Getting to the Pointe

from Ballet Black in the UK

When I started going to dance class, my head was filled with pirouettes and pointe shoes. The ultimate fantasy I'm sure of so many adult beginners. The fantastical beauty of ballet incarnate just a few short (read long) years away. The dreadlocked bunhead. Ballet remixed and just won't quit. Ooh, that sounded so 90s! I could like totally pretend I'm in Ballet Black in class and do the Viara kick (dance move that all of the OHS seniors of my year associate with an... erm... ?interesting? young lady. It was her signature move. You could count on her doing the KICK. Every. Time.).

Cute little kids at Ballet Black's dance school. Awwww!!!

The beginner pointe students at Lines are very motivated and exceptionally driven. These chicks are SERIOUS about their dancing. You know how it takes young girls years to get into pointe shoes? Well its not so different in the land of adult ballet. I think there's just more a question of the quest for turnout and how far can you realistically go. Fortunately (although I think unfortunately when I just want a drink of water and to not have to repeat that wretched cat step) I'm not that old, and I can generally do most things that are asked of me. So guess who kicks the kick in the pants? I love it. Please, kick me some more! Anyway, the point is there's a lot of work to prepare to dancing on you tip toes. I think once I really evaluated what hat means -- pointe, as in the points of your damn toes. WTF? Well, I'm undecided if I want to do that. I recall the damage high heels inflicted in college. Point shoes are like the next level of pain -- in my mind anyway. I'm sure it's fine. So much indecision, especially after being exposed to, gasp, other dance types. 


You know, I honestly didn't even know there was a difference between modern and jazz. I didn't know that jazz dance is FUN. I definitely went in with an open heart, but also with preconceived notions. It's so weird learning this stuff! It's like constantly being smashed in the head with a world that you didn't even know existed.