduction to classical ballet technique. A fun, step by step guide, covering basic ballet positions and movements that will help you to improve your posture, co-ordination and strength.(ages 18+) Improvers If you have completed Absolute Beginners and are ready to move on or are returning to ballet and want reminding of the basics, then this is the level for you. Classes are designed to improve technique, develop ballet vocabulary and increase confidence. Building on the basics, classes introduce preparation for turns (pirouettes), jumps (allegro) and explore artistry and musicality. (ages 18+) Intermediate A progression from Improvers, this course is recommended if you have a good knowledge and application of classical ballet technique. A more challenging class that will require strength and stamina for more complex adage, pirouette and allegro enchaînements. A great way to improve fitness and finesse! (ages 18+) Advanced Open to anyone who has successfully completed Intermediate to a competent standard, are in vocational training and need additional classes or are perhaps a professional dancer recovering from injury. A more technically demanding and faster paced class in which you will be challenged to perform longer and more advanced sequences. (ages 18+) Advanced Pro The most advanced class in the programme, designed to challenge experienced, confident dancers who are looking to further develop their technique and artistry. This class is ideal if you are a dance graduate, ex/current professional dancer, and are looking for a non-syllabus, artistic class. (ages 18+) Youth Ballet A technique-focused, non-syllabus class and open to dancers from all dance backgrounds. This class will explore the fundamental movement principles of ballet including posture, alignment, co-ordination, balance and flexibility. (ages 13-17) BalletFit A ballet-inspired pilates workout, which increases core-strength and flexibility. Includes elements of barre work, gentle stretching and floor-based exercises. No experience necessary. (ages 18+) We hope these will make it clearer as to which class is most suitable for you and maximise your enjoyment from the classes. We welcome feedback, so please let us know if you have any comments. During 2015, we will also be piloting new expansions to the programme. March sees the introduction of our Ballet Intensive series; an opportunity for adult dancers to hone their dance skills in an inspiring day of dance workshops." Edited by spannerandpony to add "From ENB" and add speech marks.

Hi Lin I hope your feeling better and can make the ENB workshop at the Coliseum on Saturday. Saturdays City Academy Ballet groups performances went down very well, I went down to the restaurant/bar area between the shows while a lot of the audience was still there, many stopped me and were complementary about our ballet performance. Whilst we were not allowed to go down in costume, we were still allowed to keep our stage makeup and tiaras on and I guess were easily recognised. The icing on the cake for me came when I left and was on my way back to Angel tube station, our show director caught up with me and was very complementary about our ballet group and suggested we lifted the show to a new level, that was just a big WOW for me. He is also supporting the formation of a ballet company. I have also spoke to their head of dance about finding new studio space as I didn’t want to tread on anyone’s toes in helping them to do that. Otherwise it seems such a shame to loose the lovely group of dancers which came together for City’s Ballet Performance Course. The most challenging thing that weekend was the two 4.30am starts due mainly to my car problems, I think it was the adrenalin that got me through, I remember on the Saturday I was so full of energy that I really wanted to do an enormous Grant Fouette Saute or Jete en tournant touching the ceiling, but there simply was no room in our studio (Studio B at Sadlers), as we were sharing it with two other groups of dancers, Street dance and Bollywood. Sunday at home was completely the opposite, I felt enormously deflated and extremely tired and I guess not very good company for my boyfriend. I’m getting Psyched up again ready our performances at Lincoln on Friday and Saturday this week. I have already done 4 session today, another 4.30am start as I’m at Northern Ballet in Leeds tomorrow (Tuesday) and a 4.30am start on Saturday with the workshop at the Coliseum in the morning, and a performance to do at Lincoln in the evening. I think I will just sleep through Christmas, I’m sure my body will need it.

