Tried out a new teacher

Two posts in one day? I know, what gives, right?

Tonight was a new experience. Since I missed three classes because of vacation, I needed to make up a class since the summer session ends in three weeks.

One of the options was taking the open beginner-intermediate class under a new teacher at the school (a new experience since I’ve had a class from every other teacher on the faculty at one point or another).

It was appealing in that it offered me a chance to actually have a class with other “adults.” Former company members in college and ex-professionals who are now teachers who continue to dance in company class don’t fit in that category.

And the class taught by Melissa B. turned into a pleasant surprise. It was basic, but taught at a pace where it wasn’t too basic. It was the kind of class that I like in a beginner class: It was a class where I knew everything to the point where my concentration was on the shape of my feet, my turnout, keeping my knee straight doing tendus, developpes, grand battements and arabesque in the back, making sure my hips and shoulders were square and concentrating on the head, arms and hands.

There were no turns besides soutenus, which was OK. Tonight was all about proper body alignment for me.

And I got a real introduction to Vaganova, Melissa B.’s style. I didn’t know you did frappes differently in Vaganova style as opposed to the Balanchine-Cecchetti styles I’m used to.

And it was nice being at the top of the class tonight as opposed to the remedial one in company class (don’t get me wrong, company classes are my favorite), and actually being at the median age in a class instead of being an ancient one  in a class overrun with 15-year-olds.

Tomorrow morning, it’ll be back to stumbling around with the few company kids not gone to intensives. So it was nice to be in a class where it looked like I knew what I was doing and was one of the leaders.