Level 6 in 7 Months?!

Hello dancers!

It's been a while since I've posted. A lot has been going on in my life but don't worry, I won't be abandoning this blog! Last year I had one two hour ballet class every Monday and a one hour private class every other week. Now I have ballet four days a week! I am in levels 3/4 during the week and level 6 on Saturdays. Originally I was meant to be in level 6 all week, but I'm still having trouble with vocabulary and there are some basic steps I need to work on, so I was given this unique schedule to help me catch up. I'll be sharing how I was able to advance quickly and how I plan to continue moving up in this blog post.

Step 1: Practice at home!

If you take anything away from this post, please let it be this! If you're like I was and you only have 2 to 3 hours of dance class a week then it's important to make sure you're also putting in hours at home. Ideally you'd practice for at least an hour every day, but I'll admit that as much as I'd like to do that it doesn't always work out. Just make sure you're taking time to focus on strength,stretching, and practicing barre work at home. My best advice would be to stand in front of a mirror and do slow movements at the barre. The slower you go, the more you can focus on technique!

Step 2: Ask Questions

This is one I'm still working on. I feel embarrassed sometimes when I don't understand what's going on, but I'm working on getting over this and asking questions more in class. You shouldn't expect yourself to know everything on the first try! If there's something you don't understand the quickest way to learn is by asking for help.

Step 3: Study

I've started using Quizlet and Youtube to help me learn vocabulary at home. One of my teachers was even kind enough to give me a packet and worksheets to teach me vocabulary! I've also started reading books about ballet to help give me a better understanding of technique.

Step 4: Take Notes and Go Over Them

At the end of class last year, my teacher would have us write down three things.

1. Compliments we received

2. Corrections we received

3. Things we have improved

4. Things we would like to improve

These simple prompts really helped me know what my strengths and weaknesses were, and they also helped me keep track of my progress. Now I also know what I need to work on at home to move up in class. For example, I noticed last Saturday that petit and grande allegro were what I had the most trouble with, so I've been practicing glissade and assemble jumps at home this week.

Step 5: Don't be Afraid to Fail

This has been my biggest struggle so far. Mental blockages can be just as bad as physical ones, so it's important to know what they are and how to get over them. My biggest mental blockage has been my fear of making mistakes, but the only way to avoid mistakes would be to never learn new things. Instead I'm forcing myself to try everything, and if I'm going to make a mistake then I will turn it into a learning opportunity.

I hope this post was helpful to you all! I'm sorry I still haven't posted an update on my December challenges. I was able to get my left split flat again and my right split is super close! I haven't done the Sugarplum Fairy variation since I performed it for my family on New Years, but I will still try to have it up for you guys soon along with a flexibility update.