Mary, Ilona

Tendus: Mary said that the tendus initiate with the foot. Amazingly, I thought of lifting the instep, and it made a huge difference in my tendus. Mary even noticed.

Petit allegro, Mary said that the gesture leg should only go as high as you can jump, and the position should assemble in the air above it.

Retiré: I have been unable to balance my pelvis laterally. Ilona told me I needed to release a muscle (maybe it was the glut. med.s or something), but when she fixed it, I felt a definite release on the outside of my hips. (Lateral as opposed to medial.)

Closing fifth: Now that I have a decent enough fifth to be corrected, but Mary and Ilona corrected my fifth, as in I need to close it and rotate it more.

Chassé: remaining turned out. we worked on that with Ilona.

tendu, cou-de-pied en tournant: turn in fifth, then move the gesture leg.

En dedans turns: Ilona was pushing me to go for two, but I couldn't do it. I need to generate the force correctly, so that I don't distort my alignment. Needs more work.

Gino thoughts

work through the feet, even the toes, to have that smooth, even feeling. in tendus, in jumps, everywhere.

hmm...guess that's the main one.

Alexander Technique private with Shannon

I don't know what happened. But, here goes:

I went in with my knee strain. We took it very carefully. the entire session was table work.

First we followed the directions: Allow the neck to be free so the head can roll forward and up and the back can lengthen and widen.

Then she added hips back (hips = pelvis girdle), knees forward, heels back and down, calves up and forward.

She held my leg up by my foot and asked me to release down into it, as I would into the ground. I felt my foot unsickle, and my leg got longer. She also worked with a bent knee position, when my hip released, it started to turn out. I also felt my knee spasming, but it slowed down.

Odd that my legs lengthened, but not through the usual Gyrotonic way. Guess I'll have to add that to my toolbox.

She also focused on my pelvis. She thought that my sacrum was "out". I think that means out of alignment. She put her hand under my sacrum and helped me release. It was okay, but the tension went into my hips. then we let the legs extend along the table and it seemed to change. my hips and knees released.

Walking was challenging. I felt my knee unstable again. And my sacrum/pelvis fell out of alignment again.

It's a long road ahead.