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 The third week of classes is finished. This is really hard! I did not realize what I was getting myself into with this "challenge", but if people can eat a spoonful of cinnamon and survive, I'm sure I will be fine. I am a very big fan of Paris Opera Ballet. I remember watching hours of videos of French ballet dancers during my undergraduate years. I was also blessed enough to train with a former premier danseur from Paris Opera Ballet named Patrick Frantz during my senior year and it really changed my life and improved my technique. He was very strict and demanded maximum focus and results. He really pushed me to reach my potential. This was refreshing because most of my teachers just let me fade into the background while they paid attention to their favorites. But Mr. Frantz did not let me settle and he really pushed me, he noticed me. I never really had a teacher who genuinely thought I was talented. Some days he was harsh but it made me work harder until I achieved the result that he knew was in me. I really appreciated him and I will always have a deep respect for French ballet because of him. POB is oldest ballet company and school in the world. Even though ballet’s early roots go back to the Italian Renaissance, it was the French who perfected it and made it their own. This is the main reason why the syllabus is entirely in French. This is also the reason why I have focused the majority of my graduate research on this method of ballet training. This week was really enriching. The history of ballet in France is very rich and complex(google on your own time lol). Their method dates all the way back to the 17th century and has evolved slowly over time. There have been many great ballet masters whose pedagogical ideas have been handed down throughout history. Louis XIV opened the Royal Academy of Dance in 1661. The French method is known for its flow, logic, lines, consistency, precision and elegance. Out of all the schools of ballet, the French is the most stylish. The school is also known for it’s discipline and competitive edge, the students have to take annual examinations in order to ascend to the next level. These examinations and auditions begin at ages 8-11 and go all the way to Principal dancer in the company. In order to be promoted to a higher rank in the company, dancers must participate in an examination performance called “Concours de Promotion”. This tradition dates back to 1860. This is why I have such a huge admiration for Paris Opera Ballet because they put great emphasis on technique and hard work to develope artistry. The style that we see today is mostly based off the teachings and choreography of Rudolf Nureyev and Claude Bessy. There is so much more history but I just want to focus on the technique and style(plus I'm exhausted! lol).This week I took 5 barre classes from 5 talented étoiles( principal dancers).Here are my diary entries for this week’s quarantine classes. Day 1, Wednesday, June 24, 2020- Today I took barre class from the gorgeous Hugo Marchand. He focused mostly on line and the use of passé retire to strengthen turnout muscles throughout the class. He also had a lot of various balances at the end of every combination. One thing that I will be incorporating in my classes is his port de bras during pliés. He(as well as the rest of the teachers) use the classic French “rebound” port de bras. This port de bras goes from 2nd right away to first and reverse on the second demi-plié, without a pause with the arm en bas. This is an excellent way to warm up the back and develop arm coordination, especially for jumps. Many French ballet dancers use this port de bras for pliés. Fluid port de bras is a another hallmark of the French method. He also alternated between 1st and 5th position during fast tendus and dégagés a la seconde, which really got my inner thighs burning so I will definitely use this when I teach(excellent for batterie!) Day 2, Thursday, June 25, 2020- Today Valentine Colasante taught class and what I took away from her class was aplomb, effortlessness and calm. Her approach to every combination was very relaxed. This is a trademark of many French dancers. They always seem very relaxed, even when the choreography is fast or complex. Her class was very fondu based. All the combinations had an element of bending then pulling up on the standing leg. Her reverence was absolutely gorgeous! Something I noticed was how she never put her heels together in 1st position. This is seen as blasphemy in American ballet because it “builds the thighs up too much”. However, her