Is It Too Late to Start Ballet?

Is It Too Late to Start Ballet?

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

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Happy New Year, dancers! I thought I would kick off 2020 by answering one of our most frequently asked questions on YouTube:

"Am I too old to start ballet?"

I think the question most commonly comes from the 12-16 age range, and while as a 35 year-old I look at that question and think “Of course you’re not too old! Why would you think that?!”, I forget what it’s like to be that age and start something new that your classmates may have been doing since they were three. So I’m here to address this, whatever age!

The answer is NO! You're never too old to start! Think about it this way: if you are currently 13 years-old and are contemplating starting ballet, think about your older self, say age 25. Do you think your 25 year-old self is going to be mad you started ballet at 13, or are you going to be glad that you did because now you have 12 years of ballet under your belt?! You do can do A LOT in 12 years!

The thing is: Time is going to keep moving whether or not you do the thing you want to do. So you might as well do the thing you want to do!

For the teen late starters, I understand it can be a tough age to start. It’s easy to compare yourself to friends that have been dancing for years, maybe are already on pointe, and you’re going to have to learn how to just stand at the barre and hold your posture right! But you're going to have to go through that step whether you start now or wait until you're older! You may have to dance with younger kids for awhile; you may stumble around for awhile; but it will come together if you keep going. Remember, this is YOUR journey, not anyone else’s journey. As I kid I was really hung up on keeping up with friends who were ready for things I wasn’t ready for yet. I wish I had learned how to put on my “blinders” on back then. Keep focusing on you and work hard and HAVE FUN!

I think as we get older it gets easier to not worry about what other people think. But it can still be hard in our 30s, 40s, 50s, etc. to start something new or return to something we loved back in the day, especially as our aging bodies like to make things more difficult lol!

But the answer is still the same: It’s never too late to start! I went back to ballet at age 21, overweight from college life and nervous as hell about returning to something I loved so much and gave up too early. But if I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be 14.5 years into ballet with so many wonderful experiences and friendships and performances that have morphed who I am today!

So I encourage you to start something you're passionate about! And if you need help figuring out where to take a ballet class, you might start here with our Find a Studio page or our Find an Intensive page! And you can start connecting with other adult ballet dancers through our private Facebook group that Abby runs!

Much love,
Jana

Ballerinas By Night Private group · 881 members Join Group Ballerinas By Night is an education and support community for adult ballet dancers. We aim to empower every age, every level, and every body type to d...

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First Month of Ballet Goals Planning!

First Month of Ballet Goals Planning!

Thursday, February 7, 2019

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We're one month into 2019 (this was the longest year month, wasn't it?!). I've been using my Ballet Goals Planner that Abby created to share with all of you and I wanted to share my thoughts on it this far in!

First of all, I love writing things on paper, so I sent my PDF off to Kinkos and had it printed and three ring hole punched and then put it in a pretty pink binder! :) I find I'm more motivated to keep up with things if it's aesthetically pleasing to look at!

When I started to fill out my goals for the year I realized how helpful this was going to be to prep me for a week-long adult workshop I'm signed up for in June! I'm concerned about having enough strength and stamina to last the entire week (and I want to be able to do pointe work!), so breaking down the process of building that up will help me focus on the short term goals instead of in May all of a sudden trying to fit in 5 classes a week and hoping for the best haha.

For the weekly notes I have found it extremely beneficial to have written down what classes I took and the corrections I got. Life is busy and my memory is shot these days, so I make a point to write this stuff down as soon as I get home from class or a workout. Also, I'm much more likely to remember something if I've taken the time to write it down, so writing down corrections has helped me remember to carry them over into my next class. Seriously, my brain has been so jumbled the past few years I just don't even think about working on previous corrections!! It's going to take me forever to improve if I don't start implementing those! :)

I love that Abby has included conditioning into the weekly report because I need to start doing more of that. Right now I'm lucky to fit in one day of conditioning, but this month I need to start consistently adding that in in order to get me where I want to be in June!

And finally, going back to the end of the year goals sheet at the front of the planner - I have yet to fill out goals past six months. I'm not sure what I want those to be yet and that's okay. I'm focused on my six months goals, which mostly consists of just trying not to get injured! I will re-evaluate in June after the workshop to see where I'm at then!

