Ballet, ballet and more ballet
Callanetics-the new entry in my personal dictionary of ‘ good words for life’. In my search to understand its roots, I came across this wonderful guest book created in memory of its founder Callan Pinckney.Pages after pages, Callanetics practitioners from across the world have expressed their gratitude to Callan for creating this non-aerobic exercise. Said to be popular in the …
As a dancer and a regular yoga practitioner, I am drawn to more dynamic styles of yoga, a favourite being Ashtanga. Think non-static poses that flow into one another as opposed to holding positions for extended periods of time. I do, however, attend Iyengar style classes to complement my ballet training. Even something like classical ballet can be asymmetrical if …
Once principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet, Nikolai Tsiskaridze is one of the most decorated Russian dancers. He was born in Tbilisi, the capital of the then Soviet Republic of Georgia, on 31 December 1973. Although his father was a violin player and classical music was a regular part of his childhood, ballet was not a profession his parents would have …
“Stretch only as much as you strengthen.” These words from Yana, my Ballet teacher, are what echo in my head after an Advanced Ballet class with the Artistic Director. At the time of the class, we were done with plies and cambrés to the back and instructed to proceed to the centre of the floor right after. The instruction to …
If I am asked to explain about all the different styles I learnt in my first Jazz class at the Foundation, it would go something like this. ‘’There is excitement written all over my face as I enter the studio. Jazz , I am told, is one form of dancing that wears many faces because of the vast number of …
When I expressed interest in joining Ballet classes at TLFCB, I was met with a lot of raised eyebrows and statements like, ”It’s not like you can become a Ballerina at this age;what will a belly dancer do with Ballet lessons?”. Some even assumed that I should be able to dance on my toes or have a 180 degree turnout. …
A gruelling Saturday morning(the usual) and I`m knackered by the end of my fourth class (Callanetics with Yana). Onto social media for the summer camp that`s running at The Foundation and I find myself being pulled aside and into the studio by my teacher, quite urgently. Not one to doubt authority, but even this seems absurd considering there is a …
Meniscus tears, slipped discs and ligaments sprains are all too common in dance, a direct result of the body absorbing the shock of landing. A floor could mean anything or nothing to a lot of people. Not to a dancer though. A far cry from the simple surface that one would use to tread on, a dancer is very much …
When we were kids, our parents always said, ‘Be who you want to be’. And some of us, like me, believed them without a sliver of doubt. I always imagined that the world is my oyster, that I am capable of anything and everything and so did my parents. The only difference was that their understanding of success and my …
