Blog 40 Xmas coming, holiday on the way

This week already the last lessons at Bayadère before the Xmas break. 2019 passed by like a whirlwind.

On January 6, lessons will start again, 2020 is impatiently waiting to make its entrance!

Monday evening I hurried tot Bayadère and came a bit too late. Lyda was giving a special lesson about stretching. Very interesting for a rusty person like me. Educational, because she explained to us the works of lengthening and contracting of the muscle fibers. And of course, after the information, she walked the talk. Not easy for me to perform the exercises she wanted us to do, because I came in late after a tough day at work, no chance to do my warming up. But heck, I gave it a try.

Passive stretching, active stretching, dynamic stretching, PNF stretching. Use Google and find out what it means. There are different opinions about what method of stretching is the best. The most practical solution to this riddle is to try and discover what method suits you best. 

In my opinion, it is not short muscles and connective tissues that make me tight; no, it is my nervous system. It's the muscle software that interdicts my muscles to slide out to their true full length. Muscle software is based on previous experiences like sitting all day or performing monotonous labor. I think my nervous system picked a fixed length for every one of my muscles in my lifetime and is thereby programmed to keep it that way. Whenever you reach too far compared to this self adapted standard, the stretch reflex kicks in and reins your muscles in. 

And things like fear and tension tighten the muscles up too, so they will resist lengthening. 

Lyda made us do a mixture of passive and active stretching. First passive, then bouncing, followed by passive. 

I want to deepen my knowledge of this stretching. One of the books I read right now is "Relax into stretch" by Pavel Tsatsouline, a Russian sportsman. He advocates PNF stretching: create flexibility through muscle tension.

I am astonished that in most of the ballet books that I've read, nothing is said about stretching. While so much flexibility is needed in doing the ballet exercises.

The Thursday lesson went on in a very relaxing atmosphere; we practiced jazz ballet and did joint mobility exercises. And after that a game, in two groups we pictured a few scenes of a fairy tale, the other group had then to guess which fairy tale we were depicting and vice versa.

During this vacation, I will not write a blog. It's time for some relaxation, visiting family, and reading books. I'll continue my daily exercises on flexibility and visit the gym to do my workouts. Oh, there is still so much that I want to know and to learn.

See you in January! Have a nice Holiday! My blessings to you!

I invite you to give a comment on my blog. Or to contact me at the e-mail address: bert.jonker@movetoballet.com if you have a particular question or issue you want to share with me.

Blog 39

A small class last Monday evening.

We took considerable effort to practice the chassé, in particular, the en avant type. The chassé is used as a traveling jumped step, one leg "chasing" the other. It can be done in all directions.

It is a single sliding movement of the front foot with the knee in demi plié along the floor. With a small jump, the back leg comes to join the front leg in the air, during the suspension the two legs are held close together, the landing occurs on the back leg, but the weight is quickly transferred to the front leg in wide 4th position. Then the movement is repeated. 

During the chassé, the body is held slightly in front of the line of gravity. That does not mean, in this case, that the torso is leaning forward; rather, it is an inner realignment of weight. 

Leaps like grand jeté are generally preceded either by a pas de bourrée couru or a chassé.

Lyda always talked about two feet coming together in the air. Until this evening, I supposed that the back foot then had to bump on the front foot, making a distinct clapping sound. And I usually hurt my feet a bit with this exercise. In this lesson, it was a kind of wake up call for me that it's not the feet that clap but the lower legs that collide and make that sound. The shinbone of the back leg touches the calf of the front leg.

In Thursday's class, Lyda gave us an outlook on our evolution as students. Lyda made us practice ballet exercises that we are expected to learn a year ahead of now. Of course, not simple. But promising. This makes me feel eager to go on.  

Somewhere this week, Lyda sent me an email that she added a link on her Bayadère website to my blog. And she announced on Facebook and Instagram that one of her adult ballet beginners writes a blog about his ballet lessons. 

It's a privilege to write this blog and see it gain so much attention. I'm honored.

If practicing ballet is on your mind, and you have never had ballet lessons before, then this blog is for you. I hope my blog will help, stimulate, and encourage you, adult, to make that next move, that big step, to start with ballet lessons. 

Next week is last week with lessons this year. Christmas is nearing, and so are the holidays. 

Monday a stretching class, Thursday a walk-in class, with specials.

Remarkable how time flies. With the start of the New Year, we will prepare full swing for the ARBTA exams in April.

Blog 38 Exam in 2020

Lyda sent an email to inform us about a new series of exams next year; in my case, we are talking about a grade 3 exam.
I took exams in Classical Ballet at Grade level 2 in April 2018 at Bayadère, under the rules of the Association of Russian Ballet and Theatre Arts (ARBTA).
I still remember Gypsy Booth, my examiner. Later I learned that she is the president of the ARBTA. A distinct and remarkable, grey-haired, British lady, who travels across the countries to take exams. I admire this dedication to the Russian Ballet. It's people like her that keep up the high standards and thus protect the Russian legacy in ballet.

I'm looking forward to preparing for my next exam. It gives a sense of purpose, goals to achieve. In a disciplined way, I will learn new exercises and become more proficient in doing them. A healthy kind of stress to do the right thing!
In April 2018, part of my preparations was a pas de deux with Marion, following a choreography inspired by the Knights Dance of Romeo and Juliet. You have to know that I started my classical ballet training a half-year earlier at Bayadère. And felt totally immersed in this beautiful new world. So rich in culture and full of color! And still in awe with my terrific teacher and coach Lyda.
She teaches me that ballet is all about theatre, and that posture and appearance is everything. Look fierce; walk with dignity, she said. Accompanied by that dramatic music from Prokofiev.

