Confessions From A Former Dancer

And it went a little something like this….

During the summertime I took ballet lessons at the Jo Emery Ballet School . Ballet was something I had wanted to try for a long time. I even threw in a little modern dance for good measure. I looked to dance to dream a little, improve my athleticism, shake up my normal exercise routine and give my penchant for clumsiness the old heave ho, forever! Amazing grace and gracefulness!

Well, didn’t quite work out that way.

First off, my dance moves positively stunk. But I didn’t care. Hey, I was out there anyway, learning, laughing, and providing comic relief for Jo and her dancers.


Secondly, my body(specifically my right leg and foot) aren't built for ballet. I messed up my ankle first practicing at home. Then I messed up my knee; not sure how that happened. And the best for last—I sprained my foot and ankle tripping not on THE stairs, but A stair. One very silly little stair. My right foot is better, though regularly hobbled, from my past sporty running days and my life’s work of tripping over stuff. I guess, for now, my dancing days are done.

However, my fanhood days of dance have really only begun. Jo’s dancers are hard working, dedicated folks and the dance company is truly one of Tacoma’s artistic jewels. I got the inside track on that for sure.

So, South Sound, check this out: Jo Emery and The Tacoma Performing Dance Company is putting on their production of the Nutcracker at Tacoma’s Stadium High School Theater. Performances are:

Friday, Dec. 19th, 7:30pm
Saturday, Dec. 20th, 2pm & 7:30pm
Sunday, Dec. 21st, 2pm

Ticket prices range from $15 - $22
Purchase tickets by calling the TPDC Ticket Line: (253)752-8530

Happy holidays and happy dancing!

Kim

Don’t Drink, Eat, And Dance

I am taking adult basic ballet lessons at Jo Emery Ballet School in South Tacoma on Wednesday nights. I just completed my third lesson.

I am your classic beginner’s beginner and I foul stuff up, but I am enjoying it regardless. And I am learning. And what I learned today should be taught in every dance class.

NEVER consume huge quantities of pizza, onion rings, and tater tots BEFORE dance class. EVER.

My hubby was getting his hair cut at the Azarra Salon in Tacoma in the Harmon Building in the heart of downtown on Pacific Avenue this evening. Ah, how convenient, that the salon was just above the Harmon Brewery and Restaurant. And how very convenient that it was a hot day and we had no stove as it caught on fire July 4th (the new stove has not arrived). So, the kiddies and I met hubby and I gorged myself on their delightful Pizza Margherita, filled with gooey, ooey cheese, lush Roma tomatoes, and large pieces of fresh basil. Yum! Of course, being happy hour, appetizers were half price, so I devoured some crispy, enormous onion rings, and washed those down with a Point Defiance IPA. And my son couldn’t finish his tater tots, so I did.

I had to be at ballet in 45 minutes after I ate.

Clearly, I felt stuffed and mildly sick. We got home and I ate four Tums and headed off to class. It was a big class tonight and there was Jo who looked spirited and positively smashing. Bless these people, as I knew I really stunk of garlic, onions, and perspiration. Bless them for talking to me and coming close to me. Hey, if I can smell MYSELF, the poor other dancers must have had quite the odorous experience.

I hung in there, despite the grease swirling in my stomach and my stench. I LOVED the barre exercises. I love it so much I could kiss it and keep it forever! But while it’s important, it ain’t dancing. The floor exercises, the real dancing, started out okay.

Then we did spins.

You can imagine how spinning was for me physically this fine night. Mix that in with spinning the wrong way. Fortunately, there was no disaster, thank God.

We moved into more steps and I got pretty fouled up. But I figured if I could just either have two lefts or two rights, I would be fine. You see, I am also wired backwards. Case in point—I handwrite certain letters and numbers BACKWARDS. Always have. Ask me to handwrite the word, “Mississippi” real time and it will blow your mind.