I manage to make the rehearsal today on time, in fact I was the first one there, but it involved a bit of hanging around waiting for connections. I left home at about 6.40am as the bus stop is just across the road from me, it was supposed to be the 6.55, but it was early 6.50. I think I final arrived at Sadler’s stage door at 10.30am, only City Academy staff had signed it at that time. The rehearsal went reasonably well when all the positioning was sorted out. We have a really fantastic backdrop of a wooded wintry scene with falling snow superimposed on it as we are dancing “Winter Snowflakes”, to Nutcracker Snowflakes music but the choreography is much different. When I got home late afternoon, I popped across to my garage only to see my car in the same old place, however the new pump had arrived, but they had not yet fitted it. By 6pm I had the car back and took it for a short drive to restore my confidence in it which had been a bit shaken. Another early 4.30am morning again for me as it’s a 9am start in London, not sure what we are going to be doing all that time apart from warm-up and makeup as the Winter Showcase performance don’t commence until 5.30pm and 8pm. Hi Lin: As for missing LAB I’m just a little bit peeved about that but I guess these things happen. I know Tom has changed something in one of the reps we are doing this week, but not what it is. I wont know until someone loads the video on drop box, previous weeks I’ve always take care of our videos and loaded them immediately I got home or the next day at the latest. I'm going to miss two weeks of LAB as I'm on dress rehearsal at Lincoln next Thursday with shows on Friday and Saturday and of course I will see you on the Coliseum stage on Saturday morning at the ENB workshop. I have mixed feelings about the 17th as I wanted our group to do far more of the dance of the three Odilesques according to Bolshoi’s choreography and not something that’s heavily watered down. I hate to think how I will feel seeing other groups dancing parts of this, I have somehow got attached to this piece of rep ever since I danced it an ENB workshop at Oxford, just can’t let go of this one Grrrr. Anyway I look forward to seeing you tomorrow at our show Lin.

Aileen and Lin The cost of hiring a car is not the real issue but the time to arrange it, I had no warning yesterday that it wasn’t going to get done, even at 4pm they still thought the part would be delivered and they would be able to fix it. It wasn’t until well after 5pm that I received a phone call to say the part had be delivered to a wrong address. Today was already pre-planned: Hair appointment 9am – 9.45, travel home 10.00am, Load car with sound system for hall 10.15, collect keys and arrive at hall 10.30-11.30, then unpack car and get ready for London to leave home 2pm, finally arrive back home 11.30pm or later. Well I guess it had to happen, it lasted the morning OK with my hair appointment and my ballet practice down the local hall, however on one occasion it did take two thumps to get this pump assembly to start. As a result I decided to go a little earlier to Peterborough train station for tonight’s rehearsal with LAB in RAD HQ at Battersea. On my journey the car lost power a couple of time, I couldn't get any more than about 2000 revs, then finally the engine cut completely and I used what momentum I had to steer the car onto the grass verge, at least it was flat just wide enough for a car and there was fencing present on the passenger side. Although there was what looked like cycle lane I was still uncomfortably close to the briskly moving traffic. The weather was very cold and the mist and darkness was just starting to fall, it was just before 3 pm in the afternoon, At least I had programmed the recovery service phone number into my phone, so calling them was fairly instant. When I called, it was an automated service Grrrr, option 1 was to wait for them to call you back with and estimated time 10mins, or to hold for your position in the queue, which could take ages. I held and it was no more than a minute, then came a huge number of questions to establish my identity and problem with vehicle, she said they would phone back as soon as they had found someone to come out to me, I got that call shortly after and, it would be half an hour. Followed by another call , this time from the recovery man who was in Peterborough. Eventually he arrived (about half an hour), he was more concerned about getting me off the main A16 road to a lay-by or side road where he could lift my front wheels and attach his towing harness in comparative safety. He did a conventional tow with me steering, up to a slip road, before using the harness. Once at my home garage all smiling faces with “We’ve got your part now”, they have promised to fit it tonight , a later development has shown something else is playing up in the fuel supply, so its check out local bus and train services for tomorrow, as the stint at Sadler's is a short one, late tomorrow morning . Sadly I have had to abort my LAB rehearsal tonight. At least it happened in daylight even though it was miles from anywhere, one real comfort was my boyfriend bless him, who kept texting me while I was on my own.