thighs were not big at all, so I have been really perplexed by this ballet taboo. I have been trying it on myself and it feels fine so I don’t know. What I would like to incorporate in my teaching, that I learned from this class, is the use to passé retire during fondus. She (and Hugo Marchand) had really pretty retires and it was because they would fondu on the standing leg and keep the other leg in passé retiré, then push to relevé. This for some reason made me feel more on my standing leg while simultaneously bringing my retiré higher(which is something all dancers want!) and engaging my glutes more. It was genius. Day 3 Friday, June 26, 2020- This barre class was taught by Germain Louvet. It was really good but I feel like he had more explanation of the steps. Unfortunately I don’t speak French well so I could not catch his many pearls of wisdom I felt like he was dropping. In the other classes the teachers switched between French and English so I knew what they were saying for the most part. But Germain spoke nothing but French so I just followed along in class. But I’ve noticed that all the dancers have the same trandemarks. I am beginning to notice the patterns and “secrets” of French ballet I guess. They all move very similarly so I just mimicked Germain. (He is very beautiful and tall!). I really wish I knew what he was saying ! Ps. I watched his perfomances on YouTube afterwards, he's so amazing! Day 4, Saturday, June 27, 2020- Today class was taught by my teaching idol, Andrey Klemm with the stunning Amandine Albisson demonstrating. Klemm is a Russian teacher who is currently one of the Ballet masters at POB. He teaches company class and I fell in love with the pointe class DVD he did with Isabelle Ciaravola( my secret workout). Even though he is Russian, he is a master of the French style(which is something that really inspires my research). He, like the other teachers from this week, did a lot of alternating of legs at the barre. This is something that seems to be overlooked in American ballet classes. His combinations are simple, logical and effective. Even though they are simple, I was dripping in sweat. He really focuses on warming up the turnout muscles in a a productive way. He has improved my technique greatly and I highly recommend his DVDs to all levels of dancers. Amandine is such a gorgeous artist. She moves like silk in the wind. Her leg/arm coordination was so sumptuous, complex yet effortless. Ribbon like port de bras with coordination of the legs is another staple of French technique.I need to use more port de bras in my classes to bring color to my exercises. Day 5, Tuesday, June 30, 2020- I am wrapping up this week with the fiery Eleanora Abbagnato. She was set to have her farewell performance but then POB went on strike, then the rescheduled retirement performance was cancelled due to the coronavirus! That’s really sad because that is a major milestone for every principal ballerina. She is such an superb dancer and deserves that moment. But on a brighter note, I learned to play with speed and dynamics more in this class. I will do small, quick rond de jambe en l’air with frappés before I do bigger ones with adagio quality because they work 2 different muscle groups. This is good for fast allegro work and adagio work in the center. This is the reason so many Parisian dancers have gorgeous petit allegro and ballon because they alternate speed of the footwork during the combinations at barre. In conclusion, even though I could not understand what they were saying, I had no problem picking up the combinations. French is the language of the ballet syllabus and this is the universal language of all ballet institutions. Despite the country and terminology, everything is in French. This is why I have such respect for the French tradition of ballet because they were the first to officially codify it and give an action name to each step. Out of all the schools of ballet I have learned from, the French method feels the most organic for me. I can not explain why I physically prefer it over the rest of the methods. It just feels the most natural and effective. I actually see progress and results. Who knows, maybe in my next lifetime I will get the chance to study ballet there and become a great étoile!(#manifesting) Au Revoir! ....Join me next week where I will be focusing on classes at Dutch National Ballet🤎
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Here is another audio diary entry of me discussing my BDD and the effects that Zoom have had on me. I have also provided links to the articles I will be discussing.
