Splits Injury. Lesson Learned: Don't Overdo It.

So, remember when I posted about how I'd come very, very close to doing my splits? Well, it's been about five days, and I would like to note that I definitely injured myself! It's nothing major, and I am positive it came from that loud "pop" I heard (in the exact same spot, and my other leg is not injured). I was not able to even work on much flexibility with that leg tonight- I spent that time instead working on it with a tennis ball and my foam roller.

I didn't attempt anything close to a split on the other leg, but I wonder if I've gotten more flexible on it. I wish that pop hadn't happened- I knew then and there it was extremely likely I'd done something wrong.

So, lesson learned: don't try the crazy stunts I pull on here for yourself, for injury can definitely occur!

Update 3/27/15: I am STILL recovering from this.

Taking a mini-break from exercise...

I'm taking a mini-break from today's practice. It's gone well- I've kept myself motivated, which I have been having trouble with. I've had to remind myself that this is fun, not just exercise. (If I view anything as exercise, it becomes a drag and I hate it!)

I didn't do much of a warm-up, but Tamra's classes start slow. I did her Lesson 4: Barre, except a few things at the end, I believe she worked on grande battements, and I didn't do those. I don't think I've even done any of the online classes since starting actual classes (which reminds me- I need to cancel my DanceFlix subscription for now, since I haven't been doing those either). I definitely see improvements in what I can do now versus what I could do before starting live classes!

So I worked my way through those, then I started in on a couple of things I'm having trouble with in class: my arabesques, and ah, our grand battements(??), I think they are. (From fifth, passe to retire, then do a leg extension as high as you can, tendu, close.) With the arabesques, I've been having trouble getting my arms right for where my standing leg is. First arabesque has the arm on the standing leg's side extended, and third arabesque has both hands in the air, but the standing leg side is higher than the working leg. I've been switching those around. So I worked on that quite a bit, and I think I've got the hang of it.

I worked on that second exercise mostly for one reason: after we've done front, side, back, we go back to the side but instead of finishing the same way, our leg is raised (damn, I need to make these flashcards I found online), plie, sous-sus, spot, turn, plie, fifth, immediately repeat the regular exercise. I've been trying to just finish the exercise, forget we are supposed to plie, sous-sus and turn, so by the time I've gotten my body facing the other direction, I forget what the hell we are supposed to be doing, so I miss a few beats catching up, which often totally throws me off. But now: now I think I've got it. I practiced over and over, mostly the part right before and after the turn.

In summary: I've brushed up on my arabesques (and also practiced holding them) and worked on spotting while turning today.

Now to stretch. Let's see how that split's going...

Update: Sick, Pas de Bourres, Adding a Bra to a Leotard

As luck would have it, just as I was getting over my not feeling so well from the car wreck I was in, I caught a cold earlier this week. It got bad on Tuesday, when I left work early, and I stayed at home in bed Wednesday and Thursday as well. I'm feeling much better. I pondered going to ballet both of those days (though I felt really bad, especially Tuesday), but decided that not only would it probably make me not feel better, I would likely spread it to all of my classmates, who would then spread it to their respective school classrooms and I would just be responsible for this huge catastrophe of sickness. So, I stayed home.

I'm definitely getting back into it today. Nothing too hardcore as I'm not at 100% but I can't not do anything today. I'm already worried my teacher is thinking I'm not taking ballet seriously- and I am! I'll explain to her what happened, of course. And today, I think I am going to work on some of the slower online classes that I know well, the ones by Tamra Chace, and do some stretching. At the end, if I feel like it, I will work on my pas de bourre. I'm really getting the hang of them, and want to really have them nailed the next time I go to class... or at least to where I'm not totally tangled up doing them in class.

I've been working on visualizing those pas de bourres a lot, since I haven't been able to do them. I've been watching two videos over and over to see how gracefully the dancers do them, and then try to imagine myself doing the movements as gracefully. Hopefully that's helping. One is from the Royal Opera House. We don't move front to back, only to the sides, but even so, I'm watching those movements too to help figure out how to gracefully do the sides. This is the other one and I don't even know who these people are, but I like that I can watch several people to see how each of them do the movements.

