The proper positioning or state of adjustment....

Alignment: the act of aligning or state of being aligned; especially: the proper positioning or state of adjustment of parts (as of a mechanical or electronic device) in relation to each other.

This is what I found when I looked on the Merriam-Webster website for the definition of alignment. It is the general idea of what being aligned in Ballet class or any dance class for that matter is for me, in one since of the word. I feel that it is the entirety of my body being within direct relation with all of its parts. The head is over the shoulders which over the rib cage (which are not open), which is over the pelvis (not over tucked and not completely released) which goes over the knees, ankles and feet. You must always be thinking of this idea, along with how your weight is distributed in your feet, and where your rotation is coming from not from the knees but from the hamstrings and hips. This idea must adjust for different positions in class especially when doing any action to the derrière. The placement of the hips and weight shift over the standing leg, and the performing leg must not open to far or lift. Another important part of alignment is proper muscle engagement. I ask myself, are my lower abdominals and side obliques actively lifting my body up and out of my hips? Alignment is not something that you have on auto pilot. Each day when you come into class you must take account of your body and find your own alignment. And not everyone has the body of a Russian ballerina, each body has its unique in both muscular and bone structure so no ones alignment is the same. The two things that I struggle with the most is finding the balance between the release and the engagement of my pelvic placement and knowing when my abdominals are not active enough. I will probably be pursuing these two things for the rest of my life!

Alignment

Alignment is the single most frustrating thing about ballet. I have spent years trying to find the correct placement, and every time I think I have finally corrected something, I find something new I must work on. For example, when I was younger, I used to keep all of my weight back in my heels, to which my teachers told me that my weight should be in the ball of my foot. After being corrected at least a hundred times, I finally found my new placement, with my weight distributed across the ball of my foot, only to find out that now my weight is too far forward. The same thing happened with the placement of my back and shoulders-- i used to be arched all the time, and in an effort to correct this, I over-corrected, now with my shoulders hunched slightly forward and in front of my hips. Trying to find the balance and not over-correcting has always been a struggle for me.

Another thing that I am struggling with this year is not having mirrors. In many ways, I think that dancing with out mirrors can be beneficial. I think it helps with the performance quality, musicality, and artistry when I am not constantly staring in the mirror. However, when it comes to alignment, I miss the mirrors terribly. When trying to find the correct placement, I still have trouble feeling it-- I need to see it. I need to be looking in the mirror through out barre work, checking to make sure that my abs are pulled up, by rib cage is closed, my shoulders are over my hips etc. I know that I should be able to feel if I am in correct alignment or not, but I am still really struggling with this.

Pelvis, Standing Leg , Ribcage, and So much more

Alignment and Placement are obviously one of the most important foundations of ballet. Without striving to have correct alignment is like building on sand better yet...quick sand. You can get all of the embellishments and artistry of the house(aka ballet) but without a solid foundation your sinking ...quickly.

Aiming for better Alignment is a constant work in progress and requires what I used to think of as an "impossible" awareness of your body( my view on that has changed:)). I find it very valuable to have classes like this that really challenge me to be aligned through exercises that seem like " Omg! I know how to flippin plie!" (just being real). However, classes like this help retrain the body from bad habits that we have developed because we didn't take the time to WORK and truly think about placement through the slow ,and sometimes tedious exercises. I'll be honest I've done many a class filled with exciting and ostentatious combinations slouched in my hips, with a displaced pelvis and my own definition of rotation(not pretty). That says so much about the need to master alignment because without it when we get to the other stuff... well you get the picture.Also, without the proper placement we just make it harder on ourselves to accomplish the task . Therefore, with those thoughts in mind I encourage you guys and myself to keep on fighting to keep that pelvis right and tight(not literally) , even when you feel like your failing at life ,and pretty soon we will be able to dance as big, and awesome as we always dreamed.

Alignment and Placement

Alignment and placement has to be one of the most frustrating things in a ballet class, yet one of the most fundamental things. It seems that one minute it's there and the next time you attempt the same movement it's gone. Throughout my ballet training placement is one of the main things I have to actively focus on because everything originates from proper placement. Although, it also happens to be one of the most rewarding feelings when you successfully find the placement and can support movement properly.

