coffee shop internet.

*Written on Wednesday...

Blogging sans Internet... Not the most thrilling thing in the world? But I’ll keep doing it, regardless. Want to keep the memories of the last few days somewhere... The Internet might be a strange place to keep memories, but in a world such as ours (and I know that sounds like such a downer end-of-the-world person thing to say), it makes sense. And (for better or for worse), I trust the Internet to not eat my blog posts. That said, I will copy and paste them to my computer and then print them the minute my blog ends. (Crazy thought!)

In case you hadn’t guessed it, the Internet is still down. So I’ve been sort of living at the coffee shop the 5-10 minute walk from the dorms, with about half of my class at any given point in time. They’re getting really good business. I like their cappuccinos. I have become a coffee addict. Caffeine has become an integral part of my day, whether it’s tea or coffee or chocolate...

Class progress:

Movement...

Woah...

This Monday our group (Group Two) went before the other group (Group One). So instead of going to Russian Language at 10 am and Movement at 11:40 am, we switched. Movement class at 10 in the morning... a success. We knew that it’d be a challenge, and that spurred us on to get there early and prove ourselves capable (perhaps more capable than the other group... my competitive streak hasn’t gone away entirely...). Showed up 15 minutes early to stretch, practice handstands, shoulder stands, cartwheels, partner balancing, etc. Got there and the front door to the studio was locked. We chilled there for a few minutes, when Vlad walked up with the key, kind of chuckled when he saw us there (a Russian passing our group in the hallway by our Russian classroom, chilling in much the same way, joked with me that we were “a flock of sparrows”...), and opened it up. And the class went really well for the most part. We got a little freaked out and distracted toward the end. During one of the partnering exercises, something much like a walk-over but with assistance, Lydia was accidentally dropped on her neck/head. She was perfectly fine, but we all became a little unhinged. There was no need to be, but I think that just stands to show how much you mustn’t let yourself be put off. Ex: If someone passes out during class, once they’re taken out and taken care of, class needs to resume as it was before anything happened.

We were taught a new exercise: Nike. (Nike as in the goddess Nike, not as in the shoe brand, because that would be silly.) The guy squats down with his legs apart, creating a base for the girl to stand on. He puts his hands on her hips, she takes hold of his wrists. He lifts her up onto his legs, then moves his hands down to her thighs. He leans back to balance the two of them, and she can take her hands off and spread her arms apart. (It looks kind of like “Jack, I’m flying!”-ish)

Ballet...

We’ve been learning two different choreographed dances in addition to our ballet exercises (and I will, one day, understand the premise of a double frappe). Our Russian dance and our Spanish dance. Our Spanish dance is the more choreographed than the other-there’s a pair solo, a pair lift, four pairs of lifts/dancers, and I kind of chilled for the past two classes... made me kind of sad... So I (inappropriately, maybe) asked Larissa via translator if I should be okay with this, or if....? I knew somewhere inside that she wouldn’t let me sit on the sidelines, but I was a little worried? And apparently two of the guys from the other group are coming in to dance with me...? Excited. A little intimidated.

And the basic exercises are a lot of fun. I’ve become a better ballerina than I ever expected to be. I think I’m going to continue this venture once I return (along with every other class that I now want to take). I did ballet when I was younger, until I was about 8 or 9. And I’ve got some pretty kick ass recital pictures, if I do say so myself. There’s a photograph buried somewhere: my grandmother, Meme, came over to visit. I decided to show off my costume. I got into the gaudy, cheap red tutu trimmed with silver sequins. And it occurred to me that I could get even more dressed up. I could get recital-ready. This involved makeup. I took one of those little do-your-own-makeup kits that you get from Claire’s or some such place and went to town. So somewhere, there’s a picture of me slathered with blue eyeshadow and red lipstick, wearing a red tutu trimmed in silver, sitting between my father and Meme. I quit after third grade, when I decided that the transition to fourth grade would mean a lot more homework and therefore I probably wouldn’t have time for extracurricular activities. I was a pretentious child.

Russian Language.

Well. I show up to class?

Stage Combat...

Haven’t had it in a week or two due to the National Holiday last Thursday, so we resume tomorrow morning.

Singing...

Ditto. Have to go first tomorrow so I have time to rehearse my partner etude with Darren.

Acting...

Scene work, consisting of both conversation and etudes. I think I told you about my last etude assignment- a personal character etude? Sarah, before she married Ivanov. But perhaps I wrote about that in an email to someone, so: Sarah seems like a very morose, morbid, and sad character to me. She’s sad and upset and sick. But my scene is Sarah attempting to remind Ivanov about the happy days, the romantic times. I needed to know Sarah before she became sad. I set up her bedroom and walked in, getting ready for bed, undressing and finding my pajama top missing. I walked into the next room to find it and on the way back in, discovered the note that was sitting on my window sill, wrapped up in a red ribbon (if you know the ribbon that I keep on my key chain... it is now my hair ribbon, kitschy but cute), realize it’s a note from Ivanov, and I get ready to leave the house, all excited. I start getting ready, much quieter this time because in my head, my parents are going to catch me, now that I’m trying to leave the house. I carefully put my skirt back on, carefully put my shirt back on, carefully put my shoes back on. I have to continually look at the door to make sure my parents don’t open the door. (Super important to Sarah, because her parents are anti-Ivanov to the degree that they’ll disown her, and they eventually do). And then I think I hear something. And I freeze. And then I decide that I did hear something, and I rush to undress, change, and dive under the covers. And I meant it to be a very rushed, kind of funny decision, but it became something different. It became this immense decision whether or not I wanted to stay with Ivanov or choose my parents instead, not whether I wanted to stay at the house or go out with Ivanov...

My notes have been very much the same. Everything’s very internalized... And then I realized that this Sarah character is going to be much more complicated than I thought.

Russian Film and Cinema...

Lots of movies... I have a paper due soon? Question mark?

So that’s about it, classes-wise.

In other news, we had a massive Halloween party for the Russians at the bar close by. I, however, couldn’t go-because I had to figure out and register for classes. Which I did... 4 days late. Ridiculous. But I was here at the dorm when everyone came back, absolutely and completely smashed. I’m stone cold sober, and watching all of this happen. They return around 1 (the dorm curfew...), and lots of Russians and half of our whole group are packed into a single dorm room. Had my shirt taken off by one of my friends and a Russian attempted (unsuccessfully) to undo my bra. A vastly entertaining night. Ended up going to sleep at 4? A great night, and I didn’t even go out. Met a few new Russians. Didn’t even have to take care of people, just watch them. I consider it an observation exercise. Or whatever.

We’re having a Group Two group meeting on Saturday night. A good time to socialize with the group (as though we don’t spend every waking moment around each other), say how much we love each other, and talk about issues we’ve got as a group and how to solve them... And there are a few. Etiquette during ballet class, being on time to class and meetings and rehearsals, figuring out what’s best to do when a group of us are out at a show in terms of planning an etude. So far, we’ve been giving responsibility of etude-planning to those who are at home that night. But it gets a little complicated in terms of explaining the etude, people wanting to throw in their two cents post-planning, right before class starts as we need to present it. We’ll see how this goes. We’re all actually really and truly excited about it.

That’s all for now on this side of the world.

Love

M