If you haven't started your goals planner yet, I would suggest starting now! You can download it here, and you can watch Abby talk about the whys and hows of the planner in this video!

Happy dancing, friends!!!
Jana

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Thoughts on YAGP and Competitions

Thoughts on YAGP and Competitions

Monday, January 21, 2019

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Good morning, dancers! It's that time of year again. YAGP! Competitions! Let me share a few thoughts on all of this. 

I am a big fan of participating in competitions for several reasons. 

First, the process of preparing one or more solos and being coached on them can help you move forward as a dancer. Fine tuning transitions, port de bras, épaulement, and other minutia in a variation will carry over into your class work. Classes give us combinations that we always have to pick up on the spot, but working on a variation allows you to focus on only a few steps, and to dig deep. We all have to find how to make our lines and our positions look the best on us and our bodies, so working one on one with a teacher or coach can help with this. 

Also, having a goal to work towards, knowing that on "x" day you are going to go out and perform for judges, can help increase the motivation to make every class count and for dancers to work their hardest leading up to it (hopefully creating good work habits that will carry beyond).

The scores and adjudicated comments will give you an idea of where to work from moving forward. Did the judges notice you need to work on arms, on turnout, or something else? Instead of taking these too personally, use them to grow! 

It's easy to let a score or comments get you down if it doesn't produce the outcome you had hoped for. However, keep in mind that the journey was always part of the outcome! View your growth as its own medal or plaque, and one that will serve you much better than something that sits on a shelf.

No single competition will define you as a dancer. You could win the top prize, and that will only be meaningful if it is backed up with a proper work ethic. Keep in mind what your goal is as a dancer - to go pro, to dance in college, to teach, to choreograph, or simply to become the best dancer you can be? Those are the real prizes in life, and competitions should only be a tool to move towards them. 

A "win" or a "loss" at a competition is short term. Progress in your dancing, learning, growing, and moving closer to your ultimate goal is forever. So go dance, have fun, make new friends, and take the competition and yourself only seriously enough to strive for the most benefit from the entire experience.

Abby

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What Are You Waiting For?

What Are You Waiting For?

Monday, January 7, 2019

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After losing my mother-in-law in the fall of 2017 it became very clear to me that time is not something we should waste. I realized how much I took advantage of time, when really none of us knows how long we'll get. My goals with ballet came to the forefront of this since physically this could have an expiration date at some point! Since then I've been trying to push myself to the places where I let fear keep me from. "I'll do it eventually" - NO. Who knows if we'll have eventually. I will do it now!

So this brings me to share with you the great things ballet has brought to my life since I came back to it in June of 2005. I was so nervous to return to the barre! I had put off coming back because I had gained a bunch of weight and felt like I wouldn't belong anymore. But with some encouragement from my soon-to-be-husband, I showed up for that summer session! And you know what? I met some of the most encouraging, positive, ballet-loving people that I am still friends with! And of course Ballerinas By Night would not have happened had Abby and I not met through adult ballet!

Pointe class with Abby! - 2016

My fourth year dancing Waltz of the Flowers as an adult - 2009

Working on placement - 2015

Physically, ballet has helped me gain muscle and flexibility. I've learned what muscles to engage and why. I've learned where my weaknesses are so I can improve them, but I've also learned I have strengths! I also lost all my college weight when I first started back which was a welcome bonus! I've gained weight back over the years, but it sits on me differently than it used to (see paragraph after next).

Mentally, ballet has helped me focus on the task directly in front of me. The stresses from work or social life become less important the moment I step in the studio. It's helped my confidence as I accomplish difficult steps. I used to take critiques super personally, but ballet has taught me that corrections only help us to get better. This helped me immensely outside of ballet class too!

Ballet has helped me accept my physical appearance, and even like it sometimes! :) It's easy to stand in front of the mirror for an entire class and only notice your "flaws", but to overcome that and see the breakthroughs and the progress before the flaws, is such an empowering state of mind.

Penché in the snow - 2008

If I hadn't started back to ballet 13 years ago I might still be telling myself I stopped dancing because my body couldn't do this or that or I didn't look the "right way". I wouldn't be able to say that I finally built up the courage to do a pirouette en pointe or get to perform in a tutu on stage!

So, as cliche as it sounds with the start of a New Year, I encourage you to start the things you've been saying you've wanted to start! And if ballet is that thing for you, I'm here to ask you one thing:

What are you waiting for?!