The pas de deux was the supreme moment during my exam. First, there was the regular stuff, like doing plié and so on. I still have the script for the exercises.
Dancing in front of someone who is examining you, looking intensely at you, and writing things down while you move and dance can be quite intimidating. And there were only two of us, Marion and me, dancing in front of her. Especially when you are the only man, and to be more specific, the oldest person in the house. And yes, I felt vulnerable and modest, for grade 2 is the beginner's level. But Gypsy showed integrity and respect.
I felt a bit stressed at the start of the exam, but the minute I moved, I felt confident that I would make it. I may have thought in some of my weakest moment that I was actually making a fool of myself, an old man, chasing his outdated dreams. Still, I must confess that my self-esteem never left me in de classroom. Gypsy even clapped her hands after the exam. Chasing your dreams requires the courage to break through barriers. Mostly your own.

Well, that's all, folks. See you next week.

Please feel comfortable to give a comment on my blog. Or contact me on email address: bert.jonker@movetoballet.com if you have a particular issue you want to share with me in my (or your!) adventurous journey into the world of classical ballet.

Blog 37

A peculiar week. I only could go to class on Monday evening. On Thursday, I had to attend a happening at my work, one of my colleagues celebrated his 40th jubilee.

In the Monday lesson, Lyda talked about an article she had read about stretching in Dance Informa, Australian Edition (DanceInforma.com). A study at The Australian Ballet delivered some surprising results as to what works in stretching and what is actually damaging to the body and increasing the risk of injury. Muscles shouldn’t be passively stretched, that’s what the article says. I’m interested to know how Lisa Howell thinks about this. Maybe I’ll look into this another time.

Lyda started with a new series of exercises. One of them is développé. That means trembling muscles, perspiration running down my cheeks. I described this experience as “the walls of Jericho came tumbling down” in one of my earlier blogs, number 13.

To understand and practice the développé, I did some research. And I found some answers in the book “Ballet beyond tradition.” It is one of my favorite books about ballet, written by Anna Paskevska, former ballet teacher and scholar at the faculty of The Chicago Academy for the Arts and Columbia College. She died at the age of 69 in 2007. You can find more specifics on her on tallskinny.com. She manages to precisely describe and motivate the movements in ballet. She thinks, analyzes, and explains, using words and examples that fit precisely into my kind of thinking. In a way, I feel fond of her. But stop, that’s weird. I’m growing sentimental about a person I’ve never met before. 

She helps me to pierce this intriguing exercise, the développé.

You don’t contract the leg muscles, specifically the quads when lifting the leg. That leads to the overdevelopment of the quads. By that, you overlook the role of the hip flexors. You have to maintain an elongated spine and an aligned pelvis to facilitate access to the iliopsoas and to enable it to utilize its function of lifting the leg. In a développé, all the muscles of the leg that need to be used will be engaged when the starting position of the body is correct; the muscles of the torso and deep muscles of the hip joint will support the motion. The movement’s action depends on the direction of the extension. To the front, once the leg has been lifted to a high retiré, the inner thigh and foot lead the motion outward to the full extension. The iliopsoas muscles carry the weight of the leg. To the side, the thigh is lifted further upward from the retiré position before the leg begins to unfold. To the back, the thigh again leads the unfolding, and the pelvis tilts forward in response.

You have to train the inner muscular strength to make these controlled, intentional movements possible. And here is the tantalizing thing: it takes time, a lot of time. 

Four times to the front, 4 times to the side, 4 times to the back. I felt torn.

Blog 36 Pas de Deux

A very inspiring and exciting ballet week!

It was cold last Monday. In-class exercises went slow and stiff. So Lyda told us to do a few warming up exercises. And it helped. Body temperature rises, joints become more smooth, and the muscles more flexible. In an earlier blog, I wrote about the importance of warming up. Usually, at home, I prepare by doing a few routine stretches. And while waiting in the dressing room at Bayadère, I continue to do this. And at the end of November, that’s not a luxury.

We had an interesting and motivating extra changement exercise. While in the center, Lyda asked us to take off our shoes and put one of them a few inches in front and the other a few inches at the back of our feet. Then she challenged us to do the changement 32 times on our bare feet, remaining in the confines of the shoes. This gives an extra dimension to the changement, and maybe you think I’m exaggerating a bit, but I love these kinds of exercises.

The Thursday lesson was one of a kind. Only Marion and I were in class, the rest of the students didn’t show up for various reasons. So Lyda decided to offer us an alternative lesson. With as she said, hard work for the calves and in the second half of the lesson a few basic techniques for the pas de deux. We eagerly chose for this special lesson.

First a half-hour of exercising the calves: plié to relevé on two feet, then on the right foot, then two feet and left foot then two feet, countless times in series from 8 to 16 movements.
Then from standing to the relevé, the same order of using the feet as mentioned before. And again in series of 8 to 16 movements. They were making fun out of me, fantasizing about the horrible calve cramps and stiffness I would get this weekend.
Well, to be honest, yesterday, Friday, I felt a bit of stiffness in my upper calves. But today that’s already gone. And I made a long run this morning, so I’m doing fine ladies.

Then it was time for the pas de deux. Marion put her hard blocked pointe shoes on. These are satin shoes with stiffened, reinforced toes, the tips of which are squared off to provide a small platform on which the dancer is able to balance.
I learned that it can be harmful to the Achilles tendon to tie the pointe ribbons at the back of the ankle. There is a small indentation just in back of the inside anklebone where the knot can be hidden under the ribbon; in this spot it is both comfortable and invisible Marion told me.
Only advanced dancers are advised to dance on pointe shoes.

The goal of the pas de deux was for her do to some pointe work, with me holding her in different positions.
We practiced some basic techniques. Marion stood in front of me, in plié in the 4th position, I behind her back, in the second position, a bit in plié, with my hands on her waist. Then she springs upward, straightening the knees, simultaneously drawing the toes across into a straight line front to back, aligned with the center of the body. And of course, me acting along with her to achieve harmony of movement. So my partner was sur la pointe, in balance, and now my task was to shift her to the right and to the left, her feet remaining on pointe on the floor. That’s when gravity comes in, and holding and supporting her becomes my task. With safety first! The aim was to develop mutual trust. But also to feel the effect of movement. I actively became aware of spatial dimensions and shifting weight in working together. And correct body positioning in relation to my partner. For me, it was a great way to make my next step into ballet. Marion uttered directions to me when on pointe. I felt honored to exercise these basics with her. Later on, we practiced the arabesque, Marion, in this position, while I rotated her. Thanks, Marion, for your trust! And Lyda for this opportunity to do some more advanced work.
It was a great lesson!

