Ballet Dancer gives up MA for now

[Bill Mattocks]

I thought this was interesting. A professional top-notch ballet dancer moving from Germany to Canada interviewed:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...r-jiri-jelinek-came-to-canada/article1442395/

And then there’s Thai boxing. When he was 10, Jelinek started with karate and moved to kung fu before falling in love with this particular form of kick-boxing. “I had to stop doing the sport because the physicality went against ballet and the injuries affected my dancing,” he says. “I’ll take it up again when I finish my dance career.”

I can understand why getting bruised or bloody might be a problem, but what else would get in the way of professional ballet dancing?

Anyway an interesting interview. Seems like a determined and thoughtful young man:
For starters, Jelinek is not a typical dancer whose life is consumed by ballet. “I’ve always had a life outside dance.” Last October, he married his Czech girlfriend, Aneta, and the couple do not see their future in Germany. “We don’t feel comfortable with the lifestyle and mentality,” Jelinek says.
He also points out that, at the age of 32, the time to move was now while he has good dance years left. “We knew we wanted an English-language culture,” he says, “and we felt that Canadians are more down to earth than Americans. We were also worried about the economic crisis in the States.”

So, Canadians. Are you guys more 'down to earth' than us here in the US?

 

[Ken Morgan]

Hell if I know, I deal with Americans every day, and outside of a few minor idiosyncrasies I don’t see much of a difference. Though our chocolate and beer is way better then yours.

I’m just glad we’re getting another male ballet dancer. You can never have enough of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlM1R6fot9s

 

[72ronin]

Maybe the muscle memory thing, our bodies change to adapt to our repetitive activities. Still, i dont see how it would get in the way of his other activities.
Something to do with his full range of motion i suppose. Maybe he jump spinning kicked when he was supposed to twirl like a swan.. who knows LOL.

He will certainly have awesome flexability if he decides to get back into M/Arts though

 

[xJOHNx]

5 low kicks per training are sufficient to be downgrading towards other activities. When I had running practice in order to pass my physical exams, low kicks were a serious pain in the proverbial hole. As long as I was getting them, I couldn't perform on the track at 100%. So I gave up thaibox for 3 months, passed my exam and restarted.

Also, ballet is a very difficult sport. You have to be 100% in control of your body, if you have a sufficient number of bruises that feel numb, the whole dance can be affected.

 

[Blade96]

So, Canadians. Are you guys more 'down to earth' than us here in the US?

what is meant by 'down to earth'? then i could answer, maybe.

 

[Em MacIntosh]

Being a Canadian I'm actually frustrated with a lot of the sanctimony up here. We're just 1/10th the US and our problems are proportionate. Canada has a more european feel to it, apparently. Maybe he feels it's more down to his earth.
It's not like many people anywhere are what I would consider down to earth though. Maybe Bhutan.

 

[Gordon Nore]

what is meant by 'down to earth'? then i could answer, maybe.

Nicer?

 

[Ken Morgan]

what is meant by 'down to earth'? then i could answer, maybe.

Ok, I'm not in any way shape of form sucking up to you Blade...but

The most DTE people in Canada are, IMHO, on the east coast, very friendly, pragmatic, helpful and funny. I think, probably like anywhere else, once you get into the big cities, it all goes out the window. And on the east coast, the most DTE in my experience are the Newfies.

 

[Gordon Nore]

Ok, I'm not in any way shape of form sucking up to you Blade...but

The most DTE people in Canada are, IMHO, on the east coast, very friendly, pragmatic, helpful and funny. I think, probably like anywhere else, once you get into the big cities, it all goes out the window. And on the east coast, the most DTE in my experience are the Newfies.

True that. My mom was a Newfoundlander. People on the east coast take strangers into their homes. There's a great book out --The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland -- which chronicles the warm reception given to stranded air travelers in Gander, Newfoundland, following 9/11.

 

[teekin]

I have seldom met a Newfie that I didn't like. They just seem to take life in stride. Maybe due to all the Screech they drank as kids? :whip1: And damn can they fight! Once again I'll put it down to the Screech.
lori

 

[kungfu penguin]

ok i'll bite what is screech?

 

[Ken Morgan]

ok i'll bite what is screech?

Well...do you know what gasoline tastes like??
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newfoundland_Screech

 

[Flea]

Back to the dance question ... I've found that with my dance background, it's been a challenge to retrain some physical habits since starting the MA. I still catch myself pointing my toes sometimes, and bending my back in purty ways as I evade. Looks great on stage, but very bad news in a fight where it translates as "compromising your spine." I've been doing the MA for a year now, and I'm surprised at how tenacious those habits are. So it doesn't surprise me at all that this guy is having problems the other way. If I were him I'd follow the paycheck too.

 

[Ray B]

As a former ballet danseur, I used to show up in class with all kinds of injuries. Finally, when I showed-up with a cracked rib, my teacher told me to make a choice between ballet and karate. I chose ballet because I was seeing some of the girls there.

IMO, dancers have better flexibility, body awareness, balance and memorization skills than the average Joe. They can make a change quickly and remember it and do it consistantly.

As far as Canadians are concerned, don't they eat poutine? French fries with all kinds toppings? :uhyeah:

 

[Rich Parsons]

Hell if I know, I deal with Americans every day, and outside of a few minor idiosyncrasies I don’t see much of a difference. Though our chocolate and beer is way better then yours.

I agree about the Chocolate and Beer!