https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/14/constant-zoom-calls-are-worsening-peoples-body-dysmorphia-12697948/
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-selfies-plastic-surgery/selfies-distort-the-face-plastic-surgeons-warn-idUSKCN1GJ2P5
https://www.amazon.com/True-Mirror-12-Inches-Black/dp/B0083PLA3K
  The second week of research classes are done! This week entries however were a little different than the first week, I decided to not do a summary of each day. This week was very mentally draining and struggled to push through for various reasons but I was still inspired by these classes. The company that I took YouTube classes from this week was English National Ballet. The gorgeous Artistic Director/lead Principal Tamara Rojo taught the classes. She posted a series of 40 amazing classes during the entire quarantine in London. Rojo’s stellar leadership and resilience really shined during this pandemic. By providing these classes, she encouraged and reassured many professional ballet artists throughout the world to “keep calm and carry on”. She also made us sweat! I have always been a fan of Tamara Rojo, but I have an entirely new respect and fascination with her technique, artistic perseverance and adaptability. She made me rethink how I dance with an injury and how to heal without sacrificing my technique. The English National Ballet was founded in 1950 by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin. Even though it is a fairly young company, it has a produced talented and technically sound dancers. It also has an amazing repertoire with works from everyone from Ailey and Balanchine to reworked Petipa ballets. Tamara Rojo was named Artistic Director in 2012 after 12 years with Royal Ballet where she was also a Principal dancer. In addition to her prima ballerina experience, she also has a PhD in Performing Arts, which makes her more then qualified for to lead a ballet company. Rojo’s training, artistry and achievements are truly admirable but what I admire the most about her is how she recovered from two major injuries that nearly ended her career. During the early 2000s she had two major injuries. The first was when her appendix burst during a performance of the Royal Ballet’s “Nutcracker”. She had a surgery where she was told to not dance for six weeks. She started dancing again after only 2 weeks and had to have surgery again(yikes!). Then in 2003 she had to have emergency surgery on an infected bunion that swelled to the size of a tennis ball, due to a long plane ride to Australia during a tour with Royal ballet. It was this injury that completely evolved her as a ballerina, in my opinion. She had to retrain and began to take self care seriously. After a few months of physical therapy and rest she was able to dance again but her foot was never the same. Now she was faced with a new dilemma: pointe shoes! One of Rojo's trademarks are her hyperextended legs and gorgeously shaped feet. Rojo said her feet were never the same after the surgery . But, she loved her shoes and did not want to change them. It takes some ballerinas years to find the perfect shoe so when they find it, they never want to part with it. This is a major mistake that could lead to injury. The feet of ballerinas change for many different reason from surgery to childbirth so it is important to be able to change or adapt to pointe shoes periodically. Rojo was able to find a beautiful middle ground, she and her father invented a genius device to widen the shoe to make space for the scar tissue from her bunion surgery without softening the entire box, which would make it impossible to turn and balance. This is a truly innovative tool since many ballerinas have bunion issues. Last year I herniated a disc in my lower back and instead of resting it I pushed through and continued taking class(so dumb!). This obviously made it worse and I had to have an MRI in December of 2019. I nearly fainted when the doctor showed me the extent of my injury. The disc in between the vertebrae was nearly gone, it was almost bone on bone! I was really sad because I could not do anything, but the silver lining was I had an entire month to heal after a minor epidural procedure. It has been a long time recovering and I still have pain sometimes. I also had to listen to my body and get strong again while still taking classes to get my Master’s degree. I started working from 1st position more and keeping my leg extensions low(so humbling for me!). I also had to mark jumps which I am still doing since I now have to dance in my living room. Pilates, yoga, physical therapy and barre has played a major role in my recovery. What makes me sad is that I can’t dance the same way I did in my twenties but I also feel like my technique and line have improved significantly. Seeing Tamara Rojo talk about her injuries really gave me hope about dancing in the studio again. She also inspired me to dance smarter and to not just muscle through class. My body has changed but I can still dance. I still look good, just not as good as I looked in my twenties and that’s just a fact of life. You can’t be young forever but you can be an artist for eternity. Alessandra Ferri is another is a beautiful example of this philosophy that many ballet dancers try to ignore. The classes were really hard for me this week. They were company level classes and even though I had the technique, I struggled stamina wise. The entire time I was fantasizing about the 22 year old version of me and how I would be able to slay her class back then(probably lol). Rojo is excellent