Blog 35 Jumps

Maybe a bit of a stupid confession, but I really thought pliés were meant for creating lenient muscles. To stretch and become more flexible. 

During lessons, though, I heard Lyda say quite regularly that many of the exercises we were doing were actual preparations for a wide range of jumps. So that’s not the point. I could have known.

But only after 1 ½ year has it become clear to me that a demi plié is a starting point for a jump. 

Well, let me look up what Agrippina Vaganova teaches about the elementals of jumping in ballet.

In a correct demi plié, the heels are not lifted from the floor. The main factor of the imparting force at the moment of leaving the floor is the heel. That is why it is essential to pay special attention to the correctness of the demi plié. 

The legs must be forcefully extended in the knees, arches, and toes at the moment of the jump. And after the jump, the feet must touch the floor first with the toe, then softly with the heel, and then lowered into demi plié.

When in jump, Lyda told us to “stay” in the air, hovering, so to speak. I learned that the word balloon is used to describe this.  Hovering in the air, you stay in a pose or position. 

For the development of the jump ending on both feet, the changement de pieds is the appropriate exercise. Every lesson we practice this elementary exercise. We stand in the 5th position, right foot front, in demi plié, push off from the floor, jump up, extending the toes and arching the feet. Then coming down, we change the feet; the left foot will be in the front.

The bigger the jump, the deeper de demi plié. And the arms must remain relaxed, from the shoulder to the hands, slightly curved.

I love the jumps. They ask every inch of you to remain composed yet energetic and are quite exhausting. I feel content after this explosion of force and would want to do this more often.

But that is my general remark on a lot of the exercises we perform. I would like to do them more often, in higher numbers. 

I was a member of two gyms, and the more spacious gym was the gym I departed from. Paying for two gyms and ballet amounts to quite a sum of money, so I had to make choices. I chose to keep the gym where I had the best lessons, and that was the smaller one. And of course, ballet is number one of my choices. 

But now I miss the spacious one, for that was the place where I could exercise my ballet moves and jumps. And that gym was open every day of the week. So now, I feel a bit incomplete. I can’t do my exercises the way I want on Saturdays and Sundays.

I know that I have to exercise more.

Blog 34

Lyda picked up a piece of chalk end drew the rectangle again on the floor. This time to introduce the effacé position. We already practiced en face, de dos, en profil, and croisé direction in the previous lesson. When standing in the croisé direction you can be in the croisé or the effacé position. The fundamental characteristic of croisé is the crossing of the legs. The effacé, in contrast, is with the legs open. It’s all about looking at the mirror to understand how the position looks.

Lyda made a game out of it, she uttered the name of the diverse positions, and we made the moves. To get accustomed to the positions. “En face croisé, de dos, en face effacé,” and so on. This went on for a few minutes.

In the Thursday lesson, Lyda put white tape on the floor of the studio, one stripe for each of us. And we started practicing the tendu, moving en avant, derrière, and à la seconde. Without the barre. These movements implicate holding the balance, and I liked this. Balance is a crucial dimension in ballet. So every day I practice at this, using common everyday movements. When I put my shoes on, I pick up a shoe from the floor, hold it in my hands, stand on one leg and elevate my other leg, putting the shoe on, first the left, then the right. Incorporate the ballet basis movements in your daily life is what Lyda advised us. That’s what I try to do. So when brushing my teeth, I do the demi plié, when picking something up from the floor I keep my legs straight and bend forward to pick the thing up.

We keep on moving up, I guess, doing more exercises in the center of the studio.

Lyda stimulates us to practice at home. Use the Santa Claus period of the year she exclaimed. Ask Santa for a few gifts, like a mirror, a short piece of stair railing, maybe you can hang a small length of stair railing on the wall, and voilà you have your own barre. And ask for tape to make a stripe on the floor.
The motto is: Build your own little ballet studio in one of your rooms at home. And practice. Every day.

We practiced the pas assemblé. It is one of the basic movements for the development of the jump. But it is fairly complicated too.
Stand in the 5th position, right foot front, demi plié, with a sliding movement draw the left leg to the side and with the toe of the extended foot reach the second position on the floor. Then with the right foot which has remained in plié push off the floor, extending the toes during the jump, left leg still in second position in the air, then both feet simultaneously, return to the 5th position in demi plié, left foot front. From this plié, the movement is repeated with the other leg.
The assemblé becomes a little bit more accepted in my system. But I have a long way ahead of me to make it a firm jump!

Blog 33

I am always doing things I can’t do, that’s how I get to do them.

Pablo Picasso

Happily, I recovered from my flu. Now Lyda had a cold and was sniffing all the time. Must be autumn, with the sudden temperature rises and falls, rainy weather and stormy times. I hope I won’t become sick again after this fresh start of ballet lessons this week.

The first lesson was on Monday. The class was full, and I started at the back end of the barre. Modest and ready for the lesson.  After our first movements at the barre, we moved to the center. There Lyda explained the four ways a dancer can stand in front of the audience. She drew a square on the floor with a piece of chalk to indicate the degree of the turn of the body: en face, de dos, en profil, and en croix. Ballet is also theatre. The audience wants to see the dancer. It's important to be aware of this when you perform.

It was a peaceful lesson.

Thursday evening, I collected a few corrections in just a half of an hour. What was I doing wrong? Things went humpy dumpy that evening. Maybe her cold made her a bit grumpy?

Work on your plié, she said. At Bayadère, the Russian demi plié is practiced, but Lyda advised me to use the British demi plié at the barre. My demi plié is not deep enough. Bending the knees and at the same time, keeping the heels on the floor puts a lot of strain on my calves. That’s due to my boxing and running activity, I guess. But I already forgot what the difference is between the British and the Russian plié.

