Michelle_Richer

I was actually glad of the break, however I did a two hour ballet fitness workout today at home and now feel fantastic, all the stiffness of no dance has completely gone for the moment.

Just an update to the City Academy Swan Lake Rep workshop at Sadler's Wells on the 4th, This is what we are covering: Prince Siegfried meets Odette, prior to the material we have previous work. This is entrance of Odette from where she comes on stage with a grand jete, to where Odette's mime starts (we did from Odette's mime to the end of that scene last time) one of my favourite parts. Pas de deux with corps de ballet. This is quite long so I guess its likely to be simplified, I'm also not sure If we will have any guys this time, so it might get changed Pas de quatre (cygnet dance)

Hi Terpsichore I only attend Northern once a month on Tuesdays as I have my two regular classes at English National Ballet on Tuesday Evenings, but that particular day ENB was on break, so I got to do the evening class too. Usually its been run by Fi (Fiona). The girls at Northern usually go for a coffee/ snack at a Café just round the corner, I love that with a bit of social chat. My main attraction from the add was the second half hour class called "Creative Choreography", as I know Annemarie's dancers do a little spot in the performance in July(5th). Sadly on that day I will be performing with LAB at the Bloomsbury Theatre, then all the following week at the Angles Theatre in Cambridgeshire. Annemarie did say she would not be starting the Choreography until after the next term, I guess I will do that up to the dress rehearsal unless its on the same day, but as you can see cant do the performance which is a bit of a poo.

I’m on the other side of the fence on the 28th, as I’m at the Royal Opera House to see Jewels, so no ballet for me until the 4th. However no chance for a rest, at least I get to catch up with house work (when it rains) and garden (when it’s fine), at least I got most of the leaves clear up and the vegetable garden cleared of nettles etc before the storms hit. As they say a change is as good as a rest, however I do want to review and update my fitness related training while I have the chance, as this break will just wiz by.

Hi Terpsichore Do you do Annemarie's class on a Tuesday morning, if so, I will have seen you there, I also attended Chris’s Intermediate/ advance class in the evening as well. I wonder, did you do the Cinderella rep workshop run by Rose at the Leeds Grand Theatre on Thursday morning, Rose was with us for the Tuesday morning class, she was just infront of me at the barre, small world.

Hi Lin I guess you have already bought yours, drop me an email with the cost as I'm not sure what rows are allocated to LAB, but if its central and row B I think I will go for it through you.

Dear Anjuli Ref your post #191 which I meant to reply to some time ago: Plie’s Interesting observation about plie’s for me I must confess I don’t tend to do the same most of my class. As most place their hand on the bar before the preparation music starts and only prepares the other arm to second during preparation. For me at all of my classes unless I am instructed directly and that hasn’t happened yet. I will start with arm in Bra bas with my head erect but position between ahead and to the side away from the bar (sorry I don’t know the name for that head position). As soon as the preparation starts my head will follow the arm away from the bar. One criticism I got from my local teacher was that my arms in grand plie’s was too flownsy, as I would use the first count to pull-up and lift my arm and gently roll out my fingers to create the line before descending. My local teacher’s preference was for arm in un-lifted second only, which for me felt quite wooden and without feeling. Sometime I feel like telling the teacher to be quiet on plies as I just want to enjoy them against the music as I can just float away into them, I know sometimes I almost close my eyes in ecstasy, especially if we are doing plie’s to an adapted Titanic theme, it’s the nearest thing I feel at the barre which has a dance like quality. Where we incorporate a rise and balance, for me they are not separate, I will take both arms up together, rather than most tend to release their hand from the barre last. Always at the end of the sequence of plie’s I return my arms to bras bas with the head in the same position as when we started. As I said I don’t conform to the majority of the experienced dancers in my class, but that’s my style and it feels natural. Circular Travelling turns: Was it dancing? Well not quite as I had no music, but I felt it had a dance like quality, the turn was always under control; I started and ended at the same point, as best as I can guess it was a circle, especially as I have done lots that haven’t been. The stop was accomplished by the pivoting leg being taken back (in fourth) on the next turn creating an abrupt stop, that could easily be presented as a curtsy. I haven’t tried mixing turns in a circle yet, but I have done them on the diagonal. However I am quite sure I can easily drop my party piece in of a leg swapping en dedan/ en dehors pirouettes landing in a fully floored curtsy. As for arms, in the instance I mentioned they were outstretched in second other than the initial preparation as this particular presentation is intended for the ending of Giselle’s first variation and I’m following Natalia Osipova’s example.

I'm there on the 28th Dec to see Jewels, then at the Coliseum on 11 Jan to see Le Corsair. But I must start to watch the pennies a bit as I need to get some more ballet costumes.