It seems as if I’m swimming against the tide and it really hard going. I seem to have had a run of very bad luck. This all started a week ago on the Monday when it was very cold, my car started making a strange buzzing noise when the ignition is switched on, after a session at my local hall I took it my local garage, they reassured me it was probably the very cold weather and it was the pre heater pump for the diesel. Wednesday it wouldn’t start although the engine was turning over, there was an absence of this bussing noise, with the ignition switched I hit the pump with my hand and it started bussing, then I was able to start it. With 3 heavy weeks of ballet coming up I’m getting concerned, so I went back to the garage, who said they would check cost and availability of the part and let me know. The weekend came and not heard from the garage. I was late up Monday as I it was an extra rehearsal with City Academy on the Sunday, I woke up at 9.12 and I had the hall booked for 10am, I arrived at the hall just after 10am with no warm up, after the session the car refused to start until I hit the offending part, with that I was back to the garage as now I was getting desperate to get it fixed. It was on there to do list, they had done nothing from the previous week. In the mean time I had to use the car not knowing if it would finally fail. As I had no ballet on Wednesday arrangement were made to fix it then, It went in Wednesday morning, then 4pm came and no phone call, so I walked to the garage which is quite close to my home, the part had not arrived, but it was on the van to be delivered, later it immerged it was delivered to a similar sounding company name in Biggleswade. That was a real downer, my heart sank, I needed it for the rest of the week including Saturday for my performances with City at Sadler's. The best I can hope for now is that it keeps working until I’ve done my stage familiarisation session at Sadler’s Friday morning, and then get the car fixed when I get back in the afternoon, so at least I can do the shows without that worry. I would hate to let my dancing friends down by missing our familiarisation session or worst still not able to do the show. I have never felt so drained by the worry of the real risk of breakdown particularly late at night on the way from Peterborough, its 25 miles of main carriageway, will there be somewhere to safely get off the carriageway, will there be coverage for my mobile phone to summon the breakdown people, if not do I get out and walk?, the whole thing could be quite freighting. I’m just hoping with my fingers and toes crossed that my car continues to respond to the thump when starting until I get it finally fixed on Friday afternoon, I’m really uncomfortable in dragging it out longer, and all for ballet.

Hi Lin, Yes I know where you mean, it’s the one we use for when on City Academy Workshops there (providing its open, where often its not), its just the point I do remember Rejane saying we were to take our own food in for that day, so I don’t know if City want to keep the audience and dancers apart to preserve to ambience of the show, but I will check with her on Tuesday. I’m also assuming it is intended for us to remain in our costumes with full stage make-up, otherwise there would be no reason to keep us there other than fear some of the girls might not come back after the first performance.

Hi Lin, I thought you knew me better than that. In any case resting it makes it stiff and a lot less mobile. Dropping ENB was necessary as it was a serious risk to the performances I have coming up, however I am going to see if ENB will allow me on the 23rd to joint the Tuesday group for what was my old classes, then I think I will check out the bus option from near the Royal Albert Hall to Kings Cross, thus avoiding the long walk back to South Kensington Tube station, unless of course there is an effective cool down strategy that will help. As for City Academy, until today the intention was to run another ballet performance course for their Spring Showcase sometime in April. At our first technical rehearsal today (Sunday) I spoke to City’s head of dance, its now been suspended until the autumn due to availability of studio’s. She sounded quite keen to keep it going, I know I am, I would like to see it turned into a company of dancers like LAB, as its a really nice group of girls I’m dancing with. Our session today was with the technical team, Artistic director, audio engineer, lighting engineer, stage manager and also the head of Dance. Much was about coming on and off stage, UV lighting and falling snow. It also seems we have a finale to do at the end of the show, but that is to be covered in our first dress rehearsal on Tuesday. Don’t forget in the new year I start to add in Northern Ballet and possibly the Angles Theatre in Cambridgeshire. Friday Studio hire for a weekly refresher of solo’s is also another addition. Its about managing and stretching the capability of the body without seriously abusing it. I do remember the state I was in last Christmas when I couldn’t walk for three days and all in all its taken around a year to well almost fully recover, there is no way I’m going back there. As for coffee between performances I will have to check with Rejane, as I understand it we are not allowed to leave the theatre from when we start from the first warm-up at 10.30 am to the finale of the last show, we are expected to take food in.

