今年(2011)年初, 葉老師再次開了水袖班。一來是不斷有新同學詢問, 再者我們這些舊生也想再精進自己的水袖工夫。剛開班時, 同學人數還有10人左右, 沒想到上著上著又回到6人左右, 老師笑說我們是研究所班, 功力不到或毅力不夠者是無法畢業的。由於學生人數減少, 再加上僅4位舊生有學過水袖, 因此葉老師很早就宣布週五水袖班將不會排舞, 但會正常上課, 讓我們可以專心地將水袖的基本功練好。沒想到六月中時葉老師突然告訴我們這4位舊生, 從七月開始每週日下午我們要與團員班的4位妹妹們一起排練成果展的水袖舞碼。聽聞這個消息的我既開心又擔心。開心的是, 可以再次在舞台上表演水袖; 擔心的是要在短短的兩個月內學完一支舞, 而且還是與團員班一起表演, 真的沒問題嗎? 會不會拖累了團員班的妹妹們? 更何況筱楓老師已將整支舞的動作及隊形排完了, 我們真的追得上嗎?
第一次與團員班妹妹們合併排練時, 看著她們純熟且技巧高超的動作, 我偷偷地在一旁捏了好幾把冷汗。與去年「且吟春語」不同的是, 這支舞在一開始就有很多出收袖的動作, 不僅頻率高, 且各種收袖的方式都有, 只要袖子沒收好, 連帶地就會影響到下個動作。跳了幾次, 沒有一次是成功地將袖子漂亮的收回到我的手掌中, 總是會留下一大段在手掌外飄啊飄的, 真的好挫折喔!
幾經考量, 終於下定決心將袖長縮短10公分, 而且當天回到家的第一件事就是將此工作完成, 免得我又三心二意了。其實一直以來老師和同學們都曾建議過我, 只是我還是想挑戰一下自己的能力, 不想輕易妥協。但現在情況不同了, 我不想因為袖長的問題而影響舞碼的學習與排練。再者, 若袖長縮短了而我仍無法順利且漂亮的收袖時, 才能更快地找到問題所在, 然後去做調整與修正。同時, 也才有較多的時間與心力放在舞蹈動作的記憶與舞感的揣摩上。
Early this year, we started water-sleeves dance course again. Not only because there were some new students interested in it and frequently checked with Teacher Yeh, but we, old students, also would like to refine our skills. In the beginning there were about 10 students in the class but now only 6 left. “This is Master course,” Teacher Yeh teased “and it’s hard to get graduated if one does not have patience and diligence.
As the number of students has decreased and among us there are only four students learned water-sleeves dance before, Teacher Yeh had already announced that we would not have a program in this year’s performance show but we will still learn and practice some essential techniques of water-sleeves dance. In June Teacher Yeh suddenly told us, the four old students, that we are going to perform a classical water-sleeves dance with another 4 youths from advanced class. And we are going to have choreography courses in the Sunday afternoons starting from July. I am happy because of the chance to learn and perform another water-sleeves dance program again. But I am also a bit worried because we have only 8 courses to learn a new program while those youths had learned all of the movements already. And to dance with them is kind of challenge and stress to us.
At our first course, Teacher Yeh asked those 4 youths to dance what Teacher Maple have taught and choreographed so she can know how and where to put us in. The style of this program is different from what we performed last year. It has many different types of sleeves-return movements and they are frequently used. If one fails a sleeves-return movement, her next movement will be affected consequently. We practiced several times and I never have good sleeves-return movements, not even once. There was always a length of sleeves out of my palm. So frustrated!
After the class, I made up my mind to shorten the sleeves 10 centimeters and have done it right after I was home; otherwise, I might change my mind again. I didn’t consider this option before even my teacher and classmates had suggested me several times because I didn’t want to surrender to it without trying. But now the situation was different. I couldn’t let the long sleeves to affect my study and practice. If with shorter sleeves and I still cannot have good sleeves-return movements, the problem will definitely not be the length of sleeves but my movements. I can then focus on examining my movements to find out problems and fix them. Also, I would have more time and energy to memorize new movements and to think how to express this program.