Notes from HCB Summer Evening Class

Honolulu Classical Ballet started a summer evening open class and I checked it out--it was tall and ancient me plus five girls who haven’t hit puberty yet! (they are all really good). I loved that they all practiced every correction given to every person. I felt kind of awkward since I am like half a foot taller than all of them but wasn’t I just walking past the studio on 8th Ave wondering if I could join the teenager’s advanced classes? Bonus points for the teacher being my favorite sparkly man teacher. Imagine a jolly bald ballet professor with beautiful turnout splashing out synonyms and tugging the class along with anecdotes, jokes, idioms and all kinds of fun! I wish I could write down every correction and little speech he gives in between exercises. Here are some things I remember or need to do and things I loved about the class:

For Grande Allegro, he demonstrated a thing and said “rond de jamb.”  I was like, “So, is the feeling like a fan kick?” “Actually it is exactly like a fan kick!” OMG I always loved fan kicks in jazz and they are sooo not classical ballet but it was so fun to do paired with balance’ (perhaps my favorite ballet step), rotate, do it again! 

Hang your spine like a classroom skeleton. Stack all the bones. Everything else goes DOWN. But the hook in your head is hanging your bones like a model skeleton! (yesterday in rehearsal I told my dancers to hang themselves like Christmas Ornaments :)) 

Turn out working leg in coupe

As I always say, be ready already, so you don’t have to get ready when it’s too late! (for balancing).

You can do tendus on the music and be correct. Or you can use your punctuation! Is there anything between a period and an exclamation point? No? That’s silly. You either just end yoru sentence or you SHOUT!? This exercise is between a period and an exclamation mark. 

For a slow tendus and the plie sandwiched by them: The plie is looking chintzy. Do you know what chintzy is? Chintzy is when you pay $5 and they give you a sample scoop of ice cream. I want the whole luscious scoop of ice cream! Your plie should not be like a period. Your plie should be like a comma or an ellipsis. And luscious! Juicy! Generous! (I thought he was going to say lascivious but he didn’t) Delicious! Oops that’s a food word. Luscious! And begin. 

Every tendu and rond de jamb a tierre you want to dig a trench in the sand with your toe. 

4th Arabesque Elonge’ should be your faaaavorite favorite because you get to twist and show your back! 

For petite allegro, the feet should be like waves not like stiff static.

Grand port de bras needs to start down front! That is the best most laziest most easiest most dramatic part!

He assigns all these pretty and unusual arms that are almost contemporary. Like jugglers pulling tissues.  And these walking tendus in plie that were like Balanchine when we got to extend our hips to elongate our legs. And pirouettes in a la seconde. (oh wow I just googled “alicicon” and got no results before I realized I knew how to spell it..I am like an uneducated French ballet baby!)

#DanceTeacherGoals

Fountain Arms and Legs

A dancing fountain a la the Bellagio in Las Vegas is a perfect visual analogy of how to move your extremities in ballet (the link will take you to a wonderful example of what I'm talking about)! Energy initiating from the core. One hundred percent energy shooting out from root to tip. Limb bending organically with the joint closest to the center leading the motion. A terminal spray of fingers or toes completing the line with both strength, delicacy, and a continuity of line. I say and think these things all the time with slightly different picture representations. The most common ones my ballet teachers have used are of moving your limbs through water or pudding or molasses. Marc Brewer has a workshop on "organic styling" and uses visuals of trees. This analogy is both very Bruce Lee and very high tech. "Be water" is very old. Be a synthesized synchronized dancing fountain concert is very new. We often say water dances. Zenzouk master Ry'El has observed that water is the easiest element for me to adopt, my go to way of moving. But oh! to move with the strength of a shooting moving sprinkler system!

Tracking and Quantifying Progress

Maybe you're studying, taking classes, taking private lessons, attending workshops, travelling to festivals, but you are still feeling stuck in your dancing? Quantifying your achievements, whatever they are, is one way to start looking on the bright side.  Even if you aren't getting better on a linear vertical scale, you are at least going sideways! Self reflection and assessment over time is measurable and achievable. Are you shaping your time so you are living the life of your dreams? Give yourself a win. 