Jana

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Happy New Year and FREE GIFT!

Happy New Year and FREE GIFT!

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

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I recently uploaded a video about overcoming our fear to reach our goals, and it has gotten such a positive and overwhelming response. It inspired me to go even further to help everyone reach their goals in 2019!

My FREE GIFT to you for this year is this goals planner, which takes you through the entire year with a journal to help you set and achieve your goals!

Take the challenge to set aside any fears you may have that are keeping you from taking that next step! Although the planner is written specifically for ballet, my hope is that you will use it for ballet and beyond.

This planner is downloadable and printable, so that you can decide what you want to attain and work daily towards those goals.

Take those chances and let's help each other make this year amazing! Let's knock it out of the park!

Download HERE!

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First Pliés of 2018

First Pliés of 2018

Friday, January 19, 2018

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Hi everyone! Jana here. It has been a slow process getting back to the studio in 2018! I only took two classes in the entire month of December while still taking it easy because of my metatarsal injury. I think because I know if I push too hard after a nice break for my feet then I'll just end up back where I started. I would rather ease into it instead of continuing to be totally on a break. Usually this would kill me to know I can't go 110% in class, but maybe it's new 2018 wisdom that has me accepting the scenario instead of focusing on what I can't do!

But because I hadn't exercised much at all in the past month my leg muscles were just disintegrating and I felt so grosssss. Kristin came over on Monday and we did barre with Abby on my iPad. I love the Basic Ballet Barre video for easing back into things. The super slow pliés give you time to think about placement, muscle usage, and just melting into it all.

A nice surprise was that my left hamstring that has been super tight eased up just slightly so I tried to give that some extra attention. I was hoping my metatarsal pain would be almost gone, but it's still there a bit. I think I will look into seeing a podiatrist to make sure this isn't something permanent...I don't know what I would do if that is the case....start seeing a therapist immediately!

Abby wrote a really wonderful post about her goals for 2018 that you can read here. I'm not setting any technique or fitness goals given the uncertain state of my injury, so instead I'm making it a goal to mentally accept what my body is unable to do - meaning if I'm hurting in class, either stop of modify. I hate doing that. And I hate not finishing class. I love pushing my limits in class, but I love being able to dance some more than not at all. So I'm going for the marathon, not the race. I want to still be taking class when I'm 70, and while there are things I still want to accomplish with my dancing while my body is realistically able to, I don't want to put myself in a constant state of pain and not be able to continue.

Here's to health and happiness in our dancing!

Jana

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2018 Goals

2018 Goals

Sunday, December 31, 2017

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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!

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Foam Rolling For The Win!

Foam Rolling For The Win!

Sunday, March 26, 2017

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I can no longer function as an adult ballet dancer without my foam roller!

I've had my foam roller for years, but really didn't understand how beneficial it could be until I started getting massages a few months ago. Finding out just how tight the state of my muscles had become was kind of devastating, but having discussions about the steps to take to release them back to normal gave me hope, and a mission, to get them there. Foam rolling has always been painful for me, and I wasn't sure if that pain was good or bad, so I avoided it. Now I know the difference between good and bad pain so I can work on my own in addition to my massage appointments.

I roll out after every class now because it eliminates feeling stiff the next day! I'm currently focusing on my calves (my massage therapist says they "are a mess!"), my hips, my quads, and my back. I also take time to stretch since we don't normally focus on long stretches in class. My flexibility is the lowest it has ever been in my life, so I'm trying to stay hopeful that if I can keep up with consistently stretching and rolling out that I can get back to where I "expect" and want myself to be. I have always loved stretching, so this is new territory for me to be in so much pain doing it!

All that to say, if you find yourself feeling stiff the day after class, try rolling out your muscles after class to see if that makes a difference for you! (And if you're not sure how to, here's a good starting point).

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My Goals

My Goals

Sunday, January 3, 2016

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Hi everyone! Abby here.

After writing the post about goals the other night, I started thinking about applying them to myself. At that moment, a pretty rough realization hit me. I had decided to put my pointe shoes on for the first time in weeks. All my shoes are pretty dead, and I haven't bothered to replace them because I don't really need new ones. I took myself through a decent little pointe class that left me comfortably sore. It was pleasant.

