Journal 18
Wednesday - 02-2-11
Well... The process has begun for getting my first, real Latin dress!!
The other day, Vova had told Roma about a few places to get his costume (and mine) taken care of. [The really awesome part about this is that Vova specifically told Roma to drop his name, so that the people would take better care of us. How nice is that?]
One place didn't call Roma back, but the second one did. It's a costume shop named, "Art Master." Vova and Masha get their costumes made there, too!!
Roma had a meeting with them today, so I came by to, to start the discussion on what kind of dress I'd be having made.
Apparently that process works less with discussion than it does just trying on bunches of dresses!! They were being handed to me right and left, in all sorts of different styles!!
I went into it wanting a Fringe dress. I have wanted a Fringe dress for well over 5 years now, but for various and sundry reasons, I never managed to get one. … I still didn't manage to get one!!
I found a style of Fringe dress I really liked, and it really did seem like, even after all of the dresses, that was the style I was going to choose; but on a whim, either the dress master or my partner found a dress in the stylings of, "elegant," that they thought I ought to try on. It was a dress with one long sleeve, a diagonal cut across the chest/back, an open side, and a long, thin skirt, with an open leg, on the same side as the open side.
As soon as I stepped out in it, from the looks on their faces, I understood that I had lost my Fringe dress yet again… Ha ha ha.
Also, I've never heard the word, "elegant," tossed around in relation to myself so many times, in such short period of time, as I did while I was wearing that dress:
"You're such an elegant girl, like a real lady -- you should have an elegant dress!"
"She has such an elegant neckline/shoulder line, we want to accent that!"
And so on, and so forth.
*****
So, we discussed a few more specifics about the design/color (It's going to be a dark, dark blue!), and about the kinds of stones we'll put on it**, price range, and then we took my measurements, and that was it! My initial fit will be on Tuesday.
[** When we were discussing stones, my partner, for God knows what reason, said he thought it would be better to have red stones on the blue fabric. I was less than pleased about this, and I said that I thought it would be better in all blue. The Dress Master said they had used red stones on blue before, for contrast, and showed me an example. In the end I just said that I would trust the Dress Master and the Stone Master. We'll see what they decide to do…]
**********
We hurried on from the meeting at the costume shop to our lessons with Vova!
(Pre-Lesson, I gave Vova back his CD, along with some chocolates I'd brought back from the US (Reese's Peanut Butter Cups were among the goodies. Ha ha ha! An American treat, if there ever was one!!) -- just as a way to say thanks for his effort the day before, and his and his Papa's hospitality. He seemed taken aback, but accepted. This led to fun later on.)
*****
The most lasting impression from tonight's lessons is that I think I pulled a muscle in my bum during samba tonight... Still, I had fun.
The aforementioned injury (Which isn't too serious, I don't think.) happened while we were working on a specific move in Samba.
I guess I just stressed my "important leg" too much, and tweaked the muscle. The move in question can be found in the following video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hX59v-gt-M&feature=related
[The move starts at 1:10, and lasts until about 1:14.
Fast Fact: I once had the pleasure of hopping onto a table to avoid these guys once, while they were in town, training at Russian Club, some odd months ago. During Samba, too! Ha ha ha!!]
It's also the same move that Vova used to give us a very important lesson on the following thought:
'If you keep dancing the way you're dancing, you're going to get crushed in competition.'
He wasn't saying that to be mean -- it's just the truth. You see, when Roma and I go to compete, whenever that happens, we'll be competing in the same category as all of the people we know at Russian Club -- up to and including all of our trainers.
Let me rephrase: We'll be competing against Vova and Masha. Who are the #2 amateur Latin couple in the Russian Federation.
So, what Vova was saying, is that there's no dynamic in our dancing. We don't make our "pictures" where there need to be pictures, and we don't have contrast between the different parts of our routines. It just all flows together. And when we need to move, say, we're not really "moving" anywhere.
Much as he did in the last lesson, Vova took me, and led me through the move I pointed out in the above video.
First, he did it how Roma leads me. Which is to say, without much power, dynamic, or direction.
Then, he led me how he'd lead Masha… … And I got to do my best not to get completely run over!!!
Once he'd gotten me across the floor in no time flat, Vova let go of me, and apologized (just like he did last time), if it'd seemed like he'd been running me over, "… But that's how it should be. That's how you should be dancing it."
I told him there was no sense in apologizing for how it was supposed to be done!!
*****
Now, as we kept working, Masha called over to us -- she'd found the bag of chocolates and Vova's CD!!
I realized that she was talking to me -- she asked, "Whose is this?? Is it yours? Can I have some??"
Vova quickly wheeled around and shouted, "It's MINE! No!!"
But of course, from behind Vova's back, I was making faces to Masha, and encouraging her, "Yes, yes!!!"
What a wonderful time!!! Soooo funny. I love watching Masha and Vova interact! I get such a kick out of it, and definite, "warm and fuzzy" feelings.
**********
I got back home, and at some point in the evening, Lena sent me a text message, offering to do lessons in the afternoon, but I have classes tomorrow, so I can't!!! I was so disappointed… I really wanted to work with her… Especially because I'd had to cancel with her on Tuesday, in order to have lessons with Roma and Vova. (The lessons which were moved to today.)
I had another, "Up past 4 AM" night, staying up with a friend who needed a shoulder, and then I collapsed into bed!
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