Svetlana from lumiere ballet

Well It is Saturday ..D-day sort of speaking. As promised , I showed up a little before 2:30.
I brought pictures of some toetap dancers ,and my art work . Sort of a ice breaker and Svetlana seemed interested in seeing them . When we spoke the week before. As we waited for the studio . I opened my portfolio and let her view the art work . She said I had a real understanding for the physics of the dance. Svetlana had to speak to the mothers of the group for a few minutes .Before she entered the studio with me . So, I went ahead As I entered the main studio . I came across a grey floor material . Some sort of floating floor with a echo . I know because when my shoes hit it . My stomach muscles tightened when it resounded into the mirrored room.I started to sweat... a coldish sweat. There was some benches by a wall before the main studio . I moved towards a started to remove my shoes and socks. At the moment Svetlana came in. Saying you can wear socks for today. I want to see your shoes . I opened my bag and showed her my blochs pointes and slippers. The slippers was new I still had not worn them . She picked up on that as soon as the hit her hand . I told her I don't even know how to do a tondu.. Oh why did I say that!
We moved towards the main studio She said Face the bar . I grabbed it like it was a life line . I rolled up my pants . Then followed her into first position Then she starts a 4 /4 down beat count . With each movement of her foot .. What .. I in trouble ! All I have to do for now is follow. She was teaching a tondu in 4/4 time.All the todus when she was done with them .She stopped at which I thought ,we was all done ...wrong! It was time for the pointe shoes and releves! I did not catch it at first because she rolled the R. When she said, you say it releve. A lump in my throat formed. OMG! In first from flat to demi to pointe back to flat,.. Then in second. I have been with physical trainers for 45 minutes .. and I have got to say . They never raised my heart beat like she did. I was sweating for real! She moved me through so many things today to see my alignment. It is still a blurr. We moved back to the area of the benches and, talked a bit.
I asked her ..you wanted to see my alignment. What did you find out .? She answered I was pleasantly surprised. She looked at me and said I am not going to charge you for to day.Come back next Saturday same time . I replied I could kiss you..thank you.
I have a TEACHER! Wa hoo! Damn I hope I remember all the steps.!

A Teacher maybe?

To all my friend who read the previous blog.
Well I done a few stupid thing in my day . That one is in the top ten so far..
I had a dear friend for many years now. She has never scolded me in anything until yesterday.
Also, I never had a future teacher tell me don't do anything else on your own . That what I here for.
To keep a promise to a dear friend . I went to seek another teacher . Svetlana from lumiere ballet was suggested. A Russian teacher it was thought that the male teacher would have .Taught me due to him being a male Russian trained dancer . It was thought he would have understood my complex set of problems.
I arrived in deer park about noon. Entered to studio , and was addressed by a woman behind a desk. I heard her talking to another dancer about getting a foot doctor. When she addressed me ,I suggested my cousin Alan Brey . Gave her his name and where he was . I said maybe I should tell you a little about myself before, I get rejected. I told her about my first encounter in elementary school with dance and ,how my mom did not want her child in tights.Told her about the previous teacher , my pointe shoes and, how I prep my feet for pointe work . At that point, she said you do not need to do all that. That the third ballet dancer that said that to me . She made me an appointment for next Saturday at 2:30 my time. She wants to see my alignment. I still don't know what she means. I told her I was trying to do a Echeppe. She said without missing a beat ...your not ready for that yet. I told her I don't understand the ballet terms . She whipped back that what I am here for. I show you...you do! Call me Friday to remind me .

At that point I left . Sweating... and I did not really know why?!
Damn My knee is really numb. My Physical Therapist is really going to lay into me on Monday for that stunt!

A poor mans Ballet bar

Hello My friends ,

The next step in getting to the exercises Nora gave me . I did not have enough money to send to a company for a ballet bar . So, I drafted one !

went down to the local hardware store . Now mine is on a 2x4 with three outward braces . Now 2x4 today are about two inches high. I needed a height of 44 inches . Here what you are going to need to build one

I made mine out of 3/4 galvanised pipe.

