Turning as Kitri in Paris!

I found a studio!

An awesome studio with an awesome ballet teacher who also teaches awesomeness at the Paris Opera Ballet. She's brilliant, funny, clever and a really beautiful dancer. I feel really, really lucky, nice reader. And dancing again feels great. I missed it so much!

And the school is this one: http://www.institut-stanlowa.com

It looks really good. The teachers are all from the Paris Opera Ballet; there are even some étoiles teaching. Also, they take teaching adults seriously! And there is live piano music! So I can't be happier right now.

I leave you with something that happened yesterday in pointe class.

*Piano plays Don Quixote coda music*
Teacher: Okay! Don Quixote music? Well then, we're gonna do the 32 turns!
Class: HAHAHAHAHA!
Teacher: I'm serious!
Class: OH, OKAY.
And then we turned. Or something!

To be honest, we weren't doing fouettés, nor pirouettes. Just normal turns in fifth position. But some REALLY FAST TURNS! By the end of them I was so dizzy I couldn't see properly. MUST.WORK.ON.SPOTTING.

Love this pic of Polina Semionova and Cory Stearns from ABT rehearsing Don Quixote in Barcelona. Photo by Renata Pavam.

Keep dancing!

Nerea.

Ballet class in Paris

So I told you a few days ago that I was attending my first ballet class in Paris.

Well, it hapenned before I went to London. I'm still not sure if I liked it or not. Which, now that I think of it, probably means that I didn't (?)... or not much, at least.

New leos make Nerea happy, though!

The thing is, I felt the level was too high for me, maybe. Well, not exactly too high. I guess I could have got used to it after two or three classes. Barre was nice, fast, challenging. I liked it. It made me feel like I was dancing again after such a long time.

But there was this moment that I didn't particularly enjoy: even if the teacher was nice and a beautiful dancer, when we got to the centre, she showed quite a long combination (not particularly hard, but really, really long), and by the time it was our turn and (of course) we messed everything up, she said something like: "okay, what do you want me to tell you? that wasn't even worth commenting. Now you don't get to repeat it".

What the what, nice reader? I mean, seriously! If none of your students can do something right, it's probably because you didn't explain it properly, isn't it? And how the hell do you want them to learn if you don't let them repeat the whole thing after they mess everything up?

So I guess I'm going to try at another studio.

Keep dancing!

Nerea.

Sylphides update

Last week was a pretty busy week.

I had four days of dancing, including two classical ballet lessons and two long rehearsals for Les Sylphides. Oh, and also a dress fitting. I can now tell you, nice reader, that the only thing about the performance which has to do with Les Syphides is the music.

The costumes are pretty, but they are blue and completely different from the ones worn by the sylphids in the ballet. And the choreography is also very, very different. It's neo-classical, kinda contemporary and we don't wear pointe shoes. But I like the whole thing, anyway!

On Saturday we finished learning the choreography. You know I've just been "promoted" from beginners level to intermediate, so I guess you also understand that I feel a little behind the rest of the class. It's more difficult for me to get to remember and perform all the steps and I'm feeling really challenged. But I'm determined to rehearse a lot and I'll do my best!

The performance will be in February 17th, and until then I'll have classes and rehearsals from Monday to Saturday; at least eight hours a week (well that's crazy, innit!). Oh, and my choreographer told me that whenever I have free time I can go to the studio to practice. Free time? Me? You know that now I'm in Salamanca just because of ballet, right? I have no uni classes! I'd be in the studio during the whole day if possible! So maybe I'll get to add some more private lessons with her so I can work on my déboulés and soutenus, which are giving me a lot of trouble... and unfortunately there are lots of them in the choreography!

That's all for now!

I leave you with a quote by my choreographer:

"Give a hundred per cent of your dancing during rehearsals so when I ask you for 120% during the performance you won't run out of stamina! Make the most of every rehearsal!"

Nerea.

P.S.: I had to buy a knee bandage because my right knee was giving me a little trouble due to my falling on it over and over again during the beginning of the choreography.