One Year Ago Today

This originally wasn't public, but it was meant to be, and it's one year later now, so shoots. Earlier this year I made the goal of taking other people's classes, and of training in more forms of movement. I was feeling stuck. I'm back to feeling a bit stuck when I dance zouk, but I know I'm developing as a teacher and training in pole and acro! I've never quantified this in terms of number of hours before, but as an always-somewhat-overachiever, it's satisfying to think of it in terms of numbers. An average week for me by the hour is

40 Desk Job
17.5-27 Dancing
7.5 Teaching Honolulu Zouk Team & Classes
6-7.5 Taking Polearity Classes
2-6 Social Dancing
2 Acro Gym Free Time Training
3 Burlesque until 7 weeks ago
And sometimes I take a contemporary, samba, CI, lyra, or other random
2-5 Magnetic Moments

This year I will have travelled to zouk events in Toronto, Seattle, and New York, and participated in 2 congresses in Hawaii. Completed a teacher training in Canada and won 2nd in the Pro-Am in Seattle. Family trip to Spain and NYC.

Honolulu Zouk will have hosted in 2017 nine artists: Peter Wright, Biki, Brad Meccia, Rachel Meth, Leo & Catherine, Mazouka, Marc Brewer, Layssa Liebscher, Michael Demski, and who knows what's coming later. Our own Mahina & Josh became official Honolulu Zouk teachers.

Honolulu Zouk produced a 45-minute show of over a dozen routines. New choreographies include a slew of solos, a twerk-tutting-zouk routine, and a team of twoscore people performing the International Zouk Flashmob.

I've never been injured so frequently (I guess that happens when you are over 30 and you take up pole dancing). After quantifying how much time I've been doing pole classes since February, I feel disappointed that I'm not better by this time. All the injuries have meant I've had to skip a lot of classes!

I could develop our scene more by teaching private lessons and going out social dancing more often. I'm doing well on the latter but still avoiding privates. Maybe one day when I am more semi-retired.

I could develop my own dancing more by leading more socially, by working on a solo performance of either pole or floorwork/acrobatics combined with dance, and by taking a variety of different classes. This week I am going to try a new contemporary teacher, and go to jiu jitsu and muay thai for the first time. I have half-formed thoughts of lyrical zouky partnerwork, and waterfeeling-based partner performance work.

Today

I had locked the post above up in social media and knew it would return to me. Life hasn't changed much since then.  If I were to write the same post today, it would look like this:  I am on the path of cross training different dances and I love it. Pole classes are still too few and far between, but my body has gotten more comfortable with the pole, and I have learned a few tricks for working with the pole as a partner just as how as a child I had to learn to work with the floor as a dancer. I no longer give myself as many pole bruises, although a week after I wrote my "one year ago" post, I sprained a toe, and I have tweaked out my shoulder several times because of pole. Knock on wood I still haven't been injured because of zouk! I still feel stuck and like I am possibly backsliding in my zouk, despite a renewed fervor for private lessons and workshops for a few months, I don't know how to improve anymore. I've downshifted my zouk teaching responsibilities. Acrobatics and inversions have been mostly self taught, and I know I don't have the discipline to become amazing on my own, but taking up ballet again a few months ago has helped quite a bit with strength and balance. Ballet as a student and teacher has been my dancing mental joy these past few months. I have also traveled and hosted more zouk events than ever before in my life. Making truly comfortable friendships is slow going for me, but I am proud to say it has happened and that I am slightly more comfortable interacting with people on a non-physical-movement level. Sometimes.

Weekly (The Dancing Hours are usually more, because every weekend we have special events!)

40 Hours Desk Job (in actuality, less)

7.25 Teaching

     1.25 Ballet

     3 Partnerwork Choreography

     1 Solo Choreography

     2 Zouk Technique

1.5 Social Dancing

0-10 Taking Class

     0-3 Taking Ballet Class

     0-6 taking Pole Classes

     0-3 Training in Acro

     0-1 Stretching

My teaching load has lightened, and I now feel quite competent teaching zouk technique for follows. I am thankful I have three other very competent teachers at Honolulu Zouk. Teaching ballet has been a pleasure since I started in June. 

Training and taking class is delightful because it is all optional, and I have a little more choice in life and therefore a little more capacity for feeling like I am opting in, rather than forced to be anywhere.

Since one year ago, I have traveled to 11 stops in the Viking Homelands. I have attended 4 major zouk events in San Francisco, Hawaii Island, Seattle, New York.  I have been involved with teaching and or planning three major local festivals. I have competed in three zouk JnJ competitions but never made finals in the intermediate division. I completed the ZenZouk Fundamentals I Teacher Training.

Since one year ago, I have hosted Honolulu workshops with 13 Artists: Marc Brewer, Michael Demski, Ry'El & Jessica, Brad Meccia x 2, Christina Montoya, Peter Wright, Ben Sodenkamp, Lena Simiesz, Thayna & Leo, Evelyn Magyari & Derrick. I have also hosted several sets of non dance teacher house guests.