at incorporating musical dynamics within combinations. This is great for muscular development as well. She used speed and repetition to shape the muscles of the legs while keeping the port de bras fluid and "dancer's choice".For example, she would do the tendu combinations on both sides at a moderate tempo then repeat them at a faster tempo(without stopping in between!) After only 2 classes my legs felt more sculpted. I will definitely be putting this in my curriculum. She also uses many pas de chevals and fondus throughout the barre, which articulated my feet. I did not take a set class for this week. I decided to randomly take five random classes out of the 40 she posted online. This really did not make a difference because A: all the classes were equally hard and B: each class focused on a different theme. For example, one of her classes had a pirouette combination with fondus in the center, so every barre exercise had relevés and double fondus to strengthen the standing leg while maintaining rotation. Another exercise at the barre that I will now be using in my syllabus is 20 single leg calf raises at the end of the barre. This made my jumps higher. I also noticed that my balances improved because of the calf raises. Unfortunately I was only able to do 3 out of 5 classes this week because I have been having back issues. Not so much because of my herniated disc but just from taking classes on my living room floor. I really miss dancing in the studios at ABT, I never took that for granted and now it's gone (that's the closest I'll ever get to being in the company lol). That makes me really sad and it was really hard to focus a lot this week. Maybe my mental state played a role in all the random body aches I had this week. I replaced the last two classes with Pilates sessions. This was also inspired by Ms. Rojo, who is a Pilates junkie like me. You can definitely see the benefits Pilates has had on her career. Pilates also helps with my panic attacks because of the inhale/exhale sequencing. The "jinn" were really trying to sabotage me this week but I persevered and maybe that's what I needed to really focus on this week. I'm doing better then most in the world right now(mashallah!). This week taught me that my curriculum should not just include technique but also self care and injury prevention/recovery. Ballet is very hard on the body and it’s not a matter of if you’ll get injured but when. All dancers experience major and minor injuries and it is important to be able to mentally and physically recover. I want to teach my students that recovery is not just about physically healing but also mentally readjusting with time in order to have a long and healthy career. Tamara Rojo not only has an amazing physical gift she also possesses an amazing attitude and intellect. This has given her the ability to go with the ebb and flow of this unpredictable world. That is what makes a great artist, teacher and leader. The next series of classes I will be researching will be from Paris Opera Ballet!🤎 "You have two choices: to control your mind, or let your mind control you."-Buddha Here is a "podcast" of me speaking about being diagnosed with Body Dysmorphic Disorder and how ballet saved me from myself.🤎 P.S. the auditions I am referring to in this recording were the auditions at my conservatory in my undergraduate years( we had to audition for our seasonal performances).   I am very proud to say that I have completed my first week of classes! It was a bit challenging but gave me a much needed distraction from the chaos of the world. Last week I took five ballet classes that focused on the Russian or Vaganova technique. I decided to take the same class for four days and a random class on the fifth day. I wanted to imitate what a set ballet class could feel like so that I could see the benefits of having the same exercises for a few days. Then I wanted to use the fifth day as a test to see if I incorporated the trademarks of the Vaganova technique. The Mariinsky Ballet has a very rich history that dates back to 1738 when the official dance academy, the Imperial Theatre School, was founded. The official ballet company was established in 1740. What stands out about the Mariinsky Ballet is that it has changed it's name to mirror the changing political climate of Russia. I won't even begin try to begin to explain all that but this ballet company is evidence of the beautiful resilience and pride of the Russian people. Founded as the Imperial Russian Ballet, it was home to many famous traveling ballet dancers of Europe, then after the Russian Revolution the name was changed to the Soviet Ballet. In 1934 it was renamed the Kirov Ballet after Sergey Kirov where the name remained for many years after that. Finally, the Mariinsky Ballet is it's current title. Despite the many name changes, what has remained unchanging is the beautiful development of many technically strong and talented dancers that have been featured in companies throughout the world. The technique of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet has both elements of the French and Italian methods. However, what makes it different from other methods is that it's syllabus is built around the idea of the Grand Pas de Deux from the ballets of Marius Petipa. The syllabus and curriculum of the school requires that the students work on the elements needed in a grand pas de deux, which they showcase in their graduation year performance. A major trademark of this technique is it's use of the entire body to express. This is what makes it so robust and challenging. The