Dear Tamara,

You might remember me, or maybe not. I am the crazy Spanish fan girl who met you the other day after your brilliant performance of Aurora at the Royal Opera House. Yes, that girl who said nothing but a shy enhorabuena and then gave you a rose. That girl who asked you to sign her tiny pointe shoe. 

I am that girl who simply melted in your presence and who was not able to tell you what she desperately wanted you to know. This is why I write this letter: because at that point I could not think properly. I was overwhelmed and honoured. And it is not a matter of adulation; it is a matter of inspiration.

I started taking ballet classes when I was six, but due to different reasons I had to give up at thirteen after a recent promotion to pointe. When I was nineteen I got an Erasmus grant and I was lucky enough to get London as my destination. In May that year I went to the ballet at the Royal Opera House and this is when magic happened. You were dancing Asphodel Meadows with the rest of the company. I had never seen you dance before, but you got through to me, and I had not seen the best part just yet. Later that day you danced Carmen and you simply changed my life. I bought your DVDs and watched them all. I searched for other performances of yours on YouTube and I loved every single second of them. Through your dancing you gave me the strength I needed to go to a ballet studio and enrol myself again after more than six years, even though I knew it was a bit late for me. I do not consider myself a good dancer; I have so much to learn…! But you are my inspiration and if I know I will never give up it is because of you. Because you granted me the privilege of seeing your dancing. That is why I will never be able to thank you enough. 

Tamara, when I met you last Monday I did not tell you this, but the pointe shoe that you signed for me was not any pointe shoe. It was actually my first pointe shoe ever, which I had been keeping like a golden treasure since I was eleven. You just made it even more special, so thank you once again. 

I will continue following your career and watching you live as many times as I can, because you never deceive me. You always have something new to give and I will be there to catch it every single time. Thank you, Tamara Rojo, because you make me happy and without you, my life would not be the same.

Your ever supporting fan,
Nerea.

Big Ballet Dilemma

I have been faced with this dilemma for more than two weeks, I still don’t know what to do and I have to find a solution like NOW. I know that the decision should be mine, but I’m in desperate need of advice.

As you know, I’m studying in Salamanca. This is my last year of university, and therefore it is also my last year of ballet in this studio with this Amazingly Awesome Ballet Teacher. I had a ballet class for beginners today. I felt so much ahead the rest of the class. I’m not swaggering; it is a fact. We did a new barre and I could remember all the steps and I performed them pretty well. I didn’t get any corrections from the teacher. Only things like “very well, Nerea! You’re doing fine!”

Well, it seems that I have a pretty much pretty and amazingly cool life. What is the problem, then? The Problem is this:

Class finished and Amazingly Awesome Ballet Teacher told me that she didn’t know why I still was in that class with the beginners. She had spoken with intermediate ballet teacher (with whom I have had an intermediate class and two hours of pointe. That equals three hours), and this second person had told her that I could totally get enrolled in intermediate class. She said I was doing well; I just needed to have a little more agility at the centre.

So I told Amazingly Awesome Ballet Teacher that I didn’t feel really confident in intermediate level. She answered that she was sure I was ready and intermediate ballet teacher thought the very same. I hesitated for a second and Amazingly Awesome Ballet Teacher shouted: “come on!!! It’s always me! I always have to push you guys to do new things! Come on, Nerea! Go to intermediate level!!! You can do it!!! I know you can!!”

So, these are my options:

• Stay in ballet class with the beginners, with Amazingly Awesome Ballet Teacher, 2 hours a week + 1 hour of flamenco, also with Amazingly Awesome and Adorable Ballet Teacher.

• Go to intermediate level with Not-So-Awesome-Ballet-Teacher. This means 2 hours a week + 1 hour of pointe shoes with her… And not flamenco at all, because, you know, my budget has its limits.