Hi Lin Yes I will be going to that performance, and yes I did see Natalia is performing, not sure if to remain with the default offer with LAB seating arrangement, or book one of my own.

LAB are now holding an Autumn Intensive at the RBS on the weekend 31st October to 2nd November

Latest update from my friends at RAD All adult repertoire workshop is £36.00 each Swan Lake Berkshire on 26Jan, closing date 16jan Cinderella London on 15 Feb closing date 27jan Romeo and Juliet Edinburgh on 23 Feb closing date 3 feb Giselle Cambridge 29 june closing date 9 june I’m still to find out the address at the locations indicated.

Hi Janet I would have like to have been, I would really have liked to see the full version of the piece we were dancing. I've documented it the best as I could remember on the train home, but there is one little bit that is a bit fuzzy. The first two para’s are complete, its just me being sarcastic over the constant assumption that my technique is completely rubbish, I know what I see from other dancers in my classes and some professionals too, non of us are perfect.

As for dance class suitability for my needs, best make sure when my technique is crap that I do it with conviction, then no one will nice. At my last Swan Lake workshop at ROH, I was in the front when we were about to start Odette’s solo from Act2. There was a girl that had attended a previous Swan Lake workshop, she was to the side and behind me, I invited her to come to the front parallel with me as there was space for her. She declined saying she wanted to follow me. I had videoed her with two other dancers and our teacher on a previous Swan Lake workshop, she was no beginner, should I have sent her to Specsavers? (Funny but true). Today has been my last day of ballet until 4 Jan. It was another early morning start which required me to get up at 4am, to be in Leeds before 9am. The first part of the morning was spent with a little warm-up before going into some Cinderella rep. This was done on the stage at Leeds Grand Theatre. After a basic warm-up and a few plie and tendus without a bar, we did a little run on the diagonal with a turn centre stage and our own ending and pose. I couldn’t resist doing my party trick of the leg swapping pirouette landing in a curtsy, however when we changed sides it really felt quite different due to the large rake of the stage. The rep we did was based on Cinderella’s solo, but I guess it was simplified, but never the less it contained 4 en dehors pirouette and two attitude turns en dehors. It was a really nice piece however I found you did need to allow for the rake in your balance and also for the taping between the floor panels, as I accidentally hit one with my pivoting foot and partially spoilt the landing into a wide 4th.Our teacher called Rose was attached to the learning department of Northern Ballet, she was also present in my morning class on Tuesday, she was directly in front of me at the barre. After the rep session she gave a short talk in the Grand’s assembly room about Northern Ballet and the Cinderella production, also showing us various props. I stayed chatting when the other girls left to go and watch the company class on stage. When I left Rose everyone had gone, I looked in a couple of doors that led to the stalls, the company class was in progress, and the girls could not be seen. I met up with a guy that had sat at the back during the discussion; I think he was a journalist. He suggested we just go in one of the doors and sit down. We did, except he kept well back and to the side. I went centre and only three rows up on my own. The guy running the class was Chris my Intermediate/Advanced teacher from Tuesday evening. He recognised me and said hello, and ask me if I was OK, that was a really nice personal touch, especially as he had a class in full flow. However what did make me smile, he gave the company class exactly the same Pirouette enchainement that we had Tuesday night, even though I say it myself I think I made a reasonable job of it, especially as he gave me a “nice one”. What did impress me was the sharpness and precision with their allegro enchainement in time with the music, as the tempo seem to increase each time the went through. At the end I thanked the guys and Chris too. To finish the day off I bought some hot chestnuts and has a nice chat to a couple of guys on the hot chestnut stall. The people in Leeds are very warm hearted and friendly, the same at Northern Ballet.

LIN a quickie for you, I have 4 more rep workshops from RAD, I will post them either tomorrow night when I get back from Leeds or Friday, when all classes are ended for me until the 4th Jan

