Baryshnikov is fantastic and I'm still working on it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTso5moVNs4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=_7jj8McPlVY

Ok after watching the clips of Baryshnikov that Jessica posted on the Carmen page, I decided to share one of my favorite pieces that he is in. “Sinatra Suite” by the amazing choreographer Twyla Tharp is a piece that allows you to see the range of personas that Mikhail is able to bring to life on the stage. His character invokes the ascetic of cool that Sinatra’s music evokes. I find that Baryshnikov can grab my attention in this piece just as much as in any other classical ballet that allows him to demonstrate to the audience his remarkable virtuosity in jumps, leaps, and turns. He is so amazing, I swear if I ever met him I would faint or do something terribly embarrassing.

On a side note, now that we are almost into week eight of the quarter, I wish we had more time to continue on the learning track that we are on. I feel that I finally have understood how to utilze engagement in my abdominals in so many movements not only at the barre but in center work as well. I have made so many realizations this quarter that I hope leaving for winter break soon does not make me lose everything that I have gained. I need to be able to retain the new information that my body has discovered in order to improve my performance in class, not just on my “good dance days” but every day. I know I’m not going to turn into a Marianela Nunez in a quarter or even ever, but I would like to keep progressing from the point at which I am at now.

P.S. To Jessica- I really enjoyed this outside discussion board. It really made me think and put into words what I need to understand in my physical practice.

Watch out Baryshnikov (just kidding, you're the greatest)

Since I entered this program, I have continually been discovering new things about my body; about the way I am built, what my natural strengths and limitations are, and what I can work on to get the most out of this fantastic program and become this thing we call a dancer. This quarter has been especially eye-opening in all of these respects, and now we are nearing the end of it and I want to figure out where I stand: What have I learned about myself that I like, what have I learned about myself that I want to improve, and what are the through lines in my classes?

Upon first consideration, it would appear to the untrained eye that the ideas I've gotten in ballet this quarter are completely different from the ideas we have addressed in my other classes. However, with my semi-trained eyes, I will attempt my own comparisons. I've been doing my modern technique, which is totally about dropping the weight into the floor (do I smell resiliency?). I've been doing contact improvisation, which is also about giving and dropping weight, and I've been doing comp/weight studies, which is, ironically, about giving and dropping weight. Then I've been doing ballet, which is about becoming taller and pulling myself up out of my hips. It seems the opposite, but I think there are at least a few key ideas that I can pull from ballet and bring into the modern.

I think that, even though we do not consciously "drop" our weight in ballet, the opposition we constantly strive for, the connection to the floor against the pull of our bodies upward, has an element of the drop. We have to maintain a relationship to gravity, and I always have to think about trying to find that relationship, whether in ballet or elsewhere. Core strength and initiation is another very important idea that seems to be a through line in all my classes. I have been thinking a lot about "visualizing movement from the core:" feeling the energy in that part of my body so that I can stay grounded in my movement and maintain a bodily awareness, even if the movement does not necessarily "initiate" there from an outside visual perspective. Through both ballet and modern classes, I have been working to strengthen and find my core, and I think this will really help me grow as a dancer. I have also been trying to work on articulation and clarity of movement in all my dancing, and I think clarity is sort of a big deal in ballet. Since we work on it so much in this technique, I think I should be able to gain something from that element of ballet class and take it to my other training.

The other idea I have been thinking about is presence. I was watching the videos of Baryshnikov posted on our Carmen page, and the main quality that strikes me about him is his incredible presence and command of the stage. He's fierce, and he grabs that audience and hangs onto them. In trying to develop my own ferocity, I think ballet can really be a great opportunity to try to develop some kind of personality. Rather than putting on a show, I would like to find a way to exude an energy and "inner life" outward: to show natural feeling and be able to grab an audience (not in a conceited or pompous way). How can I develop a presence through all my training, and become a Baryshnikov in my own right?

I miss Sullivant Hall

When I found out that we would be leaving Sullivant Hall for two years, I didn't think it would affect me that much. Besides making the hike over to the drake at least once a day, I didn't think it would really change anything about my classes. However, being part way through the first quarter, I have already found that a lot is changing. The first thing I miss is jumping. I have always loved jumping, and always been good at it. Petite and grande allegro have always been my favorite parts of ballet, and I always enjoyed doing challenging combinations filled with beats and quick steps that had everyone tripping over their own feet. Since moving into the drake and pomerene, I understand that this must be modified so that we don't injure ourselves, however I think we need to find another way to continue strengthening these muscles. During this past week, we've been jumping more, but I can feel myself getting tired by the end of each combination, which never used to be the case. I am worried that if we continue catering class to these floors, by the end of these two years, I will lose my ability to jump that I have been working on for so many years.