The first option means that I will focus on the basics again; on very easy things that I can already do, which can be nice… or not so nice, and of course, staying with lovely teacher. Second option means, of course, something like: “bye, bye, Amazingly Awesome and Adorable Ballet Teacher, forever and ever, and hello, stressful ballet classes in which I learn so much and I can actually dance like a ballerina, but where I don't really know if I'm performing correctly!”

There are other options, but certainly less advisable, like giving up flamenco, staying with the beginners in ballet class and going to intermediate pointe class. Or going to intermediate ballet classes, giving up pointe and going to flamenco with Amazingly Awesome Ballet Teacher.

Should I repeat that Amazingly Awesome Ballet Teacher absolutely wants me to go to intermediate level, because she thinks I have some kind of potential?

My head is a total mess. Any experienced advice?

Oh, and if I choose option 2, I will dance like Tamara in a few years. Yeah, sure... ;)
Look at that super AWESOME winged foot!!!

Nerea.

Back to normal life… or almost

I'm back in Salamanca after three months of holidays.

Even though this is meant to be just “my student life”, it is also “my normal life”, as I live here for nine months a year.

So everything is back to normal. I’m living again in an apartment full of dictionaries, interpretation notebooks, German books, dancing clothes and ballet posters (if I ever buy a house, the decoration will absolutely be based on this), full of precooked food and technologic devices… and wild animals. Eh… what? Yes, wild animals are back! Right now, I’m living with a huge moth, which decided to come inside my flat on Saturday evening and we are becoming friends. Anyway, I hope it leaves soon, or I will have to start with “aggressive negotiations”.

Getting to the “pointe”, I’m officially enrolled in the Translation Itinerary, which is full of hours related to translating specialized documents FR>ES, ES>FR and ES>EN… (I liked the teacher I met yesterday; she was so French, and had such a lovely accent!) And I’m also going to some hours of Interpreting a week (two, I think). By doing this, I’ll enjoy interpreting (no matter what, I keep saying that this is what I like most), but I will not be so much stressed. I really have to find a solution for that. I can’t be an interpreter if I’m not able to cope with my own mistakes or with my shyness.

Also, I’m preparing a planning for the semester related to my free time at home. I will probably use it for reading or for interpretation, focusing mostly on English to Spanish speeches and I will also do some stretching (both things at the same time… why not?).

As regards my dancing, yesterday I went to my studio twice. The first time I just asked when classes started and if I needed to enrol myself again. The answer to first question is next week (ZOMFG, YAY!), and to the second, nope. Also, I liked that everybody in there remembered my name and everything about my dancing studies.

The second time I went to my studio was five minutes later, because on my way back home I remembered that I had bought some pictures of the festival in June, and I hadn’t picked them up yet. So I’m back to the studio, right when a class is finishing… and I see my teacher (I missed her so much, for realz! She’s so lovely, you guys. So lovely!) And she asks me about my summer and if I am going to do flamenco this year too (obviously she doesn’t ask about ballet, because she already knows I will.) I tell her I won’t, because there’s been a change on the timetables. She looks at me and says that it’s not true; that for me, it’s the same as last year. So I show her the timetable and say: “look, flamenco for beginners! See? It’s one hour later!” And she says: “my dear, you are not longer a beginner! You have to be on intermediate level this year!” And I’m all open-mouthed and say something like “OMGWHAT!”, which I don’t really remember now. So I get enrolled right away and leave the studios happily happy.

Get that, y’all!! I’m a flamenco intermediate dancer!!! Did you read that!?! I am a freakin’ flamenco intermediate dancer! In just one year! HA!

I just wish I can ask her: “hey, lovely Mrs. C! Can we have a talk about pointe shoes?! Las puntas, pa’ cuando las dejamos?” Because I so want to be on pointe again.

Still, I am freaking excited about the new subjects that I will discover during this week, and so, so happy about next week, when I will start ballet again after three months.

It’s a happy week in Salamanca. Everything is back to normal… or almost everything!

The city where I study is lovely, innit!?

Nerea.