Prosser School of Ballet

I have had a good time, but I am ready to be home!!! Tired of the noise and the grime in the air and the needing to look both ways before crossing the street...lol. I love my small town life.

I am trying not to think about my exam too much, because I won't have the results for a month. I think I passed. I hope I passed. But it was the scariest thing I think I have ever done. I was shaking, I was so nervous, and I had to do my exam in front of Franco DeVita, who is the principal at the JKO school here at ABT, and one of the main people behind the curriculum. He is an excellent teacher and a very nice man, but kinda scary, and I had a lot of trouble understanding him through his beautiful, but very thick accent. I saw him write "excellent" several times, but he also corrected me a lot. My back was killing me, so I was having a hard time doing the arm positions and he kept saying "No, again!!!" and "More! More!" I was about to die. BUT I did know all the answers...sometimes I just didn't know which question he was asking! *sigh* Trying to tell myself it will be fine. I absorbed everything they taught. I know it. I just hope they know that I know it.

I feel totally confident about the written portion, and if I could have written all my answers for the oral portion, it would have been fine, lol! AY YI YI. Okay, I'm done. I can't do anything about it now except wait.

I forgot to tell you about the evening Vida and I had the other night! We decided to take an evening off from studying and go out on the town. We walked and saw lots of exciting places, like the Magestic Theatre where Phantom plays (SO wish I could have seen it!) and the Grishko store (Which is super tiny) and then we walked for a long time trying to find somewhere to sit down and chat and eat something bad for us. I think it's funny how all the restaurants have someone out front, trying to get people to come in. We came by an Italian place and a tall Italian man with an impressive nose was out front and told us he could seat us on the balcony. We agreed and ended up having a grand old time up above the city, listening to nice music, and enjoying good food and deep, philosophical conversation. Actually, I doubt that. But we had fun and it was nice to take a break from thinking about the positions of the arms and the 3 arabesques...ay yi yi.

OKAY! So I am off! Thanks everyone for reading, and I will see you all soon.

I think I am ready. Visions of a la quatrieme devant have been dancing in my head for a week now. I think I remember everything. I'm a little bit nervous, but not too much. I am more excited to get home and start teaching all of these wonderful things to my students! Get ready everyone, PSB is gettin' a makeover. You thought it was good before...just wait!

Yesterday we got to watch another class in the workshop...these were a bit younger than the first class, and also very cute. There was a little boy who looked like my Israel...big eyes, cute grin, and very enthusiastic about jumping! We also got to watch several examples of how to incorporate what students are learning into their choreography. Some of the workshop kids came and did a little performance for us! So cute and so beautiful....

Tell you what, I have had a good time here, but I am done. I miss fresh air VERY much. I would take 100 degree Prosser heat over 80 degree NYC heat anytime...so humid here! I miss seeing people I know when I go to Starbucks, I miss being able to do my own laundry...more than anything I miss my family...really starting to get to me. I have been blessed with tons to do over the last week, but today and tomorrow promise a lot of sitting around, so I am feeling antsy and ready to get my hiney home.

I have received several e-mails from people since I've been here...they hear about what I am doing and want to come to classes! Don't forget, I am doing camps next week...Princess Camp is for ages 3.5-6 (or a little older...they all love being princesses!) and then I have a level 3 / advanced class as well. If you want to come to one of those, let me know! I don't have the times right in front of me, but they are posted on the website...www.prosserschoolofballet.org.

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement, support, and everything! Love to you all! -Miss Nicole

I am extremely enthusiastic about this delightful soy latte I am drinking. Wow. Divine.

Okay, so yesterday might be qualified as my best day here yet. We got to watch the young dancer workshops, which I was excited for. Those poor kids probably thought I was crazy, because I was watching them with tears in my eyes, grinning my face off. They were so exquisite. They were all around 11-13, and the instructor told us they were a mix of level 2 and 3, which is perfect, because that's what we've been going over. It was amazing to see how aligned they were and how nicely they took correction. The best part, in my mind, was how excited they all were. They were so thrilled to be doing ballet class. They took it very seriously in that they were working their hineys off, but they were just so precious in their joy in what they were doing. I picked up many teaching methods to help keep class moving...it was just so inspiring. After that, we watched a pointe class demonstration by Mr. Lukens, and that was super cool as well. It's such an amazing dynamic...he's such a kind, encouraging teacher. The little girls looked at him so adoringly, and his eyes would just light up while teaching them...but then they also were kept on the ball. If he said move, they MOVED RIGHT THEN AND THERE. I loved it. I want that ability very much. It's difficult, and I think most teachers are either one or the other extreme...they are either so nice and sweet and gentle that the students love them but don't really have discipline....or they are total drill sergeants and their students never put a toe out of line, but don't have any trust or affection for their teacher. Hoping I can find the balance. It is so good for kids to have this discipline, this pride in what they are accomplishing. Dance brings joy to so many people, as it should! As we should encourage!