But despite it all, three things stuck with me at ballet tonight:

1.Jo said, “Don’t over think this. Stop counting and start dancing!” True! Isn’t that true of life? So, I imagined myself as an enormous dancing potato instead of counting and actually got a couple steps right! Maybe I should imagined myself as a giant Tums instead.


2.My daughter asked me how dance class was. I told her I liked it, but the last part was really hard. She said, “Maybe I should come with you to help next time!” Life strikes again! Always accept kind help (thanks fellow dancers and Jo for your tips and help and future thanks to my little Erin!).

3.Don’t eat, drink, and dance in short order.

And the Gritty City Ballerina endures!

Dancing Getting Grittier

I embarked on my second adult basic ballet lesson at the Jo Emery Ballet School last night. Right before the evening class, I was dealing with the frustration of my older child’s repeated meltdowns and the guilt of my younger flexible child who was not getting enough attention from me. To and from swimming lessons and errands, my allergies raging and face itching, the day ended with me hoisting in our crab pot out of Commencement Bay. We raced home to deal with the crab, settle the kids, eat dinner, and get me to ballet. In all the crab excitement, I forgot to eat dinner. So, with hubby and son steaming the crab, I grabbed my daughter and out the door we fly down South 56th to the studio on South Washington Street.

Despite my rushed pace, I did manage to scavenger together more of a dance “look.” I had on layered tanks and cropped leggings. I was horrified to realize that my clothes had prominent grease stains on them, but didn't have time to change. My hair was literally tied in a knot behind my head. I was also sporting a large, lumpy, green-yellow bruise/contusion on my left shin, courtesy of an earlier week fall at Pt. Defiance’s Owen’s beach on a METAL staircase in a dress. I slipped and slammed my left shin so hard that I cried and thought I was going to vomit. Never mind that my underwear was exposed to the other beach goers and the contusion swelled to the size of a softball.

Obviously, I need ballet class. A little “grace” is necessary for my health!

To my pleasant surprise, there were more folks there for their health and well being at class: A couple of attractive twenty-somethings, some of the ballroom students, and a gymnast/dancer/biologist. They were nice and extraordinary dancers in confident dance clothes. I looked (and smelled) like a fishmonger. Oh well.

But I LOVED the barre warm-ups. In fact, I wish we could do that the whole time. I like the slow pace and the movements.

Then we moved to the floor. I vowed this time to watch carefully and copy the other dancers. My feet, beat, left/right, and rhythm was off most times. So, Jo shouted this out to the class: “Move with the music. Feel the music!” Something clicked! I need to stop “looking” and start “listening” and “feeling.” When I let myself go, I actually would get a few steps right! Jo played The Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Take Five” one of my favorite jazz numbers. So, I did the imperfect and odd Take Five jig, but I was having fun. It also helped to have my daughter give me a thumb’s up for the effort! I told Erin I was so mesmerized by the other more experienced dancers. Erin said, “But Mom, you’re a dancer, too; you just need more practice!”

Who would have thought I’d learn all these valuable life lessons from a ballet session in the heart of Grit City?

So, after class, I went home to an explosion of pots and pans in my kitchen, a cold beer, fresh crab meat, a sense of fun, and a little dose of dancing magic.

Here’s “Take Five” for your listening enjoyment.

Grit City Ballerina Is In The House

The Gritty City Woman has taken up ballet. Seriously.

I had my first adult basic ballet class with the Jo Emery Ballet School last night. When I asked Jo about the class, she warmly welcomed me to join the group and said that the class is very loving and gentle. So, I have wanted to try a dance class since forever (the last time I did ballet was at age eight). I require “gentle” and I dig “loving.” I was in. I eagerly purchased my pretty pink ballet slippers right after I signed up for the class.

Now when I told others what I would be doing, I got lots of laughter and snickers. Some thought it was an “I’m almost 40 years old” thing. Sure, it is a little. I just want to dance. I loved watching my 6 year old daughter practice. It looked fun and like good exercise.