We have kept our weekly Honolulu Zouk Sunday social going every week, and introduced a new and successful monthly event on Second Thursdays.

I have choreographed an acro zouk group routine, Hottie Heels Sex & Candy, and The Miss Fatty Project, which is about to debut this weekend. I forced myself to choreograph styles I am not necessarily the most expert in to train myself on them. I co-choreographed a beginning zouk routine with Josh. With Josh I also taught three of the four International Zouk Flashmobs, about to debut next weekend. I created a contemporary acro zouk duet with Mahina, but never performed it, and have not created a solo for myself since my salsa competition pieces in 2012. 

I still want to make a solo for myself. I still want to do a pole performance some day. I still want to create a flowy group piece.

I am still not teaching private lessons as much as I should. I have taught a few. 

Goals

Instead of keeping goals pent up in your head, try writing them down. Then try telling the world about the goal to keep you honest and on track! Rereading the list later is a great refresher and motivator. Keep the goals concrete and measurable when you create them. (Be able to do this skill three times in a row and hold it for five seconds, for example, instead of just "do this skill). Taking group classes? Keep your goals in mind and add them to your work during the class (See my recommendations for how to get the most out of class in this post, "How to Take a Dance Class")

Here is a list I wrote down a few weeks ago. I can't wait for the satisfying feeling of crossing some items off the list.

Goals of Kimberly

Constant awareness of balletic posture, esp while sitting.
Always be stretching or strengthening. Lacrosse ball.
-Do handstand wall walks and and handstand pike/arch on wall every time I am at Polearity to improve shoulder strength

Zouk

better balance and constant leg/knee flexion in zouk, wider stance
Feel as on balance and elegant social dancing in high heels as flats
Nail every time it is led competently one footed spins in zouk (hold that arm! At a strong diagonal right in front of me. Do not let it cross or open too much. close chest and pelvis, go with the lead, hand more open half moon and stable).
Ability to sensitively and dynamically follow crazy fast stuff T&L style
Better hollowness sensitivity more of the time. Not stretching legs in raul.
get better at figure 8 backwards
Train off axis exits
Train travelling vs on the spot roast chickens
Train wifi. closing of chest and opening diagonal vs roast chicken
Be people’s favorite while doing all these technique things

Ballet

Achieve consistently effortless double pirouettes in ballet with occasional triples (3 times in a row).
Stretch feet for a better point
Wear pointe shoes again one day and be better at it than when I was half my age
Extensions all above 90 Degrees.
Reach goal: Extensions at head level in all directions

Flexibility

Get squarer splits (hip flexors and hamstrings)
Completely flat middle splits
stretch and strengthen back
Touch my feet to my head backwards using active flexibility
Bridge with hands touching feet
Camel with head touching feet
Reach goal: Oversplits, all directions

Acro

Be able to hold for 5 seconds 3 times in a row, or achieve cleanly 3x in a row
Chest stand
Forearm stand
Scorpion in forearm stand.
Handstand as needle
Handstand in split
Back roll into shoulder stand
Cleaner front walkovers
Cleaner back walkovers
Back walkovers on one leg with splitty legs
Death Drop like from voguing
Reach goal: handstand press.
do the acro yoga things i see on ig with Mahina Hong. create and perform a cool acro contemporary piece.

Pole

Be able to do 3 times in a row both sides. If a pose, holding for 3 seconds
Janeiro
Reach my foot while in janeiro
Deadlift handsprings
Elbow grip ayesha
Iron X
Caterpillar climb gracefully
Bird of paradise
Titanic

Teaching

be able to create good dancers. be able to train a group of people into in sync choreography-performing dancers of a decent level. improve people's bodies and confidence and the way they interact with themselves and the world through dance.

What else can you do?

Keep your goals in mind and add them to your work during the class. See my recommendations for how to get the most out of your classes in my post, "How to Take a Dance Class"

How to Take a Dance Class

I’ve noticed a big difference between the culture and the mindset of the students in adult drop in ballet classes and the adult drop in zouk classes that I attend. I am sharing this list because as adults, my friends, you are paying with money and time to be in class, so you must want to be there! The teacher is there to motivate you a little, sure, but you are there because you are motivated and you want to be there 100% and you want to improve! To maximize your time in class, to perform the best, to improve your body and advance your skills, I recommend doing these things I observe almost all the other people in my ballet classes doing but hardly anyone in my zouk classes doing.

