Chapter Sixteen

My life went from zero to max stress in sixty-seconds flat when my fibers prof announced that our research paper is due next friday. So, I decided to write two days worth of dancing today, because I really should be doing research on Japanese Textile arts rather than blogging about my rhythmical deficiencies and cooridnation ineptitude.

Monday began as every other dance class up to this point has begun. Our prof shared some personal story while she collected our attendance cards. I have found myself looking forward to this part of class because my professor is quite a character which isn't surprising considering she is a performance artist. The whole world is her stage. We are all her audience.

We did some warm-up tondues and plies at the barre. And then she decided it was time to move across the floor. Again, as we did in Modern, we were taught the proper way to walk. Our elbows were slightly bent to round our arms with our hands continuing that line, slightly bent at our hips. Up in releve (tippy toes) feet turned out (like ducks) and knees locked, we were to "walk" across the gym floor in time to the music. Considering the approaching holiday, I found this exercise completely relevant. Imagine Frankenstein's monster on his tippy toes walking. I don't think I need to continue.

After what seemed like a torturous eternity, we began to learn the fine art of turning, using perhaps the "simplest" of turns, chaîné turns. My handy-dandy glossary of terms gave me this definition for enlightenment: Short for tours chaînées déboulés, "chained, rolling turns." Fast turns on half or full point with the legs in a tight first position, rotating a half turn on one foot and the other half on the other foot. Done one after the other so they're "chained" together. Fortunetately, we were taught these turns flat foot.

The other portion of the lesson included instruction in the virtues of spotting: A technique for for keeping oriented and avoiding dizziness during turns. Pick a spot (some conspicuous object); keep looking at it as you turn until you can't any longer; then quickly turn your head so you are looking at it again. I have been acquainted with the technique known as spotting, and I will add that it is indeed helpful to "avoid dizzines." Normally. But on Monday, I think I was awfully close to hurling by the class end. I'm not certain if the big bright white wall we were supposed to use to spot was the problem, the "spott-ee", or if it was the "spotter." Either way, I was not the only person in class suddenly unable to walk in a straight line.

Honest officer, I wasnt drinking! We were doing chaîné turns in dance 101!

As we left the gym, one of the girls turned to her friend and said "Do you remember when you were a little kid and spinning in circles was fun?"