Who is the RemedialBallerina?

_________________THE 2018 REMEDIAL BALLERINA_________________

In 2014 I migrated this blog over to a new host, kept it going for a few months, and ultimately it lay abandoned.  All the while I was paying for hosting.  My new shiny blog looked amazing, but I lost readers compared to my trusty old nag Blogger, and I stopped posting.  What a challenging update to write.  I'm back, and bigger than ever!  And not in a good way... but I'll get to that.  

It's now 2018, and I'm working on my second do-over.  

The 2017/2018 season was my worst season back to dance BY FAR.  I have a lot of exciting updates to report since my last updates in 2014, but on the down side I've had a lot of health issues.  One of my ballet heroes is Kathryn Morgan, and I found myself going through similar thyroid and hormone issues Kathryn has been so candid about sharing.  All of that progress I made in the early years of this blog were basically for nothing.  My weight is out of control, but this time it's my hormones halting my progression.  I'm finally in a place with my doctors that it's managed, and I'm ready to begin yet again to regain the technique I lost, and shed the weight I've gained.  2018/2019 is my year.  This is my journey.  

Here's a shot from our 2018 show - I'm on the far left.  This is the first season I haven't been excited at all to see photos or video from the show.
I'm just not myself.  

Please bear with me while I get this blog tweaked and back in working order.  

_________________THE 2014 REMEDIAL BALLERINA_________________

Written 8/25/13, Updated 9/7/14

Hey there!  I'm the Remedial Ballerina.  First and foremost, thanks so much for landing on my page!  

This blog has been an interesting journey so far.  It has been just over 2 years since I wrote my first post, a nervous overweight 25 year old doing the unthinkable-- putting on the leotard & tights after 8 years and marching back into the ballet studio.  

The first season of my journey was more successful than I anticipated.  I took ballet and pointe, and added lyrical for second semester.  I learned an awful lot about an awful lot in the 10 month season.  I lost about 30lbs, became re-acquainted with an active lifestyle, and performed in my studio's year end recital.  It was terrifying!

Through the 2nd season I really began to blossom into a new version of the old me.  I took ballet, contemporary, pointe and lyrical.  I lost another 17lbs, and improved on almost every aspect of myself, from body to mind.  I spent 7 months working hard on my front splits, and was able to achieve them in both direction.  I had another successful performance in our year end recital.  

Now I'm gearing up to start my third season back in the studio, with two more classes on my schedule and plans to be Teacher's Assistant in 4 classes.  I'll be taking Jazz, Lyrical, Ballet, Pointe, Tap and Contemporary.  

Then- April, 2012

In the spring of 2012, I decided to try something new.  At that point I had been an inactive member of a local gym for a few years.  I was fat and frustrated with myself.  Over the last few years I've tried several different workout programs.  Jillian Michaels DVDs, jogging & running 5k's, swimming, zumba & biking.  I *liked* all of these things, but none of them held my interest for very long.  I sat down and took a hard look at my past and the things that held interest as a teenager and young adult.  

In high school I loved choir, band, marching band, show choir, acting, and dance.  I couldn't picture myself joining a marching band or a show choir at 25, so I started considering dance more thoroughly.  

I started taking ballet as a 3 year old.  I was pretty good as a young kid, but when I hit puberty I grew like a foot in a year.  I'm 6'1 now, so when I hit a growth spurt it was several inches at a time.  Being so tall really killed my self esteem.  I was awkward and always falling down.  My mom kept me in dance as a way to overcome my poor self esteem and teach me to stand up straight and tall despite being a head or two taller than most of my classmates.  

As a gangly 11 year old (Yes, 11!) 

As a flamingo in Peter Pan- I was 16 or 17 here.  So embarrassing! 

So once I made up my mind that I was willing to buy the tights and take the class, I was disappointed to remember that the dance season usually ended with the school year.  I did a lot of research on the studios in the area and picked one.  They were just preparing for the annual recital and weren't accepting brand new students, so I had to wait a few months until the new season started in September 2012.  I'm glad I waited, because I love my studio now!  

When I go back and read the story of my first class, I just laugh.  I was so freaked out after that class, but I loved every second of it.  To think a grand plie was impossible when I started is hard to believe! 

First Season: 2012 - 2013

I'm very happy with the progress I was able to make in my first year.  

I performed with my studio in the annual recital, and I learned about a new part of me that I didn't know existed.  

People told me afterwards that there were points where I moved like a professional dancer.  The way I carried myself was a little scary actually.  Scary because it came out when I stepped foot on stage, I wasn't expecting it at all!  I don't remember having a big stage presence as a teenager.  I think I was too self conscious of my body to really truly let loose and dance.  

I think the most challenging thing throughout the year was learning about my feet.  Exactly WHAT they are and HOW they work.  I went through 5 pairs of pointe shoes, being fitted by various fitters and only getting the best pair when I finally realized how my feet worked, and how that would translate into modern day pointe shoes.  The majority of my content from the first year had to do with pointe shoes and fitting them.  I learned that there are few comprehensive resources out there.  Every maker is completely different in their sizing, and the shoe descriptions can be vague.  

The amount I research helps me write my posts, the posts I make are cultivated from a combination of personal experience and extensive research.  I want to entertain people as well as provide some insight into topics rarely discussed or information hard to come by.  I have some ideas that conflict with the industry standard right now.  I think almost any adult could be taught to dance en pointe, regardless of height or body type, and that's a theory not many people love.  

Second Season: 2013 - 2014

Second season my focus was on improving my technique.  I added a 4th class to my schedule (Contemporary) and really buckled down to try and improve and execute moves correctly, not just try to *get through* my classes.  

As I mentioned above, my total weight loss from strictly dancing was 47lbs.  I never really considered myself huge.  Being so tall, even with 47 extra lbs on my body I still appeared reasonably proportioned.  People always commented on how my face had changed and I never really saw it until I compared my two most recent drivers licenses:

Wow.  It's actually shocking to me.  And I still can afford to let some of my extra weight take vacation time, which is cool.  I'm a little muscly in places, particularly my quads when I'm working and engaged.  

I spent 7 months working on stretching and flexibility, and eventually got my front splits on both sides.  

I participated in the year end recital again, I was in 4 numbers and I had a blast!  

Very proud of my (turned out!) grand battement a la seconde. 

Pointe Costume

                

Very excited to see what happens this year!  I think the extra classes will really push me.  

Thanks for reading.  Please have a look around!