Category Archives: Dance Class How-To’s

The Good Student

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I will always be a student; and I’m an organized pupil too. I’m very good with note taking, calendars, to do lists, journals, and other sorts of information gathering techniques. When I started taking ballet class, I put my skills to work on my new subject as I would any other new course work. I keep a dance class journal and a dance class calendar. I can tell you when I took class, what kind of class, with what teacher, and what was covered in the class from the very first class I ever took. I have notes about exercise combinations, music, corrections, thoughts, and feelings. I know the exact date that I completed my first pirouette, first time I fell down in class, first time I held a balance to the very end of the exercise, and the day I went out from my foot injury and how many classes that I missed!

Currently I keep a calendar and a journal. In the calendar, I keep master calendars of all the classes that are available, with teacher info, studio addresses, and phone numbers. I schedule classes and keep track of class cards. I log in performances that I will attend and if I’m traveling to see a performance, I keep information regarding places to take class and ballet shopping in the calendar as well. Right after class, I take notes about the music, exercises, combinations, corrections, or other information that I want to hang on to before it all runs away from my brain. I also keep some sizing information for my ballet gear, particularly about shoes. Flatties can be sized so differently that I actually forget what I wear and which shoe I prefer so I have those kinds of notes written down too.

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I also keep a separate journal. I use a notebook that I was given at Chacott on one of my ballet trips to Tokyo. Some time after class I try to find some time to sit down with a cup of coffee and my journal and write my more extended thoughts about classes and dance experiences. A lot of blog posts are born in this journal but it’s primarily a private place where I can talk to my ballerina self in complete honesty, even when I’m not feeling particularly positive about my experiences. In public, I try not to spread negativity, even when it’s an honest feeling because I have a thought that it is ethically unsound. The way I see it, we should be seeding the ground not salting it.

I realize that not every one is a writer by nature and spending extended time writing isn’t going to be everyone’s idea of a good time but I will propose that any serious student should try to keep a dance calendar/journal, even if it is just to keep track of class schedules and perhaps take a few class notes.

I’m interested… do you keep class notes or a dance journal of some sort? Why or why not?

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p.s.  Another favorite for journal keeping are  Mead Composition books, they even have a class schedule on the inside cover that can be used for regular class schedules.  Love ’em!

~Let’s dance.

Starting the New Year Off Fresh!

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January 1st is many things including a rare DAY OFF FROM $WORK!!! YAY!!! And never one to waste a day off, I spent the day doing lots of fun things to get ready for the new year. Okay, I know that my idea of fun is somewhat unusual… okay, I’m weird. Anyway, among other things I decided to clean, arrange, and prepare for a great new year is my dance stuff. Every now and again, just randomly, I go through my dance bag and through my bins of dance stuff. It isn’t a usual aspect of my Happy New Year routine but I think that it’s going to become part of my yearly ritual for the future. Actually I might calendar the whole process for a couple of times a year!

Dance Bag:

  1. I emptied my dance bag out completely. My bag isn’t really washable but I did turn it inside out and used a hand vac on the interior and then febreezed it completely.
  2. Because my bag isn’t washable, I keep a washable inner bag for sweaty dance clothes. I wash that regularly but I took it out to check it for holes, the zipper, etc.
  3. I went through all my regular dance bag items. Fixed, threw out, and/or replaced everything. Replenished items like band aids, hair bands, etc.
  4. Washed all foot rollers and exercise bands. After washing with mild soap, dust lightly with powder to get them back to new. Exercise bands should be checked for tears and/or weak spots which will happen with regular use.

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Then I went through all my dance things, which I currently keep in separate bins in my closet. I love to shop for ballet things and it shows. I went through my leos and skirts and separated out the ones that are more suited to spring and summer, those I put into a plastic storage bin and set it aside. It will be fun to go through them again when the weather warms up! Then I went through my tights. Oy! Really old messed up tights got thrown out – why is it so difficult to throw out old tights? The ones that could be turned into warmy tops were cut and set aside. I went through all my shoes, sewed elastics and powdered the worn but still good flatties. I wear my flatties until they are coming apart at the seams because they just get so darn comfortable when they are perfectly broken in but that is also usually the time when they are full of holes. I’m not sure if powdering flatties is a normal thing but I hate washing them, even though canvas ones can be washed and I do like canvas. I turn the shoe inside out and cover well with baby powder. I leave them like that for about an hour and then beat the crap out of them to get all the powder out. You have to beat them really well because otherwise you will leave powder on the shoes and that will make the floor slippery for yourself and others and that would be bad. But I haven’t had a problem. I never powder on the outside and if I overpowered, I use a hand vac to get all the excess powder off. The shoes stay really fresh and clean after.

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It was great to go through everything, to make sure that all my things are ready to put to use, and to arrange things for convenience. I also made a list of things that I will need to replenish soon and put that on my ballet calendar so that I’m not scrambling later on. I know a few dancers who show up to class with a pair of shoes in their hands and that’s it. That’s not me. I like to be prepared for myself and for my classmates as well. I carry around a lot of stuff and to be honest, I find some comfort in having a well stocked dance bag. So taking the time to arrange, organize, and refresh all my dance things has not only put all my things in order physically but also given me time to organize all these things in my mind. It’s amazing how a brand new pair of pink tights, a pretty colored leotard, or a soft pair of leg warmers can be so much fun!

I’m feeling ready and inspired, my leotards and dance skirts are begging to go dancing! Let’s go to class!!!

P.S. I also checked the ash tray in my car. I don’t smoke so I use it to hold change and small bills which is inevitably my dance class parking money.