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A Decade After Her Rise Misty Copeland Shifts The World of Ballet Once Again

 For maybe two months I’d have random moments of quick thoughts. Although quick, they were important. They were worth pondering in my mind because, whenever it actually came true, it’d mean things in dance, things in ballet are really changing. Those quick, repetitive thoughts were about the retirement of Misty Danielle Copeland.  Today was the today. Today is when I actually read the news. Although I’d been having thoughts of the inevitable, reading that NY Times headline made me feel more mentally prepared than I assumed. Allow me to explain. I recognize the retirement of Misty Copeland, just about on the heels of Gillian Murphy's, to be an announcement of a monumental shift in ballet. When I was a high school dancer, the most beautiful dancers— the dancers I looked up to, seemed to dance forever. While companies are looking younger and social media is hailing as a prominent stimulant to detect and experience true artistry, the turning of the tide is truly here.  I’ll b...
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The Greatest Ballet Training for Me, To Date.

Different teachers bring different training methods into a room. Along with it they have experiences that have played a role in their further understanding or one that ignited new discoveries. Different teachers in a room of different bodies is a totally different scenario. To date, for example, I have been taught over five different methods for successful pirouette turns. Four of them have played a part in my understanding of the step's methodology. On the other hand, I have been told things that did not work for me specifically due to my body's structure and frame. Something that is always laughable to me, for example, is the assumption that my straddle position is a 180 degree line. My splits are perfectly flat while my straddles need a little more TLC. I added that in for you to laugh at me but the point I was making is that not everything works for everyone. The greatest teachers are those who've invested in their craft passionately enough to teach or coach someone else beyond their current level. That is what my favorite dance teacher, Erin Jaffe-Gardner has done for me. There are a few others who are in that same boat but I am pointing her out because this article is about how Vaganova training improved my classical ballet. 

Masterclass.com gives an excerpt about the Vaganova technique expressed as progressive training working to build strength and flexibility while minimizing injury. This is a perfect summation of my experience with Vaganova training. Here is how that technique improved my classical ballet, personal artistry and connection to dance. 

Anytime Erin was scheduled to teach class I knew it was another day to learn more valuable information and more excitedly, to expand on the last lesson she had given. Developed musicality, a more expansive reach and lengthened movement, deeper plies, better balance and muscular endurance are all of the things I have noticed. The way Erin teaches, you can feel her passion as much as you can see her expertise. Adding the technique to her teaching qualities; at the end of a sweaty class, I have experienced the most thorough training.

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