Mimi66 I think because the nature of this one it deserves to be treat separately: your comment “if you keep going on like a stubborn teenager who is meaning well but cluesss as to how to approach life If I were so clueless, how come I ran a design department for a world leading manufacturer that consistently returned double digit profit figures inspite of a failing UK manufacturing industry. I also establish a strong international reputation for myself in transfer of technology to overseas companies. My career with that company lasted for 33 years, in other words the test of time. Not bad for a clueless woman with a pair of dancing shoes. The truth is, we have all seen someone who thought and behaved like you... and we have all seen what became of them. They either gave up ballet after at the most 3 years because for them life is all about some superficial instant gratification, or that they got too injured to continue ballet. I'm interested as to where you get this superficial instant gratification from, for me I make no bones about it, its hard work, one thing I have never shied away from, or the difficulty of a particular task, at the end of the day that’s the discriminator of your success. However I always try to work smarter in preference to harder. I am also aware that my body has limitation too as well as a diminishing lifetime to accommodate all of my ambitions. As for injuries, they happen, virtually at each and every school I attend. One can only assess the risks and act accordingly I know you feel you are special (and of course you are , as a person), but the in terms , of ballet, you are not alone - there have been hundreds of Michelles before you and no doubt there will be another hundreds to follow. Including those who consider themselves as a "dancer" before they came to ballet - well, it is a correct description in English sense, but also that would make most of the adult population "dancers". You got it in one sweetheart, I am special, to me at least, and very determined too, that’s my mind-set. As for most of the adult population being dancers, I find that hard to believe. I was also teaching dance (Salsa and other dances) several years before ballet. Even the name you quoted for my condition “tendinitis” is wrong, and it has appeared in my postings enough times as “Achilles tendinopathy”, as it is not truly a inflammatory condition. I wont try and draw any conclusion from your comments, other that they have been presented in a very not nice way.

Dear Dancer Suga Plum and Mimi66 You may be wonderful dancers but this time I think you are in need of correction. 1)Foot resting is totally inappropriate and would be counter productive, the basis of “Alfredson’s painful heel-drop protocol for Achilles Tendinopathy, is a therapy of strengthening. It also advises they “consider worsening pain as part of the normal recovery process; thus, they advise patients to continue with the full exercise program even as the pain worsened on the starting the program. Along those lines, if the patient experienced no pain during the program, he or she was advised to increase the load until the exercise provoked pain (BRUKNER AND KHAN, CLINICAL SPORTS MEDICINE). However as I have mentioned previously I have reduced my ballet workload to 3 hours a day with the full knowledge of my physio which we both agree is sustainable. So I’m not thinking “thinking that 'it'll all be fine', and that 'it will get better “ , it will get better due to the advice I have taken and the strategy we are following. 2)Eye for detail in the context I used includes everything, the same way my proactive teachers would apply it. However one of you chose to try and discredit my query which is what it was, and the teacher in each case confirmed the movement my interpretation of the movement. So trying to justify a situation that has been agreed by a teacher seems somewhat mischievous and without foundation. 3)I love the comment about looking at ones own feet and not in the mirror, both my local teacher and my level 3 teacher at ENB would shoot me, if they see me looking at my feet. In fact both insist the posture is correct, both head and eyes have to be up too, I’m not even allowed to look to follow the dancer in front feet at the barre, that certainly teaches you to be self sufficient. 4)I really don’t understand this fixation about quality and quantity, they are not necessarily mutually exclusive, and of cause one should always try to do well whatever the class. It just sounds like knit picking or sour grapes at my capacity to do the number of classes I do. I dance mostly with people that have done ballet for a long time and the occasional one where its been a lot shorter. There are things in the higher level classes where I may not be a good as some of the others, but at the same time the reverse is sometimes true, but little by little I get better. I had an opportunity happen by accident where the class was divided up into 4 groups one in each corner doing pose turns across the room simple(s), I had intended to go first and had found my spotting point, the support in the mirror holding the barre on the opposite wall. The rest of the group moved up and decided collectively that were they would go, there were other dancer on that side of the room against the wall waiting to go and no clear spotting point. They were far more experienced that me, their technique generally would be far better than mine, however on that exercise most of their performance were disappointing, going last I had the opportunity to see it. As I went last, the previous dancers had gone, there was a divide crack between two doors, I used that for my spot and it was easy peasy. We are all better at some things than others, so knocking me for going to higher classes really doesn’t have any merit, but it does give me an experience of a far wider range of movement for me to be properly trained on, rather than to self train for repertoire. Not only that I enjoy the classes too, as I did last night with Northern Ballet Intermediate/advanced class, but in saying that I also attend quite a few at the lower end of the spectrum.

Thank you 2dancersmum, I thought my other post had been deleted as I couldn't find it, the solution works fine. I must take my other laptop back into my studio, I guess I will have to reconfigure the screen again.

Wow fantastic, thank you 2Dancersmum. The upgrade has also prevented downloading of doc via my mail too so I have just got another computer with XP on the job. It was for RADs 2014 Adult Rep courses.

Hi Girls I'm at a real disadvantage here until I can get a solution to copy and paste from word. I will probably have to get another PC on line but that will not be until after I get back from Northern tomorrow, that take priority. There is an awful lot of comments which have been made about me which are totally inaccurate, miss-quoted and no attention to detail what so ever. Needless to say I'm somewhat miffed that I'm not able to respond to these right now as its not practical to just to document and edit the forums text box.