Another thing to work on is my battement jeté. The working leg opens to a height of 45 degrees, fully stretched, then returns to the closed position. It can be performed to the front, side, or back and usually begins in the 1st or 5th position. I act too slow, I have to speed up.

Do systematic repetitions of the same movement a high number of times in succession. That’s her advice.

Well, a frustrating lesson. Luckily I had a few laughs too.

We also practiced the pas de bourrée. As you may remember in an earlier blog, I wrote that the pas de bourrée causes me trouble. The pas de bourrée has several variations and can be done in all possible directions; it is a step in three counts, during the lesson, we exercised the basic form with a change of the feet. If you start with the right foot in front, you will end with the left foot in front. 

According to Lyda, she wanted us to do the pas de bourrée au dessous. And I think she uses a specific extra element in this movement as she incorporates a cou de pied starting position in this exercise. The working foot is flexed and wrapped around the ankle of the supporting leg with the heel in front and the foot winged derrière.

Blog 32

A week off at Bayadère, the children enjoy a vacation. This amounts to three weeks without ballet lessons. I’m glad things start up again next week.

It’s autumn in the Netherlands. Leaves, once green, turn trees into majestic colored symbols of the circle of life. Poetic, isn’t it? This magnificent climax of life, preparing for hibernation and a new start in spring. The colored leaves fall from the trees as the wind blows, they color the ground, leaving trees barren. Trees are monuments of an undefeated will to live, deeply rooted in the earth, touching (kissing) the blue sky. And in doing so, they transcend their struggle for existence in intrinsic beauty and embody fullness of life.

This expression of Mother Nature brings me to the poetry of dance and ballet in particular.

My ultimate goal and I am prepared to spend years of training to achieve this, is to be able to use my body as an expressive instrument. As an expression of my soul!

I’m struggling to master the movements and techniques to make sure that my body does not prevent my soul from expressing itself. And that’s the journey you read about in my blog. Some times romantic, most of the time realistic, and now and then pessimistic.

People marvel at the beauty of a classically trained dancer, so do I. But it’s not the technique that moves me, it’s the embodiment of that whisper of the soul that I seek.

I’ll finish this time with a short piece of poetry from D. H. Lawrence, a famous writer.

When the white feet of dancers beat across the stage

the sound is like the wings of birds at dawn, fluttering,

and when the feathery light bodies rise en pointe, spinning

like the wind across a lake, the sight is romance, uttering.

Blog 31

A short blog this time. I was still sick this week. Coughing and coughing, yes, how nasty this flu is.

I decided to put my focus on recovery and not to bother my fellow students with my flu. So, I skipped the lessons. 

I practice stretches and core exercises to maintain my flexibility and strength. But mind you, if you have problems with your back, don’t do these kinds of exercises without professional coaching.

One of them is the roll-up. The roll-up strengthens the abdominal muscles. 

To begin, you lie on your back with your arms folded across your chest. The hips and knees are bent at 90 degrees angle. Slowly lift your torso while maintaining the elongation of the upper back and neck, to approximately 45 degrees, hold this position for 8 counts, and then slowly roll down. Then repeat this exercise 1 time with a slight twist to the left and repeat with a slight twist to the right. Try to breathe comfortably during this workout. After this first set, repeat 3 to 6 sets. After doing this, you are probably tired!

A few weeks ago, Lyda taught us a back-extension exercise to strengthen the low back muscles. These muscles aid in supporting the torso during dance movements like the arabesque. This exercise balances the effect of the roll-up.

The exercise starts with you lying on your belly, prone, hands beneath the shoulders and the legs in a slight second position. Push off, gently raise your torso, arms loose from the floor, stretch them in front of you and hold this position, as high as your torso can get, 8 counts and then release slowly. Do this 3 to six times. 

You can add a second part to this exercise: while staying with your torso on the floor, gradually raise your legs, hold for 8 counts and slowly release. And third, you can slowly lift both the torso and legs for 8 counts and lower slowly. 

The combination of the roll-up and the back extension is a powerful exercise to strengthen your core.

But now I’ve got the flu, even 3 sets are impossible. Where did my strength and stamina go?

Blog 30

Last Sunday, I became sick. Turned out that I got a cold, a severe cold. My throat started to become sore, runny nose, and a headache. I felt awful.

The only right place to be was in my bed. No ballet class this week. 

This is the first time in the 2 years that I couldn’t go to ballet class because of illness.

One of the side effects of being sick is that I have a lot of dreams, and often I have memory flashbacks of things I really have forgotten. One of the flashbacks is of a remark my osteopath once made.

A few years ago, my osteopath told me that ballet isn’t healthy because of the unnatural body movements/postures, like pointé and turn out. 

So after that flashback, I involuntarily thought about the turn out this week. 

Turn out is a typical aspect of ballet training. It’s adopted from fencing positions. The outward positioning of the feet, accompanied by the femoral rotation, provides more stability and allows more mobility when the legs are raised. 

You don’t use the buttocks muscles to rotate the legs outward, but the hip rotator muscles. You have to master the ability to use these specific muscles independently. And yet in the turn out position, you use your buttocks, to stabilize the body for the sake of the turn out itself. You should feel the tightening of your buttocks at the top of the back of your legs, just underneath the buttocks. 

The force for turn out of the legs must come from the hip down.

My natural turn out, especially when I started, is limited. In one of my earlier blogs, I mentioned that the force for the turn out should not come from the floor up. I remember learning that lesson well in the first year. 

So, in the beginning, I forced an extra turn out from my feet upwards to my knees.

And knew almost instantaneously this was a bad practice. You’ll get injured in your knee. The knee is a hinge, not a rotary joint. And when you try a plié in that awkward position, you know exactly what I mean.

So all the week, I visualized doing the turn out. And as I do that virtual turn out, I feel that pulling out sensation in my hip joint. My knees feel safe. Ok, and then I doze off again.

And yet I don't know whether my osteopath is right or wrong. But that doesn't matter too much to me this week.

Well, I don’t want to complain, but I’m still coughing and sneezing. And I hope that I’ll recover soon. But I don’t know yet if I am already up to the Monday lesson.