Vaganova technique is known for it's balanced gorgeous lines, athleticism, calisthenics and exqusite épaulement. The class that I repeated four times was taught by Nikita Shcheglov, who is a ballet master and former first soloist of the company. It was approximately 50 minutes long and was mostly barre with a few simple center exercises. Russian exercises are known for their length and choreographic quality, but this class was made for professional dancers who have to dance in ill equipped spaces. It was still an amazing and difficult class however. His class had all the elements of a Russian ballet class. There was a very strong use of épaulement(head and shouldering!) in all the exercises. Where the use of the shoulders and head stood out the most was at the beginning and ending of each exercise. This is something I would like to add to my curriculum to develop the habit of starting an finishing ballet enchainement/variations. This is a major element in all Petipa choreography as well. Shcheglov also changed the direction of the body both at barre and at center. I felt like this helped accentuate and sculpt the line of the body from the audience's perspective. Using effacé, ecarté and croisé at the barre helps shape the lines of the entire body. The hardest part of Vagaova technique is the use of relevé. Relevé is used as a foundation to strengthen all the muscles of the legs and feet. The use of relevé and pas de bourée helps develope beautiful foot articulation and balance. All of these elements were higlighted beautifully in Shcheglov's class. Repeating his class four times was beneficial and enlightening. I wrote a few thoughts about the challenges and discoveries of each day. Day 1 Monday June 8, 2020-My first day was really rough! It has been so long since I took a true Russian class! I took a ballet class earlier today(11 am) but I still struggled with this class. I had difficulty with coordinating my épaulement with the change of the direction of the body at the barre. The center adagio was a bit rocky as well because I didn't build a strong foundation of my standing leg at the barre. I was also too focused on remembering the combinations. I had trouble with the Shcheglov's use of pas de bourée. I'm sure tomorrow will be more productive. Day 2 Tuesday May 9, 2020- Today I decided to do a Pilates warm up before class, since I did not have class this morning. I have been doing Winsor Pilates for almost 11 years and it has been my secret weapon for strength training and alignment( Rest in Power Mari Winsor!). I noticed that class flowed a little better today. Whenever I do Pilates before a ballet class my balance is better and I feel more elongated and sinewy. Today I did better because I remembered the combinations and I just focused on my épaulement. I really did not do alot of body direction changes at the barre, only in the center. My fifth position croisé looked prettier in the center today. I also did 300 calf raises before class and that helped with all the relevé/foot articulations at the barre. The calf raises also warmed me up for the small jumps in the center. Yesterday my feet felt floppy during jumps. Day 3 Wednesday 10, 2020- I did Winsor Pilates again today. I also had class this morning so I felt really aligned and pulled up. However, today when I took my set class I avoided the last jump combination. I have lost a great deal of stamina dancing on floors that are not sprung for the past few months. I have recently been doing simple medium sized sissonnes for strength and stamina. I got the idea from ABT principal dancer Isabella Boylston, she posted a video on Instagram of her doing sissonnes in sneakers because she said she felt like her muscles had atrophied due to the lack of allegro center work. In the ABT National Training Curriculum, allegro plays a key role in muscular development, bone growth and stamina. Without consistent allegro work in ballet class one may experience easy fatigue during variations. Today I really felt that! I was completely out of steam once we got to the last soubresaut combination and I usually do very well with this step. It was a humbling experience that showed me the importance of allegro work in class. Yet another thing I realized I took for granted. Day 4 Thursday June 11, 2020- No Pilates today. I am really depressed and feel out of shape so I decided to just do the barre portion of my set class. I had class at 11 am today as well. Today I focused on my coordination since I had memorized the class. The barre went beautifully. I used my sadness in my épaulement and in the adagio. The Russians are known for their amazingly expressive musicality. They have beautiful aplomb! They also use the port de bras in a lyrical way that brings tears to my eyes! I really felt that today. With all the craziness in the world, I used that as a tool to use all the music. I always imagine that I am dancing somewhere beautiful and open, far way from my stuffy living room. Day 5 Saturday June 13, 2020- Yesterday was a much needed rest day. I just did Pilates, some research and rested. It is so hard to stay focused on school. I did not do class until 2 am! (I am very nocturnal). It felt like I was the only one awake in the world, it was very calming. Instead of Shcheglov's class I decided to do another class from a current Mariinsky dancer. Maria Khoreva is a gorgeous new ballet star who has really shined and adjusted during this pandemic. She has been posting amazing classes that focus on variations, Pilates, cardio and other important aspects of ballet. I took her