Blog 46

Next week Dutch children have a week off, enjoying Spring Vacation. So next week there will be no lessons at Bayadère. 

The Monday lesson was a kind of wrap up of the last 5 weeks. Lyda used minimal verbal instruction, and we managed to perform the exercise at the barre in 35 minutes.

In the center, we practiced the tendu marché; with every step backward, we had to turn our head in the opposite direction of the foot we were moving. So when we "marched" the left foot en tendu to the left, we had to simultaneously turn our head to the right.

That's what I call a tough job if you are not used to doing so in daily life. It's precisely this kind of moves that keep you developing new pathways in your neurological system; ballet is very useful to rejuvenate yourself.

After the practice of exercises like assemblé and glissade, 4 changements in combination with two emboités, we proceeded to the diagonal and did the pas the cheval.

Pas de cheval means horse's step. A rather peculiar exercise! The right foot of the working leg extends in pointe tendue devant, with a little hop on supporting leg the right leg bends and stretches (as if pawing the ground), weight is transferred to the right leg. At the same time, the left does a little développé derrière and paws the ground (the transfer of weight from one leg to the other occurs during the hop.) 

The second lesson this week was based on character dance, a stylized traditional folk or national dance, with the uses movements and music that have been adapted for the theater.

Character dance is part of the classical ballet repertoire. 

I must admit that I'm very fond of Russian tradition and music.

Even the Russian language is intriguing, with that beautiful Cyrillic alphabet.

I like the physical labor you have to put in to dance. And character dance has something swirling; what an intense experience! 

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. I promise I won't bite!

And now it is time to relax! 

A week off. So no blog next week!

My next blog will be on March 1.