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Simply Adult Ballet: the progress of one adult dancer who took up ballet later in life


Michelle_Richer

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2 hours ago, Charliesays said:

A lot of the women attending did ballet when they were younger so already know the basics, so I feel quite out of place. I am making a lot of mistakes and feel like I am wobbly or just not doing it right!

Do I just need to carry on at my own pace and stop watching them or should I be practicing at home to try catch up a bit?

I absolutely love to watch ballet and realise no one gets to be like the ones you watch online without years of training - I just want to make sure I'm doing everything I can so I get the most out of it. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you

 

Hi Charlie, Welcome to the forum.

 

You can always watch them but don't try to match them, just do it to get a handle on the exercise.

 

I'm just over 4 years into my ballet journey but still consider myself a beginner! there are some fab youtube videos of the basics to get you up to speed on the terminology & positions which would be good to watch & yes practice between lessons whenever you can, it's a new thing you're learning so repetition is key but most importantly enjoy it & have a fab time.

 

Soph x

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4 hours ago, Charliesays said:

Hi everyone

I'm new here and this is my first post - I hope I'm putting it in the right place!

I have recently started adult ballet as a complete beginner. I've only had 2 lessons so far so appreciate it will take time to get into it, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me?

A lot of the women attending did ballet when they were younger so already know the basics, so I feel quite out of place. I am making a lot of mistakes and feel like I am wobbly or just not doing it right!

Do I just need to carry on at my own pace and stop watching them or should I be practicing at home to try catch up a bit?

I absolutely love to watch ballet and realise no one gets to be like the ones you watch online without years of training - I just want to make sure I'm doing everything I can so I get the most out of it. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you

Hi, Not too sure if you are taking RAD lessons but if you are there are videos produced that you can buy. The videos are a great way to become familiar with the terminology as well as how it should be done. At least reducing the owl impression during class to try and turn your head in all directions to watch everyone else! Plenty of books, possibly at your local library which may also help with the words and phrases used regularly by all ballet classes no matter which syllabus they follow. 

 

Have fun and enjoy, your muscles may not be quite so happy but you will feel fab, walking taller with renewed confidence just for starters.

Just don't expect overnight success but each and every week you will notice little improvements, even if it's just remembering one single word and turnout! :)

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4 hours ago, balletgremlin said:

@LinMM get your glassss out. Results are in and I got a high merit!

 

I got my highest marks for performance and musicality rather than technique as expected. Very pleased as it's the best I've ever done on an exam and is more than 20 marks better than the last time I took grade 6 15 years ago!

 

Congratulations!

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Just seen this hooray well done ballet gremlin ....who says you can't improve your ballet when you get a bit older that's really good to hear.

A high Merit is a wonderful mark to achieve for even all those 14 and 15 year olds so amazing. Will you go on and aim for Adv One foundation now? I think it gets complicated after grade six as to whether you include the pointework or not in the exam.....I think there is a Grade 7 ( no pointework) but may be muddling with BBO syllabus.

Well it will definitely be a gin and tonic tonight...... and in the end have only been on the tea the last two or three nights ......so will be very much looking forward to it. Also a high Merit deserves at least two rounds I think!!

Linda X 

 

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Also marks for performance and musicality are signs of someone who has a real passion for the Dance ....I'm not putting down technique of course that has to be okay too but I'd rather have the higher marks on the former if it was me! 

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Thank you so much everyone!  As youngatheart has mentioned, I have put videos of me doing the entire grade 6 syllabus on youtube because I though it'd be nice for other adults to watch someone who wasn't a teenager doing all the dances and to show it's possible grown-ups can do exams too.

 

I definitely want to continue taking exams. Grade 7 will probably be my next one. I am taking Intermediate classes too  but my pointe work & double pirouettes need a lot more work before I'd be comfortable doing it in front of an examiner.

 

My teacher is also getting ambitious and wants our advanced adult class to start doing the Advanced 2 barre, mainly because Advanced 1 plies and rond de jambes are boring us to tears. Doing repertoire too so definitely being kept busy. One downside of working towards exams is doing the same exercises on repeat so I'm enjoying the variety at the moment.

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Young at Heart is the OMG for totally boring or totally more difficult! 

 

ive stopped doing BBO classes for the time being ...was in the Grade 7 class last year......It's down to time in the end as am in London two days a week with Alive and Rambert classes and so locally if it's a choice of the BBO grade 7 or a local intermediate level Russian class here I really much prefer the latter!! I did both before going up to London so much.

However I would now be very tempted by the new RAD Repertoire classes.....unless BBO are planning something similar?? 

Dont think I'll find anyone in Brighton ( who teaches adults) for RAD so looks like a London thing. I will find out about it for the Autumn though.

its just the thought of negotiating the RAD website but perhaps it's improved since I last looked. 

I wish they would produce a "paper" version of all the classes there which you could pick up when calling in but you are usually directed to the website and have to book there I think anyway.

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On 25/04/2018 at 15:13, Charliesays said:

Do I just need to carry on at my own pace and stop watching them or should I be practicing at home to try catch up a bit?

 

Charliesays, welcome to the wonderful world of adult ballet.

 

Because this is a long thread, and pretty general, if you have specific questions, like the one above, you can make your own separate thread. You can then find your answers in amongst the general chatter about classes & building studios, and travelling & performing, and exam results and so on.