One thing we discussed in class yesterday was how to not set your students up for failure. This is why the levels are separated into 2-3 parts. As we already know, no matter what your level system is, it's very common for a student to spend more than one year in the same level, in order to complete the learning of those skills offered. When they take their exams, rather than "failing" for two years before finally passing, they take exams for different sections of the material, so they can pass, for example, level 2A, then 2B, then 2C, or however the teacher thinks they should go. I know that for me, I would rather feel like I had success in some of the material, than to feel like I utterly failed if I shot too high. We also talked at length about kids who are crushed because they show talent and too many people tell them how amazing they are. Mr. Lukens judges a lot of competitions, and he told a story of a girl who was very talented, but her teacher and parents "encouraged" her by telling her she was going to be the national champion at this certain competition. She went into the competition with this false confidence and then did not even place. Instead of being proud of what she had done, which was probably very very good, she felt that she had failed by not achieving that one goal.

I see this often during Nutcracker seasons. I hear the girls telling each other "You're going to be Clara this year! You are so talented!" This girl gets too focused on this one part to the point where if she doesn't get the part, she feels like a failure, and will not appreciate any other part she may get. Do you see what I'm getting at? Too often we set unreasonable goals, or become narrow-minded in our dreams. I've said before, I hear girls say that their dream is to dance at Julliard, or some other big-name school / company. This is too narrow. If you don't achieve this dream, were your efforts all for nothing? Of course not! Does it mean you are not talented? Of course not! But we have to see every step along the way, every improvement, every opportunity, as a goal met. As a church-going girl, I grew up with the notion of the Body of Christ- that every Christian was a part of the bigger picture. Not everyone could be a pastor. AND if you were not a pastor, it didn't mean that you were any less of a Christian than the people who were. It's kind of the same idea with ballet. If all ballerinas grew up to become professional ballerinas, there would be TONS of companies and it would not be as much of a novelty, and there wouldn't be many people to love an appreciate the art. There would not be people doing creative choreography, or becoming physical therapists for dancers, or any of the other dance-related careers that are so important to the dance world. Like teaching!!! Everyone would be too busy performing! Everyone has a part in the dance world. If you love ballet, you can do something with it. Not everyone can be a professional ballerina...and if you're not, it doesn't mean you are any less of a ballerina than anyone else.

I never danced professionally. Sometimes I wish I had been able to, sometimes I'm glad I didn't. I really don't have the body for it. AND, contrary to common belief, that statement has nothing to do with my weight or how tall or short I am. Some bodies, just structurally, are not made for the rigorous schedule and demands of a touring ballet company. I would be in a lot of pain!

Down another rabbit trail, it's so refreshing to hear people involved with the official national ballet company of the USA talk about how they deal with body image in their school. They said that they never "weed out" students based on their body or early talent. They discussed how often children who show amazing talent as young children will level off around age 12, or how a student who is terribly awkward for years will suddenly blossom into a beautiful ballerina. They never discuss being "overweight" with students, because they are GROWING for crying out loud, and are going to have seasons where they might be a bit puffy and seasons where they will be super skinny. They do, however, have a rule that if a student gets too thin or it becomes known that they are dieting, etc, they are not allowed to take class. I love this. I love this company, I love these teachers...they are just amazing.

This has been a total rabbit trail note today, but that's how my brain is this morning. I will blame the delightful soy latte.

What a nice morning! There is a bit of a chilly breeze going on...so nice. So yesterday we finished going over the curriculum. Level 3 has lots of jumping in it! LOL actually, every level does, but it really ramps up in level 3. I was able to do the sample class, just avoided the degage because of my back...everything else went really well though, even the pirouettes! Learning some great stuff about pirouettes that will hopefully help everyone! Today we watch the young dancer workshops, and then we have to do the horrible "show and tell" thing.