Every day I enter a ballet class I discover many successes and also many failures. However, I view these failures as a learning experience. If I pique into an arabesque and fall backwards I have learned my placement is not far enough forward. I keep testing this and pushing farther and farther out until I find the exact spot to sustain my pique. The only tricky thing with alignment and placement is that it is hardly ever consistent in a persons body, like Kelly's blog mentioned. Every day you have to adjust to your body's needs. Learning your own body's needs takes alot of time and practice. My goal each and every day in ballet class is to have less failures and more successes then the class before. Its a slow and tedious process, sometimes even aggrevating, but I gain knowledge about my muscular structure and it keeps me open to the advice from others. This holds true especially when it comes to quicker movement. While you may discover the alignment while doing more adagio based movement once it picks up you have to engage a whole new type of bodily awareness to keep the proper placement, which is my personal struggle.

Placement, although it seems like an easy concept, takes years to learn and even longer to perfect. You can't fully understand how your placement works until you can understand the anatomy of the body and physically feel the support in your body.

This, That, and the other Thing

Alignment and placement are vital for the success of a ballet dancer and yet are the most difficult components of ballet to achieve. A dancer can work and explore their alignment and placement for their entire career and still be searching for it and tweaking it long after their careers are finished. It is essential to ballet, it is the like the skeleton of the body. It is the main infrastructure, and without it, you fall; you cease to exist. I realize that this metaphor is a bit over dramatic for describing alignment and placement, but I am simply trying to say that these basic fundamentals of ballet are quite a feat to discover.

The main lesson I have learned about my placement and alignment is that it is ever changing. This may seem like a strange idea considering their is obviously a proper placement and correct alignment, but part of being human means that each day we come to ballet class we will be finding new successes and failures in our bodies' alignment and placement. It is about adjustment and patience. Yes we are constantly reaching for the ideal, but we must realize that your rotation may not always be 180 degrees, you may not always feel like you're right on your leg. Our bodies are ever changing, and therefore, so is the process of finding true alignment and placement.

I have been taught, rehearsed, and scolded on proper alignment. I know that you must have a long neck, space in the torso without splaying the ribs, a neutral pelvis with no under tucking or sitting back, and rotation from the top of the leg ( not from the feet.) The challenge comes from translating this "ideal placement" into our own unique, individual bodies. Let's face it we don't all have perfect rotation, some of us have tilted pelvises or weak cores. We have to be able to adjust, be flexible with what it means to be in placement in our bodies. In my own personal exploration I found myself searching for the "ideal" rotation. While over rotating in my feet, I've ruined my long spine, neutral pelvis and began to sit back in order to over compensate. My body was not made to be perfectly rotated. It is a truth I must accept. I have the extreme challenge of forgetting the "ideal" and finding my own personal, healthy ideal. To make ME as my own unique, original dancer the very best, and aligned that I can be. If this means I have to use less rotation and find the engagement of the hamstrings in a smaller first, then so be it.

Body placement and alignment are the key to good technique. Whether it's at the bar or across the floor, our success in exercises is often determined by our body alignment. Correct alignment and placement allow our bodies to do things we never thought we'd be able to. They're also something we have to constantly think about and find in our body. We have to continually remember; the head should be lifted and the neck long. The ribs pulled together and lifted up. The hips under the ribs and the legs working turnout from the top. When we get to the feet we have to find not only the balance of working our turnout without over rotating but also putting our weight in the right place. Although it's a lot to think about, it's better on our bodies, makes our dancing beautiful, and helps us achieve whatever we're working on.

Personally, I struggle with proper alignment and placement everywhere in my body but especially in my shoulders, turnout, and feet. My shoulder blades stick out giving the appearance that I'm always slouching. This means that I must work to stand extra straight and fight to keep my shoulders low while working with my arms. Along with standing extra straight I have to make sure that means lifting in my rib cage and pulling my ribs together rather and poking them out. I once had a ballet teacher tell me to feel like someone had sown my ribs together, this was very helpful and a teaching I try to remember. In my turnout I tend to clench my buttocks rather than working with the deep rotators so I have to work to relax my those muscles, and work the rotators. One of the things I struggle with the most is not letting my weight fall back. I used to have a teacher that after an exercise would go around and push you; although I didn't love this it always made me realize where my weight was and where it should have been. Now when I feel myself rocking back on my heels I think about her pushing me and try to get my weight centered.

