Sorry that I have not posted in such a long time! I have been wanting to do a post about French twists, another about stage make-up and a billion other posts but ... obviously they will have to wait a little bit longer.
Yesterday however I took my first ballet class in three and a half months (it took a long time for me to feel ready to face a mirror again). However it really was not as bad as I expected. I did get a lot of cramps, and yes my extension and turnout were not quite what they used to be but surprisingly I am still very flexible and I can still turn!!! That was the most surprising thing for me. A month ago I decided to try doing a pirouette at home and promptly landed on the hardwood floor and have not even bothered trying since. However yesterday I managed to do triples and a couple of quads which really, really, really surprised me. They weren't all good but... not as scary as I thought they would be.
Back to Swan Lake, it seems that it has been following me everywhere. On a recent plane ride I watched Black Swan. I had been avoiding watching it but finally got up the nerve to watch it. It really was not as bad as I thought it would be... well with everything that I had heard I was prepared for something like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or something like that.
Then I went to see a friend perform a variation from Swan Lake at a local performance. I really enjoyed seeing that and it brought tears to my eyes. I did kind of feel like I was watching everything I had left behind me and it really sparked my desire to get a little bit more involved with the dance community again, i.e. take class.
Today I went by my old ballet school and upon looking in the doorway I saw my very talented and amazing friends doing Black Swan PDD. It is another one of my favourite Pas de Deuxs out there. I love Odile's character, and the music. The way that Odile commands the stage... <3
It is really interesting to watch different dancers performing this pdd as everyone brings a slightly different character to it.
If you watch these two videos you will see what I mean. They are both absolutely wonderful but different too.
Here is Marinella Nunez and Thiago Soares with the Royal Ballet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTQ1jGnekuc
And here is Polina Semoinova with Friedemann Vogel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q0z5nSiLUY&feature=related
They are two of my favorites! I also love Uliana Lopatkina in this Pas de Deux but I cannot find a full version of youtube. She has the longest, most beautiful arms in the world!
