This week will be just over a month since I have started going back to ballet classes. If you are just tuning in, I have been taking open adult ballet class at Houston Ballet. I have averaged about 1.5 classes per week. Opting for the sacred Saturday morning class and one evening class during the week (which keeps getting harder and harder to make with all the events starting to pick back up!).
In this last Saturday morning class I aggravated my old “injury”. I was feeling great in during the actual class; five pirouettes, 90-degree arabesque, full out on jumps and adding beats! But I must have pushed myself too hard because when I got home my hip and back muscles tightened up so much they limited my mobility. I felt cramping pain in my lower back and spent the rest of the day in bed watching Friends on Netflix. This has happened before, and the pain goes away within a few days with constant massaging and releasing different my muscles in my back and hips using a tennis ball. Sleeping was slightly disturbed for the first couple of nights but I am feeling release and comfort today.
Getting injured such a pain! Immediately I felt that all the progress I made this month was thrown away. I hope I will be able to maintain improvement in class without aggravating old injuries!
Moments in Class Every Ballet Dancer Can Relate To:
When you’re on time for class but late for your 20-minute warm up sesh you need to complete before you can think about pliés:
When they ask for a volunteer to demonstrate Adagio:
When the teacher says “get your pointe shoes on”:
Does more than 3 pirouettes:
When you finally get a compliment, which is rare, but can’t look too eager:
When the human rubber band is in front of you at the barre…
When you are the human rubber band at barre…
When you realized the new season’s rehearsal schedule conflicts with your social life …
When the teacher demonstrates the exercise once using only their hands and muttering ballet terminology.
You, in a hip hop class…
