Anjuli_Bai

When things get going and plans solidify - would it be possible to consider a forum like "Not Dance." There were some interesting discussions in that forum in the "old" Ballet.co.

There is no such thing as the "teacher will not allow us to take elsewhere." You are the customer - you can shop wherever you want to - especially since the teacher has nothing to offer you further. Taking a lower class - or one above - is a good idea but it is not a solution. If you daughter aspires to a vocation in dance she definitely has to find good teachers who will support her and give her a road forward. There is no other way. At her age she should be taking class severa times a week and, if ready, beginning pointe work. Except for the first couple of years of beginning ballet, it is a distinct advantage to have more than one teacher. There is no one teacher who can teach it all. There are many ways to do almost everything in dance. Each teacher brings a different perspective and adds to the whole. A career in dance demands that the dancer can respond to many different views and voices in auditions, rehearsals, classes, etc. Any teacher who seeks to keep deprive a student of including other teachers - is someone who is teaching for her own ego - not for the benefit of the student. Private lessons are at best an addition to - not a substitute for - regular class. The dancer has to learn how to move through space occupied by others. If you are quite sure that your daughter has the "equipment" - the physical body - for a vocation in dance then at her age it is imperative that a major change be made in her schooling to ensure that she is getting the tuition she needs to move down that road. If you are not sure that your daughter is physically capable of a career in dance - get a second opinion from a reputable teacher with no connection to the present teacher. Inform the second teacher beforehand that your object is her professional opinion of your daughter's capabilities. I do understand that many times good classes are not available - or too expensive. Unfortunately, that doesn't alter the facts of aspiring to a career in dance.

If the needle penetrated your skin you should seriously consider having a tetanus shot. Really - do get one.

I used a needle which was longer than a needle one normally uses for hemming - about two inches long. You want a needle long enough so you can really grasp it and pull it through. It should be a strong needle - but with a slender eye so it comes through easily - doesn't get stuck trying to pull through the material with too thick of an eye. So - it's a compromise. I can't imagine darning shoes without a thimble - and it goes on your middle finger (the longest finger) of your right hand - if you are right handed. Use three threads of embroidery thread which most closely matches the shoes. Hope this helps.

It would seem to me that a photo would show how a child looks - but not how he/she moves. I've had students who could strike a marvelous pose (arabesque/attitude, etc.) - but moving through a dance sequence was quite another thing entirely.

Do we have two issues here? First: are we forever fated to have Nutcracker and more Nutcracker at this time of year or can other ballets become as popular as a holiday treat and also act as an introduction to ballet? The second issue seems to be, unless I've totally misunderstood the above posts (not an uncomment event!), the full length story ballet vis a vis the mixed program in forwarding audience interest in ballet/dance. On the first issue - AsNutcracker I understand it Nutcracker is not tied to Christmas in the land in which the ballet was born (Russia/USSR). However, it's theme as we know it is certainly tied to Christmas. The first act is a Christmas party, then a Christmas tree is usually the background for the soldier/mice battle....and on to the fantasy of the Sugar Plum Fairy, etc. All of that regardless of the desire for some to include some sort of psychodrama - is part of a Christmas theme. Thus, I think the ballet will remain a stalwart symbol of the season. It's a time to take a child out for a treat - maybe lunch in a restaurant and then a trip to that magical place - a theatre. If it works to raise revenue for a ballet company - why fight it? For those of us who have been "crackered out" - well, it's only two weeks or so out of the year. And, the ballet's production can be manipulated to include (or not) many children. For many small companies with attached schools this is a wonderful opportunity to give students a stage experience with professional dancers. As for the full length story ballet vs a mixed program - it is not only in the more provincial areas where the story ballet draws in a larger - and/or more dependable - audience. At the Orange County Performing Arts Center a touring company (which includes the biggest names in the world of ballet companies) presents mixed programs during the week nights but is required to present the full length story ballets on the weekends. The weekends are when most of the biggest supporters show up. OCPAC is not at all out in the provinces - it is the premiere dance venue (as well as other performing arts) in Southern California. A complex of several theatres, many hotels, malls, etc., in the midst of a very highly urbanized setting surrounded by millions of people. Is it necessary to foster mixed programs? And, if so, why and how much?

It is still slightly less than 6 hrs from New Year's 2012 here. I wish everyone a happy, healthy and successful New Year!! I, too, hope that this board is a success......but that is up to us isn't it? Bruce has surely done everything to make it so.

The last time there was a fund raising effort - I did participate - and would again. In American dollars it came to something iike (if memory serves) $18.00.

Thank you, Bruce, for this lovely present! A Warm and Merry Christmas to everyone!

Thanks from me, too, Bruce for having this go forward. Hope everyone is having a warm and merry Christmas.