Brainstorm....

      Yesterday I read all over the Handbook again, just to get myself into the groove again. Sometimes I feel that really helps, even to scan it few times and read what interest me. There are times when I just need that extra kick for myself to start working on my assigment again and going through handbook is my way of "feeling it". It helped as always and today at 10 am Im already researching and digging into stuff that is interesting for my final paper. Well, if it gets accepted after May that is. While reading the handbook some fragments made me think, why do I do this research, did other people already discovered what Im looking for, do people actually care what the outcome will bring? With those thoughts I started browsing today through internet for movies, books, articles etc. My area of research is Secrets of Russian Ballet Technique. Its surprised me to see how many people already is trying to figure out whats is the Russian secret for creating such a strong, highly trained ballet atlethes. From what I saw, people are trying to find out for years already, many thesis and theorise are already out there but truth is....did they really discovered their secret?? No. Otherwise we would already be able to produce such an amazing ballet dancers like Russia has. Since beginning of the course I was keen on this subject, it always fascinated me and made me curious what is their secret. And I always though once I have the answer I will feel fullfiled and satisfied about the answer I will get. Now Im slowly realising that I might not get my answer, I might still not know whats their secret, but it's the journey that counts, the knowledge I will gain, all those things will enrich me so much as a teacher and dancer. It fascinates me how the subject leads me to not only Vaganova and Russia but it guides me to different countries, different people, takes me through different techniques. It's like starting at point A, going through huuuuge labyrinth of knowledge and experiences, just to come back to point A in the end. A
Answering another question for myself, will other people care about its outcome? Probably not, but it doesn't matter cause it matters is how much I care, how much satisfaction and knowledge it will give me, and what will I be able to do with it.
So this week is def very inspiring and exciting, quite brain stormed with all the info and thoughts in my head but that only always helps me to produce something in written ;-) 

Aggy

Career of a ballerina.....

  

 Here I am finally!!!

     I wondered for a while what to write on my first blog and then one of those days I watched TV programme about Darcy Bussell. For most of you who live in UK she is probably old news, but to me as a huge fan of ballet in every its aspect, I was fascinated by her. As a person who almost never watches TV I considered myself very luck to come across it. In fact it was my little 7 months daughter who out of all toys will always choose for a remote control or a phone! Total opposite to mummy who is staying as far from technology as she can. As she kept banging the remote on the floor she put Darcy Bussell on!! Give me pirouettes, high legs, lines etc., I will be instantly hooked! So I was. Watching it made me want to be 19 again, when I just came out out of the National Ballet and had the whole dance world to explore. I think because career of the ballerina is so short and we are expected to retire around age of 35 or even younger, it feels like you have never done all you wanted, you never danced all you wanted, never gave all you wanted. It is such a shame that we have to leave stage at such a young age, when we still fully capable to have a very successful career. At age of 35 dancers are still very fit physically, most of us have a huge baggage of experience, which is only beneficial for our performance on stage, and there is absolutely no reason to retire just yet. Personally I always like to watch performing a bit "older" ballerinas than the ones who just came out of Academy. Older dancers live the role, rather than play it. I love technical dancers, adore clean, high level technique and those who don't worry about it any more and mastered it almost in every aspect. It just makes me very nervous watching a young ballerina preparing to turn those 3 pirouettes, and as you watch her, you can almost feel her fear…..will it work or not. That is why I prefer to watch experienced ballerinas, and experience comes with age. Shame it is such a short career. Lately I have been in my homeland (Poland) for 2 months and visited my old  National Ballet Academy where I graduated. Looking for materials for my final paper, browsing through books I got the chance to speak to few new ballet teachers too. They said that there is so little children these days coming to do audition for the Academy. Parents rather keep the ballet classes as a hobby after school, than actually making it their children’ profession. Parents are really concern about their children future if they would become professional dancers. I personally think that profession of a ballerina is the most beautiful one that any women could have, unfortunately reality is quite cruel towards it. It is a short career, mostly underpaid, many times in unhealthy environment full of competition and jealousy, and with very little perspective for the future. But who thinks about those things when every little girl wants to be a ballerina, put the pink tutu on and dance. But even myself as a mother of little baby girl, I probably will have huge concerns if she decides to follow mummy’s steps and become a ballerina. I do hope that profession of the dancer will be taken a bit more seriously by governments, here and also in other countries.  That profession of dancer will have much more perspectives for the future and hopefully more money. End of the day we also have bills to pay and life to live, which these days unfortunately is not cheap. Otherwise profession of ballerina or dancer, will become very exclusive and many young, talented people wont even think to enter this field. It would be such a massive loss for Art of Dance.