"I think maybe it's the swans that I miss most."

[ebonlock]

I noticed that I wasn't as energetic and enthusiastic as I normally am after class last night. I'm becoming disenchanted with the Thursday evening classes as the kids in it are causing Alyne to slow down to the point of uselessness for anyone like myself who's been dancing for a while. More inspiration for getting Shira to switch her classes back to Tuesday nights. But I'm beginning to think that even if she doesn't I may well give her class a miss next semester and just focus entirely on Alyne's. I hate to do it because I do enjoy Shira's class and I like her as a teacher, but her style isn't ultimately for me and I'm not sure I can't learn that much more from her.

Troupe Samiyah was put through its paces last evening and most of its members did beautifully. I had several critical failures for some odd reason, but I'm hoping that I got them all out of my system then. Hoping being the operative word here. We perform tomorrow and I'm trying not to get panicky about it. Trying, again, being the operative word }:)

A few LOTR blurbs:
Two Towers Sweeps First VES Awards

And Dom bought himself a forest, rock on!

And my very dear friend E- from back home, another hopeless Frodo fanatic has acquired the Cranberries video in which Lij appeared and has agreed to make me some screencaps. I did a mini-exhausted-Friday happy dance at my desk this morning when I read that. I have such wonderful friends!


I've really enjoyed perusing the articles collected at www.worldpress.org, it's fascinating to read perspectives on a variety of topics from different countries. I was especially intrigued by this list of articles "The United States Moves Closer to War". Lots of interesting viewpoints here. Also highly recommended for those wanting commentary on both sides of the issue: Iraq, Comment and Analysis.

I also discovered last night that while I am a normally peaceful, rational, calm person, Jerry Falwell can push me to near homicidal mania. All he has to do is sit there with that condescending smirk on his face and I just want to pick up the nearest blunt object and bludgeon him to death with it. He stopped just shy of calling the imminent war with Iraq a "crusade", but you could see that "Holy War" glint in his eye. The fact that Bush is the apple of his eye scares the living hell out of me, and I hope I'm not the only one.

Comments

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Meep. I'm sorry that things aren't working out with the Thursday night classes anymore, although, I have to admit that I'm really happy that there are sprogs taking dance lessons from someone as cool as Alyne. One of my biggest regrets is that my parents pulled me out of dance lessons (as much as I disliked them at the time), sacrificing them to the homework gods.

But I also think two classes a week (or three, if Shira moves back to Tuesday) is good. You need time at home, and for your friends!

Re:

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Meep. I'm sorry that things aren't working out with the Thursday night classes anymore, although, I have to admit that I'm really happy that there are sprogs taking dance lessons from someone as cool as Alyne. One of my biggest regrets is that my parents pulled me out of dance lessons (as much as I disliked them at the time), sacrificing them to the homework gods.

Oh I'm glad the kids are taking bellydance rather than, say ballet, but I do kinda wish she had a seperate class for them and for us. Then again maybe it's an indicator that the beginner classes just aren't for me any more. It's so hard to say, though, because just when I think I've got all the beginner stuff nailed she'll show us something new and "basic" that completely stumps me.


But I also think two classes a week (or three, if Shira moves back to Tuesday) is good. You need time at home, and for your friends!

Well it would certainly be more concentrated that way, Sunday class every other week, then Mondays and Tuesdays for at least an hour. We're thinking about instituting Sunday exercise at our place too doing the Warrior Goddess workout. It looks like it'll be excellent for strength building, which is something I would dearly love to work on.

And time would be nice, very, very nice. I look forward to having some again in March *G*

[aelfsciene.livejournal.com]

Stacy and I talked about this some last night, and we're of the same mind; I don't want to discourage the kids dancing, becuase I think it's fantastic they can get an early start, and I hope they stay with it, but at the same time, it's frustrating to effectively lose my workout, because Alyne's got to slow things down so much. I do think I like the second class, even if I'm currently outclassed, because I like a challenge, and this certainly is one. Though giving Thursdays a miss would give me another day to get to the gym, and more endurance and weight training wouldn't be a bad thing, either, so.

I am really hoping we can convince Shira to switch, because I do like the different sort of things we learn in her classes, and definitely appreciate the chances to perform fairly regularly. I'll see if I can make my silver-tongue roll on Monday, I guess, keep your fingers crossed.

Need more time!

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Need more time!

Less classes would probably translate into more time. :)

Re:

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

Less classes would probably translate into more time. :)

Ah, but also less dance fun, less exercise, less improvement. I think Aelf and I have gotten to a point where we are really driven to be better dancers, rather than just doing this for health benefits. Not that we don't like those too, mind you, but the dancing itself has captured our imaginations.

Personally I've noticed I'm much calmer and more grounded with the dancing. All the nervous energy I usually carry around, the stress and tension, all dissolves after a few hours of body movement. At least for a while. And I'm moving differently now, more fluidly and gracefully than I ever have. I have better balance and more confidence in my body. And beginning to see actual muscle definition and feel strong for the first time in a long time is awfully nice too.

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Ah, but also less dance fun, less exercise, less improvement.

Yes, but your defense for more classes aside, it doesn't change the truism that less classes translates into more time. :)

My thoughts...

