Ernestine Under Quarantine: "Fly on the Wall," as I take a ballet class

Hello patrons!

For your special treat this week, watch me dance along to an online ballet class taught by former Dance Theater of Harlem principal ballerina Enadlyn Taylor.

This is probably the closest you'll ever get to being able to watch me as I take class. Part of my ongoing efforts to give you a fly-on-the-wall experience into life as a ballerina. 

The Dance Theater of Harlem

For those of you ballet geeks out there, this is a very special thing to get to do. The Dance Theater of Harlem was the first primarily-black dance company in the US, founded in 1969, in an era when black dancers were not welcome in classical ballet. 

The company grew to be an international sensation, taking contemporary ballet to an entirely new place. This is reflected in their ballet barre exercises, which incorporate things you wouldn't see in a traditional dance class. 

My favorite thing about this company is that each dancer has her pointe shoes and tights dyed to match her specific skin tone. 

The Ethos of Ballet 

I had an interesting convo with a flatmate the other day. I was saying how much I loved the documentary La Danse about the Paris Opera Ballet, and he said that it was good, but he could hardly stand how the higher-ups in the company talked to the dancers. I was honestly quite surprised. I'd never thought about it before.

One thing you have to understand: Performing is a big deal. Especially hard choreography, like in ballet. Sometimes I do my best dancing when someone is yelling at me. Some teachers yell, I feel, with affection. Some yell with unbounded aggression. But they all seem to yell. And, to me, that's the gig. It goes with the territory. If you want to create something extraordinary, you have to take it very seriously, and often, when you're in production--like, for example, a dress rehearsal--there is no time to say everything politely, and often there's loud music. If you get something wrong and run offstage the wrong direction, someone could get hurt. That's part of it.

Part of it, as well, of course, is the recycled meanness that get passed down through generations of dancers. There are many reasons for this that I won't go into here, but they come from Russia and England. (If you're a patron who gets to ask me "ballerina questions," feel free to request a lecture! :-) 

In any case, listening to Ms. Taylor's voice on this video will show you what I'm talking about. And remember, for me, it makes me excited--not afraid or stressed--because I interpret it as making me a better dancer. 

Of course, as I have been divulging (or over-divulging) lately, the teachers who were mean for the sake of being mean--ya, I totally internalized that.

A link to the class, if you're curious:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXmiRo4QKiY

Thank you so much for your ongoing support. I know it's not an easy time to spend money on things like this.

Ok, enough chatter! Enjoy!

Fondly,

Ernestine