Both younger and adult beginners dream that they can learn to dance ballet. They picture the tidy look of the black leotard, the pink tights and the satin pointe shoes. Hip hop, modern and ballroom dancers learn ballet technique to build strength and avoid injury. And some adults who start late work hard to eventually start pointe. Needing to understand basic classical ballet, is what they all have in common.
If you want to learn to dance ballet, start with finding a reputable dance studio. Many dance academies will allow you watch a class if you like.
Hip hop, contemporary dance classes, and ballroom dancing and many more forms of dance are supported by basic classical ballet technique.
The correct use of your posture, turn out and learning correct placement will help you to build strength and avoid dance injuries.
Even football players learn ballet to prevent sports injuries!
Simple ballet wear is preferred by teachers because they can see how you use your muscles (or not), and they can easily see how your joints are aligned. The visual result is important in ballet, but the proper technique is also related to preventing injuries.
The freer forms of dance depend on good technique as much or more than ballet, because dancers are asked to do more innovative and untested movements, repeatedly, in modern choreography. The risk of strain and sprain are less predictable.
If you are an adult ballet beginner, have a couple of soft ice packs in the freezer! You will feel soreness and stiffness the day after your ballet class. Ice is soothing to your muscles, a drug free solution to the results of your exertion. Unless the ice pack is fabric covered, be careful not to put it on bare skin.
There are specific foot muscle exercises, which will move you toward dancing in pointe shoes safely. Understanding your foot type, what the intrinsic foot muscles are, and finding out about the flexibility of your ankle and foot joints is important.
Also realize that any ballet move you do that is a little awkward will seem much more so on pointe, and must be corrected before you get into toe shoes.
If you have time to study a little anatomy and movement mechanics you'll understand why some things are easier for you than others. Go to The Body Series for excellent guides on movement anatomy and the benefits of stretching.
If you want to learn to dance ballet, start where you are. Get the best start possible with the dancer's guide to learn to do ballet and get into pointe shoes.
I'm Coming Home!!!
What a rad trip to China! And I'm not even being sarcastic. We have a new designer doing our newly acquired Jill Stuart license and she is so much fun!! It is so nice to have another girl around in the China office to hang out with and bounce ideas off of. :) Plus we laughed more than we worked so it was a nice change of pace. We actually ended up missing our husbands so much that we slumber partied in order to have some company. Sleeping alone sucks!
Anyway, it was a quick trip and I was only in the office 3 days. It's nice to not stay long, but it's also a little stressful as you have to work super fast. I'm really excited about this JLO collection- I found some really cool leathers and my shoes looked pretty awesome in the sample room. Woo! Now the best part... time to go home.
I'm sitting in the airport, waiting for them to call my flight number. I've decided not to be terrified of flying anymore because it's silly and irrational. My goal is to not pop the xanex thats waiting in my handbag so lovingly incase I should need it. It's crazy that I've been coming to China for about 4 years now, and I'm always scared of the flight. Not anymore. Time to get over it.
Ding ding! United flight 63 to Los Angeles! Thats me! See you guys soon
-Celine
Should One Provide Slippers for Guests?
re-post
In some Eastern European and Asian countries, guests change from their shoes into slippers provided by the host.
Some argue that if you intend to have a shoes-off policy in your home, you should keep some slippers for guests to wear. It is argued that this will make them feel more comfortable and prevent embarassments such as foot odour and holes in socks.
I am not so sure about this one. If slippers are provided, then they must either be disposable plastic slippers or else slippers that can go in the washing machine. It would be quite unreasonable to expect guests to wear slippers that have been worn by somebody else that day. I am not sure whether most slippers are machine washable. Some guests might not even trust you that they really have been cleaned and may prefer to stay in bare or stocking feet.
I think the practise of providing guest slippers might be just a bit too weird for British. Many British people will have been to a house where shoes-off was required, but not many people will have been offered guest slippers to wear, unless it was in another country. I think a lot of English guests would prefer to go barefoot, rather than wear slippers that are not their own.