[eilonwey.livejournal.com]

Unless something changes, I think that I'm going to start going to beginning and intermediate class with Alyne on Mondays, and just intermediate on Tuesdays. In my current jobless state, $10 a week is not spare change. $10 is money that I could be spending on a dinner out, or something else fun. I felt like I got almost nothing out of the beginner class last night.

The intermediate class is very challenging - just barely not too challenging. But I'm going to try to hang in there with it because I think it will get better eventually.

I was telling Neil last night that I really wish that she taught three levels of classes: beginning, intermediate, and advanced. I feel like the intermediate group is really advanced, and the Thursday beginning class is too basic. It's hard for intermediate dancers, like us, to feel comfortable in either class.

Although Mondays are better since the classes are smaller and there aren't any children. I really hope that you manage to convince Shira to switch her classes to Tuesdays because I think Mondays are going to be great for catching up to the "intermediate" level...

Re: My thoughts...

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

I was telling Neil last night that I really wish that she taught three levels of classes: beginning, intermediate, and advanced. I feel like the intermediate group is really advanced, and the Thursday beginning class is too basic. It's hard for intermediate dancers, like us, to feel comfortable in either class.

I've been thinking exactly the same thing. I mean her intermediate class has professional dancers and teachers in it, which is a bit daunting to someone at my level. Not quite beginner, but nowhere near pro either.

Although Mondays are better since the classes are smaller and there aren't any children. I really hope that you manage to convince Shira to switch her classes to Tuesdays because I think Mondays are going to be great for catching up to the "intermediate" level...

See if we could turn Mondays into a real intermediate class, where she can go a good deal faster than with the beginners, but not to the point where we can't keep up, I'd be happy. Remember the last half an hour of her mixed class? That was a great workout and a good pace. Maybe too slow for some of the advanced students, but challenging and fun for me at my level. That's kind of what I'm looking for.

Re: My thoughts...

[aelfsciene.livejournal.com]

What, well, both of you said. Thursday 2nd class is fairly daunting, but as I keep saying, I like a challenge, and think I want to give it a try for awhile. Of course, I may change my mind after a few weeks, since there'll be a lot of travel time for a one-hour class (though maybe traffic won't be as bad a bit later), but we'll see, I guess.

I do think Thursday beginners isn't very pointful for any of us by now, but I really think you could hold your own in the intermediate, E (but this is not much like shutting up and stopping with the bullying, is it?). There's a pretty wide range of dancers in there, from what I've seen, although last night was mostly about trying to keep up with the steps of a choreography I'd seen once before, and I didn't pay that much attention to individuals. ^_^

Still, as always, really hoping for the Shira-class switch; there's a weird part of me that wants to learn Tinni Minni, just so I've got her full range of routines, and I am enjoying the debkeh and the power moves of the veil routine, so I'm loath to drop it outright, but can't argue I'd get a lot more, long-term, out of Monday nights with Alyne.

And I'm still extremely interested in something from her page, though I'm not sure it's still offered:

"Performance Preparation: Mondays only. The 8:15 choreography performance prep session is going to be dedicated to intermediates that want to get cardio workout. This will be dedicated eventually to choreographies, but for the next 8 weeks will be focused on strength training and transition conditioning, with finger cymbals. This will start as a "copycat" session where you follow my leads. I get to choose the sequences, but it will end with 10 minutes of solo dancing as a group, where you can work out your own artistic ideas, steps, transitions, duets, trios, whatever you feel inspired to pursue"

Choreographies are a fantastic way to get a workout, as well as cement transitions (though from individual teachers and their styles, granted) and just generally polish certain moves. And, well, I'm always about the strength and cardio training, so find this especially alluring.

[tersa.livejournal.com]

We're thinking about instituting Sunday exercise at our place too doing the Warrior Goddess workout.

OoooOOOOooo. Now, that could be something I could get into. Esp. if we could combine it with MCN somehow.

It looks like it'll be excellent for strength building, which is something I would dearly love to work on.

Me, too!

Re:

[ebonlock.livejournal.com]

We're thinking about instituting Sunday exercise at our place too doing the Warrior Goddess workout.

OoooOOOOooo. Now, that could be something I could get into. Esp. if we could combine it with MCN somehow.

Don't see why the two couldn't be done in combination. If you want to take a look at the tape before you make up your mind just let us know. I break a sweat just watching some of the exercises *G*

[aelfsciene.livejournal.com]

Mmmf. I admit I was kinda hoping we could this as an earlier-morning sort of thing, and MCN has usually been an evening activity. And, well, Sunday's generally my only free day (if that!) all week, which I tend to guard somewhat jealously; while I want to do the workout, I'm not as keen on always and ever doing MCN all day after it.

But I could always just do it on my own, as most workout tapes have been used in the past, and you guys could do the evening thing; it'd make things less crowded, too.

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Well, hey, if this was a household thing you wanted to do earlier, then don't let me ruin things. :)

[aelfsciene.livejournal.com]

Like I said, I can just run through this by myself in the mornings, or something; I'd just really prefer to exercise earlier in the day, and never manage to all week, so want one ideal day in the week. If you're willing to come over in the morning (MCN can still happen later that evening), that'd be fabulous, or else you and E can run through it later in the day. I'm just not too keen on the evening thing, myself, and know I'll want to keep a good chunk of Sundays unplanned whenever possible.