I don't think I have described that yet. Every time we learn a level, we have to come up with an exercise or combination that would work for that level and show it in front of a group of about 20 people as well as one of the instructors. It is the worst experience ever!!! So far, I have managed to totally flub every one. I think I have it this time, though. I am doing an echappe battu combination, which is totally something they work on. Now if I can get the head movements and the port de bras correct, I should be fine! I would like just once for the instructor to say "Yes, that would be a great exercise." Everyone has a hard time with this...the biggest problem is that we all want to introduce things that are outside of the level and you have to be careful with that.

Another thing I love is how we are advised not only what to teach and how to teach it, but on the structure of a class, and solutions to common problems with students, like behavior, effort, and maintaining order and respect. I saw the way Mr. Lukens gains control of a room yesterday when the group was getting a bit noisy. All he did was stand up very tall and say in a soft voice "Ballerinas..." and complete silence ensued. There is just so much in his carriage. He is very approachable and kind and funny, but he is also...I don't know. You want to hear everything he has to say and you don't want to do anything that he wouldn't like. If I could master that, it would be super cool.

Another thing we discussed was whether or not to allow parents to watch class. This has always been an issue for me. I want the parents to be able to watch, but it is often such a distraction. The kids are always looking to see if their parents are looking, and will often say "I need to ask my Mommy something" and then run off. I noticed that more parents than ever before stayed to watch the creative movement classes, and I have NEVER had so much chaos in there as I did this year. Here at ABT, they have a special "Parents' night" once every 2 months, so for the kids, it is more like preparing something for the parents to see, and they treat it with more excitement, rather than if their parents are there every week...

Another thing that happens, just because of the structure of my studio, is that voices carry! It gets so chaotic sometimes, between the kids talking AND the parents talking...ay yi yi. I also appreciate when parents want to help, but sometimes it is not helpful, you know? If I am trying to communicate with a little one, and then the mama comes in and says "Susie! You need to do what your teacher says"- the child's attention goes immediately to her mama instead of me, and whatever I just said was lost. So...I definitely see the pros and cons here. Don't worry, parents, I'm not going to take away your "watching privileges", but we definitely need to be more organized about it in order to create the best learning environment for your children.

I am so looking forward to bringing this knowledge home! You have no idea how much it is doing for me and will do for my ballerinas. I am excited and proud to be able to offer them a wonderful program to give them the training they need to succeed as dancers.

Whew, I've hit the halfway mark of my time here, but it feels so very close to the end! Exams are closer than I would like them to be.

Yesterday was level 2, which I believe is one of the hardest. I have read through level 3 and 2 introduces more new material even. I think because students will spend several years there in general. It's for ages 9 and up, but level 3 is when they start pointe, so they have to be ready for that before they jump on up there. It was super fun. It's interesting, learning the timing of things. Some steps they put off a lot longer than I do, and other things are taught super early. When I learn the reasons behind these things, it makes so much sense. We also watched a presentation done by the JKO school (ABT's pre-professional / childrens' ballet school) of their levels 5-7 and it was AMAZING to see the things they were doing. Yay for ballet!!!

Last night, I splurged and went out to dinner at an adorable French restaurant, as the sisters don't fed us on the weekends. I walked just a few blocks away from where I was staying to an area where the streets are roughly made of brick / cobblestones. The restaurant was called Paradou, and I have never had such an amazing experience at a restaurant. Where else could you go to a restaurant where you are served by a dashing ballet boy who dances every time he brings you something, and then sits down at your table and has a glass of wine with you? Every time you need something, he's ready to jump up and go get it. Such personalized service! And the food was deeeelightful. LOL actually, my dear friend Nathan works at Paradou and that's why I went there, but they were not busy at all, so I got to visit with him while I enjoyed the food.

Funny story, actually. I met Nathan...OH my gosh, I guess 13 years ago. I was 14 and he was 12 and we met on a teenager dance forum. We actually got into an argument about something, him being an obnoxious boy and me being an emotional girl...but we managed to get over it and ended up becoming great friends and have been in contact via e-mail / facebook ever since. He has danced all over the US and just joined the national ballet in Croatia, so I was happy to finally meet him in person before he leaves. He has come to the rescue of my directionally challenged self several times on this trip! LOL I get so freaked out when I have to take the subway somewhere. But anyway, it was a nice way to relax after a grueling day in the studio...have another one today...more review and a start on level 3. I am looking forward to watching the workshops tomorrow and Tuesday. I think that will be most helpful.