Hi Girls Its already very late for me (1.30am), so I will respond to your comments tomorrow night (Wednesday), I did see some of them Monday night 11pm when I got back from Lincoln, however I had to be in bed by midnight, as I needed to up at 5am for my trip to Northern Ballet where I did three classes Tuesday, I have 3 classes for Wednesday but only one ballet as the rest are body conditioning. Then its back with Northern for Thursday.

Hi Mimi66 I think we have completely different mind-sets. Before I ever got into ballet I was already a dancer. For me I am first and foremost a dancer and my aim is to dance in such a way that is pleasing to my audience within my own physical capability. That said consolidation is a continuous process and the majority of my classes contribute to that. Perhaps the most significant is my level 3 teacher at ENB, when we first met I made it clear that I actively wanted feedback, that I get and she really pushes me. Not only that but my local teacher Nicky has given me an eye for detail, so much so it often gets me into deep water. Only last week I had occasion to query the technique used by a couple of my teachers, both were from very prominent ballet companies. The first was a port de bras done after a plié with arms away from the barre, which should have closed through first and didn't. What I could see of the rest of the class, they followed the teacher. I queried this with the teacher and she confirmed it should have closed through first. The other was an ending port de bras pose where, I cant remember if that was during plié's or not, the one hand remained on the barre, the other in fifth high and open. However the arm was extended behind the shoulder with the head facing devant. Again I queried it and that teacher confirmed technically it was wrong but made the comment it looked nicer that way, so that's where it stayed. I completely agree with her comment, I can just imagine that being done as a gesture for an "O Lay". In any case my local teacher would frown if I were to use swan arms in class, as she sees drooping elbows in port de bras as a big no no, and calls them chicken wings, so where would Swan Lake be without them. So in a nutshell I will never get hung-up on complete compliance to technique when performing, its more about artistry of interpretation and its pleasing presentation to the audience. But please don't think for an instance I'm trying to use that as an excuse for bad technique. As for consolidation over six month, not a chance, that could represent a significant period of my remaining active life, besides if I look back over the last six month, that contains all the performances I have done. That totals 7 different type of performances, and not 7 days, as one performance alone was done on 6 days. Yes I am in a hurry, like there's no tomorrow and will always tread that fine line between overtraining and injury, that's where the most significant physical development is likely to be made. As for things hurting, one has to make a judgement call, is it because I'm damaging something, or is it because I'm developing something to make it stronger? My heel drop therapy hurts like hell, when it stop hurting during exercise then I am to take on additional weights to work my feet even harder so it hurts again, that's how its strengthened. In that case hurting is a necessary part of the healing process. As for taking years to develop muscles etc even for young people, if I were to take it to its logical conclusion I would give and say its impossible, or I would park it in a box labelled "TOO HARD". Neither is an option for me and I WILL GO THE DISTANCE, I'm not faint hearted about that at all, however in reality I am trying to limit the majority of ballet activity down to three hours a day, however summer schools and rep workshops will always exceed these. Rep workshops have become a significant part of my schedule averaging around three a month. I note your comment "Here I'm not talking about mimicking movement", well I guess I am guilty as charged, as I will always attempt to perform and practice movement not taught, cant do is not an option for me. For instance non of my classes teach doing travelling turns in a circle, that I had to teach myself with trial and self correction, I had no option other than "CAN'T DO". One my last pre class session at ENB I completed the full circle and could stop on sixpence without feeling particularly dizzy, that wasn't done overnight. The repertoire I learn is often simplified which is only a starting point for me, as I will invariably take it as close as I can to the full professional version. Usually I will base it on three or four companies performances and take elements from each that best suits my own physical capability. Sometime I even make minor modifications to improve original presentation. EG in Odette's solo from act 2 (RB version) Odette does not include the double beat in each and every developpe in the two sets of three developpe's, it looks more aesthetically pleasing if it does. The class was taught it as a single developpe, however I included it. Later after a few rehearsals when our teacher was dancing along with us, she included them too, with each and every one. I always try to be careful how much I include over and above what we are taught in class. So I am sure you can interpret that as mimicking. Here is another instance of mimicking which I would call improvising, I left my Salsa party quite early Friday night as not many dancers were present and I was quite bored with it. I arrived home about 10pm, so decided to pop over the road to the mermaid Hotel, my local pub/restaurant, as I get on very well with the land lady who is an ex-Salsa dancer. Generally I go over for the odd meal and a chat. Normally the place is fairy quiet, however this time the bar was full of very rowdy guys aged somewhere between late twenties and early thirties. The lounge that I was in was almost empty other that a mum of one of the revellers, apparently it was someone's birthday. I had a little chat with the mum, then she left. One of the guys shouted across the bar where the pumps are which divided the two rooms, I didn't hear what he said, so the land lady said "She's a dancer". Then I was asked if I was a pole or belly dancer, to which I replied "I do Salsa and Ballet". Another guy said "I used to do ballet, come and show us your pirouette". I went round to the other side and said "Ill show you my pirouette if you show me your", he agreed. The revellers both guys and girls made some floor space for me, I dropped my handbag and cardigan on the floor and kicked my shoes off, it was a carpeted floor. I proceeded to do a single turn en dedans with arms to fifth, landing in fourth with arms to low gesturing second almost like a curtsy. The guy does a complete 360 but his gesturing leg is along way from his pivoting leg and only halfway to retire. When I ask him about his leg, he said he wasn't a professional like me, I just laughed and said I wasn't either. A girl from behind shouted out "Can you do a flying lift like they do in Dirty Dancing", I turned round and said "not with this guy, he could never hold me", I thought that was an end to it. A big guy from behind heavily built, looked as strong as an ox, said "I can", there was silence for a while and I thought "mmmmm maybe he can". Although I have never been lifted before, I had done something very similar with our male dancer at the Swan Lake workshop. It was in the scene "entrance of Odette", were Odette return to Siegfried after pleading with Von Rothbart, there I was stepping on to demi point in arabesque with swan arms swept back with my back arched and supported by our male dancer (Siegfried). however as with the RB version I was still on the ground although I would have fell forward if I wasn't supported. In the Mermaid I took a three step run and strait through the demi-point step with momentum, with that I was airborne. The guy just took me up above his head a held me there for several seconds and we got a tremendous applause from everyone. The guy let me down very gently. The Hotel owner bought me the next two drinks and said that's for entertaining the boys, now does that make me a professional ? After that several of the guys bought me drinks too, I even got serenaded by one of them. I finally left a little after 1am and quite merry. Mimi66 you may think I was foolish, to me it was a calculated risk, also risk verses reward also plays a part in this too. For me I will take away the memory of being lifted above a guys head in front of everyone there and the applause, that will be will me for the rest of my life. I ask you this, what did you do on Friday that you will remember for the rest of your life. I have a life to live, and I mean to live every single moment and make it count, so do you really think derogatory terms like "mimicking" is really going to make any significant difference.

