(no subject)
There's been a bit of a lack of posts this week coz I've just not had time. This is why...
There was a much reduced turn out due to it being half term, apparently, but we continued on with getting our brains and tongues round the notes. Despite having missed a week or two due to other stuff and flu, it seems we are still slowly working our way through sight reading all the choral parts - there's a lot of them! My voice was still recovering, but the sight reading went well, possibly because I've been listening to the piece on a loop at work, and while I don't listen in to each movement (there's something like 52) something obviously has gone in. Picked up a couple of leaflets for "scratch" rehearsals - there is a Messiah from scratch in a day some Saturday in March in Balham if anyone fancies the sound of that?
Rather quiet ballet class too - perhaps it's that half term thing again? The usual issues of the teacher trying to get us to move more fluidly, and me finding it both liberating and confusing. To know *which* way to move doesn't just come naturally and has to be taught, but he's not really teaching it. Also did tongue-twister of an exercise at the bar again (side on, four jetes (or at least that's what he calls them, I always thought they were degages, or something?) to the front, four to the side, four to the front with other leg, whilst arms are doing first, fifth, second, down. Fine so far. Now repeat in reverse. Arg! Cannot coordinate arms and legs when leg is to second however hard I try - and we did it about six times :-/). Centre work included some pirouettes, which I've not done in ages. Usual problem of not being able to plie sufficently to spring up - and just being out of practice. Teacher isn't taking time to explain to those who are obviously baffled as to what things like a pas de bouree or a pas de chat is how they are done - so if you don't already have a decent grasp of ballet, I can't see how you'd progress much :-/ Anyway. Was making a conscious effort to memorise the exercises as they were being demonstrated, as I've never been good at that - it's getting slightly better.
After class I caught a bus down to SLT (during which I had a very long conversation on the phone with my mother, which could be a post in itself...) where I met skorpionuk who was returning something to Wardrobe. We then had a couple of pints in the bar whilst stuffing the theatre magazine into envelopes. Not sure unpaid temping was quite what Bec had thought her evening would involve, but she seemed quite happy ;-) Rolled up the hill well after closing time, and Gavin made pancakes, star that he is :-)
This weeks production at SLT is the Crucible and we'd managed to get the last few tickets, so papaspoof, skorpionuk (who is practically an SLT regular these days ;-))dakeyras and I spent the evening being both entertained and cultured ;-) The production was very good actually - really one of the best things I've seen there. I only knew the barest outline of the story before seeing it but as it's a small space, and I was sitting in the front row, I really felt like I was in the middle of the action, and got sucked in right from the start. There were several excellent performances, and apparently it's even got a good review in the local paper today :-) Afterwards we had a few drinks and it was good to see Col for the first time since, well, December the 14th, it seems ;-) Gave him a quick guided tour of the theatre building. Perhaps Gavin is right and I should volunteer for Membership stuff at SLT, which basically involves enthusing about SLT to potential new recruits, which I don't think I'd find difficult to do. I find it harder to shut up about it ;-)
Last week I didn't make it to jazz class, because I went home to get changed before it and just never got out the door again. It was the first one I'd missed that wasn't for holiday/illness reasons, and I'd been feeling a bit miffed at myself because of it. However, I discovered today that last week was, you guessed it, half term, so there was no class anyway, so I hadn't missed anything :-) Started a new routine today, so far it's a little easier than previous ones. Still very hip-hoppy. Had particular problems with this spin thing we did, as it's unbelievably difficult to just erase years of pirouette practice and do it in a kinda funky style with no pointed toes! Still hate the body ripple thing she makes us do - it looks fine when she (all size 8 of her) does it, but if you've got curves and wobbly bits it just feels awful! Thank god there's no mirrors in the hall ;-)
After that, dashed home to see Gavin, who has had an icky tummy all day and was in bed, then out again to my singing lesson. Not been for a few weeks due to being ill and stuff, and hadn't done any practice either :-/ I don't know why, but I have a bit of a mental block about practicing these singing exercises, however this week I have homework to learn how to pant ;-) I'm told I can do it on the bus and no-one will notice. I think that if nothing else I will at least get a whole seat to myself ;-) Voice actually seemed to me to sound not bad, despite lingering cough, and afterwards when I felt properly warmed up singing stuff in the car home sounded much better. Perhaps the other week was not a complete aberration, and is actually something to aspire to, which would be nice. Anyway, did the usual vowels up and down scales. Slowly getting a better grasp of different kinds of voice, but need to work on knowing how to produce each one straight off. Still also having issues thinking about both what my diaphragm is doing, and what my mouth is doing, but I'm sure that'll come in time.
Since I got home I should have been packing and getting an early night, but what I've actually been doing is spodding and setting up a MySpace account.
So, in all, a fun week :-) Only downside was that in between the fun bits, I have to squeeze in the inconvenience called work ;-) Right, I'd best throw some clothes and a passport into a bag, as I've got to be up in five hours to catch a plane to Stockholm...