Another bitter sweet week or more proper sweet bitter, the sweet part came just by chance. Tuesday was a very cold morning outside temp at freezing according to my car, My first session was a practice session in my local hall for the evening Snowflakes rehearsal with City academy. The temperature in the hall was on only 13degree Brrr. I spent about 45 minute on snowflakes and I guess was starting to get a bit bored with it, so I finish off by dancing through the first couple of minute of the dance of the 3 Odalisques from Le Corsaire a few times to keep it sharp in my current memory. I had a few minutes left and my attention turned to the pirouettes from Mondays private session. As I had the pirouette/ arabesques section of the music extracted from the Third Odalisque Variation, I though I would give it a try, although I was generally disappointed with the outcome of Mondays private session. I started the music which included the preparation for the first arabesque. It went like a dream, all five double turn pirouettes in that sequence with spotting on each and every one, I repeated it and again all five were completed better than I have ever full completed pirouettes before, it was a truly magical moment. don’t ask me what the technique was like, I think it was OK, the only thing I remember was I was taking my leading arm round further than I used to before curving it into first, an option my teacher suggested I might try as it works for some and not other. The most memorable event for me was the spot in relationship to the music, it was as if the music itself was driving it, and the spot was driving the pirouette, a sensation I can’t recall experiencing before. Like all good things they come to an end, on the third run-though, I some how went off balance on the first or second pirouette, my legs felt tangled up and I was on my bottom Grrr. I got up and tried pirouettes with and without the music but the magic moment had gone. Wednesday was bit of a bad day all round, I was back at ENB after missing three weeks for various reasons, Things had changed, we were not allowed in the dressing rooms until 6.45 instead of 6.30, which that limited my free practice time, although two of us got changed in the dining area as we had our leo’s on under our day clothes. I got told off for doing turns before the class had started. The classes themselves were quite enjoyable as usual. Then came the long walk back to South Kensington tube station, it was cold and raining, I think the Albert Hall had just finished what ever was going on there as there seem to be a huge wave of people travelling in the same direction as me, many went for the first subway entrance, it was clear people would be moving very slowly down there all squashed together, I stay on the surface and tried to get ahead of the main crowd. The tube station was fairly full but the main crowd hadn’t arrived yet. At least I got a seat once I got to the Piccadilly line. At Kings cross my legs started to stiffen, particularly the Achilles on my left foot, Again after the journey from Kings Cross to Peterborough my legs have stiffened further at this point I’m getting worried about my capability to do the shows coming up. Thursday morning felt like my worst nightmare, I could hardly walk, I could only place weight on the heal of my left foot, I could not articulate the weight through it, the pain was immense. I had the hall booked for the morning and a LAB rehearsal in the evening, I was not in a nice place. What the **** could I do. Firstly I found I still had some ice left over from last Christmas when I had a similar over-use problem. I iced that foot for about 20mins, then massaged deepheat cream into the foot, followed by treadmill, first at a low setting just to get walking in reasonable comfort, then two progressing increases in speed whiles trying to articulate the weight through the foot. I followed that up my usual morning workout in my own gym. Although the foot felt a little better it was far from right. The session down the hall was very disappointing, the Grand Fouette Saute’s on the right foot landing was OK but the left was useless, I could only take it on a flat foot, there was no strength in transferring the weight through the foot from landing on demi pointe. I was faced with do I go to LAB tonight or abort it, finally I decided to go. The journey there was quite painful, when class started I told Tom my teacher who suggested I be careful. During the class things improved but I didn’t notice it strait away, until we were doing the rep with the Grand Fouette Saute’s in it, and then I realise I was landing them properly with any noticeable pain. That was a big relief as I have another rehearsal on Sunday, but at the same time it was quite freighting as I am so close to doing my Christmas show with City Academy and at Lincoln too. For now I am suspending my classes at ENB as the combination of the two classes and the long walk etc until the shows are out of the way, as this time I seem to have averted a disaster, but only just. However I do need to find a strategy that can cope with the additional loading the ENB trip places on my feet, as in the new year Im intending added even more to my ballet schedule. Although my heal hasn’t completely returned to normal it is considerable better and I will most definitely be fit enough for Sundays rehearsal.

Had a really good rehearsal at Lincoln tonight ( Monday), we have finally completed our "Waltz of Hours" sequence from Coppelia. We now have enough info to go away and practice it before next weeks class. Unfortunately I think my position will change as one of our girls has been absent for the past 3 weeks. I think its quite likely that there will only be 4 of us on stage. Only 2 more classes and a dress rehearsal to get things polished before the show now. My private session at Sleaford this afternoon was as frustrating as ever. Trying to do pirouettes properly seems to be an almost impossible goal, well it seems that way to me at the moment, even though my teacher assures me I making good progress. The pirouettes are in a sequence of 5 en dehors pirouette/ arabesque combinations where you land on the gesturing leg in front (from 3rd Odalisque variation, Le Corsaire). The most troublesome thing for me at the moment is rolling off balance on the second spot, not always but mostly. That doesn’t seem to be so much of a problem if I don’t spot, furthermore again today without spotting I landed another triple. Triples for me without spotting simply don’t count, I need the spot and to be able to execute them properly as need to take pirouettes a whole lot further. I just hope my coach doesn't run out of patients with me, but we have to go the distance. What didn’t help today, was, I had a heavy cold, by the end of an hour of pirouettes I was really drained which I put down to my cold. The next three weeks are going to especially heavy with dress-rehearsals and Christmas shows on top of everything else, just hope my ankles stand up to it.