I think it is a good idea to buy slippers for family and regular visitors and keep them at your house. These should be worn only by the person they are provided for. Hopefully, one's family and close friends would be delighted by this consideration.
Providing clean socks is a different matter. I would suggest keeping a supply of clean socks in different sizes by the door for guests who are not comfortable going barefoot.
I think it is very sensible to let visitors know in advance that one has a shoes-off rule in one's home. That way, they can be sure to wear socks without holes or bring their own slippers if they prefer.
In some Eastern European and Asian countries, guests change from their shoes into slippers provided by the host.
Some argue that if you intend to have a shoes-off policy in your home, you should keep some slippers for guests to wear. It is argued that this will make them feel more comfortable and prevent embarassments such as foot odour and holes in socks.
I am not so sure about this one. If slippers are provided, then they must either be disposable plastic slippers or else slippers that can go in the washing machine. It would be quite unreasonable to expect guests to wear slippers that have been worn by somebody else that day. I am not sure whether most slippers are machine washable. Some guests might not even trust you that they really have been cleaned and may prefer to stay in bare or stocking feet.
I think the practise of providing guest slippers might be just a bit too weird for British. Many British people will have been to a house where shoes-off was required, but not many people will have been offered guest slippers to wear, unless it was in another country. I think a lot of English guests would prefer to go barefoot, rather than wear slippers that are not their own.
I think it is a good idea to buy slippers for family and regular visitors and keep them at your house. These should be worn only by the person they are provided for. Hopefully, one's family and close friends would be delighted by this consideration.
Providing clean socks is a different matter. I would suggest keeping a supply of clean socks in different sizes by the door for guests who are not comfortable going barefoot.
I think it is very sensible to let visitors know in advance that one has a shoes-off rule in one's home. That way, they can be sure to wear socks without holes or bring their own slippers if they prefer.
Dinner Party Suggestion
Yesterday I invited a couple to dinner next Sunday. I put a question to them:
Guess what I said to them next?
Notice what I did with the question? I asked them to state a preference. I gave them a say in what took place in the dinner party by inviting them to comment on the food they did'nt like. I showed that I was concerned about their enjoying the occasion.
Having done that, I was then in a strong position to state my own preference, which was for them to remove their shoes.
I think if you invite people over to dinner, this can be a really effective tactic. It is negotiation. By showing initial concern for the guests comfort, your guest will be more willing to respect your need for shoes-off.
Matthew: Is there anything you really don't like to eat?
Wife: Peas
Husband: Olives
Wife: Sprouts
Husband: Sprouts aren't in season, darling.
Matthew: Okay, no peas, olives or sprouts.
Guess what I said to them next?
Matthew: I do ask people to take their shoes off. You might want to think about what socks you wear.
Husband: That is fine. We never wear shoes in our house either.
Notice what I did with the question? I asked them to state a preference. I gave them a say in what took place in the dinner party by inviting them to comment on the food they did'nt like. I showed that I was concerned about their enjoying the occasion.
Having done that, I was then in a strong position to state my own preference, which was for them to remove their shoes.
I think if you invite people over to dinner, this can be a really effective tactic. It is negotiation. By showing initial concern for the guests comfort, your guest will be more willing to respect your need for shoes-off.
More donations
Jillian Roberts, a ninth-grader who runs track and cross country in Miami, sits with some of the roughly 100 shoes she collected this spring. It was Jillian's first shoe drive and she did a great job. Jillian put up boxes at three stores in the Miami area; the New Balance store at 8888 SW 136 Street; Footworks at 5724 Sunset Drive in South Miami, and the local JCC at 11155 SW 112th Ave.
"I really enjoy collecting shoes, and already feel like I have accomplished so much," Jillian wrote us.
Indeed she did, and her shoes went on several shipments, including our first shipment to Craiova, Romania. Olympic marathoner Luminita Talpos and her husband, Daniel, brought the shoes over to a school in Craiova. (watch for photos). The rest of the shoes went to Haiti and Honduras ... Congratulations to Jillian for her good work. We hope to continue working with her in the future.
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