But, there's no real reason for me to set any goals anymore. I am retired. There are no classes for me to take, because I am always teaching. I do give myself class at home, but when I am in a full schedule of homeschooling my son, cleaning, choreographing/planning what I will teach, teaching, and coming home to cook dinner - there's really no time left for this. It's what I get to do on a rare day off, or when I am so happy to procrastinate on cleaning that I put other things aside and do it anyway.

I can desperately attempt to stay in some kind of shape so I don't completely fall apart, but there really is no moving forward anymore. Part of me mourns this, and part of me is completely content. To be honest, there are moments sometimes where the thought of tights and leotards is just - blah. Where I'm incredibly glad I don't have to be the one putting my hair in a bun everyday or repeating the fondu combination on relevé. I find myself telling my students more times than not, "Better you than me."

I'm not sure that I have fully accepted this new phase. Not as what is permanent. And who knows, maybe it won't be. Never say never to the future. I could always end up getting back in shape for something. But right now, I can happily eat a little extra chocolate each night, knowing there's no reason to be in shape like I am when I'm performing.

I'm sharing this because it's easy to see people on Facebook and Instagram doing all kinds of great things. And while I can be happy for them, and they can inspire me, it's not my reality right now. Maybe it's not your reality either. I have different goals for myself as a teacher and a mom, and right now those are my priority.

So, if you read that last post, and thought, "This really isn't for me - I'm not here right now," just know, I'm with you. And it's ok.

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Thursday, December 31, 2015

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We are one day away from starting 2016. Starting a new year is like pulling out a fresh, clean piece of paper, knowing we can create anything we want on it. Our lives as a whole should be like a painting we are creating, and it's important to step back from time to time to make sure we are happy with the picture being produced.

I have written before about keeping goals for ourselves, and I am big believer in them. I always say you should have 3 month, 6 month, 9 month, and 1 year goals. Write them down, keep them in a journal, and revisit them often. We should be constantly re-evaluating our progress.

This is not to say that if a certain goal doesn't happen that we should get down on ourselves. Some things are just harder than we anticipate. The important thing is, did you make progress, and did you actively work towards achieving that goal? So it's not that the end product that matters as much as the journey. You may end up achieving much different things than the goals you set, but what matters is how you focused and that you ultimately moved forward.

Take some time today to look back at the past year and think about things you can do now that you couldn't do one year ago. Take a moment to enjoy the thought of those things you have improved upon. It's so important with dancing to not get out of balance in terms of thinking about all we still have to achieve versus what we have achieved. Don't get stuck and depressed about what still needs to be done, revel in how far you have come - at least for today.

Here's a journal exercise I challenge you to complete in the next few days, as a reflection for the new year, and the bright shiny piece of paper in front of you. Of course, you can set more than three goals for each three month section, but try to decide on at least three.

Three things that improved over the past year:
1.
2.
3.

Three things that I didn't make as much progress on as I would like in the past year:
1.
2.
3.

Three things that improved more than I thought they would in the past year:
1.
2.
3.

My top three strengths and/or steps I enjoy the most:
1.
2.
3.

My top three weaknesses and/or steps I enjoy the least:
1.
2.
3.

Three ways I can work on my strengths:
1.
2.
3.

Three ways I can work on my weaknesses:
1.
2.
3.

3 month goals (by April 1, 2016)
1.
2.
3.

6 month goals (by July 1, 2016)
1.
2.
3.

9 month goals (by October 1, 2016)
1.
2.
3.

1 year goals (by January 1, 2017)
1.
2.
3.

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March Goals

March Goals

Thursday, March 19, 2015

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Well, March is almost over and I never published my March Goals post! That just goes to show how this month has been going!

Life outside of ballet has been really busy. For the most part I've only been able to make it to class one night a week all month, so I've been trying my best to give myself barre at home and take a couple walks a day. The weather here has been all over the place though so it's made that a little difficult. No excuses though, right?!

Instead of listing goals, as I only have one more class left that I can attend this month, I will just update you on a few things!

First off, I got fitted for new pointe shoes. For some reason my second toes have been in really bad pain on pointe lately. My second toes are the longest, so I've always had to deal with more pain there than anywhere else, but this was worse. I decided I better go to the store to try on shoes rather than order a bunch on Discount Dance and potentially have to send them all back. I also found this site and this site about toes shapes and became obsessed with learning more about pointe shoe fitting!