Two 3/4 by 24 inch sections

Two 90 degree elbows

Three 3/4 flange

One 3/4 T coupler

Three 3/4 by 10 inch sections

Three 3/4 couplers

Three 3/4 by 30 inch sections

If you want to make it like the picture above

Your going to needed Three 3/4 T's

With 6 more sections of pipe

Ok building time

Take one 90 degree elbow and put a 24 inch section followed by a T then another 24 inch section Followed by a 90 .That is the top section The legs are the following The 10 inch sections

The a coupler followed by a 30 inch section On mine the legs are screwed into a 3/4 flange.

If you want to make it to the picture the feet go a 3/4 T followed by a pipe section on each side .

That all there is to it . I made mine for about 50.00 US

Two Pink Shoes

I knew my entering the world of pointe work .Was a long process . The lady that has given me a chance . Is Nora from the Ballet Center in Old Bethpage NY. A really dear a sweet woman to meet. When I introduced myself she was a bit taken . Sort of like my first intro to one of my dearest friends. When She had gotten over the shock . Then understood I had gotten a pair of pointes. From Pirouette and how she had fitted me .She wanted to see me with them. Today at 3:30 pm was the appointed time . I arrived early just to give a good impression .

There is no fooling a pro! In all reality I was not going to try. I lost a lot of knowledge after my stroke . So it is fair to say I am again a Ballet new born. She told me that most dancers Marked there shoes left of right after there broken in . Me I just started them that way. Nora looked at the shoes and the pads .Also she looked at the way I attached the elastic and ribbons. Before she let me put them on my feet . I really admire her for her carefulness. She asked me to go to the bar. Put my feet into first position . Then roll onto pointe . The minute I did . She said ,you need to learn more about ballet! See ya can not fool a pro! I was not getting over the box properly. So, She gave me three exercises to do .

One was the first position to a plie to a roll then roll down.

Second was a modified Battement tendu . The modification was at the end where the foot points. At that point I was to flex the foot upward then back down and ,go to the next part of the movement.

The third is a well To me look like a sideways runner stretch. You start out in first roll onto pointe and push one foot over the box then roll back down . I don't know what it is call yet two times made my left foot look better and my right calf scream.She got annoyed a little .Because I was looking down to see what I was doing wrong. Nora wanted me to have my ears over my shoulders. I don't know why yet she said it makes a difference.

Could any one tell me why it makes a difference?

She said to walk around the house with my shoes on . If I don't want to get them dirty , put some socks over them .

Also to get a ballet bar at 44 inches which is a good height for me . Well looks like I going down to the hardware store and building one.

She said to do them for two weeks and give her a call . I guess to see how I doing ...maybe to give me somemore excerise's to do. I really can not wait!

