In the Spotlight: Diana Vishneva

You may know of Diana Vishneva, if not from her dancing, then possibly from this picture that is featured in most dance magazines.

Diana Vishneva was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1976. She graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy, joined the Mariinsky Theatre Ballet in 1995 and was promoted to principal in 1996. During her last year at the Academy, Vishneva began working at the Mariinsky Theatre. She is now a Principle dancer with ABT (and supposable Kirvo).

She has had roles such as Kitri in Don Quixote, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, and many many more! She was also on the cover of Dance Europe.

Pointe Shoes and New Devotion!

I’ll be the fist to admit that I am not the most dedicated blogger, as you can see it has been 14 days since my last post *Gasp*! I don’t even have much of an excuse, I had spring break last week so I had no ballet (but I did have to do school… being home-schooled does have some disadvantages). I need to be more dedicated, even if no one is reading my blog, this is a great opportunity to work on my writing skills (which really are not that great) and to praise God for all He has done for me.

So, to start of my new streak of dedication I’m going to talk to you about pointe shoes! The only form of torture still allowed in households across the world…

Ok so pointe shoes aren’t as bad as all that, but for many new students putting on pointe shoes can be very painful. When you are a young girl, getting pointe shoes is what you work for and dream about. Getting your pointe shoes is like crossing the threshold of being a girl to being a ballerina.
I still remember my first pointe shoes. They were beautiful! The pink satin and silk ribbons were what I had always dreamed of. My mom helped me sew on my ribbons and elastic, and my teacher showed my how to break them in. My first pointe class was fun. Being up on your toes is quite a sensation! The trouble started with my second class, which was not as pleasant as I had anticipated. As I took off my shoes, I saw the red welts forming on my toes. To say my feet hurt would be a gross understatement. My next couple of classes were pure torture. I hated every second of it, but I pressed on because I knew that the only way I was going to get to be a real ballerina was if I fought through the pain.

One fateful day (after many horrible classes on pointe) I learned about Gaynor Minden Pointe Shoes (http://www.dancer.com)/. They are the most amazing pointe shoes I have ever had. Finding the shoes that are right for your feet make a world of difference, and I’m enjoying pointe more than ever!

I’ve been doing pointe for around 3 years, 2 of which I’ve been using Gaynor Minden Pointes. I feel like a real ballerina because I am a ballerina. I realize now that being on pointe in not the end all be all. It is just one part of being a ballerina, but it is a magical part that I hope every aspiring dancer will have a chance to try!

Warning: You should only buy and use pointe shoes when you have permission from a professional (i.e your ballet teacher) Useing pointe shoes before your ready could result in major damage!

Keep Dancing, even when it hurts!
The_Ballerina

Seeking Praise

I had my second Monday ballet class yesterday. It was a good class (as always) and I learned much. One thing really stuck out though.

During a combination my teacher mentioned that I work harder when I know I am being watched, and that isn’t going to do me any good. I came to the conclusion that I love to receive praise from people. Working harder when I know I am being watched stems from that.

Praise from man is good, but I should be working to give glory to God! When I’m focused on myself, I am full of pride. God is the only one who deserves praise and if I am going to be seeking praise, only Gods praise is lasting!

The_Ballerina

My Ballet Goals

I just thought I would share a few of my goals for the year with you. Summer vacation is coming up soon and I will have plenty of time to devote to my goals!

1. Get my middle splits.
I can do the splits to the middle but my goal is to have my legs perfectly strait across, like in the picture shown. Right now I’m more like the girl in the back.

2. Get my double and triple pirouettes down!
I’ve always been a little frightened of turning (or as my teacher says, "flipping") sense a pointe accident I had when I was younger. I really want to nail my turns and get over my fear!

3. Move up to being a Soloist in our cities dance "company".
I just joined the "company" this year and I’m in the corps de ballet. I am hoping that I will improve enough to get promoted!

4. Have my teacher tell say "That was beautiful" to me
My teacher only gives that compliment to the highest/best dancers in my class. I would love to hear her say that to me!

5. To become better friends with all the girls in my ballet class
I’m new this year, and all the girls have known each other for most of their lives. I really want to make a better effort at getting to know them!

Those are my goals! What are yours?

The_Ballerina

Tips from my Ballet Classes

I’ve learned many things sense I started taking ballet at a new studio in September of 07. All this great information is inside my head, and I know that other people could also benefit from it! So I thought I would share a couple of the great "lectures" that I’ve recieved from my ballet teachers! Todays advice is from my teacher named Jon and its on:

Balancing with your leg in Second (position that is)

"Have you ever had the pleasure of caring a very heavy suit case?" Jon asked me.
"I have, or I’ve at least tried" I answered.
"Then you’ve probably realized that if you carry two suit cases, one in each hand, that it is a lot easier to balance. Your leg that is in the air is like that heavy suitcase, it pulls you off your centre and thus you fall over. But if you have your weight over your toes on your supporting side and you are lifted in your hip and rotated, it is much easier to balance, and it is proper technique".

When I did this, it was so much easier to balance… much like it is when you are carrying two heavy suitcases instead of one!

I hope you learned something!

The_Ballerina

How to stay inspired

As a dancer I sometimes feel burnt out and wonder why I push myself to do what I’m doing.
In ballet perfection is what we strive for, what we live and long for, but we know we will never reach it. To us, our leg could always be higher, our turns could always be faster, and our jumps could always be grander. But with the sweat and tears come moments of pure joy! I love ballet, it is a major part of me.
When I’m feeling low and discouraged I remember how much God has blessed me! He has given me an able body that can twist and bend and lift! He deserves all the glory for that! Everything I can do is from Him!

Feeling Low? Try these!

To refresh my mind when I feel like I’m not good enough I love to read my Bible! James is my favorite chapter!

Read some ballet books! Go to your local library and check out every book that has to do with ballet! There are some really great ones out there!

Go to youtube! There are some really amazing videos! NYCB and ABT have pages on youtube that link to their videos!

Look for amazing ballet pictures! This is a great blog that always has new pictures! http://balletanddance.blog.com/

Stretch! I know is doesn’t sound fun at first, but it always feels really great when your done!

Go to your local Theatre and see a ballet, there is nothing like watching a live ballet to get you inspired!

Best wishes! I hope you stay inspired to keep doing what your doing!!!
The_Ballerina

Tough Times

The past couple of days have been pretty hard on me. I got braces put on the other day, and they hurt pretty badly! But Advil seems to help and the pain is only supposed to last a couple days.
Friday I had ballet and I got a lecture from my teacher about not being fast enough about picking up combinations. It’s hard for me, taking the class that I am, because I haven’t had much training and I was suddenly thrown into the advanced level. Half the time I have no idea what she is talking about. But I’m going to keep praying and working hard, and hopefully add a few more classes (from a lower level) so that I can understand things better.
Well, I’ll try to post again soon!

The_Ballerina