I took my first ballet class back after a 9-month hiatus last week and, surprisingly, it went better than I thought. My technique is not where I want it to be by any stretch of the imagination, but definitely not where I was the last time I came to class after a hiatus. Today, in a form of self-review, I’m breaking down what surprised me during my first class back.
What I wore to class completely changed how I felt. For my first class I wore leggings and a long sleeved shirt, as opposed to my usual leotard and tights. Right away I noticed how much more casual I felt in class and it really changed how I danced that day. For me, feeling good in class can be affected by the outfit I’ve put together. This is especially true on an off day. This was something I had previously noticed, but felt very strongly in this first class back.
Turnout didn’t feel as foreign as the last time I came back from a long break. I need to continue working on hip stability, especially on one leg, but I was surprised at how comfortable I felt in first, fourth and fifth. My turnout felt familiar and initiated from the hips – This was definitely a pleasant surprise.
I lost stability and balance, but not as much as I thought. Again, this was much worse after my first long break. My balance and centre were practically non-existent. I had anticipated my experience to be the same this time around but was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t. One day, I’d love to be so balanced and stable that I can do those wild bosu ball adage exercises that dancers post on Instagram, but first, let’s balance for 8 counts at the barre.
I need to work on my stamina and cardio. This, I could see coming; I was mentally prepared for feeling out of shape. My first class back was a barre and variations class. We are doing the Gamzatti Act 3 Temple Destruction Scene variation currently (watch Darcey Bussell dancing this variation here), which is very controlled but doesn’t have any jumps. So, in terms of stamina, my first full technique class back with jumps will be much harder.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my technique wasn’t as lost as I had anticipated. I found it helpful to take a moment and compare my expectations for my first class back versus the reality. Articulating these points helped form a starting point for the year. I certainly have a lot of work to do, and areas to focus on, which is something I will be outlining in an upcoming post. I’m curious to see how I feel about these later in the year.
How have you been feeling in class lately? How did you feel coming back to class after a break?