THE 109th BEAD

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.

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?

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.

Last night, Carboy and I were able to attend a live concert by Camerata Pacifica. We were treated to an amazing, mind-blowing, face melting performance of Haydn, Brahms, Carter, and Harbison. If you think that Brahms cannot be face melting, it can only be because you have not seen it played by truly talented artists live in your face, that’s all I can say about that. I know, you are thinking, what has this got to do with ballet? I’m going to assert that seeing art, hearing art, really and truly experiencing art of every kind feeds your dancer mind and soul. If it’s only about being able to kick yourself in the head or being able to spin around at the speed of light or being able to jump over your own self then, sorry but just go to the gym. Not that the gym is a bad place but sometimes a bunhead needs to get out of the studio and out of the weight room and experience with all your senses, all the way through your brain right down into your soul something really, really beautiful and dare I say it, eek here I go, besides dance. Be inspired by other forms of art, not just dance. I mean, when it comes down to it, it’s all going to come back to dance for the bunhead, we are sort of single-minded that way. So that inspiration, that beauty, that joy, that aching, that amazement, those tears and that laughter comes back to us in our dancing… maybe that note will linger on our fingertips, maybe those oil colors will wrap themselves down our legs, maybe that perfectly chiseled marble will find itself in our strong torsos. It could happen, my lovelies!

If you find yourself as blessed as I am to be able to find a concert or a museum, a library or a garden, then, please, please, please, find some nook of beauty and inspiration and luxuriate in it, bask in it. And if you happen to be out in some boondocks, you are still fortunate because this is the age of the internet and I know you have that because… uh, you are here, in it! Some of the world’s greatest museums have wonderful virtual displays and there is great music and live performances on recordings to be experienced. Throw up a flare if you need help finding some, bunbaby, I will get some art out to you asap!

Then get yourself to class and try it out! I, myself, have a brand new Contemporary Ballet Class to try out tomorrow afternoon and I’m looking forward to feeling music in my body again.