Bourrées, Gift-Wrapped

Friday pointe class, towards the end. We are doing our usual reverance preceded by bourrées (couru or suivi, whatever your ballet dictionary / school tells you). First traveling to the side, then en tournant, then in a big circle, then repeating all to the left. It's pretty much the same exercise as in Royal Ballet's glossary video below. Only the music is from Swan Lake, and it's all very lovely. We finish with a deep curtsy, and that's it. Or so I thought. My teacher tells me to wait, goes to her bag and whips out a red thera-band. I'm thinking maybe she wants me to do some ankle exercises or such, which would be odd enough - but instead she tells me to relevé in fifth. Takes the rubber band and wraps it around my legs, above knee height, and finishes with a nice big bow. I look like a left-over from Christmas.



She then tells me to repeat the entire bourrée exercise. It's very funny - I notice everyone chuckling along (out of sympathy I hope) - but it's also damned effective! I had been so eager with my bourrées, that my legs had seperated in the rush. And because I was not able to check myself in the mirror while turning around, I had not noticed the big gap between my thighs. Another reminder why the teacher's eye is so important! We may think our moves are spot on, but thinking is not yet doing. Of course, my teacher could have just told me to keep those thighs together, but having my legs tied really drove the pointe home. Corrections are always a bonus, but this was the first time I got mine gift-wrapped! :)