The other thing I am planning on starting today is this: I've been lamenting about my lack of leotard options as a woman with a D cup/fuller breasts. Basically, I have been confined to plain, basic tank leotards; plain, basic short-sleeve and long-sleeve leotards, and, well, that's just about it. (Although I have recently purchased one with lace at the shoulders, and can wear a bra with clear straps for that one.) But I still have my pretty leotards that I can't wear to class!

So I've decided to recycle an old bra to use with a leotard, probably my older white one (it's seen better days, so I will use it first. Also, it flattens me out a bit instead of pushing me up, which is better for ballet!). My goal is to cut the back off starting from an inch or two past the cups on the side, and cut everything from there back out. Then I am going to fold the edges I cut, and maybe add something else in for reinforcement there. (Excuse me, I don't know sewing terms.) And then I am going to add black elastic strips. With this one, it will probably be three horizontal straps, so that when the bra is on (which will hopefully just slip over my head? Or I may need to add hooks), the front will be supported and in the back you will just see three horizontal black stripes, which will hopefully blend in and look like it's part of my leotard.

I've been looking at a ton of ideas for doing this. I've got some ideas for straps as well. Here are some of the photos that have been inspiring me:

This is how the first one I plan to do will hopefully look, only under a camisole leotard with a very low back. I'm just not sure if strapless will be enough support. If not, I will add straps in somewhere...

Basically what mine will look like, hopefully, only the front won't match and won't be so pretty on my first try!

This was my original idea, for the really pretty black leotard I still have the tags on, because I just don't have a bra to match the straps and without a bra, it just looks awkward. It looks like with this one, you could actually sew in the bra straps inside the leotard straps, though I'm not sure how that will work with the one I have in mind.

I wouldn't put the adjustments there at the top like that, but I plan to use mine for low-back leotards. I'd love to make something where the straps could be worn or not... but if worn, they would match my leotards shape. So, not like the traditional multi-way bras that VS has and such.

New leotard seller

I found these guys linking on eBay (which they aren't supposed to do) and figured I would go ahead and bookmark the link before it wasn't available anymore. The quality doesn't really look so great for the price... or maybe it was just the couple I glanced at that just didn't have any liner in the front, but I will leave the link here for you to determine the quality and if it's something you'd like to purchase or not. (I get nothing and only just came across them last night. I've never purchased from them and cannot testify to their quality or validity as a seller.) Also, the website seems to run really slowly for me.

Splits Progress!

Disclaimer: What I am about to discuss was probably a terrible idea to try. I'm sometimes my own guinea pig and risk injuring myself for various tricks and such. I do not recommend trying anything in this post. To do so could truly cause major injury!! 

Edit: I did, in fact, get injured! Nothing too horrible, but still a setback. See my post five days later here. 

Edit #2: Please don't do anything you see in this post. A month later, I'm still injured. Read about it here.

OMG, I can't believe I haven't ever posted photos of my splits here! Probably because they are so sucky, but still, that should have been good reason right there, so I can chart my progress. Anyway, let's just say that never in my life have I ever been able to do any sort of split. Not straddle, or either side. Let's say I've never been within a foot of the floor doing splits. Let's say that because it's all true.

That Tsatsulin book I've mentioned a few times... honestly, I haven't read more than what I'd read by the time I first posted about it (well, maybe a few more chapters later that day, but not really any since then). It's marked at page 43 of 157 now, so that's how far I've made it. And yet, those 43 pages have made a huge difference in the way I'm approaching stretching (which, yes, I did yesterday, along with some ballet).

One of the things Tsatsulin mentions is this: one leg can get into a certain position alone, and the other leg can get into another position alone, but yet, I am unable to do both of those things together. Why? There is nothing connecting the two legs together (I don't even know if this is true or not, but stick with me here). So it's a mental thing, a fear thing. My body is not accustomed to being in a split and so it snaps into fear mode when I try to put it in that sort of position, which only serves to tighten me up more.