cardio barre, which was a Vaganova based barre without a break in between switching sides! The combinations were simple yet I was drenched in sweat because I had no time to rest. This was a really good class and excellent for warming up the entire body. This is a barre I would teach to students to build stamina. I am really tired after my first week of classes( grad school is so intense!) so this was a good way to "seal in" everything I learned. I was able to keep up in this class because of the four day set class I had taken with Nikita Shcheglov. Khoreva's class had many of the same elements Shcheglov's classes had, so this is why I was able to focus on my form and strength. Her combinations were also super simple so I did not have to focus too on my artistry. I will take this barre in the future since I have not been able to go to the gym for my cardio workouts. Today my épaulement was more natural(not perfect though!) and my feet felt more articulate and hand like. My entire body feels exhausted but stronger after this week.  In conclusion this was a great start to my research. I have decided to take classes starting on Wednesdays. This gives me time to rest and post my diaries from the previous week. It was very hard ,but now that I know what to expect, my blog should begin developing a flow. What I love most about Russian ballet technique is how it uses elements from Petipa ballets as a tool for teaching technique. I feel we should be teaching students combinations, exercises and enchainements based on famous ballets to prepare them for future company repertoire. We should not just focus on Petipa ballets but also other famous choreographers like Balanchine, Forsythe, Wheeldon, Nureyev, Tharp, Béjart etc. Not necessarily the exact choreography, but combinations based off aspects of certain ballets. This would be very beneficial(and fun) for the students because it would prepare them company life. It would also make them a more well rounded and artistically chameleonic. The next series of classes I will be taking and researching will be Tamara Rojo's classes with English National Ballet!🤎
My floor from Harlequin floors has finally arrived Thursday and it is absolutely gorgeous. I've decided to name it Donyale after my favorite supermodel/muse Donyale Luna( I am so weird👽). It is a beautiful milk chocolate mink brown(divine)!!!! Not being in a studio for over 3 months has made me realize how much I took marley floors for granted. I posted 2 pictures of the floor on Instagram and @harlequinfloorsusa featured them on their story, so that was pretty cool. I am so grateful that I now have a floor because I can really use my feet more and feel grounded. On Monday I will be starting the official ballet classes for my research and reviews( I'm so excited!!!!).🤎 / As I sit here waiting for my beautiful hazelnut marley from Harlequin to arrive, I have decided to explain what I will be using this blog for. During this emotionally draining pandemic many exceptional dancers and companies have provided a wealth of amazing classes on many social media platforms i.e. YouTube, Zoom,Instagram etc. It has been very beneficial for keeping in shape(mentally and physically!) as I pursue my Master's in Ballet Pedagogy. Each week I will highlight classes from companies and dancers that really stood out to me and reshaped the way I approach and execute certain steps and combinations. Beginning next week(or whenever my floor arrives lol) I will be taking the classes and reviewing them. I will give a brief history of the dancer or company and explain how their classes inspire and influence my ideas about teaching.
Another aspect I will be focusing on will be my struggles with Body Dysmorphic Disorder and how it has affected my career both as a dancer and teacher. By being transparent about my mental illness I hope to inspire other artists who deal with balancing their artistic growth and mental health. And the final focal point of this blog will be my perspective on being a Black ballet dancer during this turbulent time of racial injustice. I will spotlight many Black ballet dancers that have inspired me and who are truly accomplishing revolutionary feats and destroying myths/stereotypes that have haunted so many of us around the world. I hope my blog is informative and entertaining, so as soon as my floor arrives I will be reviewing these classes: Week 1: Mariinksy Ballet Week 2: English National Ballet Week 3: Paris Opera Ballet Week 4: Dutch National Ballet Week 5: Pacific Northwest Ballet Week 6: Dance Theatre of Harlem Week 7: American Ballet Theatre Week 8: Alonzo King's Lines Ballet Week 9: Andrey Klemm's classes Week 10:Various Pointe/Men's classes Week 11:Alicia Graf's class at Julliard This schedule is not set in stone and is subject to change(due to my scholarly demands lol) but I will try to challenge myself and stick it out! As I have said before I have BDD so you may not see pictures or videos of me, but I will try to pop in a clip or two of myself taking the classes depending on where I am mentally. I promise to provide plenty of engaging content and aesthetics! This is a new experience for me because I am a very private and semi-shy person. I would like to change that and encourage others like me to do the same. I hope by starting this blog, people will understand me better. It is my intention that this blog will aid in my ballet research and evolve me into a better teacher and dancer.🤎 #exploreplease |
*all short stories on this blog are fictional and written by me.
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