October: choose one class that you are taking and let us know what you are learning, what type of tests, assignments, projects, you are having etc
Lauren MacNary, October:
One class I am taking at Texas State right now is Intermediate Ballet. I am actually auditing the class, since there was no more spots for me to sign up for in the first place. This means I don’t get credit and I don’t have to pay for the class. There are three levels of Ballet and Intermediate is the middle one. The style the professor, Ana Bear Carrillo, likes to use is mainly Russian but there are some American influences as well. Her story is actually really interesting, she studied Ballet in Mexico then moved to America and became really involved in Video dance. Video dance is the mixing of dance and video and I was lucky enough to see one of her pieces recently. Video dance is not just for music videos it can also be for art’s sake.
The class is structured like a normal ballet class. We start at the barre and with more simple exercises and then advance into the center. Ana likes to have us move in between exercises. She often asks us to bourre to a new spot after each combination. I like this idea because it makes us break our habits of always standing in the same place and getting used to looking at certain things as we dance. As dancers it’s important to not let what you are looking at affect the way that you dance. You might dance in a studio, on a stage, in your bedroom, the possibilities are endless and one cannot rely on visual cues.
Ana teaches combinations and keeps reusing them every class so that students can really feel how their bodies are working during the exercise and make necessary changes. Once most of the class has mastered said combinations, we are evaluated. This is the closest thing to a test I have encountered so far, in her class. We go through class normally but she constantly takes notes and watches each girl to give us grades on our progress. At the end there is a center combination that is usually a bit tougher than others. We are required to go in small groups so we can be evaluated individually. The last evaluation the combination was a fast passed petite allegro. It was fun to dance and very energetic.
An interesting thing about Ana’s class is that she does require her students to swim twice a week. She is an adamant believer in cross training. I actually keep a swim log and go to the student Recreation center twice a week to use the pool there. Swimming, as explained by Ana, is a great way to cross train for ballet dancers. This is because it involves strengthening your body as a whole but also specifically your core. The core is an all-important muscle grouping for pretty much every dance style, so I am happy to swim for that reason.
Ana’s class is well structured and I also find it to be very well thought out. She thinks about developing dancer’s bodies and minds. She is very friendly and goes around to talk to students as they stretch before class starts to ask how they are doing. Especially if they were sick or injured the class before to check in with them. I really enjoy her class and am excited to actually get credit for it next semester when I take it for real!
Lauren MacNary, October:
One class I am taking at Texas State right now is Intermediate Ballet. I am actually auditing the class, since there was no more spots for me to sign up for in the first place. This means I don’t get credit and I don’t have to pay for the class. There are three levels of Ballet and Intermediate is the middle one. The style the professor, Ana Bear Carrillo, likes to use is mainly Russian but there are some American influences as well. Her story is actually really interesting, she studied Ballet in Mexico then moved to America and became really involved in Video dance. Video dance is the mixing of dance and video and I was lucky enough to see one of her pieces recently. Video dance is not just for music videos it can also be for art’s sake.
The class is structured like a normal ballet class. We start at the barre and with more simple exercises and then advance into the center. Ana likes to have us move in between exercises. She often asks us to bourre to a new spot after each combination. I like this idea because it makes us break our habits of always standing in the same place and getting used to looking at certain things as we dance. As dancers it’s important to not let what you are looking at affect the way that you dance. You might dance in a studio, on a stage, in your bedroom, the possibilities are endless and one cannot rely on visual cues.
Ana teaches combinations and keeps reusing them every class so that students can really feel how their bodies are working during the exercise and make necessary changes. Once most of the class has mastered said combinations, we are evaluated. This is the closest thing to a test I have encountered so far, in her class. We go through class normally but she constantly takes notes and watches each girl to give us grades on our progress. At the end there is a center combination that is usually a bit tougher than others. We are required to go in small groups so we can be evaluated individually. The last evaluation the combination was a fast passed petite allegro. It was fun to dance and very energetic.
An interesting thing about Ana’s class is that she does require her students to swim twice a week. She is an adamant believer in cross training. I actually keep a swim log and go to the student Recreation center twice a week to use the pool there. Swimming, as explained by Ana, is a great way to cross train for ballet dancers. This is because it involves strengthening your body as a whole but also specifically your core. The core is an all-important muscle grouping for pretty much every dance style, so I am happy to swim for that reason.
Ana’s class is well structured and I also find it to be very well thought out. She thinks about developing dancer’s bodies and minds. She is very friendly and goes around to talk to students as they stretch before class starts to ask how they are doing. Especially if they were sick or injured the class before to check in with them. I really enjoy her class and am excited to actually get credit for it next semester when I take it for real!
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