Inspired by the Alvin Ailey dance performances I've been seeing, I took a beginner ballet class yesterday. It was great. I can't believe how much complexity can be in the simple lifting and lowering of a leg. We were mostly doing leg movements holding on to a horizontal bar. We did a plié, in which we squeeze our heels together and toes apart to make a V, and then we bend at the knee to go down and straighten to come up. Lots of stuff to think about even in that simple movement. The teacher, a Chinese-looking man named Finis Jhung, was excellent. He emphasized balance and "equal and opposing forces", like pulling up on the ground to go down and then pushing down to go up. The class was free, because the school, Ailey Extension, is connected to the Alvin Ailey dance company. I saw a performance of the dance company and I brought my ticket stub for a free first class. I was hoping to get an appreciation for ballet and dance in general at the class, and I got that. I...