There's a bunch more, you should at least read 43 pages.

So yesterday, I had on some meditation/yoga music and I was working on stretching. I got into a splits position. I was taking shallow breaths, and I got into this very Zen-like state. (I do not recommend doing what I am about to tell you about AT ALL, but especially if you have never done meditation or aren't very good at visualizing what's going on in your body!) I thought about how my front leg could get into the right position while alone... and it pretty much got there. I thought about the same with my back leg... and I was practically doing splits!

I'm totally not kidding about this. I have photographic proof:

(Pardon my mirror spots)

 Now, I know that is not a full split: my left leg (um, on the left- I'm in a mirror here... for some reason my left front split is better than my right) isn't totally touching the floor. And my right leg is bent behind me. I don't quite think my body is supposed to be turned in that direction; it should be facing the front. So it probably altogether looks a bit awkward. But I DON'T CARE because I'M DOING A SPLIT!

 

Yes, I was able to do it (awkwardly again) on the other side as well! 

I WOULD like to caution: besides the fact that this was probably a terrible idea and I don't recommend it at all, I also heard a very scary, very loud POP the second time I tried that first split. It came from within my hip area and scared the crap out of me. Also, I'm sore today. Quite sore. (And this is the second day after- today's Monday and this happened Saturday.)

Yet, I don't feel like I've done any damage. I'm definitely not doing anything much with it today besides walking, and didn't yesterday either. But honestly, this is about the sort of splits some of the young girls in my class can do- with the back leg bent some- and now I will (possibly) be able to do it too!

And my straddle split improved as well:

Not only have I never been able to get that far apart, I was even able to ease my elbows all the way to the ground (though it was difficult to totally rest that way).

I'm so excited. Thank you, Mr. Tsatsulin! Here is a (pdf) link to Relax into Stretch again.

(P.S. That's one of my new leotards from Discount Dance that I scored for under $15!)

Interesting little bit

I found this image on Tumblr of Natalia Osipova:

and there was an interesting comment noting that she actually does a small rond while doing a grande jete, which may get her up to 6" or so farther in the air. I wouldn't have noticed it if it hadn't been pointed out (it's the second leap in the gif with her right leg). That's kinda neat- I wonder if it does actually get her up higher?

Lacking Discipline

I knew this time would come; I've mentioned it here several times: the time when I find myself seriously lacking discipline. I wasn't sure exactly the form: I am, at least, taking ballet classes twice a week. And I do usually arrive an hour early to warmup. But my home practice, including stretching, has pretty much dropped down to nil.

I mentioned it to my boyfriend last night, that I just can't seem to find the motivation to practice at home. And he reminded me: I need to discipline myself. Yes, that's exactly what I need. Today is Saturday, and I have it all to myself (besides taking my pup to the park and for a walk around the park). And today, I am going to get in a good ballet session at home, including working on the things we do in class (including our new pas de bourre over and under) and getting in some stretching.

For now to finish my coffee and get motivated with some YouTube.

Foot Photos

I'm sure you've noticed by now (my make-believe visitors here) how obsessed I am with pointed feet. Seriously, I am still "doming" all day long at work in my quest to get a pretty (and stronger) pointed foot. So, in honor of that, here are a bunch of foot/pointe photos I've found that I love!

Such a cool angle!

Alicia Gouveia

Melissa Chapsky

Inspirational Photos

I've noticed I'm starting to build more back muscles, and am able to go up pretty far. We do this exercise without another person, though, and our legs lift in the air as well. I think I will try it with someone else soon.

Amazing arabesque!

I love her arms, wrists, and hands here!

Back to class, breathing while stretching, "lengthening" muscles versus "relaxing" them

I made it to class yesterday- it felt soooo good to be exercising and stretching again. (I sat out the second half, due to the jumps.) Somehow, it seems a break did me some good- it feels like I'm slightly more flexible, but maybe I'm imagining it. But when doing center splits, I'm able to get my elbows down to the ground- though perhaps I'm simply not stretching as wide as normal.

