Acrobatics
[ Class
Logs
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Kurt
Shainman
Rehearsal Hall
The largest room in the Istan Harper Hall, save the Ballroom, this room has wonderful acoustics that make sound bounce off the walls just so. From lessons to rehearsal to just listening to the marvelous sounds always filling the room, there's always a surplus of people about, harpers of every rank, and even a few holders. Tiers fill almost every wall in the room, the choir levels on the right, the orchestra one directly in and other smaller areas for more specific group rehearsal on the left. The room is spotlessly clean and only completely empty in the early hours of the morning when most harpers have to tear themselves away from their work for a few winks of sleep.
The stage area of the rehearsal hall is covered with thin and thick mats, strips of cloth laid neatly across a beam. Everything seems to be laid out neatly for a lesson.
Niara slips into the hall, sending her flits soaring to the rafters as she does. She drops her satchel into a corner before crossing the floor to stand near the layout, nervously wiping her hands on her shorts as she walks.
Mimi slips into the rehearsal hall, dropping her bag near the door as she spies the mats, walking over to the stage and prodding at one of them. "Lesson?" she guesses, wondering what ever could it be. It looks like they're /tumbling/ or something like that. "Interesting," she mumbles as she continues to prod at one of the mats. A small wave goes to Niara, "Heyla, Nia. How're ya' doing?"
Niara grimaces in the direction of the mats before returning Mimi's wave. "Good...I think. I'll tell you after the lesson..." she replies, poking at random objects.
A soft *click* and the sound of rope being let out of a pulley rather quickly precedes the sudden arrival of an upside-down Kurt, who bounces to a halt, hanging by his knees on a bar just inches in front of Niara, his face level with hers. He peers at the apprentices, arms folded, what hair that escaped his clips and bands dangling aimlessly. Tilting his head to the side he finally comments "You should watch where you send those things. Almost took off my ear."
Niara squeaks at the sudden appearance of the upside apparition, coloring as she realizes that it is Kurt and coloring even more at his words. "Sorry, Master Kurt..." she mumbles, taking a few steps backwards.
Mimi's eyes widen only slightly at the suddenly appearing Kurt. Instead she tilts her head upwards to see how the journeyman descended to the floor. A small nod goes to Niara and she raises a hand to give a small finger-wiggle of a greeting, "Hallo Master Kurt. What're we doing today?" She edges to the side to continue her small inspection of the mat.
Kurt narrows his eyes at the pair and shifts so that he twists around to land on his feet on the ground. "Well, in case you haven't noticed, we're going to be doing a little bit of acrobatics. Nothing strenuous, just something to get your muscles accustomed to stretching out a bit. Helps in your dance lessons. And it adds a bit more entertainment value."
Mimi was just making sure the lesson was what she thought it was. She ceases the prodding of the mat with a grin, "Ooooh. Fun," is her comment on the lesson. Acrobatics is just like really complicated dancing, right? Right. So is it that acrobatics helps your dancing, or that dancing helps your acrobatics? Miz brushes off the question for another time and places her hands on her hips, looking inquisitively towards Kurt.
Niara sighs and bats at an errant patch of bangs falling in her eyes. "Kirin'd love this..." she mutters to herself as she positions herself closer to Mimi, all the while eyeing the various and sundry instruments of pain and tor...er, education.
Kurt folds his hands behind his back. "Now...we're going to start off easy, but I want you to see first how acrobatics adds to your performance." and then to invisible music the Harper moves off the mat to launch into a whirling dance, then with a spring, arches his back to perform a backhand spring, landing on his feet and turning away, coming to a stop. "See? Makes boring old reels much more interesting." brushing his hands off, he gestures to the mat. "First we'll start with the standard handstand. Anyone know how to do that?"
Niara raises her hand tentatively. Better get involved with something she /can/ do.
Mimi raises an eyebrow at Kurt, rather impressed with the backhand spring, although attempts to refrain from showing as much. She waves her hand around a bit, "I do. Can't hold it for very long, but I can do one." Handstand. Easy. Okay, maybe not that easy, but oh well
Kurt nods "Ok, so come onto the mat and let's see." at least make them put their money where their mouths are.
Niara steps father down the mat, making sure to give Mimi plenty of room. Planting her hands on the mat, she takes a deep breath and kicks off, swinging her feet into the air and holding them in the air. Her arms might be trembling slightly, and her feet wavering unsteadily, but she is holding her position. For now.
Mimi
grins at Niara as she finds her own little spot on the mat, leaning over and
squaring her hands on the floor. One foot is kicked up, then the other. A small
sway of her legs before the senior apprentice slowly brings her ankles together,
toes pointed as best they can be. "Merp," she says as she keeps up the
handstand.
Kurt steps forward to hold Niara's feet to keep her steady. "Good...keep your arms straight and your feet together. Keep your muscles tight." to Mimi he nods. "Good..."