There was a much reduced turn out due to it being half term, apparently, but we continued on with getting our brains and tongues round the notes. Despite having missed a week or two due to other stuff and flu, it seems we are still slowly working our way through sight reading all the choral parts - there's a lot of them! My voice was still recovering, but the sight reading went well, possibly because I've been listening to the piece on a loop at work, and while I don't listen in to each movement (there's something like 52) something obviously has gone in. Picked up a couple of leaflets for "scratch" rehearsals - there is a Messiah from scratch in a day some Saturday in March in Balham if anyone fancies the sound of that?
Rather quiet ballet class too - perhaps it's that half term thing again? The usual issues of the teacher trying to get us to move more fluidly, and me finding it both liberating and confusing. To know *which* way to move doesn't just come naturally and has to be taught, but he's not really teaching it. Also did tongue-twister of an exercise at the bar again (side on, four jetes (or at least that's what he calls them, I always thought they were degages, or something?) to the front, four to the side, four to the front with other leg, whilst arms are doing first, fifth, second, down. Fine so far. Now repeat in reverse. Arg! Cannot coordinate arms and legs when leg is to second however hard I try - and we did it about six times :-/). Centre work included some pirouettes, which I've not done in ages. Usual problem of not being able to plie sufficently to spring up - and just being out of practice. Teacher isn't taking time to explain to those who are obviously baffled as to what things like a pas de bouree or a pas de chat is how they are done - so if you don't already have a decent grasp of ballet, I can't see how you'd progress much :-/ Anyway. Was making a conscious effort to memorise the exercises as they were being demonstrated, as I've never been good at that - it's getting slightly better.
After class I caught a bus down to SLT (during which I had a very long conversation on the phone with my mother, which could be a post in itself...) where I met skorpionuk who was returning something to Wardrobe. We then had a couple of pints in the bar whilst stuffing the theatre magazine into envelopes. Not sure unpaid temping was quite what Bec had thought her evening would involve, but she seemed quite happy ;-) Rolled up the hill well after closing time, and Gavin made pancakes, star that he is :-)
This weeks production at SLT is the Crucible and we'd managed to get the last few tickets, so papaspoof, skorpionuk (who is practically an SLT regular these days ;-))dakeyras and I spent the evening being both entertained and cultured ;-) The production was very good actually - really one of the best things I've seen there. I only knew the barest outline of the story before seeing it but as it's a small space, and I was sitting in the front row, I really felt like I was in the middle of the action, and got sucked in right from the start. There were several excellent performances, and apparently it's even got a good review in the local paper today :-) Afterwards we had a few drinks and it was good to see Col for the first time since, well, December the 14th, it seems ;-) Gave him a quick guided tour of the theatre building. Perhaps Gavin is right and I should volunteer for Membership stuff at SLT, which basically involves enthusing about SLT to potential new recruits, which I don't think I'd find difficult to do. I find it harder to shut up about it ;-)
Last week I didn't make it to jazz class, because I went home to get changed before it and just never got out the door again. It was the first one I'd missed that wasn't for holiday/illness reasons, and I'd been feeling a bit miffed at myself because of it. However, I discovered today that last week was, you guessed it, half term, so there was no class anyway, so I hadn't missed anything :-) Started a new routine today, so far it's a little easier than previous ones. Still very hip-hoppy. Had particular problems with this spin thing we did, as it's unbelievably difficult to just erase years of pirouette practice and do it in a kinda funky style with no pointed toes! Still hate the body ripple thing she makes us do - it looks fine when she (all size 8 of her) does it, but if you've got curves and wobbly bits it just feels awful! Thank god there's no mirrors in the hall ;-)
After that, dashed home to see Gavin, who has had an icky tummy all day and was in bed, then out again to my singing lesson. Not been for a few weeks due to being ill and stuff, and hadn't done any practice either :-/ I don't know why, but I have a bit of a mental block about practicing these singing exercises, however this week I have homework to learn how to pant ;-) I'm told I can do it on the bus and no-one will notice. I think that if nothing else I will at least get a whole seat to myself ;-) Voice actually seemed to me to sound not bad, despite lingering cough, and afterwards when I felt properly warmed up singing stuff in the car home sounded much better. Perhaps the other week was not a complete aberration, and is actually something to aspire to, which would be nice. Anyway, did the usual vowels up and down scales. Slowly getting a better grasp of different kinds of voice, but need to work on knowing how to produce each one straight off. Still also having issues thinking about both what my diaphragm is doing, and what my mouth is doing, but I'm sure that'll come in time.
Since I got home I should have been packing and getting an early night, but what I've actually been doing is spodding and setting up a MySpace account.
So, in all, a fun week :-) Only downside was that in between the fun bits, I have to squeeze in the inconvenience called work ;-) Right, I'd best throw some clothes and a passport into a bag, as I've got to be up in five hours to catch a plane to Stockholm...