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allekhaThe many days of rain have come to an end, and someone finally mowed the lawn here, so I can plant things! I bought my eggplants, a couple of purple basils to replace the other ones that didn't survive separation, and on impulse, a little thing that the seller said was called 'annis hysop'. Annis == anise, so it smells like licorice. Can't wait to try eating it. I am reassured that it grows like any other mint, which means I need to get another pot and more potting soil. Still thinking about also getting cherry tomatoes or something.
In skating, I am now being repeatedly told that I need to skate more aggressively, which, hah. Physical risk-taking does not come that easily to me, but I'm trying to make it happen. (It does help that I can now tie my skates more tightly, so they aren't wiggling on my feet when I stroke, or not much. Now if only the laces would stop loosening.) It's also important because R skates faster than I do, so it makes ice dance lessons more difficult if he always has to set himself to my pace. He says his secret is that he skates out all his anxieties and just gets angry on the ice; maybe I'll start skating faster when I'm ready for my thesis defense, then.
Our coach wants us to test the first dance pattern soon. There are three on the first test, but he said that you can test them at different times. Last week, we tried skating it with music, since we've been getting faster, and better at not accidentally skating into the corner. It was not the best experience, since we were doing the thing with our coach following us with R's phone playing the music while we skated around the public session, and we could barely hear it. I thought it was harder than skating while our coach counted for us, since it seemed so fast; R said he thought it was actually less frantic. We should practice on a freestyle together some time when we can play music over the sound system.
One of the older men who skates regularly told me that my spirals are looking nice :) And he gave me some advice on my spin. All of the regular skaters I've interacted with in my area so far are kind.
Last weekend, Z and I went to go see a recorded Bolshoi ballet in the cinema. I wasn't sure how much he would enjoy it, since he knows even less about ballet than I do (vague childhood memories + Princess Tutu + Yuri on Ice meta = my ballet knowledge), but he seemed to like it. It was a combination of one-act Carmen and Petrushka. I saw the opera version of Carmen some years ago, but had never heard of Petrushka (which they apparently anticipated, because they had summaries of the scenes for that one).
I think I might have enjoyed the ballet Carmen more than the opera Carmen - I did miss the lyrics when Toreador played, but the love triangle I hated so much was easier to stand when it was all dance and no words, haha. The woman dancing as Carmen was charming, though the hand-on-hip posing did get a bit old after a while. (I know it's unfair to compare them for several reasons, but sorry, figure skaters, none of you make half as alluring of a Carmen as a professional dancer.) Did get confused about who the woman in the black pantsuit was, until I looked it up on Wikipedia afterward and saw that she was Fate - I don't think that role existed in the opera? I also enjoyed the male dancers and when they danced together, and the Toreador had a great-looking white costume with black details.
The recording left in the whole of the audience clapping (for a very long time) and the intermission, so we both got up to stretch our legs in the middle.
The women's costumes in Petrushka were nice - the more prominent dancers in the first group had lovely skirts with sharp pleats, made of shot fabric, which gleams different colors depending on how the light hits it. The second group had skirts with rolled pleats, which you don't see every day. The men's costumes, on the other hand, were pretty eh.
My favorite parts were when the dancers for the puppets came out with mannequins attached to them - one in front, one behind, with rods connecting their limbs to those of the dancers, so they made walking motions floating above the ground. Very cool and very creepy. I loved the effect. I also liked watching how the dancers moved so much like puppets brought to life - it's cool to see the different ways people can move.
Z got confused about which man was Petrushka and which one was the Moor, and I had to help him out afterward; though I think the version we saw didn't exactly match the summary we were given, which didn't help. It certainly doesn't match Wikipedia's. I remember being lost about the bit where the ballerina is supposed to be trying to seduce the Moor, for example. (I do remember a scene where Petrushka is watching the Moor dance very suggestively, though.) But it was a fun experience, and I enjoyed it. Maybe we'll go see another one next season.