This was received from the Royal Ballet School: We hope you have been enjoying The Royal Ballet School adult ballet classes on Wednesday evenings. This has been a new initiative for 2014 which we have run in various formats over the last three terms and this trial period will conclude at the end of the autumn term. Following extensive consultation, we regret to inform you that, in order to re-evaluate provision, the School has decided not to continue with adult ballet classes from January 2015. Therefore the last adult ballet class will be Wednesday 17th December 2014. All classes are now fully booked meaning that online booking for the remaining classes this term is no longer available. If you are on the waiting list and a place in class becomes available, you will be contacted in good time. The decision to suspend the adult ballet classes has not been made lightly; you will appreciate there are some significant considerations for the School including cost implications and child protection issues. Meanwhile, we suggest you research the following organisations, all of whom run established adult ballet classes: The Place, 17, Dukes Road, London WC1H 9PY http://www.theplace.org.uk/dance-adults Trinity Laban, Creekside, London SE8 3DZ Tel: 020 8305 9400 http://www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/schools-and-community/adults Central School of Ballet, 10 Herbal Hill, Clerkenwell Road, London EC1R 5EG Tel: 0207 837 6332 http://www.centralschoolofballet.co.uk/aeccourseoutline.php Rambert, 99 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PP Tel: 020 8630 0600 http://www.rambert.org.uk/learning_participation/rambert_classes/adults English National Ballet, 39 Jay Mews, London SW7 2ES http://www.ballet.org.uk/classes/ Thank you for your understanding in this matter and we hope you continue to enjoy taking adult ballet classes. Thank you also for your interest in The Royal Ballet School. If you would like updates concerning The Royal Ballet School and priority booking for events and open days, we recommend you consider joining our Friends. http://www.royalballetschool.org.uk/the-school/friends/

This week began with two brilliant rehearsal sessions, “Waltz of Hours” from Coppelia at Lincoln we have now added the phase with the six cabriole’s which I thought would be quite difficult, but the way our teacher demonstrated it, it worked first time, I was also apprehensive about keeping time with the music through that phase as that was something I had never done before but it just got better, the music helped enormously and there was stacks of time, I was really chuff about that. However there is a phase just after one and a half minutes in second time round I would find myself on the wrong leg. That was thrashed out in my hall this morning and I still don’t know how it occurred, a sloppy soutenu or just stepping out into the lung with the front leg rather than the back which is the correct one. We are now up to the Pirouette from a kneeling position, because we are only 5 dancers we are doing this in cannon the first time round, the second time round we remain kneeled but go into a circular port de bras in cannon. For practice I stuck to the pirouettes and did every other slot and found it’s a real killer on the supporting leg once you have done a dozen or so rises. City Academy’s “Winter Snowflakes” is really taking shape, sequence is well known and understood, position and timing just gets better and better, still lots more cleaning with emphasis on precise head and arm positions, also turn-out especially on static poses. A couple of weeks and we are even in to facial expressions. This week we were facing away from the mirrors, next week we have a new teacher for that week, not sure what effect that will have but our own teacher is back the following week, then its rehearsal in costumes so I hope all the girls have theirs complete with their sparkly stone attached. City Academy are running two more repertoire workshops with a teacher unknown to me called Nina Monteiro: Swan Lake on the 11th January and Giselle on the 8th February, both 10.30am to 5.30pm, price £110 each at Sadler’s Wells.

Absolutely gorgeous, very inspiring. I wish my pirouettes were, a very frustrating afternoon with my private session even though I managed a triple this morning at the hall and another this afternoon at my private session, neither were intended.

