Classroom Confidential: TMI and Honorable Mentions
CHECK OUT THE NEW WEB PAGE ON VLADIMIR …READ ALL ABOUT OUR VERY OWN SUPERSTAR PIANIST
Congrats to Alice for her wonderful acting showcases this week!...Yasmine & Arthur particularly enjoyed the show...Hey Marty S. nice website …we miss you in class, good luck with the theater company!...Rachel H just got back from Montreal with her Flexistretcher…if you want her to teach some open classes you gotta let Our Director Yvette Campbell, or her interim assistant Gina at the Ailey Extention program hear from you, to see if they can fit her in the busy schedule maybe after Wednesday night classes….Is this Go-Go boy in our class?? yes he is...I'm pleased to announce that Richard C's short film, NO MENUS PLEASE was broadcast on WNET/Thirteen nationally…Erik N nationally top-ranked competitor, most recently made it through 3 rounds of auditions to appear on the televised revival of Dance Fever.… Lil Allie P (10) won the Hope Award at the Youth America Grand Prix....congrats!...Alec Baldwin in class? no way!!!...let's all welcome back Corina C. from Europe, seems the newsletter kept her motivated while away!...Yuka K nice article in the Japanese newspaper about your class, we are very proud of you...Welcome back Steph Sizzle Dizzle, check out her upcoming burlesque performances this monthhere.



Tony @ Circular Power.

Andros on BALLET: The Names Have Been Changed: Mr A has the answers to all those ballet questions you need tutu know.

Quote of the week: "I don't understand anything at all about the ballet. All I know is that during intervals the ballerinas stink like horses." Anton (Pavlovich) Chekov, Russian dramatist & short story author (1860-1904)...charming guy...lol!

Weekly Tips: Pointe, Health and Shopping
Ballet terms:The value of learning these French terms in one's ballet education is obvious. Their use in training is international: so with their help you may study ballet coherently (hopefully) with a teacher in any country in the world - even if you cannot speak or understand the language used outside the ballet studio.

Port de bras:Carriage of the arms. In the execution of port de bras, the arms should move from the shoulder and not from the elbow. The arms should be softly rounded so that the points of the elbows are imperceptible and the hands must be simple, graceful, and never flowery. In raising the arms from one position to another the arms must pass through a position known in dancing as the gateway (excerpts from the Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet, by Gail Grant- You should have one of these! $4.95).

Generally speaking, the word 'expression' is applied to the face; however the ballet dancer must call upon the whole body constantly to interpret delicate nuances in music and choreography. The arms are the most expressive part of the body, apart from the face, for presenting and performing those movements. In the days when ballet dancers didn't show their legs, the arms received much more attention than they do in classes now. The arms, head, and face should move smoothly together and continuously, avoiding jerkiness, straining, & the veins popping out of your neck look.

Health:

• Stretch-o-da-Month: February 2008: Vanity aside, strong sculpted arms do much more than allow you to wear tank tops or spaghetti straps with confidence. They make the rest of your life easier, by enabling you to lift and carry things without strain. Many large and small muscles help you curl your fingers, move your hands, flex your wrists, extend your elbows, and lift your arms for ballet. For everyday activities, three of the most important are the biceps, the triceps, and the deltoids. The biceps run along the front of the upper arms and are responsible for bending the elbows. The triceps, along the backs of the upper arms, extend the elbows to straighten the arms. The deltoids, which form the outer layer of the upper arms where they meet the shoulders, lift the arms to the sides; they also help lift the arms to the front, extend the arms behind, and rotate the arms inward and outward.
  
  This month, February 2008 we'll be working with our ballet port de bras, throughout class as usual, and we'll use the
  Upward Plank Pose to assist us in strengthening our upper body. Sit on the floor with your hands alongside or just slightly behind your hips, and your fingers pointing forward. Bend your knees until the soles of your feet touch the floor. Gently while exhaling, press your feet and hands down to lift your hips as high as possible off the floor, without strain. Then straighten your legs one by one and lift your hips still higher, pressing the soles of your feet toward the floor. Lift your chest as high as possible, then drop your head back, keeping the back of your neck as long as possible.


Shopping Deals:
CHORUS LINE DISCOUNT: See Broadway's celebrated revival of dancers' favorite musical for nearly half off! Use code "CLDSM79" when you order tickets through Telecharge, and pay only $59 for orchestra seats, $49 for mezzanine, Tues- Thurs. And with this offer, weekend shows cost only $69 and $59! Valid through March 16th.

Danny from Danny's Warehouse in LA has a hobby: he teaches flying trapeze and was lucky enough to be able to help in a TV show called Chelsea Lately. She was very funny, and here's a link to hollywoodwaerialarts to view the short clip. Danny is the guy up on the platform, and catching. Also check out Danny's dance deals this month
or call him at 800 552 5385

Canine Skeleton Model (note how the ribs poke out like some people in the Arabesque position)

The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4224 groups with members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Membership is free, and everything posted must be FREE, legal and appropriate for all ages.



Kat's Weekly Mailbag
Hi Kat,I just wanted to thank you again for all of your advice, help, and inspiration during my brief time back in town in early January. I will always be one of the biggest fans of your class! I see you're heading to Fort Lauderdale. I will be performing on the Carnival Liberty out of there at that time. Let me know if you decide to take a cruise. I'll be sure to be up on my femur bones and pack my 'big fat thighs' away for those shows ;)Sincerely,All the best, L.

Kat - …Another thing you should know is that as you get older, your body loses the ability to make Vitamin D from sunshine. And Vitamin D is what moves calcium from the bloodstream into your bones. I never bothered taking extra vitamin D because I'm outside a lot …but my Dr. found that my V-D was 1/2 what it ought to be and I was getting osteoporosis fast. He's treated this and I'm getting up to where I should be, but I wouldn't want you to get into such a state. Sunshine is not enough - but I didn't know that. J.

Kat, I absolutely adore you and your class. Whether I'm tired from a long day at the office or feeling old, your class always gives me a great boost. I find it very funny that during my Broadway career I was not
considered a turner but now that I'm retired and taking class with you, I can do 5 pirouettes from time to time. Go figure!! I may have gotten 7 more Broadway shows if I had taken my lazy butt to your class. Thanks for you support and your wicked sense of humor. CD.