The other thing that I miss is mirrors. I know that we are supposed to be able to feel what is correct and what is not, but I am not at that point yet-- I need to see it. In modern, I think it has helped not having mirrors. I would always try to look at myself in the mirror to see how it looked, which would throw off whatever movement I was trying to do, so in that case, I think not having mirrors has been a good thing. However, in ballet, I am still trying to fix a lot of alignment issues, and for that, I need the mirror. I need to be able to glance over during barre exercises and make sure that everything is lined up and where it should be. No matter how hard I'm working, it doesn't do me any good if I think I am finally in correct alignment when I am not.

I understand that the department is trying to make the best out of our new space, but I hope that we are able to find a way to deal with these two issues.

It means so much...

I read Corn's post and I liked his topic so I am stealing it. : )

What does ballet mean to me?

I have never asked my self that question before. When I was younger I would have not believed you if you said to me I'd be enjoying ballet classes on a daily bases in my future. Ballet has become a love and a passion, a passion that kinda just snuck up on me one day. Ballet is also a source of frustration and even despair, mainly because of how much I want to succeed at it, but for every class that I leave disappointed there are other ballet classes that I leave feeling like I am floating across the floor and can do anything in the world. I feel like I am radiating with accomplishment.

Ballet is a source of strength and self betterment. I know that every great dancer in the world has taken ballet to a certain degree, and I know I must also in order to become the kind of dance performer that I wish to become.

I also think that ballet has taught me to be self disciplined and determined. Never have I been so challenged before in my life. Its funny how difficult ballet is for me, especially when I first started to dance it. I remember my first ballet class and it was so uncomfortable! All I could do was watch the other dancers and try to imitate them. I felt like I was hanging off a cliff, with only my finger tips securing me, the whole class desperately trying not to fall off the edge. I never stopped trying though from that day and I think in one short year I have come a far way in terms of my ballet skills. All I was that every great dancer does ballet... so I kept on keeping on! Its interesting how something so new, scary, and frustrating was able to push me to new limits. Ballet helped me find my inner artist, it taught me how to use my body for artistic expression and it has given me a reason to love what I am doing with my life.

Never have I been happier before in my entire life, than knowing that I get to wake up every week day, and go to class as a dancer and performer... its a gift and a blessing.

Ballet is a physical manifestation of my dream.... and I wouldn't exchange it for any thing in the world.

-Josh

The Advanced Version of Us

I just viewed the media clip on Marianela Nunez as the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty. After Thursday's ballet class, I was interested in the idea of being able to visualize the inner thigh muscle activating and firing as a ballerina moves on stage. I never thought that you could physically see how a dancer "works". I can depict whether a dancer has skill when I watch them. I never knew how to see the skill just by looking at a dancer as pure muscle and anatomy.

When I view this clip, I can see the inner thing muscles wrapping around to the front on her base leg during her turning sequences. I did not realize that this technical adjustment of having the inner thigh forward goes through the body and mind of the most amazing performers at their level. I just predetermined that these dancers are just naturally amazing. I assume that they never have to think about the moves. They just have to show what they have to the audience.

The understanding that they have to work in the same way I do on a different body helps me to be less "put down" after watching such a performance and more inspired by it. I would love to work as hard as these dancers on the basic technique concepts in order to put the results on my body as a dancer. I will never look like these movers anatomically. However, I am willing to apply the same concepts onto my body to get my personal best results over years of training.

Props to the Lilac Fairy!

Aimee Heslop

Macho Macho Man

I just watched the videos Jessica put up of Mikhail Baryshnikov and after seeing them I don't how I could not write about him. I've frequently been given the note "be more masculine" and when I hear that I think of Baryshnikov. His dance has a powerful mix of gracefulness and ease with strength and masculinity that are the picture of bravado. when I saw these videos all I could think was "wow." His stage presence and confidence make his execution of the moves more than just technically great, they add character, dimensionality, and strength.

It's more than just his stage presence though, the moves he performs are extremely difficult and the stamina he appears to have is amazing. His technique and the apparent ease with which he performs the movement vocabulary is unbelievable. When I hear people joke about men doing ballet and wearing tights, I say "have you ever seen Baryshnikov" because I don't know of a more manly display of physicality than his dancing.