In skating, I am now being repeatedly told that I need to skate more aggressively, which, hah. Physical risk-taking does not come that easily to me, but I'm trying to make it happen. (It does help that I can now tie my skates more tightly, so they aren't wiggling on my feet when I stroke, or not much. Now if only the laces would stop loosening.) It's also important because R skates faster than I do, so it makes ice dance lessons more difficult if he always has to set himself to my pace. He says his secret is that he skates out all his anxieties and just gets angry on the ice; maybe I'll start skating faster when I'm ready for my thesis defense, then.
Our coach wants us to test the first dance pattern soon. There are three on the first test, but he said that you can test them at different times. Last week, we tried skating it with music, since we've been getting faster, and better at not accidentally skating into the corner. It was not the best experience, since we were doing the thing with our coach following us with R's phone playing the music while we skated around the public session, and we could barely hear it. I thought it was harder than skating while our coach counted for us, since it seemed so fast; R said he thought it was actually less frantic. We should practice on a freestyle together some time when we can play music over the sound system.
One of the older men who skates regularly told me that my spirals are looking nice :) And he gave me some advice on my spin. All of the regular skaters I've interacted with in my area so far are kind.
Last weekend, Z and I went to go see a recorded Bolshoi ballet in the cinema. I wasn't sure how much he would enjoy it, since he knows even less about ballet than I do (vague childhood memories + Princess Tutu + Yuri on Ice meta = my ballet knowledge), but he seemed to like it. It was a combination of one-act Carmen and Petrushka. I saw the opera version of Carmen some years ago, but had never heard of Petrushka (which they apparently anticipated, because they had summaries of the scenes for that one).
I think I might have enjoyed the ballet Carmen more than the opera Carmen - I did miss the lyrics when Toreador played, but the love triangle I hated so much was easier to stand when it was all dance and no words, haha. The woman dancing as Carmen was charming, though the hand-on-hip posing did get a bit old after a while. (I know it's unfair to compare them for several reasons, but sorry, figure skaters, none of you make half as alluring of a Carmen as a professional dancer.) Did get confused about who the woman in the black pantsuit was, until I looked it up on Wikipedia afterward and saw that she was Fate - I don't think that role existed in the opera? I also enjoyed the male dancers and when they danced together, and the Toreador had a great-looking white costume with black details.
The recording left in the whole of the audience clapping (for a very long time) and the intermission, so we both got up to stretch our legs in the middle.
The women's costumes in Petrushka were nice - the more prominent dancers in the first group had lovely skirts with sharp pleats, made of shot fabric, which gleams different colors depending on how the light hits it. The second group had skirts with rolled pleats, which you don't see every day. The men's costumes, on the other hand, were pretty eh.
My favorite parts were when the dancers for the puppets came out with mannequins attached to them - one in front, one behind, with rods connecting their limbs to those of the dancers, so they made walking motions floating above the ground. Very cool and very creepy. I loved the effect. I also liked watching how the dancers moved so much like puppets brought to life - it's cool to see the different ways people can move.
Z got confused about which man was Petrushka and which one was the Moor, and I had to help him out afterward; though I think the version we saw didn't exactly match the summary we were given, which didn't help. It certainly doesn't match Wikipedia's. I remember being lost about the bit where the ballerina is supposed to be trying to seduce the Moor, for example. (I do remember a scene where Petrushka is watching the Moor dance very suggestively, though.) But it was a fun experience, and I enjoyed it. Maybe we'll go see another one next season.
no subject
Date: 2019-05-23 09:14 am (UTC)It makes me wonder whether Yakov's students skate to ballet music that was created for Lilia! Given the clear inspiration there, I've assumed that Lilia is as important in the ballet world as Maya was, but who knows really.
no subject
Date: 2019-05-24 02:12 am (UTC)There's an interesting idea. I wonder what it would be like seeing music created for you in one medium used over and over by other people in another medium. I've read that some dancers are not very impressed by the dance elements of figure skating, but I got the impression that Lilia can see it as its own thing; maybe she would enjoy choreographing familiar music in a new setting.
no subject
Date: 2019-05-26 08:17 am (UTC)I suspect there's an aspect of ego boost to having your piece be something that everyone wants to do. :)
no subject
Date: 2019-05-26 05:02 pm (UTC)Not only her, if that viral photo is any indication :)
I'm sure it would be! I kind of want to write a fic about it now.