I’m not sure if I will do it or not, its certainly not expensive but unless I know exactly what I am a getting I’m inclined to let it go. I will have to see what Franziska’s up too, as the few rep classes I have done with her have been extremely good and with little simplification. I trying to limit the amount of new material unless they are solo’s and only then if they accurately represent that of the classic. In any case I already have more than enough that I need to consolidate through a combination of private coaching and regular sustained practice. I think for me the future is towards far more one-to-one coaching for solo’s from the classics. Even LABs Intensives have become less appealing as they have become more simplified against some of the early ones. I will be organising my own one-to-one intensives based on my requirements, I have already approached BalletWest on the feasibility of this and are still waiting to hear from them.

English National Ballet Markova House, London 29 Mar 2015 10:00 – 16:00 Members: £40 / Non-Members: £50 Ballet Intensives provide the opportunity for adult dancers to hone their dance skills in an inspiring day of dance workshops. Warming up with a BalletFit session, followed by a ballet class focusing on the core technical elements of flexibility, strength and alignment, the day builds towards learning extracts from Modern Masters, the triple bill being performed at Sadler's Wells, featuring works by renowned choreographers Jiří Kylián, John Neumeier and William Forsythe. The day ends with an informal sharing, friends and families and invited to watch. Early booking is recommended. Follow the Link http://www.ballet.org.uk/whats-on/modern-masters/ballet-intensive-modern-masters/

I’ve had two really good rehearsal sessions this week, Firstly Mondays “Waltz of Hours” from Coppelia at Lincoln, we had an absent girl return and another one absent this week, so we were consolidating what we had learnt rather than go on. I think we all needed that, there is still one little bit for me where the brain knows what to do but the muscle memory hasn’t fully been burnt in yet as I sometimes end up on the wrong leg when dancing out side the class. One thing I love about that class It has very much a “can do mentality”, only if it really is too difficult do things get simplified, but at least you do get the opportunity to go that extra mile, we are definitely not into simplification yet. Tuesdays “Winter Snowflake” Inspired by the one from Nutcracker , uses the same music but the choreography is very different and created by our teacher from City Academy. More cleansing this week on presentation to the audience as most of us know the sequence pretty well. I didn't manage to make a mistake this week with what I call the sleeping swan pose. However I did look back on previous weeks videos when I was check arm direction in a practice session in my local hall, and in previous weeks several of us got the wrong leg on that one. Next week is likely to be challenging as we are dancing the sequence through with the mirrors behind us. I think all the girls have their costumes (Romantic tutu’s and White leo’s from the US) now, we receive our tiaras and sparkly stones to sew on our leotards, our teacher should shortly email us the design template for placing the stones. Mondays private rep session for Le Corsaire has gone reasonably well, my teacher is quite happy with it, there are a couple of tweaks I want to make, plus I need to review the video which she recorded at the end of the session. Next week we are back on to the pirouette sequence of the 3rd Odalisque variation now we have a good studio, and ultimately it can be added to the previous Le Corsaire sequence. After Christmas all solo’s that represent a finished or near finished state will be danced through at least once weekly to ensure they remain in current memory, I will be releasing Fridays to allow me to do that but I’m unsure at this stage where I will do it. The studios of GoDance in Sleaford which is some 20 miles away or my local hall which has an un-sprung floor.

Hi Lin The legs are really taking a hammering at the moment; I had to drop ENB this week due to two classes of jumps followed by the long walk back to South Kensington tube station, at that point my legs are fine but once I sit down on the tube they stiffen up very quickly. Beside this week I added in a fourth session at the hall so something had to give. Mondays Coppelia rehearsal is going well, our teacher is sticking to the Choreography movement wise, but now we are changing group formations and layout to accommodate such a small group, in the Waltz of Hours we are up to the Jete en tournant’s Tuesdays rehearsal at City Academy was a lot better as we had an almost full complement of dancers, a lot more cleaning for presentation: heads arms and turnout especially turnout on poses. Final pose has been reconfigured again but its all coming together quite well. Wednesday was practice of section of Le Corsaire, 3 Odilesques variation, following my private rep session at Sleaford on Monday. Which intern was inspired by a tiny section (Grand Fouette Saute’s) from that variation at my LAB rehearsal. Thursday I arrived early at RAD HQ for our LAB rehearsal and used the time before class to run through this sequence from the beginning to the phrase past the LAB piece. I danced it through several times as I had also taken the music in (Bolshoi). Our teacher Tom did not turn up for class but his stand in Lisa did, clearly she did not know what I was doing as she had to provide cover for Tom who was delayed with a flat tyre. Tom arrived for the last half hour of class and so we ran through the two piece he had taught us. Towards the end of class I queried if we were doing the scene from the beginning, the answer was no, it was being done by another group, I was pretty well gutted, I had mentioned this scene many times in the past. It was my favourite ballet and my favourite scene, so close and so far away, I left RAD HQ that night feeling extremely down. However I’m still working on it in my local hall and with my Rep coach at a studio in Sleaford, this time not for LAB but for me, as I have a couple of other performing options in mind. No time to dwell on the disappointment of Le Corsaire, as I have to get my head round Coppelia for Mondays rehearsal

