Rock Me!

I liked the song, hence a video. Don't try explicating any sense of it to the footage. Quick edit job, too.

This is of the intermediate class, this past year. Footage stretches from December of 2005 thru to December of 2006. Some of the kids are no longer with us; others have progressed on to team; a few are brand-spanking new to the class.

The violinist, btw, is Isabel Bleimeister, who provides, somewhat, the framework. Enjoy!

The Vault, the Bars, and the Balance Beam

the beginnings of a planche
Things are really moving along fast for Thea. I notice the changes happening almost on a weekly basis. The level 5 routines she performs now are even more polished than what you see her doing in this video. And she is acquiring level 6 skills and beyond; in many ways, with seemingly relative ease.

Included in this Christmas edition video is a clip of her doing a beam series (backwalkover backhandspring) last Wednesday; a layout with a half (even working on the full twist) on trampoline, Saturday- something she rarely even practices, since developing good basics is more of a priority. Yet she is able to pull it off even though she hasn't invested a whole lot of "flight time" to practicing it.

Also on this past Saturday, she found out she could do a standing back flip on the floor. She just never tried it before. I think there are many things she is able to do, but just doesn't know it yet. She has the skills. They just haven't revealed themselves to her yet. She's still only a 9 year old kid who trains only 3 days a week, 9 hours total, strictly for the fun of it.

As Marcel Proust put it: "The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." Or, as my teacher Mark Mikita might tell me, "I'm not teaching you anything you can't already do."

One of the most remarkable transformations, has been her form and grace. If you take her six videos in order, I think you can see how much things can change in 2 years. And like technology, the more she progresses, the faster she seems to acquire progress.

I especially like having captured footage of coach Kimberly giving her a few "pointers" on developing stronger toe point and leg form. Sickled, pidgeoned-toed feet have been labeled in our gym "Thea disease". We kill it wherever we see it. Fortunately for Thea, she has enough self-esteem in her stalwart body not to be negatively influenced by the stigmatizing phrase. I think it's actually part of the cure, as Thea realizes not even she wants to possess "Thea's disease".

To go along with the new epic music, I present to you Thea's new video in "letterbox format", to enhance your movie-going-viewing experience. I'll let you know when it's available in IMAX.



Merry Christmas, Thea!

Previous videos:

Riddle of Strength
Thealogy
Theatricks
Theanthropology
Theaphany

Gymnastics is a "Breese"

Addison Breese is one of those darling kids who you have the pleasure of seeing, "grow up". I think I've only known her for 2 years at the least; perhaps it's been 3. In some ways, it feels even longer than that; and yet she's growing up so quickly, it feels like time is flying right on by me. I've seen her move up the ranks from beginning/advanced and into intermediates; we didn't let her over stay her welcome there and it wasn't long before we pushed her on to level 5 team.

I think her most dramatic transformation happened when we had our annual Spring Fling in May. Still in intermediates at the time, she worked hard on her level 4 floor routine to be performed in front of an audience.

Addie's best asset is her flexibility; but it's also been a crutch, as she over-relies upon it to "coast" through certain skills. Once she understands how to maintain body tightness and the importance of proper body-shapes through her skills, she will see dramatic improvements in her performance. As it is, right now, her body flops around like a wet noodle; or like the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz if he were to do a round-off backhandspring (I almost chose the Scarecrow's song...but then thought: "If I Only Had a Brain" would come across as too insulting).

Besides...I wouldn't want to sabotage my chance at having dinner with the Breese family, later on tonight. (^_^)

I think I forgot to mention in the closing credits that in the video, Addie does all her own stunts. (^_~)

Ana & Ash'lee's bat mitzvah montage video

It took me about 6 hours to scan two albums worth of photos. It's amazing how cute people are when they're small.

My fond memories of Ana and Ash'lee stretch back about 5 or 6 years; I think I have known them longer than I've known any of the other current crop of kids at the gym. Who would have ever thunk it, that they would make it to team? Certainly, I did not. I remember when I'd be teaching early morning adult clients; and Ana and Ash'lee would be the first kids to arrive at the gym. They'd holler out my name repeatedly from across the gym, excitedly while jumping up and down. *Sigh*, I miss those days when they worshipped the tumble trak I bounced on.

Now they are pre-teens.


Look out, world!

Photos here.

Thea the Gymnast Chapter Five: ~Theaphany~

This will probably be the last in the series, making "Thea the Gymnast" a pentalogy. Have no fear though: a brand new series begins December 25th (at least, that's my target goal).

As much as I love the Basil Poledouris epic soundtracks, it's time to move on to a newer theme. Since one of Thea's strengths is her strength, the Conan music seemed to fit. This latest and last video, however, doesn't focus on her physical strength, but on one of her weaknesses. Knobby pidgeon-toed knees, sickled feet, and initially, a lack of understanding of form and artistry, Thea's actually come a long way in less than a year. I think her ongoing transformation can find representation in how she used to do the final pose in her level 5 floor routine, to how she does it at the end of the video. I used to secretly chuckle at it because you could tell she had no clue what the whole point of standing there at the end of the routine was all about. The footage is mostly taken from around summer of 2005, December 2005, then throughout 2006, up to summer.

I had a deal of difficulty editing this one. I just wasn't sure what to put in it; and I felt like I was riding on fumes, as far as the footage goes. Nothing terribly exciting; mostly just spare part footage; but still fun to make for Thea (I think I just like listening to the music).