Ultimately, body alignment and placement is just one of the many aspects of work in ballet. It requires great attention, determination, and perseverance, but if you keep working eventually your body does what you want. For me, this is one of my favorite parts of ballet, when I finally master my body and have that great sense of accomplishment from doing something right. This success is something we constantly have to fight for, even after we've achieved it, but when it comes it makes it worth all the work.

Demi Plie With Arms to 5th!

When I was younger my mom always told me to stand up straight and to not hunch my shoulders. Thankfully ever since I started dance, those comments have dramatically decreased. Body alignment is crucial to being able to progress in ballet. Without it you won't ever be able to reach that 180 degree develope or be able to turn for years. Over the years I have been dancing I have learned more and more about what that "Correct Body Alignment" is. Ballet alignment is all about keeping your natural "plum line" and using the correct muscles to hold up your skeletal structure in order to allow the freedom you body needs to fluidly and safely perform ballet. The basic alignment concepts are almost "pedestrian" in the fact that it is naturally how people hold themselves. These include keeping your shoulders back and relaxed, making sure your pelvis is engaged and not released backwards, keeping a long neck, and on a basic level elongating your rib-cage. After that point though everything becomes a million times more subtle and that much more important. Examples of these would be lacing your rib-cage shut and not letting it splay open, making sure that your rotaters are engaged and not the global muscles surrounding them, making sure your weight is in the middle of both feet and not slightly to the toes or heels, etc. These crucial alignment standards are the basis for being able to move in ballet. Easier done standing still rather than moving, being able to keep correct alignment while dancing and not just during barre exercises is truly a remarkable feat. Correct Ballet Placement on the other hand can't even happen unless your alignment is in check. For example how would one be able to balance, on flat, on one leg unless their weight was in the middle of their foot and the opposing side of the working leg was lifting up? Answer is, simply it wouldn't happen. Ballet Placement also differs from alignment in the fact that while alignment is about keeping the inside of your body stable, Placement is where the outside of the body should be in order to convey ballet positions and "pictures". Even though these two concepts work hand in hand and the terms could be haphazardly interchanged, they are still very distinct and different.

Body Alignment and Placement

Whether I am sitting down watching my favorite television show or doing exercises in ballet class, I am constantly reminded of my body alignment and placement. I even find myself noticing how other people around me (pedestrians or dancers) hold themselves in everyday situations.

I am told by dance teachers each year that it takes years and years to find correct alignment. After dancing for sixteen years, I still am no where near perfect alignment. However, I feel that at Ohio State teachers have guided me to internalize the idea of alignment in a way that I have achieved it at one point (even for a split second) as a member of the dance department. I know what is right and what is wrong not only visually but also physically. I am also aware of the effects correct body placement has on holding positions or reaching a point of balance.

What really got my mind on track to becoming more aware of correct body placement is discovering my hyper extension in my knees. Courtney Harris was the first to ever explain to me that my knees were not built like everyone else. As soon as I discovered the issue it took me the rest of the quarter to find a way to counteract that hyper extension. I had to lift out of my pelvis and rotate my inner thigh in order to not buckle my knees.

I feel that the idea finally clicked in my mind. I had to use my rotate muscles, my pelvis lift, and my inner thighs all at once to work the way I am supposed to. Now that I am aware of this, I find myself being able to concentrate in ballet class on these alignment realizations. I need to mentally prepare myself in every exercise or I will resort to old habits. The idea of "holding on" is one that resonates with me. As soon as I disengage my mind and body, all hope is lost.

I am excited that I know how to work properly to an extent! I want to work on reinforcing these new positive habits of body alignment in ballet from now on!

Aimee Heslop

F=ma

In the works.

Dirty work.

All in a day's work.

Working out.

Working hard or hardly working?

All work and no play...

Getting worked up.

Working through it.

Work.

What is it about those four letters that allow them to retain such elusive importance in our lives?

Getting up in the morning may be work for one person whereas another might be able to coast through days and weeks without ever having to commit to working even once.

Work is a mental and physical state of reaction and adaptation to challenges that arise in one's life.

I feel like I am stepping into my workplace when I enter the dance studio prior to ballet class.

Every fiber of my being becomes drawn into the work of processing the variables of ballet technique.

I examine the architecture of my skeleton, using the musculature to adjust the axial and appendicular sections of my frame according to the information I am receiving from the exercises.

Everything in a constant state of renewal and reassessment.