It boils down to this

You want to advance your technique, balance, strength, connection, whatever, and you are willing to work on what the teacher is working on, but what are YOU working on right now, personally and possibly separate from what the teacher is working on? The teacher cannot and will not cover all facets of the dance in the class, so you need to pick a few things you want to improve, and improve them while also improving the things the group is improving as a whole. You’ve been studying this dance for a little while, what things did the teacher say last time about this movement or this exercise?

For example, If you are doing a connection exercise with the hands, the teacher probably won’t be talking about how your weight should stay grounded in your feet, and how your core needs to be engaged, and how you need to keep stacking or aligning your bones, but you should be thinking of these things and trying to achieve them all of the time in addition to thinking about the exercise at hand. Each exercise is not supposed to be done in isolation. In fact, pro dancers get frustrated when one body part is injured and the PT tells them to train without that one part, because to execute movements correctly your entire body must engage in concert. Instead of waiting for the teacher to give you corrections, think back to all the corrections you have ever heard and try to give yourself corrections.

During Downtime

During lulls in the class or when you are not actively moving or paying rapt attention to what the teacher is saying, you should never be idle. In my ballet classes, while the teacher is remembering how to teach the next combination, all of us are stretching, practicing the previous combination again, attempting balances, finding our centers, and actively doing something to improve ourselves. Observe the teacher very carefully during their demonstrations. Train yourself to notice the fingers, angles of wrists, how much turnout they have, what leg the weight is one, what quality of movement are they using, what angle do the elbows make, how straight are the knees, and how is that different form how you are doing it?

Corrections

Did you get a correction? Treat that correction like SOLID GOLD. Treasure it forever, be thankful for it, do not let it out of your mental sight! You are a special lucky one to receive such a valuable gift. The teacher is taking time away from all the other people in the class to pay attention to you, you must be trying hard and showing promise of improvement. Did someone else just get a correction? Awesome! Can you apply it to yourself? Do not tune out when the teacher is helping someone else individually. This is the time to tune in.

Rest Days

Take a rest if you need it. This is a big trending topic right now among all the circus community on social media right now. I had to google “rest days.” Oops. We are athletes, we are training like athletes! In the last two weeks and I knew I had to take a break from ballet. I couldn’t focus on remembering combinations, my body was sore and I was unable to execute anything to my potential. The beauty of drop in classes as opposed to the set training schedule of a teenager is that you can rest the parts of your body hurting from that dance, do a different activity for a few days, and come back stronger than before! No, seriously. By the way, this is different than showing up to class sick and feeling miraculously cured afterwards, which why I often drag myself out to dance when I’m not feeling well.

Be Prepared

Arrive early to stretch and warm up. I’ve only had to start doing this since I got older. If it’s a ballet class, I point and flex my feet, I sweep my leg longer with my hands, I do split stretches all way, I do bartenieff fundamental sea star floor sweeps, I may do attitude grande battement en cloche, I stretch my spine, upper back, arms, shoulders. Don’t just stand there and sullenly stare, or chit chat, or slump.

Overperform

Are you bored of practicing the thing the rest of the class is working on? What else about this movement or exercise can you add to it the next time you do it? I don’t mean do a different movement, I mean what technical thing can you make better about your own dancing within the framework on this movement? Point your feet harder, stretch your head movement further, pull your frame tighter. If you aren’t showing up to class one hundred percent, I almost think it’s better not to be there. Try your best!

Be Your Favorite Follow

In every class you are learning the skill of following. You are following the teacher’s framework while trying to add to it without disrupting it at all. You are bringing the most beautiful attitude and bringing the most beautiful dancing you can to this experience, like a follow during a social dance.

You are the favorite follow, so shush

I cannot remember the last time I can remember a ballet teacher having to shush us or work to get our attention. Sure, ballet is not a social dance, but are you in class to socialize or to improve your dancing? If you are there to socialize, please respect all the people who are there trying to improve their dancing who you are preventing from improving their dancing by talking over the teacher. Especially don’t try to teach other students in the class. Even if you are a teacher in another class, you aren’t teaching that day, and you will just be a distraction for everyone else, including the student who wants to learn from the current teacher. You should be too busy trying to improve your own body and mindset anyway. If your partner isn't doing the movement how you want it to be done, how can you change what you are doing to make it better for both of us? (Exception if they are hurting you)

I’d love to hear your own strategies for how you take classes or how you are improving your training. Please share.

You might enjoy my post about How to Take a Dance Class or taking a jaunt through our Honolulu Zouk Community Guidelines