Anyway, I ended up with my same type of shoe (Bloch Balance European) in the same length, but a 2X instead of 1X. I also had to get them in hard shanks because they said my feet were too strong for the regular ones! Whaa?! That might be the most exciting thing anyone has ever said to me, haha :) Here they are:

I wore them to class for the first time on Tuesday night and my second toes were pain-free! Thank goodness! I also wore toe spacers between my first and second toes for the first time ever and I think that helped a lot. I'll keep you guys updated!

During this Tuesday's barre stretch before center, I did a big cambré back that felt so good. Like I could just bend and bend and it felt good. It's been a few years since I've felt that. Back flexibility isn't a priority to me, but that moment did feel pretty good and I see how people can get obsessed with that kind of thing.

Really that's about all the updates from me this month. I did get to go see the Ballet 422 documentary and I highly recommend it! I can write a review if you guys are interested. And tonight I'm going to see The Royal Ballet's Swan Lake streamed to my local movie theater! I shared a link on our Facebook page if you want to see if it's playing in your area!

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February Goals

February Goals

Sunday, February 1, 2015

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I really enjoyed starting off 2015 by sharing a list of January Goals. It helped me keep my mind clear on my long-term goal (being able to dance as long as I possibly can) and it gave me some much needed structure and purpose.

Because I enjoyed the list-making so much, I've decided to keep this going for the rest of 2015! Every month I will post updates on how the previous month's goals went and then include my goals for the current month!

J a n u a r y  E v a l u a t i o n

My biggest goal in January was to cut back on classes to give my poor body a break. I've been dealing with tendonitis in my right hip flexor for a year and I knew I needed to cut back, but I was scared. It turns out this was the best thing I could have done for myself! Cutting back to two classes a week has allowed my body to have plenty of rest days, but I haven't cut back so much that I feel like I'm losing strength or technique. In fact, quite the opposite has happened. I'm going to less classes, but I'm doing more productive work, so I actually have been making improvements! It's that whole quality over quantity thing. Wake up call! :) 

My other goals, like drinking more water, doing pilates once a week, and getting a massage were all there to supplement my healing and my overall well-being. I've kept up with all of those goals except I haven't been to get a massage yet! My skin looks healthier and my body in general has been happier since upping my water intake. And the pilates helps me with my breathing, balance, and core strength. All things that are very helpful in ballet class!

F e b r u a r y  G o a l s 

Continue attending two classes a week. Right now I'm going Tuesday and Thursday nights. I'm going to give myself permission to add a third class if I'm feeling particularly good one week, but again, I don't want to push the feeling good too far.

Add more head & upper body movement. I've always been very timid about using my head and upper body with my dancing. For some reason in December I started to let that fear go and it feels really good. I want to keep working on it to conquer that fear of doing it wrong or looking silly! I feel like using your head and upper body is the last step to feeling like you're really dancing. Which is probably why it's so hard!

Start doing center combinations on pointe. I put my pointe shoes on in class in December for the first time in probably a year and half. We've been doing some pointe work on Tuesday nights at the end of barre and then taking them off for center work - until two weeks ago! We kept them on and did three combinations in the center. My toes were b-u-r-n-i-n-g by the last combo! But I can already tell I'm gaining back strength and flexibility in my feet just from working in them one night a week. 

Take Beyondbarre class one day a week. I was trying to do this during January as well, but due to my changing schedule I don't always make it every week. I like this workout because while it does incorporate some ballet-ish technique, it isn't ballet, and I think it's good for me to let loose while still building total body strength and increasing my stamina. It's also the only time I ever workout my arms!! Maybe I need to add arm workouts to my March goals...

Remember to use my feet "tripods"! I've been so tense the past year that I realized in Beyondbarre class last month that I've barely been putting any weight in my heels - like ever! Don't do this!! I think I've been so obsessed with not sitting back in my heels that I just eliminated putting weight on them altogether. But this actually makes everything much harder. I need to find the balance of having control while staying relaxed!

What are your dance goals for February? 

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January Goals

January Goals

Friday, January 9, 2015

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I've completed my first week of ballet classes after the three week holiday break! Because it's a new year and I'm craving some structure in my routine, I've decided to give myself specific goals for this month that I want to share with you all (and you can keep me held accountable!).