The work entailed in ballet class is not simply the type of quantifiable work dealt with in physics equations where force equals mass multiplied by acceleration.

The true nature and beast of ballet requires that you constantly are working on even the most simple of exercises because once those are no longer work for you, you're either, A: Doing it perfectly, or B: not getting any better.

Considering what we know of ballet it is probably the latter and therefore, work in ballet class is the constant challenge of appreciating every exercises' subtly complex demands and being attentive enough to know how to respond.

-B

Defining work for the contemporary ballet student

In ballet the value of hard work does not go unnoticed. The discipline and determination that one must have to fully immerse oneself in the ballet experience can be recognized just by observing the amount of time dedicated to the craft. The ability to surpass normal levels of tolerance for pain and work through physically and mentally strenuous exercises despite the difficulties of what is being asked. The perseverance it takes to come to class day after day and even in class while working the same muscles over and over again is admirable. As my teacher back home used to tell me: "If you miss one class, you notice. If you miss two classes everyone notices". He was commenting on the fact that ballet is a cumulative practice, and one does not progress without studying and tweaking from the basic and then building. It's an ongoing fight between mind and body and a beautiful display once one knows how to apply the technique to ones body.

Working hard in Ballet

I really thought for the past 14 years I was working hard in ballet. I tried to focus on my turnout, arm placemen, and overall strength. I was truly thinking that ballet was getting easier as the years went by. As i found what I thought was my full turnout I stopped really thinking about it. I mostly kept working on my strength and flexibility. When I cama to the Ohio State's wonderful dance programe I got a huge awakening. Apparently I shounldn't have stopped thinking about my turnout because I haven't been using my inner thighs like I should have been. Last year took a lot of hard work and concentration in each of my dance classes to try to correct some of my ballet flukes. Courtney Harris and her classes were a huge contribution to this revelation. the way she explained certain movements made my mistakes very clear to me. Those classes were the start to my real ballet training. The second day of this quarters ballet was another "AH HA" moment when we went through the very basic bar steps slowly. I found out that I really wasn't using all of my muscles at bar. This year has a lot of hard work ahead for me especially for the simple bar combinations.

Blog #1

Work is a hard word to define, itself. Out of desperation, I searched the word on dictionary.com and found this: work is the exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something. Using this definition, what then constitutes "work" in ballet class? In my opinion, it seems necessary that each ballet dancer or pupil in class works to achieve a goal; a personal goal or one given to that pupil from another source. One must strive to excel in the ballet technique or have the desire to exceed boundaries in order to become a more accomplished and knowledgeable ballet dancer. With this work, it seems almost necessary that one experiences challenges that should be met. For example, it may be a goal of one ballet dancer to nail a double pirouette by the end of the quarter. Although this may be challenging to the dancer, they must continue to practice, or work, on the technique necessary to accomplish that double pirouette. For me, personally, "work" in ballet is different than in other dance forms, mostly because my body is not particularly comfortable with the ballet genre. Not only do I hold different goals in the ballet technique than I do in other dance forms, but I also approach those goals, or "work" with those goals, in a different way because I am forced to focus on different body parts or a different technique, in general. My mentality and work ethic change based on how comfortable I feel with the movement. I must "work" harder in ballet class in order to become more familiar with the ballet genre and to achieve what is expected of us in class.

Finding Freedom Amongst Constriction

Personally, work in ballet class centers itself around taking the wide kinesthetic sphere I usually have in a contemporary class and shrinking it until it fits like saran wrap over my body. My awareness in ballet starts from the inside and extends to the surface of my body. I look at where my body naturally sits and I reposition it so that it is better suited for efficient classical movement. This inside to outside approach goes from bones to muscles, and I sense these changes by using my nerves, my proprioceptive self if you will. My familiarity with the steps allows me to focus more of my attention on the placement of my body in relation to my vertical plane. Consequently, the work for me doesn't stop when the class is over. Work becomes an everyday occurrence, constantly making sure that my body remains in this aligned vertical position so that, when I arrive to class, I don't have to spend unnecessary time finding the vertical. For me, the effortless look of ballet stems outward from this place of intense placement and boundedness.

Working in Ballet

First, let me say that I am so excited to have a forum by which to respond and talk about ballet. I love reading other people's responses to the prompts. It brings about new things that I have never thought about and reinforces the concepts that I already know.