Well that my blog about my first baby step into pointe

Ever Since I was Little

Since I saw a ballerina dance.I wanted to be a dancer . My mom had other Ideas. She never wanted her son to be in tights. So, my dream of dancing ballet died! In my late teens I took up ballroom to my mom it was a respectable dance. Since my partner was my cousin it was even better .....for her. So I drew dancers and studied books on the subject. When a question on toetap came my way . I was intrigued, I never thought of the journey to would bring me on . I just was curious about it.
The subject seemed to relight my passion for ballet and pointe . I meet people on line who had knowledge and similar view point as myself. Also, they was willing to share there knowledge to educate me .Not only in casting of metal .Also in pointe shoes. I could not have gotten where I am with out them and there support.
I have been losing weight for a few years now. I started at 368 and as of yesterday I am 206. A few weeks ago I was curious . I had a pair of Sansha 202's. They was my X's. So, I tried them on While the width was ok the length was like a half inch too short . They was a 13X shoe size for a 10 street shoe.Which was ok for her. Since, I only wore them as a bed shoe they where ok. Over a week the shoe was producing some red marks on my feet and toes . I had asked a dancer friend if I was allergic to the shoe. She said no if the red marks go away ,over the course of the day. My dear friend said why don't you get fitted for a pair. This idea I dreaded. I had been trying to crack the sizing and pointe shoe code for a few years now .With no real direction or recourse. They was nothing I could not figure out with enough information . I knew my foot was a Greek peasant with a very small morton toe. I join dance sites saw there information on the different types of feet VS shoe types. It is still a blure to me . I finally coincided to my friends advice and went down to a local dance shop . I deal with to get shoes . For dancers who want tap and shoes . Without sending me there shoe's .So, the owner sort of knew me . I told her I wanted to know more about a pointe shoe fitting. After some misunderstanding . She understood that , I was going to buy and most likely put a pair of taps on them. Then scheduled me an appointment for Tuesday the 8th. at 12:15. She wanted to see some toetaps and, some of the pictures of the Tapperinas. I said Ok . We parted with some reservations about the appointed time on both parts. As I was leaving She said, I am thinking of a Sonata. That I think will work for you. I thought SONATA?! I tried to look up the shoe on line for its box size. With no luck. The days dragged on like years. I thought Tuesday would never come . After Monday , I thought I would have to cancel it all together.
I was waiting at a light when another driver decided to meet me with there car ! Into my drivers door!. I am in great back pain from the impact. Once I make up my mind I really don't change it. Unless someone has a really good point.
Tuesday cometh : As the time approached I became really nervous. Yet , I was not going to show her. I was not serious about this lesson. I showed up at the dance shop . (Pirouette 51 Green Street Huntington NY)At a good time no one in the shop. The little voice inside me went YAE!. She looked at me and said ok .Your here for a fitting. Come back to the stage . Before you go on the stage take off your shoes. Ahh shit! I have men's feet and ,been walking all morning . They really smell. Oh why didn't I wash them before coming here . I made sure . I ask her and the socks ? She replied Yup! Oh damn it . I took them off and hope the smell would dissipate before she got back. She came out of the office . Then sort of pointed .Ok over there . Over there was a wooden stool with a red velvet seat cover. It looked kinda nice. I did, still hoping she would not notice .My now less smelly feet. She sat down upon a shoe salesman stool . Asked me to roll up my pants and , raise my foot and, with the speed of a bull roper. She put on and quickly tied a knot in the back of each nylon . I don't know foot sock for a lack of a better term. She did not ask my foot size just looked at them. Said you really don't have a big foot . Then went into the stock room . Before she came out. She asked are you going to toetap with socks on. I said "if I am going to do this ...no. Do you need pads...Mmmm if I am going to do this ahh yes.Came back with a box with a set of toepads and two shoe box's. took out a pair . Broke the back and the box a little and put them on. Ask me to put the platform on the floor and felt the material at the heel. Then went down in size to the next one . Then repeated the procedure with that shoe. Then went in the back for another. When I tried on that one and put the platform on the floor . She was satisfied (Satisfied was when there was a finger worth of material when pointed)to move on to the next part. She asked me to move over to the mirror. Then stand in first position. I was so nervous .I forgot what first position was. She showed me with her hands . I ask ,what I should be feeling . She said , You should be feeling your toes tight and not able to freely wiggle around.If that is happening that is a no no! Also, You should feel your toes sung against the platform and, not compressed(Knuckling). Then she asked me to plie`.Do you feel anything ?. I replied besides my calf muscles screaming. She replied (with holding a smile back) yes. I said no. With a ok, she ask me to step back and roll on to pointe. Which I did, almost perfectly. I really need to work on getting my feet and ankle to stretch out to a full 90 degrees.
I asked why she choose a Sonata? She replied " The Sonata has a wide box and does not have long wings .Also, it does not have a high vamp . So, when you go on to pointe your not fighting the shoe. You don't need a high vamp also,because you don't have a high arch.Also ,you have a very insignificant morton toe. So, in the Sonata's you should not feel it. Wow! To get all that just by looking at someones feet. She knows feet and shoes like I know toetaps! I told her if I was going to the next step I would need a teacher. I damn sure not going to self teach pointe work. I got back on my sock and shoes. Payed for the dance Items. We talked about toetap .Showed her some pictures and some taps. She said If I make a flyer .She would put it up in the shop to advertise my toetaps . I must say she is a very kind and good soled person . Made me feel very calm and important. Then she told me about a possible teacher . Wrote down her address .Then handed it to me on her business card. Before I left. I said, I thought you was going to choose a shoe like the Elan for its wide box. She Just shook her head no . Not a shoe for you.I learned a lot from her . One thing is for sure a fitting is like ballet to get it right. You need to get it from someone who knows! Oh yea the shoe size came out to be a Bloch 7 E. Who woulda thought?