Thursday, January 30, 2014

Rain Dance

My state is in the midst of a terrible drought. I have lived here all my life, and I have seen bad droughts before. This year blows them all away. Our reservoirs are lower than they have been in my lifetime. The snow pack in the mountains that we depend on for our water all year long is down to 12% of normal. It's... it's pretty ridiculous, guys. It has quite literally not rained since NOVEMBER.
But tonight it's raining. It is too little too late, of course, but at least it's raining.
It's because of me, guys. The rain. I did a rain dance. And by "rain dance" I mean I put on pointe shoes for the first time in several weeks and then proceeded to forget how my feet work.
YOU'RE WELCOME.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Cure


When you see this type of old advertisement you are tempted to laugh. Such silliness! Such gullibility! Oh, the things our ignorant forebears would believe! How little we knew about medicine then! How easily the predacious could market useless products to people who didn't know better!
But... was it really so different? There are still myriad "cures" of dubious efficacy on the market. You can't go to a drug store or turn on the TV without seeing some sort of snake oil pitch.
Is it really so hard to understand why people purchased these things? In a world full of advanced technology in medicine and health we STILL don't really understand some of the dreadful things that can happen to our bodies (or that they can do to themselves). In this modern age there are still countless people suffering that can't find the help they need to get through the day without pain. When you live in pain you are desperate for answers. Desperate for relief, for help. And? If the medical establishment isn't offering that to you? Is it so strange to look for your answers elsewhere?
Sometimes, while slogging through the research debunking yet another cure-all, I have to remind myself not to judge others too harshly for finding relief when and where they can. Not to roll my eyes (well, not where anyone would see me, anyway) when someone on pinterest posts countless herbal cures that have very little chance of helping. We are all searching for something, after all.




Thursday, January 23, 2014

SO MANY TUTUS

The first batch of OH SO MANY unfortunate burgundy tutus that I have to alter in to wearability before the next recital:

I regret everything.

As I was carrying the giant trash bag full of these things out to my car last week my teacher said I looked "just like Santa Claus! But with the ugliest tutus EVER."

Monday, January 20, 2014

Anyone can get yelled at for their posture...

You find the darndest things online. For example, this awkward book-reading ballerina pinup girl:

 by Freeman Elliot, circa 1949.


And lest you think that this is too random to be a particular niche in vintage erotica, here is another (and it's not even by the same artist):

by Gil Evgren, circa 1953

Thursday, January 16, 2014

What What, in the Butt?

My level three class has a batch of new students, so the complexity of combinations has been stepped down a bit. Like, to the point that I actually feel competent. But my mixed-level class has only gotten harder and harder, so now I am stuck either feeling unchallenged or overly challenged. For cryin' out loud, can I get a level four class, please? These dead-dull en croix degages aren't doing it for me any more, and no matter how many times you tell me the sequence of a 13-step grand allegro combination it ain't gonna happen right now.
Sigh...

Sorry, I am feeling a bit shouty, tonight.
Because I... pulled my butt muscle? Or... something. Class was fuller than usual tonight so I got stuck at a portable barre which is a good foot or more higher than the lowest rung on the regular barre. So, when we were all supposed to hike our legs up on the barre... something went terribly wrong. I got through the rest of class but begged off pointe and came home early. If anything, it hurts worse NOW than it did in class.
Effing ballet, guys. What the hell?

PS: this has been a really butt-centric day for me. First thing in the morning I had to take one of my cats to the vet because she has a ruptured booty gland. Well, at least I don't have THAT.

PPS: Look. I am REALLY REALLY SORRY, this is in terrible taste, but I seriously have this song stuck in my head now, and I am sharing it with you because I am basically a bad person and I'm going to hell (and I want you to share in my pain):

Monday, January 13, 2014

Out With the Old, In With the New

Goodbye, old slippers. You were trusty and strong but your time has come. I won't throw you away because I have something of a weird sentimental attachment to you (at least not until the next time I am moving and going through my possessions with ruthless determination.)
And let this be a lesson to all of you out there: my old slippers were tight to the point of being painful two years ago, but the exact same brand, model, and size is now slightly larger than I would like. Either Grishko has changed it's sizing or my feet really have shrunk by about half a size+ since I started dancing. Either way: caveat emptor.  

Also: I would say that "that is just what my feet look like in the winter" but come on, let's be honest. I don't tan, my skin goes from translucent to lobster-red in ten seconds flat so I just don't tend to flaunt my lizard-belly whiteness in public. Tights are awesome. Tights are my best friends.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

The Firebird

Twelfth in an occasional series of ballet paintings/artworks that are not Degas:


 Ballet L’Oiseau de Feu (1913). 
by René Bull , 1872-1942

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Like a Boss

Did anyone else watch Sherlock last night? Did you see him pull off that totally fucking badass pirouette for no discernible reason? Pretty sure it all just reinforces my long-held assertion that Sherlock Holmes (except not the Robert Downey Jr version, he is far too neuro-typical for me) is totally my TV boyfriend.