Hi Lin The link on the email from LAB did not work for me, however if you follow http://www.londonamateurballet.com/lab-company---how-to-get-involved.html You will find term2 is open for public booking and the A and B groups still exist at the original times. So I don’t know where you picked you info up from. Although some classes were on break that week still turned out to be quite frustrating. We had high absenteeism in city’s performance course which doesn’t help positioning and sub group work, a lot of the cleaning that was done which will need repeating this week for those that were absent. ENB classes were good, however my legs ran out of steam so to speak, by the end of the second class after lots of jumps, we were into glissades and assembles, by the end of the evening my legs were really tired although they could still just about manage the assembles, the glissades were rubbish, then my teacher looked at me and said “Michelle Glissades” , fortunately the class ended just after that. By the time I got changed and went down the stairs at ENB I suspected my legs were going to play up as they had stiffened a little. The walk back to South Kensington tube station was quite brisk as I needed to get in front of the crowds going in the same direction possible from the Royal Albert Hall. At the tube station I though wow my legs feel brilliant, but by the time I had travelled to Kings Cross they were starting to really stiffen. By the time I got to Peterborough it was becoming difficult to walk and I was back on to the heal of my left leg, gradually over a few minutes walking I was able to articulate the weight through the whole of the foot. Thursday at my local hall was hard going even though I had to a large extent warmed up in my own gym at home before hand. It wasn’t until the weekend that thing really returned to normal. However my boyfriend still managed to run into my left ankle with the supermarket trolley in Morrison’s on Saturday Grrr

Oh I thought that’s what the barre was for, dancers that are a bit unsteady on their feet.

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Lin you may recall last year when we both did the Chelsea Ballet Summer School at Pineapple, we had an 80 year old lady with us there. When I first began at my local class we had an 80 year old lady there too, Nicky our teacher always gave here the choice of doing the easy or hard options to some of the centre work, the rest of us had to do as we were told. Sadly that class is no longer going, but I still see Nicky from time to time at the local Sports Centre. Scottish Ballet did have a 102 year old lady with them. So who knows. I hope by that time I can dance properly, do the splits, balance on one leg and touch the back of my head with the other, only time will tell, so I’m just going for it.

Another challenging week over and half term break coming up but two of my classes ENB and City Academy are still going, but for me it not really a break but time to clean up and get in front with my performance rep. So hiring my local hall 3 days during that week continues during the break, as well as some additional time in my own studio. Mondays “Waltz of Hours” from Coppelia has been taught in small isolated phrases, I think to gauge how our dancers would cope or need simplification. So far we a good to go against the Bolshoi version we are using as a template. This last Monday we completed the beginning all the way up to the ballance walk after the sissonnes. I noticed part of the beginning is repeated before the travelling ballonnes into a jete en tournant. I at least want to have that practiced before I go back. The only changes I can see our teacher making, is to accommodate just five dancers including me where the choreography call for separate groupings. It really is a lovely piece to dance. Tuesdays: An adaptation of “Dance of the Snowflakes” from Nutcracker, This sequence we have now completed after some tweaking this week, unfortunately one of the changes included moving my position towards the end of the dance as I had further to travel than the other dancers in our sub group and only four counts to do it in. This meant I had to dance with mostly the opposite orientation legs and arms etc. On the final video I think most of it was ok except I did a whoopee doo with the sleeping swan pose on the wrong leg even though that bit had not been changed. Thursday “Le Corsair “First partner work enchainement danced to “Le Jardin Anime Codetta”. Although it’s a nice piece I’m still not happy with my own performance I’m still making to many slip ups in attention to detail Grrrr. I know one of the girls from one of the other groups was complementary about last weeks work, but I know it was dreadful and I’m still not happy about this weeks, I know it needs a lot of polishing so its practice, practice, practice. Our second part is taken from the Harem Girls Dance which is first danced as a trio, then a duet with a couple of pas de chats into a solo. We are using the first part of that solo with the three grand fouette sautés, I’ve asked for the duet choreography to be included, and it’s now being considered as is the ending section with the high developpes, at the moment we are ending with a soutenu turn and then a buree to the front. As we are still learning this one I’m not too worried about the associated video. However this will receive a lot of attention during the break to get it polished and to include the beginning and end sections of the Bolshoi choreography, weather we use it or not. As it’s also my intention to re-familiarise myself with the beginning trio section which I have danced before. I think that music and choreography is absolutely gorgeous to dance to, it’s heavenly pleasure. On the down side I’m starting to detect overuse in my ankles as they are severely stiffening up once I stop dancing or using them particularly while resting on train journeys. I'm also missing LABs Autumn Intensive this weekend due to other commitments, which is held at Central based on "Manon", but I guess that's probably a blessing in disguise

