It started when Christy and I asked Jillian to do a Graham contraction, which she responded to. Then I walked Christy through how to do a contraction and we practiced at the foot of Jillian's bed. One thing led to another and the next thing you know we were playing one of Christy's favorite classical pieces on her iPhone and I was giving Jillian ballet barre.
We started with plies, then tendus, then degages, then ronds de jambes, then frappes, then fondus, then stretch at the barre, then grand battements, then a tendu exercise in the center with pirouettes.
I don't want to draw conclusions that may be false and give people information as if it is fact but my experience and my feelings told me that Jillian heard every word I said and was really excited to dance.
Donna Faye switched places with Christy and helped encourage Jillian to keep moving. I would say plie 1 & 2, lengthen 3 & 4 and she really did bend her knees. I said find your rotation and I swear she turned her legs out. We talked about port de bras a lot and she did raise her right arm above her head many times. I asked her to feel the stretch of her psoas and she reached her hand in the direction of her psoas. There was a lot going on and Donna Faye grabbed the nurses on duty who came and observed. One of them said to Jillian, "Now do that tomorrow when the Dr. comes by!"
So, I am going to the hospital at 7:30 am at Ingrid's invitation to give Jillian Day 2 of Ballet barre for the Doctors to see. Ingrid has been saying all along that she thinks Jillian needs to have ballet class. So, here we go. I think what's important is that we do it every day.
Also she opened her mouth really wide in a way that looked like a yawn during the dancing. She also coughed.
Her heart rate went way up during our ballet barre. It only went down once, but everyone needs a little rest.
More to come,
Erika Hand
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9 comments:
erika, donna faye and christy-
wow! you are all so beautiful. she's ready to dance.
love,
christa
well, as always, more proof that dance can save our lives, give meaning to the world, and provide a container for our passion to be. I have been deeply moved by reading this blog. Deeply moved by Jillian's extremely challenging encounter with a man who should not have been driving, and deeply moved by the care, compassion, and concern of her family and friends. Thank you dfaye for spreading the word and thank you erika, christy, et al for all you have done to both care for Jillian in the concrete present while also creating a moving record of each passing moment for our own information and for Jillian when she comes to. I am sure it will mean the world to her to have some sense of what has been occurring on the other side of the veil. My best intentions and prayers from Mexico, Ray.
this makes me so happy.
wow this is so inspiring! Dance can truly heal. It is touching to know what Jillian's friends and family are doing for her.
Much love,
Kelsey
Hey Jillian! Mira's been calling me on the lookout here in Oregon every morning to give me updates. When I found out the news last Tuesday, I IMMEDIATELY put the whole Driver prayer team on it, and mom and Heath confirm that they are praying for you daily. Heath was boarding a plane in Dallas when I told him and he asked if we could pray over the phone. I had tears running down my cheeks when he was done, and I know the whole terminal did, too! I then turned to recalling the last thought I'd had of you, and it was just the weekend before your accident. Remember when we were in Mrs. Robertson's English class, exchanging notes in our assignment books while she was leading her excellent discussions on Chaucer (I was torn between you and her but you always won out), and we decided the best excuse to do something we aren't sure about is always "Might as well!" I think about this regularly and laugh out loud. I've found it really is a great deal breaker for all the risky things in life. I know for a fact you're headed for a full recovery. I love you. See you in my dreams. Might as well!
Amazing. I haven't been in Jillian's life for some time now, but I am sending so much love and strength. She is such an kick-ass, she is dancing already.
Thanks for this blog.
xo, Jilly.
Love,
Emily Sepik
Jillian
thinking about you a lot this last week and I'm really inspired by your strength and that you were dancing this morning! When Cristi told me the news of the accident I immediately thought of how tough and full of life you are and knew you would pull through. I love you and can't wait to get on a dancefloor with you and get friggy with it!
This is an amazing story! Thinking of Jillian and all of you at her side every day. Thank you for keeping us updated with the blog.
What is the best way to schedule a visit?
Much love,
Megan
Jillian's performance brought me to tears this morning. Brilliant! Thank you all for being such a constant, I am thinking of her every day.
All my love,
Michael Wall
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