Mimi lets her arms buckle, swinging her feet back down to the ground before her head hits the mats. Raising herself up, she stretches her arms towards the ceiling. "Oof. Haven't done one of those in a long while..." Biceps are given a small rub, obviously needing a bit more arm strength for keeping up a handstand any longer.
Kurt chuckles "Looks like you'll have to work out a little more. Maybe you could help Jeranium move some of those boxes in the archives. That will build up your strength."
Niara tries to follow Kurt's direction, allowing herself to concentrate more on her arms as Kurt has hold of her feet. But this is unusual exercise for the young girl, and her arms begin to tremble violently. Letting them buckle after Mimi falls, she tumbles to the ground.
Kurt rolls his eyes. "Squishy apprentices." he scoffs in a joking tone. He certainly doesn't look like he has the strength, but he turns his back to them, kicking up into a handstand so that he's facing them. "You don't have to be super bulked up muscle-men but it is good to have strength for stamina at least." he picks one hand up, leaving just one hand to support him, bending the other behind his back. "Did you feel the muscles pulling here?" he pats the bicep of the opposite arm. "And here." he pats the side of his thigh. "You'll feel it a lot for a while but then your body will get used to it." he drops his feet to the floor and plunks down crosslegged. "So what do you think?"
Niara brightens happily as she scrambles into a cross-legged position. "That's it? Well that was fun then."
Mimi winces slightly at the mention of anything with archives. "Erp. I'm sure I'll find /something/ to help." Helping Jeranium isn't high on her list of anything to do. "I'm so totally not squishy," is Mimi's giggled defense, "It's easy 'nuff, I guess.." A small shrug and the harperlet also lets herself flop to the ground.
Kurt shrugs "That's it at least for now. You never want to push yourself too fast, or you'll pull something, and in the area of acrobatics or dance that can be extremely painful." he moves back to extend his long legs out in front of him. "Do some exercises to loosen yourself up before you do /any/ acrobatic stunt. A cramp or a pulled muscle can be just as bad as breaking something."
Niara rolls her eyes skyward in relief and untangles her legs to extend them likewise. A quick grab, and she latches onto her toes, grinning sideways at Mimi. "I'm doing won'erful, Mimi," she offers as she bounces slightly to stretch her calves.
Mimi spreads her legs out into a straddle, leaning down so that her nose is mere millimeters away from her knee. "Mm-hm. I heard of this silly apprentice trying to do some stunt and he hadn't done any stretching at all and the silly thing strained a muscle in his leg." Mimi gives her thigh a protective pat before switching to lean over the other knee. "Well that's won'erful, Niara."
Kurt nods as he stretches as well. "Yeah. Well, I can guarantee you'll pull something at least sometime in your career but stretching out and learning how to do things properly will at least lessen the damage when it does happen. Bruises, pulled muscles, scrapes, the occasional bruised tailbone...all part of the job." well, Kurt's job maybe. But then he's one of the only acrobatic teachers in the area.
Mimi winces a bit at Kurt, "I pulled a muscle once. It went away after a few days though. Wasn't that bad. And, bruises, taken care of those, too..." Miz stands up to lean her hand against a wall, one foot on the ground behind her, the other in front at a 90 degree angle. "I do not plan on bruising my tailbone at /any/ time though. I've heard it hurts."
Niara
giggles and roll onto her stomach, resting her chin in her cupped hands.
"It does! My sister
Kurt nods. "It does hurt. Never do it."
Kurt stretches to touch his toes. He's not tall but he does have long legs. "Do you think this is something useful for you? I know dancing isn't everyone's thing but...it's my job."
Mimi stands, holding onto one foot with one hand, other arm held out to keep balance. "Dance is my thing, so I certainly think it's useful." A pause as she nearly loses her balance, then switches legs, "Besides, people need to know what to do, otherwise they'll hurt themselves being stupid." A solemn nod, "Like that silly kid that didn't stretch and was wearing some big boots and tried tumbli- Ugh," she cuts herself off with a sigh of disgust, "Some people."
Niara shrugs, or least tries to, considering her position, "I don't know if dancing's my thing. I really haven't had a lot of practice...or teaching. But I suppose it's helpful for anybody. Everybody needs some grace..."
Kurt nods. "Right. Wearing the right clothes can keep you from getting hurt as well. Whether dancing is your thing or not it's really something all Harpers should know. So...if you guys don't have any questions I suppose we can call it a night, hmm?"
Mimi bounces on her toes slightly as she cocks her head towards the ceiling, obviously pondering something. "No..." she responds contemplatively, backing off of the mats, "I'm good..."
Niara scrambles to her feet and drops a quick bob. "Thank you, MasterKurtItwasfun" she blurbs out. Calling to her flits and slowing only long enough to grab at her bag, she dashes out the door.
