2018 Goals

Hi everyone! Abby here.

As we sit here, perched on the last edge of 2017 and about to blast into 2018, I wanted to share my goals for the new year. Sometimes I'm not about setting goals, because I don't like the feeling of pass/fail that accompanies that. Progress is progress, whether you reach a specific goal or not. However, this has been a year of giving myself a stern talking to, so I'm being a bit harder on myself.

I've shared with you several times about losing my Mom, my fellow dancer and friend, this year. This is really what whipped my butt into shape about my dancing. Mom went back to dancing in her very late 30's, after being off for almost 20 years, and danced through her 40's. At some point, I'm going to have to find the clip where she does hops en pointe for something like 16 counts - absolutely incredible. I honestly didn't realize just what a jewel she was until much later in life. I realized how wrong I was to hold myself back from going back into dancing, having made myself believe I was past it and needed to be nothing but a teacher.

My heart was broken early in the year when I demonstrated a jump in class, and quite the sad attempt it was, only to have one of my students say, "Miss Abby, I didn't know you could jump!" My students had no idea what kind of dancer I used to be, no fault of theirs. When I was 17, I competed in the one and only pageant I have ever been in, America's Junior Miss (now called Distinguished Young Women). During the section where I had to give a short speech, mine was about a quote my teacher said a lot, "'I can't' lives on 'I won't' street." Meaning, saying the words "I can't" begins with the mindset of "I won't". It wasn't that I couldn't, it's just that I was unwilling...afraid to fail. Dancing as a young person, you don't know how far you will go, but you don't set limits. You just plan on going as far as you are able. So, that's what I intend to do this year - take it as far as I can.

Here's my list, but no worries about "pass/fail". Whatever happens, happens. I will make progress regardless, but I'll also be elated if I end up being able to accomplish any of this!

1.) When I was dancing professionally, I was able to do 5-6 pirouettes en pointe. I had a consistent 4 on both sides. I want to try to get my turns en pointe back to this level.

2.) I want to get my split in my leaps back to a nice 180 degrees with two straight legs. Right now my back knee has a tendency to bend slightly, and my jump is not as powerful as I want it to be. I also want to soften the port de bras.

3.) 32 fouettes en pointe. I was able to do this two years ago, right before I stopped dancing, but it was so painful due to my hip, I would suffer for days after. Now that my hip is greatly improved, I'm hoping I can regain this skill.

4.) Overall improvement in port de bras. Although I love being a strong dancer, I always battled my arms. So, this year I really want to work on extending and softening through my arms on everything I do.

5.) Overall improvement in pointe work. I've been working to find shoes that work for me, and now have 3 types I am relatively happy with. So, I want to really work my pointe work and get this aspect of my dancing strong again.

6.) To dance the entire Sugar Plum pas, including solo and coda. To work up Lilac Fairy from Sleeping Beauty. I did this variation when I was 15 and it was an epic fail. I had regressed from the year before, partially as a result of trying to turn out and rotate beyond what I could from the hip, so I built up my glutes and was no longer aligned correctly. However, not knowing that at the time, I was just frustrated knowing that I was regressing but not knowing what to do to fix it. Doing this variation again will be some redemption, although I'm doing different choreography. To work up another variation I did as a teen - the jumping variation from Paquita. It was never a complete failure, but never a compete triumph either. More redemption needed on it.

These are lofty goals, but again, I will go as far as I can. My goals for the channel are this:

1.) To finish "The Well-Trained Dancer" series. I want to create a series that will take a new or returning dancer all the way through a basic class, with a basic set of steps. A kind of visual dictionary, but beyond that, so that they could also gain a somewhat deeper understanding of the steps.

2.) To bring more dance content to the channel overall. I want to bring a lot more tips and explanations of steps back into the rotation.

3.) To keep listening to YOU, and bring you want you want and need! So, please tell us!