Blog 29

Usually, I write about the exercises at the barre or in the center. But the last part of the lesson is interesting too and generally very energetic.

This week we had a multitude of exercises on the diagonal, like the polonaise, waltz, chassé, pas de chat, pas de bourrée, glissade, and chainés. We even practiced a pas de cheval, can you imagine?

I like chainés. It’s a series of turns in the same direction on the diagonal. I start with my feet in the first position on demi-pointe. We start tapping our feet consecutively 4 times, left right left right, then making 1 revolution. The weight shifts from 1 foot to another with each half revolution, arms held in the first position. And tapping the feet 4 times again and so on. Some days I can perform the chainés without getting too dizzy, and then on other days, even one revolution is one too much. Essential is the way I turn my head. You can turn your head 180 degrees, from left to right. The trick is to choose a focal point and look at that point as long as possible. Then when your body is making a half revolution, quickly turn your head and look at the same point in the room. 

We performed the glissade at the diagonal. A glissade is a slide with the legs, in which one leg opens to a pointe tendue, the other leg on demi plié, then the weight is transferred to the first leg, the other pointing to pointe tendue, the movement ends by the second leg sliding into the 5th position. We practiced the en avant type of the glissade, where the front leg opens to the front, the other leg on demi plié, weight transferring onto the front leg which does a demi plié, the back leg extending pointe tendue. The back leg closes in the 5th in the back.

This was an exercise that I can grow fond of.

Another, the pas de bourrée, really causes me some trouble. That’s an exercise that I need to practice more often, I’m the master of disaster so to speak. I have to build it in my system, it’s not a reflex yet, I seem to miss an adequate neuro-muscular response to this one.  The pas de bourrée has several variations and can be done in all possible directions; it is a step in three counts, during the lesson, we exercised the basic form with a change of the feet. If you start with the right foot in front, you will end with the left foot in front. When I read the technical information on this exercise, I kind of get lost. Was it the au dessus, or was it the au dessous version we practiced? I simply forgot about it. 

I have discovered that in ballet, there are always two important considerations for the movements: the esthetic and the physical. They have to blend together, so to speak, to produce that lyrical effect while performing the movement. Think about the head position while you perform a glissade. The placement of your head helps to keep your body in equilibrium. In the meantime, you maintain expression on your face while you look in the direction of an audience. This transfers a message to your audience, hopefully lyrical. That also applies to the chainés.

Have a nice week!

Blog 28 The week to bring along a friend

Pupils could bring their friend along for a ballet lesson this week, again one of the many customs at Bayadère. A few of the younger dance students brought a girl or boyfriend with them. Literally, the guests were beginners in ballet, and that was an interesting scene to see. 

We at once realized that though we think we are beginners, actually we are no beginner anymore. We have learned a few things! I had a few looks at the faces of our guests when we did our regular exercises at the barre. Their puzzled faces were sheer amusing.

I remember feeling awkward when 2 years ago, I came in for my first lesson and did my first plié at the barre. A new and uncommon world, with other customs and precise ways of moving. 

A nice lesson!

This week I had to skip my Thursday lesson. Work had to come first. I had a busy day at the office, all day managing to get things done. The downside is that I on such days, I have little to no attention for my physical and mental needs.

When I drove home that evening, I thought that one of the benefits of ballet is the stretching. I carried stress in my muscles that evening, my body ached after this long and exhausting day. 

Before I go to class, I usually warm-up, and do some stretches. That provides a tension release of my muscles. Ballet taught me that stretching is also a way to release the tension of my mind. That’s the upside of attending class; the exercises can be very relaxing.

I remember reading somewhere that stretching is a very effective form of stress management. That’s a real discovery for me. It provides a mental break, making you feel calmer and peaceful. 

So when you feel stressed, you have to develop the discipline to stretch. 

Easier said than done by the way. It takes focus and determination to break that circle of anxiety.

This morning at the gym, I practiced the sauté’s. Remarkable how a continuous dedication to an exercise can improve your performance. Just do it!

Blog 27 Back to the basics

Only a few students showed up last Monday. There were only four of us.  So we had a lot of personal attention in a relaxed atmosphere. Which led to a few corrective comments by our beloved teacher.

Like performing a correct stance. Lyda checked if the weight of my body was correctly centered over the feet, with the armpit and the hipbone vertically aligned, shoulders low, the ribs in and flat, thus controlling the lower back and stabilizing the vertical placement of the torso directly on top of my supporting legs. Lyda commented that my left shoulder is higher than my right shoulder.

And looking in the mirror, of course, I tried to correct myself. 

As we were practicing the cambré at the barre, Lyda noticed that I was placing my hand too far away from my body, though I held it correctly on top of the barre. I had to bring my elbow more close to me. And she reminded me that I had to keep my hand and arm on the barre side relaxed. The barre should help me to maintain my stability but at the same time is not meant to lean on or to grip firmly to compensate balance issues. 

And there was that other thing, a real eye-opener. When in tendu I seem to have my working leg a bit bent in de knee. It's hard work for me to stretch that knee. Until Lyda remarked that my working leg was not properly turned out. So when I focused on turning my leg more out, the bent knee simultaneously became a stretched knee. 

It is not yet part of my system that in ballet, all movements are performed with the legs turned out. The correct use of the turn out when performing the tendu was my Aha Erlebnis of the lesson! 

But I have to confess that turning out is the most difficult thing for me. I have to train a lot to increase my outward rotation. I remember that in de the first year I tried to compensate this by forcing it up from the floor to the knee. And that is fundamentally wrong. The force from the turn out of the legs has to come from the hip down and not from the floor up! So my first position now is about 45 degrees. When I started ballet, it was about 30 degrees. So I made a little progress. But I think 90 degrees is out of my reach.

For now, ballet training provides a way of developing healthy musculature, bones, and joints. I have to remember that ballet's practice focuses on the repetition of simple motions at the barre and basic jumps, and that's the way to establish pathways for all later movements. In that aspect, training is quite a subtle mental and physical process. 

