Letter from Boston Gearing Up By MASAKO YAMADA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
準備万端 ボストン・バレエの「ドン・キホーテ」の公演に魅せられ、バレエを習うことにした雅子さん。友人の通うボストン・バレエの初心者向けクラスに参加して3週間がたちました。以前からバレエに興味があり、レッスンを受けた経験もある雅子さんには、すでにおなじみの練習内容で、クラスについていくのも苦になりません。

I am now in my third week of taking ballet lessons at the Boston Ballet. For the first couple of weeks, I danced in my socks. I thought this would be sufficient at first. However, I have decided to take the advice of a friend who told me that dancing would be a lot more fun if I had ballet slippers.

She is right: Taking up a hobby is a lot more fun when you have the proper equipment. I still remember the excitement of getting a piano after practicing on a toy electric keyboard, or a sterling silver flute after years of tooting a cheap alloy in the school band.

That said, I'm not an advocate of going overboard, especially at the beginning levels. It's simply not necessary. There are some people in my beginner's ballet class who wear silky tutus, and I think it's a bit too much.

It's true that for many people, the fantasy of ballet involves wearing a frilly skirt and shiny satin shoes, but I suppose I take an equally silly pride in being a purist: I chose the most practical canvas slippers the store had in stock.

I had never noticed the dance supply store before, even though I pass by it every time I go to my piano lesson. It is located on the second floor of a very nondescript row of stores. The sign for the store can barely be seen from the street.

Once you open the door, however, it's a different world. The rows of leotards and costumes are certainly colorful, but what really struck me was the professionalism of the store. There must have been dozens of kinds of dance shoes. I saw different types and brands of pointe shoes, and many kinds of ballet slippers.

From the sheer selection of goods, I could tell immediately that the store attracts a loyal following of serious dancers. I especially liked that the store catered only to those who knew of its existence: It did not make any attempt to attract random passersby with flashy displays.

I asked the sales clerk for help in buying basic ballet slippers, and he directed me to a pile by the cash register stacked high with canvas slippers. They were not wrapped in any packaging, but the sheer volume led me to believe that they were a popular model.

There were other kinds of ballet slippers in the store, including glossy, pink leather models, but I somehow trusted his judgment and I didn't ask any questions. Besides, I liked the black, cloth slippers. They looked a lot like the slippers my instructor usually wears.

I especially liked that the soles are split so that there's one piece of suede under the ball of the foot and one piece of suede under the heel. The rest of the slipper is made of canvas. This makes the fabric fit the foot better, and it looks prettier when the toe is pointed.

The lessons have been going well. Thanks to the dancing lessons I took as a child and the ballet classes I took in lieu of gym in college, I have not had any problems keeping up in the beginner's class. I have read a lot about ballet in the past and seen quite a few ballet productions, so even new steps have not been entirely foreign to me.

The ballet slippers have made certain steps less painful to execute, and, above all, they are fun to wear.

The instructor does not really explain things for beginners. He simply conducts the class like any other ballet class, only at a slower pace. He expects people to follow on their own. This is good for those who are capable of mimicking others' moves, but not so good for people who need step-by-step instruction or personal encouragement.

My friend, who has been taking lessons for a while, still doesn't know the names of several steps that I've memorized just by reading about them.

One of the new men didn't even know the five positions when he walked in and started taking the class. I have also seen a woman who can barely walk gracefully, much less dance complex steps. I suppose that is the good thing about learning things in the States.

An Italian friend couldn't believe that we have been taking lessons at a top ballet school (where prima ballerinas occasionally take the same class). I feel grateful to have the opportunity to improve.

Shukan ST: May 5, 2000

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