The Chatty Cathy & Target Tights
Hellllooooo all!
It's been a while since I posted anything, and for that I apologize. Thanksgiving hit and I have just been swamped with the holidays and work! I also got a few comments on a few posts that made me think twice about posting anything at all... but that's just the nature of the internet. Anyone can post anything about anything. It's really easy to hide behind an anonymous name and post whatever you want. It took some contemplation to remember that I started this blog as a way to document my progress, readers are just an extra benefit. I've made significant progress since returning to dance over a year ago. Everyone has been mostly positive with this and PointePerfect.com. I have thousands of readers a month and I shouldn't stop the creative process because a few people made some weird/nasty comments. So I'm back.
Today I'd like to discuss the Chatty Cathy. DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNN. The one person in class that stands in back and talks constantly while the instructor is demonstrating a combination. The one that didn't catch the whole combination because she was talking, so she has to ask the students around her for clarification. The one that goes into a lengthy story about something and wastes 10 minutes of class time. Her.
I've had a Chatty Cathy in every class I've taken, and it's not dance exclusive. Classes as a kid were easier... I think instructors teaching kids are more likely to tell a child to be quiet and to observe & respect the discipline of the sport. Adult classes are a little different. Adults generally have erratic schedules and don't always make it to class every time. Many adults seem to take dance as a social event or a way to get away from the kids.
At least in my area, all other local studios that cater to adult students only offer watered down beginner classes. Ballet Basics, Zumba, Combined Ballet/Jazz/Tap in 1 hour of class, etc. Most don't even have a description for their adult class, just calling it "Adult Ballet". I was thrilled to find my studio, because they are small enough that adults taking ballet are grouped with their skill level, not their age. The Advanced Tap class has some pre-teens and high-schoolers, along with a group of ladies well into their 60's!
I love my studio and my classes. I'm challenged every time I set foot in the studio, and for that I'm thankful. Unfortunately the Chatty Cathy in my Monday class is now taking my Thursday class. I really like her a lot, but she always stands next to me and she talks toward/at me the WHOLE TIME throughout both classes! The director gets visually annoyed, and it's very distracting to me. Thursday is Contemporary which I find I struggle with, and having to deal with her buzzing in my ear while I attempt to pick up combinations is really frustrating. I almost snapped on Thursday!
I need to come up with a solution for my Chatty Cathy. I like her as a person, she's great. I just want to focus in class and I don't want to talk to her while I'm trying to learn. If any of you have suggestions on dealing with Cathy without offending her I'd gladly take them! She looks to me for guidance. She copies the way I move, which is helping her in the long run. I think she's lacking in confidence in certain things and looks to me for approval. Le Sigh.
Anyway, I also wanted to share a product I've found and really like. They are tights.... from Target. I've been wanting to get some full length footless or stirrup tights for non ballet classes. Tights in general aren't costly enough to break the bank, but I saw these at Target and figured I'd try them out.
These tights can usually be found on an end cap in the sock/pantyhose/underwear section. I was attracted to the price, after fall & summer they had a bunch of cute colors on clearance for $1.50 a pair, so I picked up the mint green and navy blue colors.
First impressions the tights are a good thickness. They are not completely opaque, but they are very close to the weight of regular dance tights. The waistband is nice and wide, and they fall comfortably between low rise and standard dance tights (that can be pulled up under your boobs, ha!). I find the waistband falls in the perfect spot on my body. It covers the muffin top area and is just the right tightness to stay up but not give ugly extra lines. They are also long enough (I bought the tall version) to go all the way down to my ankles (even further than in this pic) which I like. I like to pull them down over my ribbons in pointe.
I've worn the mint green pair above in three different classes and I've washed them (like anything else, in washer & dryer) 4x. No runs, holes, or issues after being washed.
A person that only wears a leo/tights to class may have an issue with the gusset-- they don't seem to be dyed to match like regular dance tights. Also, the tights do have a line right at the top of the legs like pantyhose do, though it's not super noticeable.