This last week has I think being the most trying week I have had for along time. Firstly on Monday afternoon I hired a large studio in Sleaford for some Le Corsair Solo coaching, when we arrived the power kept going off every thirty seconds or so, we ended up moving to a smaller studio with a good floor which turned out to be quite adequate and cheaper. I ran through the sequence for the first time for my coach, then she ask me to just do the beginning which is a transfer or weight from preparation into a glissard from 4th, except the front foot does momentarily come off the floor (ref Bolshoi) and I checked this out with one of my ENB teacher to be correct. My coach spotted the fact that my placement on the floor when it finally went down for the glissard was somewhat strange, the foot went down flat as it should but then the toes and front of the foot came up, so my heel was taking all the weight of launching the glissard. That I was totally unaware off. I think we both concluded that was something that had crept in after my Achilles injury last charismas, as since then when my feet get stiff for sitting along time on a train journey, I know when I commence walking it tends to be on my heels, as the ankle joint get warm I can articulate the weight more and more through my foot until I am walking normally, but initially its too painful. The evening went reasonably with our “Waltz of Hours rehearsal” other than I need far more height with left foot on top right underneath for a cabriole devant. In this sequence we use both combination as its done both travelling from right to left and left to right. The other combination seems to work reasonably well as the strongest leg is on the bottom and the one with best articulation is on the top. I managed to get some exercises that should help strengthen and resolve that one. Tuesday City Academy Performance course we have finally finished the sequence with our closing pose. Lots of cleaning a polishing to be done but we have a few weeks to go yet. I’m still waiting for the video to be released of our work this week so we can practice. I have my local hall booked for that which is one of three every week. Thursday was far my worst day. When I arrived in London for my LAB rehearsal I found King Cross underground station was being evacuated and closed do to an “Incident” they said. I had to walk to Euston for the Underground to Victoria as I was headed to RAD in Battersea. I ask the gentleman on RAD reception if he had heard anything about King Cross, he hadn’t. Finally Tom our teacher was back after being away for a couple of weeks when progress had been slow. I thought now we can really get on it, we completed the sequence created from Le Corsaire. Before Tom was away he ask me to bring in a tutu to allow our male dancer to get used to the additional space he had to accommodate with the girls with circular tutu skirts, for the last half an hour I put it on. Finally we videoed that sequence using my camera for me to upload to our common dropbox area. At LAB we also started on a second sequence from Le Corsaire, derive from one of the Harem Girls solo’s but re-choreographed for a small group of dancers, it looks like being a very nice piece with lots more practice needed. When I left RAD, reception still had no news on Kings Cross, so I had to make the assumption it was reopened, it was. I ask one of the staff there and apparently a fire alarm had gone off but they could not locate it. When I finally got home at 1.00am I though I would check the two videos I had taken and then upload them for the other members of LAB. What I see of my own performance was awful, it was rubbish I hated it, I think it was the worst I have ever done, further more I did in a tutu, for me that makes it even worse, I just felt so ashamed, it was a real downer. That certainly won’t happen next week I really do have to pick my game up.