 

When you're learning from scratch it is TOO easy to pick up bad habits.  So it's far better to stick to a real live class where the teacher can correct you. Remember also that if the teacher gives a general correction, you should try to see if it applies to you. And corrections are GOOD! A lot of adults take offence at being told they're doing something apparently "wrong" but corrections are given by the teacher to help you. If your teacher gives you "hands on" corrections - actually manipulates your body so you can feel the correct movement or alignment, or pokes you or touches you to point to where the muscles are. 

 

What you can do outside of the ballet class is other forms of conditioning: Pilates or yoga help, as does any kind of cross-training (aerobics, cycling, running, swimming) as they get you stamina and fitness up.

 

Have fun! It's a wonderful art to learn.

 

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14 hours ago, LinMM said:

Young at Heart is the OMG for totally boring or totally more difficult! 

 

 

It was for "totally different from the other BBO ballet work" - fewer but much longer combinations, and a choice of two set dances. It will be pretty challenging for teachers to learn and then teach when they and the students are so used to the approach of the old work. But as Bluebird22 says, it's not as "dancey" as the RAD grades either.

 

See the Discovering Repertoire thread for details of the RAD HQ classes.

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Congratulations Balletgremlin! I hope you are going on to do the other Higher Grades and Discovering Repertoire next.

 

I know what you mean about the pointe work and double pirouettes. They are my bugbears too. However my teacher is doing my application this week, so I've just got to get on and master them.

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Well done Balletgremlin that’s brilliant.

 

 As several have mentioned RAD’s discovering Repertoire, I wonder if anyone has seen RAD,s PDD workshop at the Ballet Cymru studio in Newport, a really large and gorgeous studio for a such a small ballet company.

 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rad-dancing-together-2018-registration-42037959669?aff=erelpanelorg

 

Its on today Sunday the 29th April, sadly I didn’t see it until yesterday, I would have dearly like to have attended all three grades and made a day of it.

 

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The problem with the website is they don't give much info in advance. So you can find out what classes are currently going on ( and most are likely to be full already etc) But you can't find out what's going on say in the Autumn yet and in fact I have a feeling that they don't release this info until a couple of weeks beforehand so could easily miss it 😬

Id like to attempt the level two Rep .....that is attend the classes .....am not sure about actually taking the exam though 😳

 

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Well I've just booked the Sleeping Beauty adult  Rep workshop at RAD headquarters in July! 

This is a Saturday one and starts a little later than their sunday ones ....which is good as travelling early on a Sunday is usually not such a good idea .....they're always working on the rail lines up to London on Sunday's though admittedly usually starts to ease off by July.

 

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YBSS are doing an adult ballet masterclass on the middle/crossover Saturday ( 21st July 10am til 1:30pm) of summer school at Askham Bryan College. Copied from their Facebook page apply via the YBSS website.

 

Adult ballet Class and Solo's Masterclass lead by YBSS Director and former Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal Iain Mackay. For Intermediate and advanced level ages 20+
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1 hour ago, mimi'smom said:

YBSS are doing an adult ballet masterclass on the middle/crossover Saturday ( 21st July 10am til 1:30pm) of summer school at Askham Bryan College. Copied from their Facebook page apply via the YBSS website.

 

Adult ballet Class and Solo's Masterclass lead by YBSS Director and former Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal Iain Mackay. For Intermediate and advanced level ages 20+

 

I just raced in here to post this, I wasn't sure if I'd be up to scratch so messaged them to check what they describe as inter advanced & got the following,

"Intermediate/advanced as a guideline so that everyone attending can really get the most out of it. I think 3-4 years training is a great marker. That said I can tailor the class as best needed. Does that help? Iain"

Hope this helps anyone make their mind up.

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A bit too far for me for a half day workshop but I'm sure it will be good.

Be warned though that the college is quite a bit out of York so last year to watch some classes ended up having to get a rather expensive taxi! I did bus it back but had to wait ages for one to come along and it's a walk to the bus stop. So not wonderfully convenient location but great for the YBSS students who board there as the setting is nice.

 

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Hi LinMM

 

You could always make a weekend of it with a mini retreat at the Royal Conservatoire Of Scotland base on Scottish Ballet’s production of Cinderella.

Ballet classes will be taught by En Avant Ballet founder Karis Scarlette and Cinderella Repertoire Workshops will be coached by Principal dancer Bethany Kingsley-Garner.

 

Karis Scarlette was my teacher many moon ago when my monthly treat was doing both ballet classes that evening at the Royal Opera House, but it was extremely expensive.

 

I wouldn’t mind doing that workshop, but it’s the week before Adrian and I travel up to Ballet West for our one week one-to-one intensive.

 

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Oh okay,  you could always do both. I would have like to see Karis again. I see they do a lot of overseas retreats too, it may be worth a look.

 

I'm thinking of doing a couple of ENB's taster classes, as I really miss the old place, not that I will be going back.

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10 hours ago, TYR said:

Who did Renato's marathon 2 hours 30 yesterday?

 

I did think about coming to London specially for that on Sunday, but I had a lot of work on down here. I'm sorry I missed it - is he teaching regularly back in London now?

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Not regularly, but he has been here for weeks here and there. He cancelled earlier in the week and announced a special extra long class that turned out to be built around something of his from Germany. It's probably best to watch his facebook page..

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Update: he's here and leading class at CSB for the rest of the week. Then back to Germany. Returns 8th July for most of August. Also, Antonia Franceschi might be about in the first week of June.

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