I picked up grey & black pairs yesterday, you just can't beat the price!
Well, happy dancing!
L
I find that videoing the short combinations on my iphone helps me. I take them away and study them afterwards practicing them at home, studying my form. Although there are other adult students that _don't_ want to be filmed and I can understand that, and assure them that they will be blurred out If I use a progression clip for my FB, or cropped out completely. Actually it gives chatty cathy something to do when I ask her to film me on my turn. I agree with you that adult classes are harder for the tutor, everyone has their own schedule, and short routines are slower to pick up because people often treat it as a social. My excuse is that I want to turn up 3x a week, but bruised my tarsal last Thursday so had to give it a rest for a week cuz I don't want my morton's neuroma to flair up.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you're getting snidey negative comments on your blog :/ I've had that too mostly from younger dancers who want to tell me "your wrong that isn't a split or woteva" lol I just find them funny because starting in dance as an older dancer, probably too old anyway, I am very very proud of everything I've achieved just like many 12 year olds I see sporting new tricks on Instagram! haha!
Hi Juliana! I meant to reply to your comments on my last post, but I totally spaced it. Thanks for reading!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to video my classes, it's something I've thought about but never really put into action. I do stand in the same portion of the studio in almost every class.... hmmmmmm.... now you've got my mind churning!
I can see how that would probably work during across the floor, but part of my problem is that she stands next to me and just talks. Constantly. Lol! During warmup, while learning, while executing, while waiting in line, on our break... it's exhausting! I'm considering speaking with the director to see if she can be a little less lenient with the talking, but I know she doesn't want to lose business. Then again, I pay a lot to dance there! I'm torn.
PS-- I was creeping on your G+ page and your videos are awesome! I can't believe how well you are doing after only 3 classes! Did you dance as a kid?
I'm glad you've decided to stick it out, I'd really miss your blog!
ReplyDeleteIn our classes, there's a half-chatty-cathy and half-know-it-all. She's really nice and I do like her. I like a little less that she has to explain her point of view to the teacher to justify why she's doing something wrong, and also that she feels it ok to correct me or add her two cents' worth if our teacher is correcting me. (I don't think she's better than I am, which wouldn't bother me if she had a solution for something I'm struggling with. I have more of a problem with her always knowing everything better, because she reads a lot of ballet books.) Also, after class when I'm stretching, she has a habit of plonking down to get changed right next to me. Like, RIGHT next to me, with a complete disregard to personal space, accompanied by mindless chatter and questions.
Sometimes we go out for a quick snack or coffee at the fast-food joint just around the corner, so I used one of these opportunities to speak to her about it. It hasn't necessarily changed anything, but it's made her more aware of it, so if she corrects me and I ask her not to, she knows why. (Maybe it's just me being oversensitive, but I pay for my teacher to teach me and I'm not comfortable with a student butting in. If she wanted to, say, come to me after class with a suggestion that would be something else.)
Long story short? ;)
Any chance of taking longer to get dressed and staying behind with Chatty Cathy to have a ----chat?
Glad you're back! I'm sorry to hear about the negativity, I really appreciate your willingness to share all the information you've learned on your pointe shoe quest.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Chatty Cathy…
My modern teacher is very clear about her expectations of the class, our studio is for working and chatting is not a part of it. People are welcome to ask questions to the whole class and she is super helpful. Because of her clarity on this, the environment is always super positive and creative. My ballet technique teacher is another story and the class can suffer because of it. There's one guy in particular, he's definitely not a chatty cathy but a total distraction. He attacks ballet movements in the most aggressive style (honestly during grande jetes, get out the way!) and he seems to get bored with certain exercises and wander off to loudly do push ups or leg swings or what have you. I can't quite figure out why my teacher doesn't say something, but I suppose those are the dynamics of adult ballet. I've decided that he continues to attend after christmas, and continues with the antics I will ask her to say something. Maybe you could ask your teacher to make it clear chatting during class isn't a part of it?