Love to you all! -Nicole

It's the weekend, but no days off for me. And oh my gosh, what a terrible latte this is. Ah well, coffee is coffee.

I changed Starbucks locations after being creepily hit on by Bob Marley's young clone yesterday. This one is a little more quiet and close to the residence, but YUCK too much syrup.

Yesterday was not full of a lot of revelation, as we were reviewing what we had already done. I was super tired after getting only a few hours of sleep, and as a result had a really awful day. But I will not discuss that. Suffice it to say I need my sleep, and I need to carefully recondition my body before trying to dance, and I need prayers for confidence in myself.

So I will talk about fun stuff. Ballerinas, google Ted Kivitt. He is one of my favorite people taking the course with me. He is probably in his late 50's and does not look like a dancer at all- big guy, big voice...he looks just like a nice grandpa. Then he starts to dance. I came to find out he was a principal with ABT. Had a definite "doh" moment. He has 180 degree turnout and jumps extremely well. He always has great things to add to discussion and a lot of insight on teaching boys. He is used to teaching classes of boys by themselves, and has a lot of tips and tricks for how to keep them interested and focused on what they're doing. Now I want a class of boys! That's the hard part of a mixed class. Girls love pretending to be butterflies and fairies, but boys don't. They have us mixing in "pirates" which seem to go well with both boys and girls.

I really love learning about the history and what methods come from which countries. I always thought I was more Cecchetti trained. I knew I'd had some Italian and some Russian methods, but didn't know which was which. I actually am finding my training was closer to Vagonova's style, which is weird. LOL and then there's Balanchine stuff, and he just kinda did whatever he felt like doing.

ABT's curriculum uses aspects of both, but probably more Cecchetti because many of the things done in this method build more strength and make transitioning to other styles easier. The goal is, as Mr. Lukens puts it "To create dancers who can go to class anywhere and just DO what they're told." So the reasons certain positions are chosen for the curriculum are because they are the easiest to transition from. For example, sur le coup de pied to retire. I learned it as a "coupe" front, draw up the front or back of the leg to the knee. In this method, we really emphasize the wrapped foot and go up the side of the leg. NOT because the other way is WRONG, but the wrapped foot takes more effort, and if you know how to do that well, it would be easy to switch to the other if you were in a place where the teacher asked you to do that. If you learn only the front or back, you have not developed the muscles it takes to do the wrapped foot, and it is a lot more difficult to switch to that. I am relieved to learn that my methods of doing things all fall into one category or another, but a lot of my methods will change simply to fit into this curriculum, which makes SO much sense physically, mentally, technically...good stuff.

Today or tomorrow, we get to go watch the young dancer workshops that are going on right now. I'm excited that I will be watching the class of the little girl that I met the first day. She is a sweetheart. I am hoping I can find a comfortable position in which to sit today....ay yi yi PAIN.

Also learning level 2 stuff. I'm so glad now that I decided to separate level 1 and 2. They are soooooo different and really learn a lot of things within that class.

Okay, that's all I have for the day. -Nicole

Yeah I didn't sleep much last night. Very relieved that review and discussion and no new material is on the agenda today. I have been writing these blogs in the evening and posting them the next morning, but last night I was too busy STUDYING like a college student. Information overload! I understand it all, but it's a lot to remember for a test...so I re-wrote out a lot of the stuff so I could remember.

Yesterday we studied Level One, which is a lot more technical than Primary (Though Primary IS technical, it's just so much fun that the kids don't know they are learning technique)- a lot more French is introduced. I need to work on my accent. LOL I can say all the words, but I always turn it into a Spanish accent. Katrina? French lessons, please? I am especially having trouble saying "tendu a la quatrieme devant." Ay yi yi.

Honestly, I don't feel terribly overwhelmed by a feeling of "Oh my gosh, I've been doing it wrong for 20 years!" I was expecting a bit of that. However, so much of the approach to teaching the steps and technique is night and day different from what I have been doing. I tend to teach the kids how to do a step, and then I go back and try to fix the technique after they have the "skeleton" of the step accomplished. The problem with this theory, however, is that the students are practicing the move over and over again incorrectly, which leads to incorrect muscle development, and THAT is why it is often so hard to break the habits they have. Now I am learning how to first develop the strength needed, then build the technique, and by the time they actually do the step, they can execute it perfectly because they have already built the strength and technique. Increasing success rates and confidence for students!

