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.