"Ballet Class" written by Tinypliny on estrip.org

Category: dance

04/19/11 02:15 - ID#54092

Ballet Class

If I were to use just two words to describe my ballet class with Kolleen Fischer today, I would say, simply magical. I seriously felt as if time had stopped and frozen into a spectrum of snowflakes as we danced and dissolved every single muscle into the music.

We started with a brilliant Rudy Apffel piano adaptation of the Pavane originally written by Gabriel FaurÃ© back in 1887.
and continued to many Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn classics.

I don't know how Kolleen picks exactly the right piece for every single exercise... but she does. I think they must have carefully tailored the sound system at the studio to bring out the best in piano music. I also met Joe Cipolla - co-founder of the Configuration School of Ballet.

My back muscles are so sore now but I am far from being tired. I am energized! It seemed odd to me at first that dancing would make my back muscles ache so much but it makes perfect sense now. Ballet is so much about posture. I slump at my desk all day so no wonder my muscles feel like they have met their maker on judgment day!

I feel like I have finally found a dance form that challenges every part of my body and awes me completely at the same time. I don't think I am doing justice describing just how beautiful that hour of ballet was to me. Sometimes words are just not enough...

If you have always been fascinated with ballet and share a passion for classical music, come and dance with me next Monday! You will be completely and utterly sore afterwards but then who isn't after a delightful session of time travel?!

Permalink: Ballet_Class.html
Words: 288
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/19/11 02:15

Category: music

04/16/11 05:38 - ID#54061

Music

I wonder how this will look like a year from now...

Permalink: Music.html
Words: 17
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/16/11 05:38

Category: dance

04/15/11 12:33 - ID#54054

Conflicted.

I went to my favourite salsa class after several weeks today and I am so very conflicted about whether I like the nature of the dance. I really like going to the class simply because I love dancing with Sarah and Sean and the music is so very addictive. I am incredibly happy when I am dancing by myself, learning fancy footwork and just picking up new moves.

And that's when all the unhappiness starts. I just can't feel any connections when I am dancing with a partner. In fact, I find myself resenting the fact that all the complicated and intricate moves are done by the lead and my role feels rather passive. In a class situation, everything is rosy because all the steps are worked out for me and I am dancing just as I have been told to. But I am absolutely clueless about how people manage to anticipate moves in the context of social dancing.

I am sure tons of practice has something to do with this, but I don't know if I am up to all the mental stubbing that practice outside class involves. And of course, I just can't get good at following without practice outside class. There doesn't seem to be any light at the end of the salsa tunnel. It seems like I am wandering about lost in that tunnel having endless bad hair days.

I always start off the class feeling euphoric. It's just me and Sarah and Sean dancing in the spring. And then things slowly go downhill once partner-work starts in the intermediate class and hits the absolute nadir at the end of class when I wonder why I put myself through hoops for dancing in some vague future with some vague partner who won't like dancing with me anyway. Why?! And what the hell am I doing in class that is geared mainly towards partner dancing?!

Honestly, I don't know.

Permalink: Conflicted_.html
Words: 324
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/15/11 01:04

Category: dance

04/12/11 09:55 - ID#54042

Who knew...

How fascinating!

I am starting to be infatuated with ballet and ballet music. The sheer focus on individual strength and pushing the limits of my body through muscle control is incredibly appealing... And the music is gorgeous and timeless.

Maybe this should be my first sewing project when I finally get that sewing machine...

I would like to wear ballet shoes made of a deep venous-red satin. However, the colour I am thinking of seems to be only available for special made-to-order pointe shoes. Regular red ballet shoes are usually canvas and are a bland bright red. Nothing beats having a pair of satin/silk shoes the colour of dark blood with black undertones...

Permalink: Who_knew_.html
Words: 120
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/12/11 10:14

Category: science

04/11/11 07:27 - ID#54030

Marathon craziness

I am sure you know of people who have been couch potatoes for decades suddenly taking up running as a sport and competing in the next big marathon in town. I know too many to fit on my fingers and toes. Every time someone gets the marathon bug, they try and get me to join in the craziness (no doubt as a reciprocal move to my getting them to come to my numerous dance classes).

I dislike running. A LOT. I can walk *really* fast and probably match the pace of all 6+ footers out there with little effort but I cannot run for long. To be precise, I can run for 15 seconds before my lungs liquefy and start pouring out my nostrils... Well, they don't, actually, but that's what it feels like. It's almost as bad as trying to get used to spectacles and have the ground tilt and be all wobbly for a couple weeks. I can't take that feeling! As a result, I don't run, or wear spectacles. Usually, people try to show me the merits of joining the band of ~~brothers~~^ runners and the bespectacled. However, my dislike is so intense that I refuse point blank.

And now I have scientific proof to wave in their faces (atleast for the runners... I am sure, one of these days, I will find something against spectacles as well.)

I spotted this editorial that gives an overview of studies that show that if you just run because your friends have suddenly started running or you feel like running can make up for your decades of binging on chicken wings or smoking your lungs to a nice ebony black, it doesn't help. ::READ PDF::

In fact, you end up with an increased risk of coronary atherosclerosis or myocardial scar formation due to mini-infarctions (that's a heart attack and things leading up to heart attacks). Running, for people who have not slowly conditioned their muscles over a long period of time, is injurious to their heart.

Instead, come to dance class with me! ;-)

^NB: Have you ever noticed that 95% of male actors that you look up in imdb has usually played a role in that HBO series? When they made the series, did they recruit everyone from every acting school across the planet?!

metalpeter writes at 05:01:08 04/13/11 - Comment #61747: :::link:::

Buffalo Rising Article about it opening......

