Tossed Tuesday

On  Tuesdays I teach a contemporary class and a ballet class. For some reason I felt like changing things up a bit (perhaps from coming across an old "Wacky Wednesday" book at my mom's last night).

What better way to change things up than to do a genre switch?

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Experiment I: 

Contemporary class. 

Bare feet. Black tights. Hair loose.

"Get some socks or shoes on, we're doing ballet today!"

Ballet barre. Some ballet center. Watch Baryshnikov.

Study Results I:

Generally, contemporary dancers are great movers. 

They are able to make mind body connections quickly.

 Need more muscle tone and definition in the legs and feet.

Need more clarity and dynamic energy.
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Experiment II:

Ballet class.

Pink tights. Bun heads. Ballet shoes.

"Take your shoes off, we're doing a contemporary class!"

Contemporary class with ballet elements.

Study Results II:

Good use of feet and extension. 

Generally difficult to feel grounded and weighted.

Very uncomfortable and awkward doing new movements style.

These dancers need more "cross-training" and strength. 

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I think it was good for both classes to try different styles today. The contemporary class does ballet barre twice a week, but there is rarely enough room at barre and we don't usually have marley floors. In general, the contemporary class had an easier time learning ballet exercises, while the ballet class had a more difficult time learning the contemporary movement. 

Final Results:

 It's nice being spontaneous every now and then