I also learned that tour jete is not a ballet term. Oops. Thankfully, again, most people were right there with me in embarrassment.

I am really looking forward to implementing this at home, but also having a little anxiety over it. It will be easiest to implement for the younger students- Primary is going to be super fun and easy to transition them to this. Level 1 should be as well. Level 2 is going to be quite a bit more difficult, since they have been in ballet long enough to have developed some strength and sometimes in the wrong ways. Level 3 is going to be super difficult. In looking at the material, we are basically going to have to breeze through level 1 and 2 as well, and then do the level 3 material. I am somewhat afraid that the level 3's will look only at the combinations and steps and think "This is wimpy! I already know how to do this!" If they can get over this long enough to actually try it, they will be sweating in 5 minutes and their brains will hurt. It might LOOK like a bit of a step backward, but it's not at all. A lot of my future level 3s are on Facebook, hopefully reading this. Girls, would you rather be able to do 16 sloppy fouetes now and never be able to perfect it, or would you rather be able to do 16 perfect fouetes in a few years' time? I hope it's the latter. The great thing about this curriculum is that you have the opportunity to absolutely perfect ballet to the very best of your ability, if your attitude is good.

Something else I am learning is the importance of ritual in ballet class. The teachers at ABT are super nice, funny, imaginative, and extremely positive and encouraging to dancers, but they are strict. They expect students to be respectful and to try their very best. They stress that rituals like a dress code, like traditions that each student does upon entering the classroom...these kinds of things help them to transition from school or running around with friends to the magical and special world inside their ballet studio. They can set it apart from their every day lives, and better prepare for their training.

One issue I had a lot of trouble with this past year with the older students was that they would arrive on time, but would take their time in the back, getting ready, putting on shoes, trying to find a hair band...and then wander into class often 20 minutes after it had begun and stretch luxuriously before ever joining the class. This is a huge problem because they are missing out on the warmup and are leaving themselves open to injury. The barre progression is so important...they really should not miss it. I would often wait to start class until at least most of the students were in the room, but many of the students WERE in the room and ready to start, and this is not fair to them. Yesterday, Mr. Lukens said that you should always "play to the highest end of the class". If you cater to the ones who are taking their time, they will always know that you will wait for them. By starting class ON TIME and having consequences (Like a separate workout that must be done if they are late- a really boring one) for when they wander in late or unprepared...this will either make the students pick up the pace and work to keep up with the class...or they will reevaluate why they are taking ballet at all. We don't ever like to lose students, but frankly, it's better to lose a student that does not really enjoy it in the first place, than to lose a dedicated student because she is frustrated with the slow pace of the class.

OH! Before I forget! The little pink Primaries MUST have the little skirt too! It is part of their uniform for a very adorable reason. So much fun!

Another thing that is being stressed in these lower levels is developing a joy in turning. We are not working on structured turns yet, but Mr. Lukens said that most of the problems that older students have with turning has to do with a sense of anxiety or worry or even fear / disorientation about turning. In the lower levels, they do a lot of happy twirling around, just to be comfortable with the feeling and to associate it with joy and adventure. I love this theory.

I start the day a little later today, so I have a bit more time to wake up this morning. Just hanging out at Starbucks where it's nice and cool. Hope everyone is doing well. -Miss Nicole

Okay, maybe I’m more like an Apprentice of the Subway, but I will get to that later.

Today was a very exhausting, sweaty day. How anyone can walk all over the city, work, and then go out on a date afterward is beyond me. I was so sweaty (and stinky) by the end of the day.

So this morning, I walked the 5.5 blocks to Broadway, found ABT fairly easily, and went inside. There was a man behind a desk holding a notebook. “Where are you going?” He asked rather grumpily. He must not have had his coffee yet.

Neither had I, but I said very perkily, “I need to get to ABT!”

“ABT is not open yet. You’ll have to come back.”