And the beauty of it is that I build an aesthetic awareness so I can enhance my body image. I must say: I have never looked more often at my mirror image to study my posture and movements!

Blog 26

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway“ (Earl Nightingale).

After a tough working day, I arrived just in time at Bayadère last Thursday. My mind still immersed in my work, my body tight, cold and stiff. And I had no chance to do my regular warm-up. The barre exercises at the start of class are not suitable to replace a thorough 20 to 25 minutes warm-up, at the barre you prepare and train specific muscle movements.

So no flexibility at all! Not in my mind, not in my body. I could poorly focus on the instructions Lyda gave when class started.

Usually, at home, I prepare well for the class. 

Static stretching is not my favorite way to prepare myself. I often injured my muscles or joints when doing that. I paid my dues dearly and learned that I have to warm up my whole body. When you dance, you use all parts of our body, so it is essential to get everything moving in your warm-up, not just your legs and feet. 

I’m particularly fond of the advice Lisa Howell, head of Perfect Form Physiotherapy (PFP), a Physical Therapy Clinic in Australia, and specialized in dance. She promotes a warm-up that is more dynamic and focuses on mobilizing your muscles, joints, and most importantly, your fascia. 

Fasciae are connective tissue fibers, primarily collagenous, that form sheets or bands beneath the skin to attach, stabilize, enclose and separate muscles. They cover and run through all of your muscles. Fascial mobilizing exercises aimed at loosening the connections between layers of muscles are often far more effective than typical stretches.

I recommend that you download a PDF of the flyer she made about the warm-up: www.perfectformphysio.com.au/dance-warm-up.

It’s up to you to make your choice.

But as I already mentioned, no warm-up this time.

I slowly settled in during class, and after class, I felt a soothing kind of fatigue.

I went home, took a quick shower, and crashed into my bed.

I have to accept the “crawl, walk and run” rhythm. Like a child, I must crawl before I can walk and walk before I can run. The crawl stage is where I learn the fundamentals of ballet and acquire basic skills. I have to adopt the “slow is smooth” approach. My body and mind have to absorb the concepts and techniques of ballet. There are times when I think that I can accelerate my development just by working harder. But that’s not true. Instead of forcing myself, I have to facilitate myself.

And of course, being stressed by your work is not very helpful. But at times, inevitable.

Blog 25

Hello there! I’m back again; ready to start this new season of that beautiful and sophisticated art called classical ballet.

I hope you all had a nice vacation, and that you enjoyed some free time for yourself and your loved ones. Vacation is a time out of the rush hour of the working life and daily troubles. My vacation lasted three weeks and was a great time off.

I remember that I really missed making that weekly blog. Especially in the first weeks of July, I had to get it out of my system to write and share my successes and troubles with you. It is fun to write! 

Ballet is all about body control and being flexible. During the last two months, I practiced every other day to keep my flexibility on track. After doing my flexibility exercises, I then pursued a few specific goals. I have practiced firmly on my enveloppé and developpé, my turnout, and sauté’s.  Usually, I went to the gym, early in the morning, for there is the space and equipment for some extra workouts. On the diagonal, I practiced the chainé and the waltz. Mind you, usually folks go to that gym for boxing en kickboxing. But I had my solitude in the early mornings.

I remember one man, about my age, he asked me what I was doing when I did a few sautés. I told him that this “strange” way of jumping in the air was part of my ballet training. He nearly choked in his laughs. “You on ballet?” What’s happening with you, some kind of life crises?” I had a few laughs myself when I looked at his face. You should have seen the disbelief on his face. The good old man usually saw me boxing over there and doing some major workouts, and now he saw me performing this strange way of jumping in the air, starting with my feet in the first position. It just doesn’t fit in his perception of how a man should act. I can still grin when I think about this moment.

It took almost a lifetime for me to fully acknowledge that I need the “primitive” boxing as much as the sophistication of ballet to express myself and feel fully alive. And that is how I want to celebrate life for the years to come. 

I have two lessons of 1 hour and 15 minutes each per week. 

Last Monday, I joined the first lesson of ballet at Bayadère, level 3a. We started serenely and made our first moves at the barre. A slow start to ease the muscles, aiming for the doing of the moves rather than doing the moves perfectly. 

My second lesson is on Thursday, level 3b. It challenges me to grow to that next level and make that extra step in my ballet adventure.

The last few months Lyda made a considerable effort in promoting ballet for boys and men. But alas, no male species of the humankind took the bait. The implication is that I still remain a minority. It turns out that I am also the oldest pupil at Bayadère. If that guy at the gym knew this, he would laugh his socks off. Well, as Lyda stated, impossible actually means I’m possible. So Lyda, I won’t give up following my dreams, and neither should you: keep on going with your promotion of ballet for the men! 

See you next week!

Blog 24

Holiday season! This week were the last lessons at Bayadère before the vacation period.

In the first week of September, lessons will start again.

Last Monday it was boiling hot, more than 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), so we did not actually practice. 

We did some fun games like ballet memory. 

And that all in a very relaxing atmosphere; Lyda treated us with a lollipop.

When I came in on Tuesday, there were still some kids playing hide and seek in the classroom. And it was terribly hot.

We decided to keep it short and said our goodbye’s: “See you in September.”

It’s customary to give the teacher at the closing lesson a small gift. I gave Lyda a box of peppermint, symbolizing how she refreshes my life with her Russian ballet lessons. 

After that, I went home and made a fine long stroll with my dog. Ruminating on my ballet lessons of the past year.

In my first blog, I wrote that I intended to make you part of my journey. So in the past half year, I wrote about my experiences and troubles in mastering some of the elementals of ballet. And I hope that you will enjoy reading about my journey as much as I enjoy learning this beautiful art of dancing, called ballet. I hope that I succeeded in this.

During this vacation, I will not write a blog. But of course, my exercising won’t stop. I intend to work on my flexibility and a few techniques.

Next year I will join 2 classes, one on level grade 3a and one on level 3b. 