(Although I did read somewhere [in a book preview on Amazon, I think, about ballet/dance anatomy] that ideally, a dancer or such will take two full weeks off each year of not exercising (or maybe only gentle exercising, and it does their bodies a whole lot of good!)(I'm not anywhere near a professional dancer, though, and haven't even been doing ballet for a year!)

So, we have a new adult in class! She's taller than me, 21 years old, and about as flexible as I am! So I feel a little less awkward in class now, but slightly more awkward having another adult who may be watching me. (I'm not sure what I will do when I go to adult-only classes if I move!) That's pretty exciting.

I told my instructor, when my left leg was in retire, but would not get that nice, even line like my right leg is capable of getting, that I wasn't able to get that leg out there. She assumed it was from my accident. I tried to clarify after class, but she didn't catch it, and isn't going to call me out on that leg anymore. I'm kinda relieved- I'm trying with that leg but it is simply not shaped to do what I'd like it to do.

How I want my retire to look!

 Before class when I was stretching, though, I did work on my left leg. I put it up in retire, eased up against a vertical barre... bar, and twisted a bit so the leg got closer to the correct position. I held it like that for a minute or so, and when I stepped away from the barre my line looked much better- but I wasn't able to access that again the next time I tried. So my left leg, it seems, will make a nice line in retire, but it is going to take a lot of stretching- and strengthening- to get it to hold that position. (All of this due to my tibial torsion.)

More leotards came in, including a different style of black that I will actually feel comfortable wearing in class! Still have those photos coming one day!

(I mean, LOOK at this! Amazing turnout, foot pointed so well, that leg high up in retire, clean line, just lovely!

I believe I linked to Tsatsulin's book recently, on stretching. He brings up a fantastic point: don't breathe deep breaths when doing deep stretches. When you do so, you're breathing tension into that muscle (especially if you're focusing on the muscle, visualizing it releasing, etc). Instead, it's better to take short, shallow breaths. I tried this yesterday, and it totally helped me.

A note on that: he also recommends not focusing on lengthening your muscles, tendons, fascia. Instead, you are releasing what it there. That totally makes intuitive sense to me. I've never worked on elongating muscles, even when I've read or heard the term "lengthen your muscles". I don't need them longer. I need them to loosen up- the looser they get, the deeper of a stretch and the more flexible I am.

More Inspirational Photos

More from Tumblr and a couple of other places:

Love this one! Anything with pointed foot close-ups!

This one and the ones below, I think, are of Maria Kochetkova of the SF Ballet.

Inspirational Animated Gifs

Some photos I recently found on Tumblr. I believe the following are all Hee Seo Mariinsky, who is with the ABT, I believe.

This photo is unbelievable! Definitely one of my absolute favorites. The slight step, the absolutely perfect rolling down from pointe... You can see every single tiny motion perfectly.

And then the perfect rolling up (and hey! Even professionals may quiver a little while balancing!)(Of course, she'd probably been doing more ballet in that day than I will in a month!)

She undoubtedly knows exactly where her working foot is at any given moment. The second time it comes towards her body being slightly closer than the first time, the last swinging out a bit further than any of the previous times... I know from just learning to tendu (and a bit of degage, especially a la seconde) that getting the foot in the exact same spot you want it every time is difficult and comes only with practice!

Out of practice briefly :(

Last week, I left work a little early and was heading home. I'm stopped at a stoplight, when I hear a BOOM! behind me. I immediately look into my rearview mirror, to see.... an SUV plowing towards my rear. I threw my arms up around my head and BOOM! I was hit. (The first boom was an SUV hitting the one that hit me!)

That was last Wednesday. I was extremely disoriented immediately after. I had headaches and body aches into Thursday, when I left work early to drop off my ballet payment with a note as to why I wouldn't be in class, went home, and slept until the next day. I still felt bad on Friday, so I finally went to the ER, and they told me I have post-concussion syndrome- basically, the after-effects of having one's head shaken (or hit, I was shaken only) too hard. Headaches, nausea, disorientation, etc. I went home that day and slept the day away as well.