I had planned on leaving and coming back anyway, since, as I mentioned, I needed coffee. I had just wanted to make sure I knew where I was going. I managed to maneuver my way to Starbucks, had a latte, some perfect oatmeal (Which really IS perfect) and some time to chat with my sweet husband for about an hour before heading back over. By the time I got back, there was a line of people outside that rounded the corner. Lots of adorable ballerinas with their moms, waiting to go to The Young Dancer intensive. How fun! All were about age 8-12ish, looking very classical with their hair up in a GORGEOUS BUN, JUST LIKE I LIKE IT! Ahem. I chatted with one of the moms and her sweet daughter. I imagined someday taking Eden here. I expressed to the girl what an amazing opportunity this was for her, and she agreed quite happily. The mother was a bit of a “Ballet Mom” though and felt it necessary to list all of her daughter’s accomplishments, and what this or that teacher said about her. In front of her daughter. *sigh*

After they let us in and I signed in, I got my Giant Notebook of Infinite Wisdom and sat down. This notebook detailed the curriculum, guidelines for Primary through Level 3, the progression, as well as awesome photos of ballet positions, directions, and other examples.

The class itself was taught by Raymond Lukens, one of the writers of the curriculum. He explained to us how it came about. He, as well as many other leading ballet people, noticed that dancers were being trained in very specific ways, and that it was very difficult for them to adapt, and also that certain key habits were not being taught, so often dancers would be very good, but basically need to start from scratch in order to get their muscles working properly. From there, the directors went around studying the French, Italian and Russian methods, learning why things were done a certain way. They also sought the advice of a Medical Advisory Board, who helped them determine what was the best way of doing things, the best progression, in order to prevent injuries and make for solid dancers. Mr. Lukens explained that when he was touring as a dancer, people never got injured, and one of the key differences he has seen is that back then, more attention was paid to allegro and less attention was paid to barre. Lots of jumping around, for many years, makes for solid bones, strong muscles, etc. Too much time spent at the barre, while good for alignment, does not help the dancer build stamina, etc. He told us that ideally, equal amounts of time should be given to barre, center, and allegro through the class. Definitely a change I plan to implement.

We talked about several general rules for the curriculum, and I went on a rabbit trail. Basically, I meant to say that the point of this curriculum is to give a set of guidelines, knowing that there are several methods, several ways, and several different preferences…however, you need to have a focus, so that your students develop muscle memory in a particular direction. Then, when they are advanced, you can start introducing the alternate methods, to make them more adaptable.

We then studied the Primary Level, which is for ages 5-8. I cannot express how excited I am to bring this home! There is so much! After talking about it for a while, we actually did a class, and one of the directors taught it. There was a lot of fun imagery, and it was totally exhausting!!!

One of the best things I realized, is that the whole point is to make correct posture and placement a natural thing. There is no forcing, just really easy and fun ways to learn something that gets you doing it right and gets your muscles working in the correct way, without having to try to explain to a 5-year-old how to pull up the knees. It just happens.

After that was over, I gallivanted around Manhattan for a while, which means my new friend Vida and I took a taxi to Steps, where I was too late to take the ballet class, so I signed up for jazz instead, and then it was canceled because only two people signed up. The other person was a young girl with a beautiful accent, who told me she was from Israel. I said, “Oh, my son is named Israel!”

She looked confused. “You have a son?”

I laughed, and told her yes, I had two children.

“You are but 19 or 20 years old, correct?”

WOW…that hasn’t happened in a while. Like, a long while.

SO since the cab had been rather exorbitant and I now had no one to split it with, I decided I needed to figure out another way to get home. I called my old dancer friend Nathan up, who told me where to go and which subway to take. I found it, got dropped off a few blocks from the residence, and walked the rest of the way. It was not scary at all. Now I know how to at least take the subway to and from Steps…lol.

So now I am back in my room, showered and rid of the stinkiness, and just about to snuggle down for bed. OH and the sisters really outdid themselves on dinner tonight. I am not a huge fan of food…like I eat it to stay alive, and sometimes I have cravings, but wow…whatever they made tonight was YUMMY.

I am constantly in awe that I am actually here. Hangin’ out at ABT. One of the ladies I was getting to know today- middle aged, lovely lady with wildly beautiful hair- made a comment after we had been talking for a while that made me realize she is retired from being a member of ABT!!! *gasp* I felt like a little girl meeting a celebrity.

