Variation newbie!

Since we've covered most of the basic steps in my summer private lessons, Peter decided that I should get to learn some choreo now. So today, I learned my first ever variation! True to British form, he's teaching me one from the RAD course--the Raymonda variation from RAD Intermediate level. Anyways, levels aside, it was really fun to get to learn choreography that extends longer than 16 counts, which is just about as long as you ever get in an open, drop-in technique class. We learned the entire thing today in about 45 minutes, and then will clean it up in our next session. ... so excuse my terribly marked pas de basque here!

I'm looking forward to getting to work on some longer choreography, since a serious weak spot for me is keeping up proper technique in the midst of remembering chains of steps. I think this is the reason I'm constantly getting injured when there is the rare opportunity to perform. So it'll be good to have sort of low-stakes choreo to work on, while practicing maintaining proper form and placement.

On another note, I'm still not used to dancing on wood floors. It's awful! (My home studio uses marley, like pretty much everywhere I've been in the US.) But I can see why some people insist on it: it's so much less easy to cheat. Marley, I find, holds your turnout more easily, and helps you dig into the floor. On wood, my turnout is atrocious, and I have to work way harder to really get on my standing leg so that it's not slipping away from me all the time. Annoying, but probably good for me!

--

Watch a pro do a real version of this variation (not the same choreo, but the *actual* ballet)! So #goals.