BALLET.
Classical ballet is the most formal of the ballet styles; it adheres to traditional ballet technique. There are variations relating to area of origin, such as Russian ballet, French ballet, and Italian ballet. Although most ballet of the last two centuries is ultimately founded on the teachings of Blasis. The most well-known styles of ballet are the Russian Method, the Italian Method, the Danish Method, the Balanchine Method or New York City Ballet Method, and the Royal Academy of Dance and Royal Ballet School methods, derived from the Cecchetti method, created in England. The first pointe shoes were actually regular ballet slippers that were heavily darned at the tip. It would allow the girl to briefly stand on her toes to appear weightless. It was later converted to the hard box that is used today. Classical ballet is defined by three rules : - everything is turned-out - when the feet are not on the floor, they're pointed - when the leg is not bent, it's stretched completely.


A group of us first stepped into our dance studio when we were 4. We entered with fear. We don't even know one another. This memory is fading as years go by. It is getting more and more blur. To what I know, I remembered entering holding my mom's hand. Inside, there were a lot of parents too. I joined is not due to parental pressure but there's this one fine day whereby they brought me to the community club and I saw those girls dancing with pride and elegant. I really admire the costumes they are wearing and how they hold their postures. Therefore I told my daddy I would like to take up ballet. They went to helped me with the enrollment.

My first ballet lesson started off like this. I went into the class. We were told to bring ourselves one teddy bear. I held it with my hands and walked to the barre. There's this girl who is a year older standing beside me. She snatched my teddy with me and I cried. It was pretty bad experience for me. Subsequent lessons, I don't really have much idea but there is one.

When I was in Grade One. We will have to learn a dance which is something new to us as we didn't need it when we were in either pre-primary nor primary level. In those two levels, we were only required to remember steps and just some exercises. In Grade One, the dance is named as "Kite Dance". I still remember how to dance it. We were required to dance it in twos. My partner and I were good friends and I remembered we coordinate well together. For that dance, on that particular day, I kept dancing the wrong floor plan. I didn't get to the center. Eventually, I was told to stay back and practice till I give her perfections. While dancing, I cried. I felt so insulted back then.

Somewhere at that grade, I was asked to go for some shootings. It is really a very good experience. We will have to pose and the camera men will snap photos of us. Some were developed into poster sizes for us. if I am not wrong, it is for some ballet magazines.

My ballet journey was getting more and more fun and I made great friends there. We all learned together and followed our teacher all the way for 13 years. We managed to clinch all of our R.A.D. (Royal Academy of Dance, London) certificates all in a year and of course Grade 7 in two years altogether. We were proud to complete our Grade 8 Award. It was one of the toughest year of all. We were required to remember all 5 performances and we were expected to enter the studio alone. A brand new experience we had. The silence in there with only the pianist playing the musics is really scary! That is where our journey for the graded examinations ended.

Now, we are moving on to our intermediate levels. With our dreamed pointe. Isn't it so cool? Although of teacher, Ms Boo might not be able to see us through for the rest of our levels, but I hope to thank her sincerely. She was the one that saw us grew up. I LOVE HER!

My childhood friends. Wei Zhen and Meng Yun. There's another one, Michelle. 13years and still counting. Love you girls! ;D


xoxo,
JANICE.