3/31/2015

The Mecca of Shabby Chic

This is something I've been thinking about for quite some time now. It was Marias (from blog Why do I dance) post about her realization that she keeps on using tights that are full of holes, that hit the final nail to my coffin so to speak.

Ballet classes are a place that usually has rules of dressing. Sometimes quite strict ones too.  As adult dancer, one does get a bit more leeway in the matter of dress-code. Even more so if you dance in a community collage and not a "real" dance studio.

But I willing to bet that there is something in common in almost all of the ballet classes around the world. Ballet dancers use their gear to the maximum. Slippers are not thrown out when the first hole appears. Tights are used even though the original color has been mudded into somewhat greyish tone. If they break from the toe, you just cut the toe seams of and voila! You have leggings.

Pic from here
The favorite leotard is used again and again until its worn and torn. You use the legwarmers even if they have holes in them. And they could be originally be the sleeves from and old sweater you used up. The ballet studio could very well be the mecca of shabby couture.

The next pic is blurry, sorry, it's a still frame from a video me trying my pointes,
but do note the absolutely horrific brown stockings  I'm wearing. A perfect example. I got them as gift when I ordered something else from ebay. Don't even remember what it was. They were horrible. So I automatically thought to use them in pointe practice at home, so I don't have put tights on. I can I just say WHAAAAT? Who does that?


Shabby shabby shabby...
A ballet dancer, that's who. Or in this case a wannabe ballet dancer. The  denier was right, so... Why not! You use what you have and once found to work, you use it until it practically disintegrates.

There must be something more to this than the cost of buying new gear. It can be costly, but seriously I doubt that that's the whole story. There must be a some sort of collective ideology behind this, right?

Somehow you look the part more, if your clothes aren't all brand new. I cut one of my tights to leggings (or footless tights if you will), 'cos holes in the toes (super annoying). Wore them to class, and somehow they look just so right. They made my feet look more like a ballet dancers, more than black tights or shop bought leggings ever have. They were worn, a bit torn, hand cut uneven. In a word shabby. And they looked the just the part.

The holes and worn and torn bits tell a tale of the hard work that has been done. All the repetition, the sweat, the frustration, but also the glorious moments when you nail a particularly hard combo or your first clean pirouette. So in a way, the more shabby your gear look, the harder you have worked to get there?

Besides, all the cool kids do it.
Pic from Australian ballet
Do notice the run in her tights <3


Don't get me wrong, I love to get new gear too. As much as the next girl. Just saying.

3/25/2015

Yo, Bunheads! (on tv)

On tv, there is ballet related tv series now showing. Bunheads on imdb.com
It is on Hero Monday to Thursday (or Friday, not sure) around 11 pm to midnight I think. Todays episode is 3rd (season 1) so it'll be easy to catch up with it.
Pic fron imdb.com

Of course if you live anywhere else than Finland this info will be totally useless to you ;)

3/23/2015

Help Wanted

Dear dancing friends and strangers, a fellow dancer is in need. Of help,that is. And you can do it.

Bush ballerina needs something simple from you. Her request is here, clickclick. In short all you need to do is measure your heart rate right after doing one side of plies ( from 1st, 2nd, 4th&5th incliding port des bras if you like). That's option A.

Option B is to measure your heart rate after both sides of plies in row.

How simple is that! Just measure your rate and report back to Bush Ballerina. Help a fellow dancer in need.

And the same in Finnish just in case  it helps:
Bush Ballerina pyytää apua kaikilta balettia harrastavilta. Hän tarvitsisi sydämen syke tietoja A) yhden puolen plie -sarjan jälkeen (plieet ekasta, tokasta, neljännestä ja viidennestä asentosta+ port des braat jos haluat), ja jos jaksat niin myös B) molempien puolten pliesarjojen jälkeen.

Tärkeää on molemmissa tehdä sarja/t ja heti sen jälkeen mitata syke.

Sykeenhän saa mitattua joko kaulalta henkitorven vierestä tai ranteesta peukalon puolelta. Laske kuinka monta kertaa sydän lyö 15 sekunnin aikana ja kerro neljällä= on sydämen syke minuutissa. Käy raportoimassa Bush Ballerinalle, tai jos haluat, voit kommentoida tuloksesi myös tähän postaukseen, niin välitän tiedon eteenpäin.

Lisähelppiä sykkeen mittaamiseen.

3/14/2015

How Come I Wasn't Told?

On Fridays class my spot at the barre is in a corner in front of mirror. We start the class with left hand on the barre so I'm facing the mirror.  By the time we get to the grande battements I'm doing fine on the right side. No problems, enough space to swing battements away to my hearts content. But on the left side, it's always the same problem.  I'm this close to kicking the classmate in front of me and almost every time I do kick the mirror (now behind) me at least once.

So yesterday it hit me. My left leg must be at least 20 cm longer than my right! Why else would I have these problems only on the left side?

How come no one never told me this?

How come the FTs, the Orthopedist and other doctors never noticed this?


I mean, no wonder I'm having issues with my right foot, 'cos it's that much shorter!

If only it were that simple though... Right?

Bet her legs are the same length!
(Pic reference)

Well, I had a MRI scan of the right foot on yesterday (prior to the epiphany). Maybe I'll get some real answers finally.

With my luck, the found nothing, though.

I really do love the minions! I just wish they wouldn't make me crave cheese puffs so much...

3/06/2015

I feel restrained


Kinesio taping on my right foot.

Needles to say I saw my FT. She taped the foot again. This time it's just so tight around the ancle that I can't really point my foot. Or do releves for that matter. Or so it feels at least.

There will be interesting ballet classes this weekend. Me trying to point my right against the tapes. Well at least I'll get a proper work out, right? (no pun intended) Silver lining and such. Maybe I should tape the other ancle too? Yeah, right! No I mean left! Oh, whatever!

I'm off to class.

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/13791401/?claim=p45fktghphp">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

3/01/2015

Fleeding moments of lost inspiration

I've been noticing having moments in class when I'm wondering "Why I'm doing this?" Why am I here? Trying to flex and stretch my body into positions that, frankly, aren't that healthy. I mean honestly! I'm feeling tired, exhausted really and can't keep my thoughts together at all. This happened last fall too.

My weekly schedule is now:

Monday: 40 min core for dancers & 75min ballet
Friday: 90 min ballet
Saturday: 75 min ballet (with short pointe work at the end of the class)

In the fall I also had the 60 min pointe work after the Fridays class. I dropped that of my schedule, 'cos the plantar fasciitis issues.

How that going by the way? Still active. Had second Orthopedist appointment and the second cortisone injection. Got recommendation for some new gear and have seen the physiotherapist of the occupation health care for few time now. Will post about those more later, but in short: no real progress yet.

But back to the lost inspiration. I realized at some point that it only occurred on Mondays. So no real panic there.
It's just Monday