The work in ballet is what made me fall in love with this genre of dance. There is never a point when you have it "perfect". The work is never done. Even the best ballet dancers have things that they are constantly working to improve. I like having goals in class. Goals give me something to focus on so that I can work more efficiently and confidently. For instance, I might decided that I am using this class period to focus on my ribs and how they affect my dancing. Another class I might work on making sure I maintain my turn-out through the entire class. Or something as small as remembering to breath while dancing (which I guess isn't a small concept at all).

My word for this school year is "efficient". I want to be a more efficient mover, person, student etc. I think that idea goes hand in hand with the work one does in a ballet class. So often I get bogged down and overwhelmed by things we do in class. But once I remember to breath and calm down, I usually do much better.

The amount of work one does in a ballet class is completely up to them. For example, if I'm not getting a concept or step correct in class, I usually practice the step over and over at home. More often than not, that approach works really well and sometimes it takes a little longer for the body to pick up a concept that the mind already understands.

Ballet=HARDWORK

Ballet is not only a beautiful art form, but it also involves as much strength as a professional sport. It is hard and it provides a solid foundation for many other dance forms. Work in ballet means working on your OWN anatomy and using is as a foundation to improve. Everyone is not born with 180-degree turnout and perfectly arched feet. Learning what your strengths and weakness are provides you with things to work with and skills to develop over time. Whenever I take a ballet class I focus on one thing I need to improve on or a bad habit I need to fix. I set mini goals for myself. Once that goal is met, I set another one. To me, work in Ballet means that you always find something to work towards every class and the constantly keep in mind that no one is perfect and there is always something that needs improvement. This mind state helps you progress at a faster pace.

Work in ballet is very different from work in any other art form. It is extremely technical and demands a great amount of exactness, determination, and focus. Ballet training not only challenges your body, but it challenges your mind as well. There is always something to fix technically, so the work in class never stops. Ballet is difficult because it requires a large amount of repetition, memorization of French terminology, and an enormous amount of mind over body focus and control. Ballet is a beautiful strength.

"Treat each class as if it were your first." -Suzanne Farrell-

It is this concept that I must master to truly begin "working" in ballet. Throughout my years as a dancer, ballet has never been my strong suit and instead of walking into a class with confidence and readiness, I'd hide in the background and obsess over the little things I did wrong in the previous class. I believe that working in ballet involves full focus, an understanding of one's body, an open mind, and the ability to learn from the corrections given by the instructor, the dancers that surround you, and your own observations. In my opinion, ballet is the most difficult art form to master, due to its structure, grace, and beautiful presence. It looks easy, but we all know it is not. This is another important place where true "work" is seen. The easier a dancer makes his or her task look, the harder the dancer is working. If you are able to treat each ballet class as if it is your first, you are able to walk in with a new confidence each time, and allow yourself to move passed discouraging thoughts from your past experiences. It is exciting to find new areas to fix and know that you have a better understanding of your body and the movement that is needed with new combinations. What happened previously doesn't stop you from working, maintaining the focus necessary to obtain the technique you desire.
I believe that work in ballet class, is completely different than work in other styles. Ballet's structure can be associated with perfection; perfect lines, perfect body placement, and perfect grace and performance. I have been told to stop looking like a hip hop dancer doing ballet more than once, and it is because ballet requires a different attitude and the hard work to maintain the perfect qualities mentioned. Ballet is truly beautiful. Time and dedication in each class, as if it were the first time, is required in order to work to your fullest potential in ballet.

It's Time to Work.

How do i answer the question "work" in terms of a ballet class? There is almost as much work thinking about a way to explain that as there is in class. Due to the fact that there are countless things that need to be thought mentally before you even begin to start moving your body. For me Ballet obviously is not my strongest suit. There for I have to be on top of my game more so then I would have to be for say a modern class or a jazz class. I have always had a lot of bad habits that I need to correct and get rid of, after Tuesdays workshop my eyes have been open to a whole new way of thinking about those habits. For example it is one thing to engage your center but it is a whole different thing to engage as well as lift up out of your pelvis and lengthen out. From the moment I step foot into the ballet room i have to mentally and physically prepare myself to "work" from start to finnish of each class. How else am I supposed to improve if I do not do so?