Speaking of celebrities, Raymond Lukens…I honestly don’t know a lot about his dancing career, I only know him for his teaching. He tells some stories to give examples about being a kid in ballet class, and talks about dancing with people like Nureyev and Barishnikov …crazy awesome dancers. He told some great stories. He also speaks English, Spanish, French and Italian fluently. We had some Spanish-speaking teachers there, as well as one Italian guy, who spoke a little English, and every now and then he would stop and explain something again very quickly in Spanish or Italian, if one of them looked confused. Insane. I learned tons of French stuff too, including a few words I have been using incorrectly. Ahem. Thankfully, the majority of the other teachers had been as well. No more “eleve” in class, ballerinas. Haha…

I will finish off this note with several great / humorous quotes that the director made today.

“Ballet is wonderful, but life is more important. You must teach in a way that enhances a child’s life, so that they love ballet, whether they continue dancing as a career or not. This is how the art of ballet will survive.”

“Boys are bad. They are like bulldozers. And girls are evil manipulators.”

When a teacher questioned his use of a certain word for a certain step- “Well, you can call it a cabbage if you want to.” (I love that he stresses that different words are used for different things across the methods, but that THIS is what is used in his curriculum, just to call it something. The other terms are not incorrect.)

“Within limits, you discover liberty.”

“I try to relate to my students and how they communicate. I even read that stupid vampire book, “Midnight.” “

“Life is too short. You want a pool too.”

I am not finished yet. When I was growing up, I experienced several different teaching methods and styles. I came to understand, from my experience, that if I wanted to become a great dancer, I needed to go to a big school, where great dancers trained, and at these schools, ballet would not be fun, because the teacher would say mean things, cut us down, and not take notice of us unless we were the best. Those kinds of teachers made my early teen years rough. I studied with a wonderful teacher for a short time, who rekindled my love for dance and inspired me to be a teacher, but I didn’t realize until today that I was still holding on to the notion that mean teachers = great dancers. Because I refuse to be a mean teacher, I was subconsciously assuming that my students would have fun, but would not become great dancers. Hearing and seeing the way these directors teach, I see now that this is not true. Yes, those mean teachers might crank out some prima ballerinas, but they will also crank out a large amount of burned-out, brokenhearted girls who never knew how beautiful they were, but only that they didn’t have what it took and ballet stole several years of their lives, rather than enhanced several years of their lives.

As a ballet teacher, I have the opportunity to make students LOVE ballet and set realistic goals for improvement. It always breaks my heart when a student drops out of ballet, but my hope is that when they do drop out, it will not be from burnout or anything negative, but just that they were done, and would always look back fondly at their ballet experience.

Also, a note to my older students- DO SET REALISTIC GOALS. I honestly never know what to say when my students tell me things like “I will someday dance in the New York City Ballet”…that is so far off, and there are so many steps leading up to that, not to mention there are SO MANY OTHER careers in dance besides being a prima ballerina. Of course you might be one, but if your goal is so broad and so far out, you will grow frustrated long before you achieve it. Maybe you do want to dance professionally. You will need to see what you need to do first, such as taking more classes, recognizing your strengths and weaknesses and learning how to enhance them. Attending workshops, auditioning for intensives, study about different companies and careers and discuss the pros and cons…these are all things you can do NOW that will work toward whatever far-off dream you may have. You cannot just go through your class ritual and expect your dreams to fall into your lap. This is a great time to evaluate what you want to gain from dance in the near future and the far future. And no one is allowed to say that their goal is to play Clara in The Nutcracker, or I will cry. Work on the things it takes to do this role, and that dream might come true.

Love to you all from New York. –Miss Nicole

PS- Eden said a very sweet / sad thing to me last night. I was telling her to sleep well and be good for Daddy, and she said "Mama have a blanket? Mama have a pillow?" She was very concerned that I didn't have anywhere to sleep! What a sweet daughter I have.

I have arrived! I feel very calm, and quite excited, though I do have a headache. All I can really talk about is my first impression of the city, and of the beautiful place I am staying.