Not sure if you can see these photos if you aren't logged into facebook.... If the persons photos are public I think you can but not sure...................
:::link:::

tinypliny writes at 10:55:38 04/12/11 - Comment #61737: heh, spot on comments, (e:metalpeter). 26 miles is a lot and it all depends on how healthy your heart is. I am terrible shape as well - as I can tell from my lung-spilling-out feeling. The thing is I don't even want to start out slow. I want to build up my cardiac output through sustained dancing. I would rather avoid any and all kinds of running - whether it be a marathon or a 100m dash.

Yes, I saw the new Chow Chocolat store. It is right in front of the Breckenridge T junction with Elmwood. On Sunday evening the front window was all covered with paper. Did they open on Monday?

metalpeter writes at 09:06:46 04/12/11 - Comment #61732: unrelated point I was on Facebook today and saw Chow Chocolate is now open on Elmwood guess it is down by Blue Monk...........

metalpeter writes at 05:30:23 04/12/11 - Comment #61728: Not sure hat NB is and never used imdb but have heard it is a good site. What I find strange is that I have seen female actresses nude on a legit show like Californiacation (show time) and then you see them fully clothed on a show where they can't show anything is kinda odd.......

Ok back to the running with out reading the study 26 miles is fucking long as fuck .... It would make sense that you have to build up your cardio for that.... Often times you hear people say things like my legs won't go well most times your legs are fine it is that you cardiovascular fitness isn't high enough to support your legs... In terms of you running don't go do a marathon but start out slow.... Yes short people can run and some of them are pretty good but maybe your body just isn't made for it.... Or maybe it is that you need to get your cardio level up mine is crappy by the way I'm so out of shape in that way...................

Permalink: Marathon_craziness.html
Words: 385
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/11/11 10:19

Category: buffalo

04/10/11 12:30 - ID#54017

Dear Snow,

Please DON'T come back. Ever. We have had quite enough.

Permalink: Dear_Snow_.html
Words: 12
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/10/11 12:30

Category: eating in

04/10/11 12:26 - ID#54016

How to make an edible rainbow...

A pictorial guide...

Permalink: How_to_make_an_edible_rainbow_.html
Words: 7
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/10/11 12:26

Category: e:strip

04/10/11 12:16 - ID#54015

E:Strip: In the light and in the dark!

Finally home?

~30 mb of compressed text
~2 gigs of compressed pictures
~8 years of words, thoughts and perspectives.

Permalink: E_Strip_In_the_light_and_in_the_dark_.html
Words: 20
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/10/11 12:38

Category: eating in

04/08/11 03:07 - ID#53999

NeufchÃ¢tel Cheese

I just discovered that I like eating...

NeufchÃ¢tel Cheese!

with salt or maybe a little pepper or homemade garam masala or all by itself.

100x more tasty and 10000x more awesome than those ridiculous Greek yogurts.

Permalink: Neufch_tel_Cheese.html
Words: 39
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 04/08/11 03:07

Category: dance

04/05/11 12:07 - ID#53983

Ballet

I took my first ballet lesson today.

I am incredibly sore everywhere. My biceps and triceps are sore, upper back muscles that I never knew existed are suddenly making themselves known and my inner thighs and calves that went to their extremes are crying out now... In spite of all this, I feel awesome. It is this sense of absolute and inexplicable delight at feeling completely drained out and exhausted.

And the music... I felt like I was floating in heaven. Kolleen Fischer from the Configuration Dance Studio has some excellent taste in classical music. Every little piece was perfectly chosen to the ballet moves we were executing. There were some well-loved piano pieces and some unknown but absolutely delightful pieces from the romantic and classical period (written for the orchestra but played on the piano). (I really must get hold of her playlist!)

If I were to describe it more precisely, it was like an (exorbitantly expensive at $17) hour of flowing and active super-intense yoga with a minutely detailed French nomenclature set to some brilliant classical music pieces. I guess this is where I am happily blowing through my tax returns.

tinypliny writes at 09:35:20 04/05/11 - Comment #61646: A relatively inexpensive way to enjoy the grandeur of Shea's is the film series: :::link::: Thinking of going to the live orchestra Sound of Music version 2 weeks from now.

tinypliny writes at 09:24:25 04/05/11 - Comment #61645: I agree. Shea's is like a grand palace inside. It's really amazing. I went to Shea's to see a couple musicals (Salsa based "In the heights" and "Lord of the Dance") I LOVED Lord of the Dance and sort of hated In the heights. So it's not been a uniform experience.

tinypliny writes at 09:20:32 04/05/11 - Comment #61644: Actually, I have seen several - although not in a theatre because they are so prohibitively expensive for the really good seats. Reasonable money gets you nosebleed seats that are so far away from the stage that you really can't see a thing and miss seeing the sheer strength and beauty of human muscle in fluid action... or dead sound spots.

The Buffalo Public Library has quite a collection of original Ballet DVDs by technical groups such as the Bolshoi Ballet from Russia or several brilliant fusion and neoclassical companies from NYC. I was addicted to ballet movies, documentaries and taped performances a couple years back and was hell-bent on exhausting the whole library collection, but school came in between and I only completed viewing around 1/2 or maybe 3/4th of them at that time... I checked their catalogue out last month and they have several new ones now. I am inspired again.

I think I am not that excited about going to real performances in person because one ticket costs about as much money as five classes that I could take (pretty much what I am doing now). Out of all the dance classes I have been taking the first class of ballet was perhaps the most demanding and the most satisfying at the same time.

jason writes at 09:18:11 04/05/11 - Comment #61636: Have you ever seen a ballet performance? I went to see the Nutcracker at Shea's in December and it was fantastic. Everyone looks nice, they have champagne cocktails during intermission, the music and dancing is amazing. Shea's is also a wonderful setting. It costs a mint but if you haven't gone before I definitely recommend you check it out sometime.