It appears I can copy into the title window with copy and paste but not into this text window, does anyone have any ideas without doing a system restore?

Today has not been a nice day, my right foot has been playing up again. Went to my local morning class, fortunately we didn’t do any jumps this time, however one of our short enchainements has a couple of Pas de Chat's in it, as soon as my right foot hit the floor to take my weight, I knew things were not good. I tried to do my best but they were to be honest rubbish. After class I had my hour of hall hire, for once I hadn’t got any rep practice for something I was doing the following week. So for once I could start on Le Corsaire, which I have had to put on hold for a few weeks now. However the Harem Girls Dance contains six Temps leve’s at the beginning performed on alternating feet. Each time the right foot became the supporting/hopping foot it was extremely painful. I persevered for a while but clearly I was not going to acquire any meaningful muscle memory for that enchainement. I switched over to Odette’s Solo from Swan Lake as that had been a very recent piece I had been practicing for a workshop just over a week ago. Everything was fine until I got to the sissonne’s, then landing on the right foot was murder. After 45 minutes of hell I gave up, closed the hall and took the keys back. I'm not sure just why my right foot was so bad, as Sunday we were doing lots of Temp Leve’s as part of our Nutcracker rep. However the hall was cold when we first started the ballet class as the heaters had only just been switch on, temperature on leaving had only just crept up to 16 degrees, also the floor in the hall is not sprung, although its great for pirouettes. On the plus side its bigger than most stages. Just to finish a bad day off this afternoon, I had a dental appointment for a routine check-up. When I handed my card over to pay, the card machine was out of action that cleaned virtually every penny out of my purse. No more ballet this week until Monday then its quite thin as most of my schools is on Christmas break, however I will be with Northern Tuesday and Thursday next week.

Thanks Janet, I've just requested their Info pack.

Hi Lin I had a look at Ballet Bristol, only problem is I couldn't commit to every week, so rep/performances would be out. Rail journey is over 4 hours for each way and cost will exceed a hundred pounds each trip. Although it looks extremely attractive its not feasible. As for Scottish ballet, yes I will be visiting their intermediate class occasionally to keep the relationship alive but more importantly their rep workshops as and when they come up, as I missed the last one with only 10 days notice.