Tooooooooepick
Nov. 16th, 2013 01:18 pmI learned another jump today! Hahaha, I say that like I actually performed it, which I did not, but I sort of...hopped through it. It's a half flip, which is just like a regular flip in that it takes off going backwards by picking into the ice, but you do a half-revolution and land on your other toe pick facing forward before immediately setting your original foot down and continuing on.
You have to pick much, much harder than I realized on these pick jumps. This is no ladylike tap; you have to jam that sucker into the ice like you're digging for the concrete. I can't imagine people doing these on real ponds, where you could crack through to the water underneath.
Before we started on the half flips, we moved our waltz jumps away from the wall. The nice, safe, supportive wall. The instructor kept pointing out that I was putting my free leg out in front of me as I entered the jump, when it's supposed to be behind. Yes, well, when it's in front of me, that means I have something to land on immediately instead of trusting that I will manage to swing the other foot around in time to land on it without mishap. Sure, the swinging leg gives you the rotation. Rotation is so not on the agenda yet.
Thankfully, jump torture ended after twenty minutes, and we spent the rest on edges. Lovely, lovely edges. I can do an inside spread eagle now! I haven't actually attempted an outside one, but that's a goal for the next practice. This is one of the few areas where I have an advantage over the kids in my class, because I've had more years in my life to have ballet classes and thus, very nice turnout. Yay.
Rehearsal for the show involved even more cheesy goodness. At one point we kind of play London Bridge. And we're sort of doing a kickline for part of it--two forward swing rolls, separating for pivots, then joining hands again for backwards stroking and an attitude (kind of a backwards spiral). Outside swing rolls are so much easier when holding on to other people on both sides! And thank god, we took out the spins for my little trio. I am much more sanguine about this number now.
You have to pick much, much harder than I realized on these pick jumps. This is no ladylike tap; you have to jam that sucker into the ice like you're digging for the concrete. I can't imagine people doing these on real ponds, where you could crack through to the water underneath.
Before we started on the half flips, we moved our waltz jumps away from the wall. The nice, safe, supportive wall. The instructor kept pointing out that I was putting my free leg out in front of me as I entered the jump, when it's supposed to be behind. Yes, well, when it's in front of me, that means I have something to land on immediately instead of trusting that I will manage to swing the other foot around in time to land on it without mishap. Sure, the swinging leg gives you the rotation. Rotation is so not on the agenda yet.
Thankfully, jump torture ended after twenty minutes, and we spent the rest on edges. Lovely, lovely edges. I can do an inside spread eagle now! I haven't actually attempted an outside one, but that's a goal for the next practice. This is one of the few areas where I have an advantage over the kids in my class, because I've had more years in my life to have ballet classes and thus, very nice turnout. Yay.
Rehearsal for the show involved even more cheesy goodness. At one point we kind of play London Bridge. And we're sort of doing a kickline for part of it--two forward swing rolls, separating for pivots, then joining hands again for backwards stroking and an attitude (kind of a backwards spiral). Outside swing rolls are so much easier when holding on to other people on both sides! And thank god, we took out the spins for my little trio. I am much more sanguine about this number now.
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