i haven't watched a ballet video in ages

I'm watching our school's recital from two Decembers ago - Swan Lake, with me dancing as the Black Swan. I made a point to watch it because there's a bunch of pictures of that show in our studio and I was looking at it and thinking, how nice. So as soon as I had time I sat down to watch the video.

Of course, I have thoughts from watching it. First, me as Black Swan.

It was okay. It could use more work, more rehearsals, more centering. I definetely needed more time working on my technique. I figure, I'd probably do a better Black Swan today, given a year of daily ballet class and constant improvement, more weight loss, and hopefully more time for rehearsals. Rehearsals are super important. Rehearsals are humbling.

I'm thinking I'm a better dancer than I've ever been. Which is good. My biggest worry, as usual, is age catching up with me, will I be able to dance my best for at least a while yet? Knees and ankles, cooperate!

The company I'm dancing for is presenting Swan Lake in July. Already, Anatoli is making his own tentative casting. He does that a lot - before the ballet is mounted, he casts the ballet on his own and tells the dancers he wants you to dance this part, etc. And then Tito G comes around and makes the final casting and it's not always what Anatoli had in mind. You can imagine the disappointment this usually inspires but Anatoli goes on and casts his own anyway. So, even if he keeps promising me that I'm going to do this part or that part (not Odile or Odette, of course), I'm not holding my breath.

Watching my production of Swan Lake, even if there are hardly any sets and it's mostly done by kids, it's a pretty good staging. It's exciting and pretty and interesting and it tells the story and it's full of happy people dancing. I want ballet, and all the dancing I do from now on, to be exactly like that.

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I haven't been blogging lately. Things have been happening, but not stuff I feel should be blogged about. I guess I was getting ready for the long vacation. Will blog more interesting stuff soon.