First of all, I was relieved to learn there was a shuttle that would take me from Newark directly to the front door of Sacred Heart Residence. YAY!!!! The surly, but very capable driver dropped me off first, and I was greeted with the charming neighborhood in Chelsea where I am staying. There were lots of people out walking either dogs or pushing their babies in a stroller. That was my main impression. That and the neighborhood is really beautiful and historical-looking. The residence itself is a building full of character, history, and STAIRS. The spiraling staircase goes up three floors- four if you count the basement, where we eat breakfast and dinner. My room is on the third floor. I have a room all to myself, and it is very much like a large closet with a bed in it, and a smaller closet. It’s all I really need though. There is a desk, a cozy comforter, and a gorgeous view!!!

As I came inside, after another guest arriving home showed me how to ring the buzzer to be let in, I went into the main office, where a very short sister dressed all in white was chatting on the phone in Spanish. I later learned that this is Sister Teresita. When she saw me, she said, “Buenas tardes, mi amor! Come in, sweetheart!” I sat in the beautifully decorated parlor while she finished her conversation, bestowing all kinds of Spanish terms of endearment on the caller. A few minutes later, she hung up. “I am sorry, sweetheart,” she said. “That was the international airport!” I had to stifle a giggle.

After sorting out who I was and giving me a key, she told me several things about where everything was, curfew times, etc, and several things she said stood out to me.

“We have lots of little ballerinas staying here, and they eat a lot of JUNK!”

“You can shower any time you want, but you MUST eat between 7 and 8 p.m.”

She then told me how her arm came to be in a sling. She fell and broke her elbow last week. This, I also learned, was only one week since she got home from the hospital where she had to stay for 26 days after another accident, where she had all sorts of internal bleeding in her head and nearly died. She was really only frustrated about this silly elbow, because now Mother says she cannot go on the vacation she had planned, until she is better.

Indeed, there are several young dancers staying here, and a couple other teachers, who I briefly met at

dinner tonight. I didn’t get a chance to find out if they were going to the same place I am, but I’m sure I’ll figure that out tomorrow.

I was hot and sweaty and achy, so I took Sister up on her offer of an anytime shower. It was quite an adventure. It was like standing under a powerful, hot waterfall in a very small cave. It was positively exactly what I needed, even though shaving my legs proved to be another adventure in and of itself and I almost drowned twice.

Now, the air outside is cooling off, the city noises around me are quiet, if nearly nonexistent, coming in from my open window. There is no AC, but it is not terribly hot, and I probably won’t be here much except at night.

Since I probably will not be able to post this until morning, I will say that the plan for TODAY is that I have to be at ABT at 8:30 to check in. Tomorrow will be learning about the basic principles of the curriculum, and then a focus on the Primary level. I finish at 5, and then hope to jump on over to Steps on Broadway for a class or two. There is a ballet class at 6 and theater dance after, so those sound good to me. OR I might go to Peridance, which is close to ABT, for some other classes. We will see how brave I am.

Someday, I will put on a production where everything goes completely smooth, and we do not have any impossible tasks thrown at us. I was discussing this with my mom the other day. Our Nutcracker productions especially have always been full of impossibilities. Here is what I can remember:

2002- Our very first production. Built entire set. Bought all costumes on very limited budget. Lots of people helped me, or this never would have continued!

2003- Okay, so this one wasn't too bad, but I had just opened PSB, so I had all the stress of running a business as well.

2004- Did not put on Nutcracker

2005- Abruptly had to move out of our studio space in the middle of rehearsals and had to finish rehearsals wherever we could find the space. Tons of updating happened this year, as it was the first time we put on a production at SSHS.

2006- I had just gotten married, and during the fall, my sister became very ill and my whole family was with her at the hospital. She ended up not performing, I had to replace my dad as Drosselmeier, and had to drag a random kid into the party scene at dress rehearsal to replace my mom.

2007- My daughter was born- did not put on The Nutcracker

2008- I was 9 months pregnant with my son and was literally breathing through contractions all through dress rehearsals and performances. He was born a week later.

2009- Had to move our entire production to The Princess ON production week because of a scheduling disaster at the high school. The production was not built for such a small stage, but we made it work and everyone loved it. Just a lot of unneccessary stress to get there.

I love dealing with the great people at The Princess. The theatre has it's limitations, but the people involved really make it great. My dates for this production were mixed up as well. Probably my fault, but instead of saying "Sorry, we can't help you", the great people at VTC arranged things and made it work and didn't even call me an idiot. They totally rock.

I love putting on productions, but I really wish that it didn't give me moments of nausea and heart palpitations. In the wise words of Marmee, "It WILL be fun!"