(Foot)notes

This tidbit in Pointe magazine caught my eye, so I thought I'd share:

Wish your pointe shoes were slightly less painful? Get more sleep! A recent study found that when people stayed in bed for at least 10 hours a night, by the fourth day they experienced a 25 percent decrease in pain sensitivity. Researchers think this happens because we have more pain receptors in our blood system when we're exhausted. How's that for an excuse to sleep in? (Pointe Magazine 12/18/12)

So get your rest and save your feet.

FYI...for all of my local dancers in Pasadena and Los Angeles...the following classes are canceled for the holidays:

--Christmas Eve classes at Le Studio
--Christmas Day classes at Dance Arts
--12/26 classes at Dance Arts (evening classes at Le Studio WILL be in session!)
--New Year's Eve classes at Le Studio (except for my 10AM $10 special class!!)
--New Year's Day classes at Dance Arts

ALL other classes ARE in session. If you have any questions, please check the calendar at the bottom of this page or send me an email.  Happy and healthy dancing to all!

Keeping a dance journal

Do you know that I can *still* remember corrections given to me by teachers from 20 years ago? I still try to apply them too (never did get them right!). I was taught to write down corrections after every class so that they would become solid in my mind and also so I wouldn't make the same mistakes twice. A journal can be especially helpful if you're taking with several teachers. One may suggest an arm or head correction while another focuses on your core. By writing it all down, it will reinforce your memory of the correction and also get it into your brain for an application of it somewhere else.

Here is a tip from Pointe Magazine:

"As ballet dancers, our days are chock-full of classes and rehearsals--which makes it difficult to keep track of all the important corrections we receive from teachers and coaches. Try keeping a dance journal. After class or rehearsal, spend some time reviewing your corrections, and jot them down in a notebook. Doing so will help you process and retain the advice--and the less time you spend re-fixing old problems, the more you can work on polishing the details. Soon, you'll be able to conquer whatever you've been focusing on, be it a triple pirouette or that tricky Odile variation."