"Work"

I personally feel that the word, "work" can mean many different things to many different people. It's my belief that a person's definition of work depends on how they were raised and under what circumstances. I was raised by a strict, yet loving, family on a horse farm in the Middle of Nowhere, Ohio. Work has been a part of my life from a very young age, therefore to me it is hard and disciplined. It also means being passionate about what one is doing to make oneself want to do well.

When I think of work in terms of ballet class, it's all about multitasking. I find myself concentrating physically and mentally simultaneously. Mentally remembering a combination while physically executing a combination can be trying, especially after a long day's worth of classes, or any time really if one isn't in the right mindset upon arriving to class. Physical and mental work are tiring enough on their own, so when put together, it's twice as challenging; however worth it. Without putting in the necessary work, one cannot achieve the goals one sets for themselves. Goals require practice, practices requires work, work requires dedication, discipline, and the will to succeed. Also, without passion for what one is doing, the work one puts in might as well go to waste. If a person isn't fully invested in what they're doing, they might as well not be there at all, because any work they put in is merely half of what it could be.

Mostly, when I think of working during ballet class, the word that comes immediately to mind is "hard." Ballet is hard; it's something we're all aware of. It's hard to achieve our desired line. It's hard to nail a triple turn. It's hard to look graceful as we're launching ourselves through the air. Ballet is just hard. But it's beautiful, and when done right can feel very freeing, which is why I keep coming back to it. The end result is always worth the work put in, but only if one works hard enough. To work, I feel one must be in the right state of mind. One must be calm, and be temporarily freed of the outside world to have the attention span needed for class. If a person's mind is clear, then all that's left to think about in ballet class is the combination currently presented to oneself. I feel that if that's all I can think about, I'm better prepared to do well in class.

In conclusion, to me work is, as I stated earlier, hard. It's hard to look like what one wants to look like. However, with basic principles like discipline, concentration, passion, dedication, and the desire to do well, the work put in will produce desired results in time.

Ballet+ Work

When I think of work as it pertains to ballet the first thing thing that come to mind is the constant battle between my mind and my body. It takes work, not just any work, but rigorous, and determined work in order to tap into the awareness that is essential to ballet. Last year I was completely flustered with the various concepts that I was being taught in technique. I felt utterly dumbfounded because I had not had consistent ballet training in the past therefore, with my ignorance about the basic terms , positions , etc of ballet I had no clue how to apply the concepts to moves that were seemingly foreign to my body. As the year went on and I started to grasp the basics of the technique and started to understand the true work ethic of ballet. I came to realize that it was not just about trying to do the "move" but how my body is aligned in accordance with that particular move or position. Then from there I became more , and more enlightened about the art of ballet and the work ethic it requires. Not only does it require stamina to perform the physically demanding movement but also the incorporation of alignment and muscular concepts which demand unbelievable intuition with ones body. Not only must we strive to conquer those enormous task but also adhere to the art of the technique , meaning we have to try to incorporate those things with grace and the appearance of ease.... WORK!

When thinking bout working in ballet in comparison to other dance forms I would say there are both differences and similarities. In most other forms there is still a sense of awareness to some sort of alignment and musculature but just in ways that are specific to the form. However , I feel that there is less leeway in ballet in comparison to other forms .

Work in Ballet

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of the verb "work" reads as follows: "To be engaged in a physical or mental activity in order to achieve a purpose or end result." In relation to the dance world, however, "the purpose or end result" is a rather elusive goal that requires constant improvement and effort from the dancer. I believe that by default, dance both attracts and creates people with a perfectionist nature, because in many ways that mindset is necessary for success. Even in class when I feel that I have successfully completed one goal, there is always an infinite amount of corrections that I have yet to achieve. Similarly, one of the most difficult aspects of ballet for me is the coordination of the brain and the body. Knowing what my body should be doing in my head and actually executing the proper alignment, port de bras and musicality during a combination are two completely different worlds for me. Two specific challenges for me include engaging my core (especially my lower abdominals) and maintaining my pelvic alignment while doing exercises to the back. For me, "work" in ballet means constantly striving to fix these bad tendencies, maintain the rest of my composure, and simultaneously enjoy the movement, because at the end of the day- no matter how my technique classes went - dance is what I love to do. As I previously stated, these challenges will never provide one end result for me. The rest of my career will involve a consistent and diligent effort to evolve and improve upon my own abilities and performance.