Please feel free to give a comment on my blog. Or contact me on the e-mail address: bert.jonker@movetoballet.com if you have a particular issue you want to share with me.

See you in September! Have a nice Holiday! Bye!

Blog 23

One more week at Bayadère and then there will be a 2 months break. No ballet lessons during holidays. What shall I do, continue writing, or take some time off? I suppose I will take a summer recess too.

I already knew I would suffer from stiff joints and burning calves from the run last Sunday. Especially the Monday lesson was a lot more challenging to do with those stiff muscles. You can't have it all. 

But the run was terrific. It was a hot day last Sunday, and lots of people took part in the City Run. I had a nice time.

As I wrote in my last blog, I always thought that barefoot running would be helpful to my ballet aspiration. And I mentioned that I had doubts about that. 

But by mail, Lyda gave me a comment on my last blog. She said that running barefoot is not bad at all for ballet. On the contrary! 

"You use your foot muscles better on bare feet than in sneakers. Toes in athletic shoes are lazier than with barefoot. In shoes the foot works' en block' and on bare feet, every part of the foot has to come into action." Wow, that's logical.

"Pay attention to pushing your toes from the floor while running. That helps both to go faster / to take bigger steps and to strengthen your toe muscles.

Just do your running as usual and add now consciously pushing your toes off the ground. That's all." I walk your talk, Lyda.

After a tough day at the office, I had a relaxing lesson on Tuesday. I enjoyed the exercises and accompanying music. My muscles felt better, more supple. It resulted in no stress on my mind so I could easily remember the variations Lyda wanted us to do and carry them out.

I make sturdy progress in reading the book on Rudolf Nureyev from Julie Kavanagh; it is an impressive account of his life and offers a lot of knowledge, not only on the life of Rudolph but also about the history of the 20th century.

Dazzling amounts of facts and events on cultural life and artistic accomplishments are put on paper. 

Rudolph was so eager to learn new ballet techniques, he absorbed everything new. 

How beautiful to be young and have a sense of direction.

Blog 22

A short blog this week! That was what I expected. Cause last Monday we had no lesson, it was a Pentecostal holiday. But when I started writing, I suddenly realized there is more to say.

After posting this blog today, I will join a running event, I intend to run 10 English miles. The past half-year I regularly ran 3 times a week. That’s how I prepared myself. 

Since 6 years I am a barefoot runner, well not exactly barefoot to be honest. I use Vibrams Five fingers, maybe you heard from these minimalist shoes. They have soles that contour to the shape of the natural human foot, and that offers the protection and grip you need when you run on streets and in parks. Usually 1 ½ hour at a time, always taking my jumping rope with me. Halfway I jump with my rope for about 10 minutes. As a boxer, I have had several injuries in my calves, ruptures of muscle. So I discovered barefoot running as a way to recover en strengthen my calves. It also strengthens your feet. Just like jumping. Running in the rain, by the way, is one of my favorites; it’s just like dancing in the rain. It makes me feel alive and happy. But running is not an ideal sport to combine with ballet. 

I always thought that barefoot running would be helpful to my ballet aspiration. Think of the ballet shoes, aren’t these barefoot too? 

But ……running tightens the hips, stiffens the muscles of your legs. I even have difficulty with stretching my feet as needed with the tendu or retiré. 

Last Tuesday, we worked our self through the various exercises in ballet class. One of the movements included a retiré. Strictly technical this retiré was the action of drawing the working leg, with the knee of the working leg bent, up alongside the supporting leg and returning it down to the position from which it began, i.e., the 5th.

I lifted my working leg fully pointed cou de pied devant, sliding it up the supporting leg, until my toe touched just beneath the knee.

Above I say fully pointed, but the truth is I can’t make my foot fully pointed. Because of the barefoot running, I think. And another mistake I make is that in order to maintain my working leg in the 90 degrees position, I press my toes into the knee of my supporting leg. That helps me to stay in balance. I thought that made things easier, but I was wrong! Only now I learned that in the 90 degrees position,, your toes should hardly press on the side of your knee. Lyda made this very clear to me. My working leg has to operate independently of the rest of my body!

Another example of the Barbie doll that Lyda mentioned at the beginning of my ballet adventure 1/½ years ago, where each limb moves independently.

Another learning experience last Tuesday was the way I perform the tendu. I slide my foot from the 5th opening devant through a small 4th position, keeping the working heel on the floor. Then I release my heel, keeping it pressed well forward, sliding the toe to the fully stretched position, so fully extend my leg and foot, my toes in line with my hip, and my heel in line with my navel. But a fully stretched foot I learned now means that my foot is arched, with my toenails meeting the floor. Up to now, I more or less used a kind of demi-pointe in my tendu. Is that possible for someone who runs barefoot?

The good news was that Lyda told me I can prepare for the Grade 3 exams of the ARBTA next year. You know, that’s excellent news. I remember that in my first year, the mere fact that I had a goal, to do exams for Grade 2, gave me a sense of purpose to rehearse and rehearse again. I became more committed and resilient.

Blog 21

It was boiling hot last Monday and Tuesday, it seemed like it was already summertime this week. After a cold period temperature was rising to 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). This kind of change in weather is very Dutch. And your body has to adapt to varying types of weather in a short period. 

My body was battling its way through the lessons. Transpiration pearling down my face, and my back. Itchy back, steaming head. My experience is that my mind functions like a colander with this kind of sudden temperature rises.

So to be honest, especially the Tuesday lesson was a disaster. I wasn't able to remember the instructions. I even heard Lyda singing: "Always look on the bright side of life" (a nice way to grumble) when I was messing and stumbling my way through the lesson. 

While I was messing up my lessons, I observed how a few of my younger fellow students are in fact developing themselves more and more, some are even blossoming.

To be honest, that is a kind of consolation. At least they are doing fine. Next time it will be my turn.

Lyda gave me some extra homework. She wants me to practice the jeté with a stretched leg, knee, and foot. Say about 100 times left leg, 100 times right leg, each day.

Right now, it's Saturday as I'm writing this blog, the weather has changed dramatically again: a storm is passing our little country now, and it rains all the time. What a week.