So, off I headed to ballet class, in the heart of gritty South Tacoma by the train tracks, not knowing what to expect. Jo said I could wear whatever I wanted, as long as I had ballet slippers. I wore my favorite twill shorts that I got in Hawaii that were dyed in beer. I had on my favorite Lucky Brand T-shirt with a ying-yang symbol and a huge number thirteen on it. I had my long hair loose with a small barrette to hold my bangs back.

I was happily met by Jo and other members of the small class. The class members were so kind and many of them had been taking classes for a long time. They were from all kinds of professions and backgrounds. I felt happy to be there despite the fact
that everyone else had on nice, confident looking, dance style clothes (except me, who looked like I’d been to the beach) and that I was also the youngest person there. But hey, I thought I should be able to do this. I am me. I should be able to keep up. No problem.

We started at the barre. I liked that. The stretching felt great, the music was mesmerizing. I goofed up some moves here and there, but recovered. It was a good start and I was working up quite a sweat despite the cooling fans blowing near by.

And then we moved to the floor. Yikes! This was tough for me. When the class went to the right, I went to the left. Sometimes my feet wouldn’t go the way I wanted them to. I was sweating like a pig and getting tired. My hair was in my way, my shirt was too hot, my shorts started to chafe, and my slippers felt like they were pinching my toes. But I did it. I did leaps! Spins! Jumps! The other dancers and Jo, moved gracefully and beautifully. AWESOME! I looked like I was doing some kind of bizarre martial arts. But so what! I didn’t fall down, hurt other people, or break equipment. The class graciously reached out to help me and encourage me when I struggled. It worked. And I worked. And when I got some steps right, it felt like I was flying in the sky. I worked hard and when I left for the night, I had some stiffness and soreness, but in a good way.

When I got home, I kicked back with a nice, ice cold beer. Ah, dance! The Gritty City Woman way!

So, back I go next Wednesday to give it another go.

I will be chronicling my dance experiences here sometimes and on http://grittycitywoman.blogspot.com. Stop by and join the fun and laughter as I embark on my summer of dance! Thanks Jo and the gang!

A Mystery Picture!

Where did this groovy picture come from? To find out, click HERE and see my post on how you can see this kind scene come to life.

Lights! Action! Dance! Dances With Dancers Showcases Tacoma’s Finest

Be transformed by the magic of dance, art, and theatrics by the amazing students of Jo Emery Ballet School. “Dances With Dancers”—The Jo Emery Ballet School Student Performance. Staged at the beautiful and historic Pantages Theatre in downtown Tacoma on Saturday, June 7th at 7:30 P.M., the dancers in all their glory and finery will have their time to shine after months of hard work and preparation. Tickets are still available for purchase through the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts (click HERE for their website or call them at (253) 591-5894 for pricing and more information). The dancers are eager to wear their stunning costumes and take the stage to delight family, friends, and our South Sound community.

My daughter and her ballet group are dancing as little Tinkerbells in rainbow-sherbet colored costumes with embroidered roses (and to complete the effect they are going to have “magic” fairy dust). I have had the opportunity to see her class work on their routine and those kids are really amazing—there are many steps and cues to learn and practice. All of the dancers are confident, excited, and ready.

And that’s EXACTLY what Master Teacher, Jo Emery is after: confidence, excitement, and pride in dancing.

In further observations of Jo, her smile brightens the room and she is warm and kind. She is also is an expert educator, knowing how to work with young dancers to inspire, direct, and teach, while still encouraging fun and making the dancers feel good about themselves. The kids and parents adore her. In a recent chat with Jo, she remarked how excited she was for the performance. “This is a gift for my families,” explained Jo. “They can come and watch beautiful performances in a beautiful setting.” This is quite a gift indeed! With the school being around for many years, Jo’s gift is not only to her dancers and their families, but to our thriving arts community right here in Tacoma. Thanks, Jo!

Come and check it out, South Sounders. And while you can click on the links above to learn more about the school and what it has to offer, check out the Tacoma Performing Dance Company, (click HERE) too which is also affiliated with the school.