So I missed last Thursday's class. I wanted to go and at least take notes, but I was so tired, I couldn't. I'm feeling better today (Tuesday). Still a headache, though, and some minor body aches still (left side of my body from head to bottom), but I just don't think my head can handle the bouncing from echappe sous-sus, etc. Today, I am going to go and just sit there and take notes as fast as I can. I've been wanting to do this anyway, and it's a great day to do so.

My plan is to have a little time beforehand to scribble the major ways we start an exercise (our prep) so I can just write "tendus, start a" or "start b" or whatever. Otherwise, I'm not sure I'll ever learn which ones we start with a tendu versus just fifth or whatever! And I'm especially looking forward to writing down the positions of the body when the class does that, along with the port de bras. Those two things are what I really want to know, but don't yet. I'm still having to follow the girl who is good, when I want to be able to solely focus on myself and how I am doing it when I do it. (I nearly have the port de bras, but all knowledge goes out the door when I'm at home- I can do them in class, but can't practice otherwise!) Also looking forward to getting down the order of everything- hopefully by this weekend, I will be able to get in some really great practice. I still don't know the movements themselves, and that's about to change.

I've done some plies and another leg exercise since my accident, but that's about it. This sucks and I can't wait to go back to doing ballet! On the other hand, this is also a positive thing because I will have an excuse to just take notes in class. (Provided, of course, that I am allowed! And I think I will be.)

So that's what's going on with me. I'm very grateful that I only had minor injuries- it could have been so much worse! I will be even more grateful to return to ballet. But I'm still here, and still obsessed with ballet!

Inspiration: Keenan Kampa

According to one Pinterest user, Keenan Kampa is a "23 year old ballerina who is blazing a trail in the Russian ballet. [She's the] first American to receive a diploma from the Vaganova Ballet Academy and is now going to join the Mariinsky Ballet (in Russia)."

Anyway, a photo of her caught my eye, so I decided to look up some more. Here are my favorites:

Brutal class

Tonight's class was kinda brutal. Apparently, my teacher thinks I should be learning faster than I am... and she's probably right. I mentioned this past week that I'm just working on the basics at home- I don't even have all of those down yet! And now I'm getting fussed at for not knowing all of my arabesques, and for getting my feet mixed up in, eh, whatever those other moves are called. (Luckily, only the kids get picked on for terminology... right now.)

I was constantly being called out tonight- my head was facing the wrong way, my retire wasn't up high enough, my arms were too far to my sides, my (left) knee (with the tibial torsion) wasn't pointed out far enough... I wasn't sure if I should mention the tibial torsion or not, so I decided not to yet, because even if it won't turn out as far as we'd both like, I can make it go a little further and keep working on it, and I do need to keep attention on it because of the flaw.

I even got fussed at tonight for not being able to do splits! Some good came from this- she gave me a new way of working on my splits. I'd been keeping the back knee on the ground and the back foot facing down and she told me from now on to keep the knee up and the foot sideways- and it made a big difference, so I will be doing this from now on. Then she said something about getting my head down to the ground when we were doing our front splits facing away from her... I turned my head and raised an eyebrow at her. She said, "well, eventually..." LOL!

I'm bitching a little here, but honestly, I needed all of this to kick my ass up a notch. I was mentally, yet unconsciously, using the excuse "I'm new, so it's okay that I'm behind" to justify not learning faster. (And we got a new girl in tonight, so I'm not the new one anymore.)

After class, I got my little redheaded friend to help me on a couple of things. I've now got several new things (even just from figuring them out in tonight's class) I am confident I can practice at home. I'm exhausted, though. I want to get up and work on them all, but I'm so tired. I will at least work on my splits, though, and work on the other stuff tomorrow. There just isn't enough time in the week!!

One other thing: my toes are starting to hurt. And I'm starting to realize how faaarrrrrr I have to go before my ankles and feet will ever be ready for pointe work. My big toes hurt because it seems we're always dragging them on the ground. My ankles started hurting a bunch and getting weak when we were working on echappe sous-sus. (Yeah, I've nearly got that one down! At barre and in center!)We didn't even do that many... ballerinas are insane!!