Drink lots of water! Abby mentioned this on our Facebook page as one of her goals this year and it immediately reminded me that I need to be conscious of staying hydrated. I've been keeping track of my intake for just two days now and I can already see the impact it's having on my complexion. So amazing!

Get a massage. I can't be in pain like I was in 2014. I need to get a proper massage to help release the tension I'm holding in my hip flexors and probably many other places I am not aware of! Which brings me to...

Cut back on classes. This seems like a backwards goal, but because I have so many adult ballet class opportunities available to me right now I want to do all of them! I just get so excited! But because I'm having hip flexor issues I need to be slowing down, really working on my placement and using the correct muscles. It's hard to work on that in faster, more difficult classes so I need to listen to my body or it's going to take ballet away from me altogether! I'm allowing myself two classes a week this month and then I'll evaluate in February. If I keep going like I tried to go last year (3 ballet classes a week and 2 beyondbarre classes a week) I am going to end up in a wheelchair!

Do pilates once a week. I started doing this in November after I discovered blogilates on YouTube! I was having a really hard time finding that "belly button to spine" placement from adjusting to my hip pain (can I talk about my hip pain one more time!!) and these pilates workouts have been amazing (specifically this beginners video) for helping me find and maintain that placement. I love doing 100s and roll ups first thing in the morning!

I think these are totally feasible goals for the duration of January and I hope to see progress in a month's time. I'll keep you guys updated!

Do any of you have ballet goals this month? For 2015? I'd love to hear them in the comment section.

- Jana

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Summer goals!

Summer goals!

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

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Happy summer! All over the place, I am seeing posts about school being out, cute recital pictures, and people going to the beach! Summer!

Other than all the fun things that come with summer, this is a time to work, evaluate, focus, and probably cross train because there might not be as many class options. Or, teenagers might be going to intensives (yay)!

I wanted to ask what everyone's summer goals are, and write a bit about mine. After evaluating myself, I feel like my current weakness are extension and turnout. Both are somewhat related to my hip injury, which I still deal with on some level. I have been intensively working on trying to get some of the muscles in my left hip to release, and when they aren't these other areas are inhibited. But, I also feel like I haven't been pushing these things.

Of course, we shouldn't force turnout, but we should push turnout. However, I feel like I need to be in extremely good shape to even push turnout much, because I don't want to injure myself. Now that I have been dancing a lot more, I'm finally getting to the point where I feel like I can safely push for more, and I really have to if I am going to once again move forward in my dancing. By not pushing for it now, I am really being lazy, so this is a huge summer goal for me.

Flexibility has been somewhat the same way. I have maintained a certain amount of flexibility over the years, but it's been a long time since I have pushed myself to fully regain what I had before. Now is the time. I am striving to make sure I am doing 30 minutes of intensive stretching at least three times a week by going to the gym and doing 30 minutes of some type of cardio warmup and following up with the stretching.

My last summer goal is to make pilates part of my regular routine again. I want to try to do a pilates workout 3 times a week, on the off days from going to the gym or class, and to maintain this into the regular season. I feel so much more centered in class when pilates has been in my schedule, so I don't know why I feel like it's such a challenge to keep it up, but I do.

Be sure to comment below and tell me all about your summer goals!


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New Year's Dance Resolutions

New Year's Dance Resolutions

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

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Happy New Year!

It's the time of year for resolutions. For me, personally, I have never really liked the New Year's resolutions. Sometimes it feels like they are almost set up to fail, and you hear stories about how the numbers skyrocket at the gyms in January, only to be dwindling by February.

That negativity aside, this is a great time to set positive, reasonable goals for ourselves. Maybe this year you want to move from one pirouette to two, add some beats to your jumps, conquer eight fouettes, or gain another inch of extension in your developpe.

Whatever it is, I recommend writing it down and setting a time when you would like to have that goal accomplished. Tell your teacher, or ask one of your peers to help you, both to keep it in sight and to give you tips and to push you. Imagine where you want to be in 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and on this day next year. Is there a performance you want to be part of? Another level you would like to move up to? A part in a performance you want?

Be realistic, yes, but push forward as well. The reason we do this is to better ourselves, so there's no failure if something doesn't happen - as long as you worked for it and made improvement!

Comment below with your goals for the coming months and year!

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