You Don't Know Much About Adventures

Pointe class has taken a new, exciting turn.

Last week we were asked to bring in a hand held fan to class. Um, ok!

There was no mention as to why we had to bring it but, as requested, on Monday we pitched up, fans in hand. It turns out we are learning a new variation! We've ditched learning the Bluebird Variation from Sleeping Beauty and are instead learning the Kitri Variation from Don Quixote. 

The version Constance is teaching us is a mash of  the Royal Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet versions with some some simplification - a grand jete has been replaced with a pas de chat and a passé instead of a developpé in second. It's really hard but when we are able to do it, it'll be joyous to dance. You really need to get in touch with your feminine side to dance this though. The character is super flirty and pretty sexytown. My tomboy needs to be checked at the door, as does my self consciousness!

This is the closest I can find on Youtube.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik8leY9D02c]

The hardest part so far is the 16 releves in succession. My left ankle is so weak after the injury and subsequent surgery, so it's hell doing the left releves. I know that after I injured it my confidence in doing anything to the left took a battering, and therefore I hesitate every time I need to do a releve or a piruoette. I need to try and strengthen the ankle again with a theraband to get it back up to strength. The perils of ballet at middle age!

Quite clearly I won't be looking anything like the wonderful Diana Vishneva doing the Kitri variation, and it didn't help that my fan kept malfunctioning meaning most of the time I looked like a was dancing with a stick!

But by next week I hope to have learned in my head, so I can concentrate on getting that damn fan to open!

QMichelle