By chance, I heard the Bolero from Ravel. This instantly brought back memories about a dance scene in the epical French film "Les Uns et les Autres," by Claude Lelouch. 

The Boléro dance sequence at the end of the movie is pure art.

The dance features a dancer on a tabletop, surrounded by seated men, who slowly participate in the dance, culminating in a climactic union of the dancers atop the table.

This choreography was a masterpiece, made by Béjart's, set to the music of Maurice Ravel's Boléro. (type in Google: "Les uns et les autres ballet bolero")

How I loved this film back in 1981. And I still consider it one of my favorites. 

The film follows four families, with different nationalities (French, German, Russian, and American) but with the same passion for music, from the 1930s to the 1980s.

The characters are fictional but loosely based on historical musical icons (Edith Piaf, Josephine Baker, Herbert von Karajan, Glenn Miller, Rudolf Nureyev).

(In the United States, it was distributed in 1981 under the name Boléro in reference to Maurice Ravel's orchestral piece, used in the film) 

In one of my first blogs, I wrote about Sylvie Guillem, a prima ballerina. I discovered this week that Sylvie's farewell gift to the public when she retired as an "étoile ballerina" was the performance of Béjart's Boléro, live on Japanese television on 31 December 2015. 

It was beautiful. (in Google just type: "Sylvie Guillem Tokyo ballet bolero")

It's up to you to decide what performance you like most!

How I would like to dance this dance!

Blog 20

In my ballet life, there were two significant experiences this week.

The first one a regular Tuesday lesson, but without the barre, starting right in the center. Modesty is my name after that lesson. Keeping your balance when there is no barre to hold on is a down to earth experience. Suddenly you use and feel muscles you never felt before, and your coordination flips. A grande plié in 1st position is quite an accomplishment, but now try one in the 5th position! Or a ronde jambe. I suddenly realized that at the barre, you only use 1 half of your body actively. You move your right arm and leg. And afterward, your left arm and leg. But now, in the center, everything has to be done simultaneously. Left and right arm make the same movement, while you move 1 leg, using the other one to keep in balance.

A day earlier in the Monday lesson, Lyda asked us to think about what level of lesson we want to take in the next year. Think about it she said, and later on, we will discuss your choice.

After 1 ½ year of ballet lessons, I still consider myself a beginner. And after my Tuesday experience, I’m sure of that. So next year I will propose to follow the same curriculum as I do this year, that is a lesson for the basics and a lesson on level grade 3. Rehearsing and rehearsing will be my motto.

And more exercises at home to improve my balance, coordination, and flexibility. 

The other significant ballet experience was my visit to the Swan Lake, performed by the National (Dutch) Ballet. The theatre was practically sold out. I sat right in the middle, together with my daughter. 

The orchestra was fantastic, what an experience to hear Tchaikovsky’s music live. The ballet was top level. Rich and abundant. Beautiful costumes and sceneries. A lot of hard work was done to create this spectacle of splendor. Yes, it was a privilege to be there. 

Swan Lake is a fairy tale and deals with both the purity and bitterness of young love. Very romantic, indeed! Goosebumps in the final of act 4, where the music of Tchaikovsky swells to a crescendo in the scene where Prince Siegfried an Odette part.

Art is something magical. It touches your soul.

And after sitting 3 ½ hours in a chair, overwhelmed by the show of the Swan Lake I enjoyed stretching my legs and made a stroll with my daughter through the center of the city of Amsterdam. Very relaxing! And down to earth. 

Blog 19, keeping balance in the daily struggle and visiting Swan Lake

I was in early to do my warming up exercises. And I did a few stretch exercises. I read somewhere that stretching eases the mind when you perform them patiently. Yes, it’s an excellent prelude to the ballet lesson, and creates a mindful state. How coincidental that Lyda started class and mentioned how the plié can calm the mind. 

I’m practicing ballet 1 ½ years by now. How funny to realize that things that seem so normal now weren’t that normal before! It took me almost a lifetime to start with ballet. And now I make the plié as if I did it all my life (Sorry Lyda, though I know it is still not the perfect plié, but to me it is). French words like soubresaut, changement des pieds, and echappé don’t dazzle me anymore, talking about Vaganova style or Kirov ballet gives satisfaction, reading about Nureyev and other great dancers is pleasant and inspiring.

This whole outburst of culture and refinement came straight into my life. And it satisfies a deeply felt need I could never relieve before. 

There’s a pile of books on my desk about ballet. I read and read. I stretch and stretch. I dance and dance, on Sunday mornings I even practice moves of ballet in an empty boxing gym. 

I will never become a top dancer, I know. But I don’t feel old. I feel young and full of energy and expectation to go on in this next phase of my life.

In my diaries I read about my earlier quest, to live a life that is an expression of who I am. And ballet is one of those pieces of the puzzle I found. 

And yes, there is also the boxing and cross fit (I wrote about that in my earlier blogs). Yesterday I went to my boxing gym and had a terrific workout. Hammering on the heavy bag is a mighty workout! And compared to ballet it may sound rude to box, but I guess it’s all about keeping balance. Daily life is no romance. It feels good to express the dualities in my life in sport and dancing.

Things are adding up. 

Next Wednesday the Swan Lake! My daughter surprised me with 2 tickets for this beautiful “ballet of ballets”, composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, performed by the National Ballet in Amsterdam. 

Rudi van Dantzig’s choreography respects the surviving parts of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov’s original ballet of 1895, leaving the second act and several other famous scenes – including the spectacular ‘Black Swan pas de deux’ with its 32 fouetté turns – virtually unchanged. However, Van Dantzig’s choreography emphasizes on the story as a human struggle, interpreting the ballet’s premise of a young man who must acquire a bride but fails as a direct reflection of Tchaikovsky’s own life. 

Yep, the (daily) struggle of a fellow human, hammered into the shape of a beautiful piece of art, of music and classical ballet.

The ordinary becomes special. That’s what I call actual refinement. That’s art. I’m already enchanted.