Moomin

I agree the courts are usually good at piecing together the evidence, the shop would find it difficult to argue that a trained ballet dancer would trip over their own feet for no particular reason! I guess you are not allowed to talk about it whilst the case is pending but I hope justice is done

Sorry, I can't answer your question but I agree with you that I wouldn't be happy about a student teaching any subject at school. The teacher should be able to complete the work in the allocated lessons, if not its their responsibility to give up their time to complete the course. Maybe your daughter should go to the first session to see what it is about and if not suitable I don't see how they could insist on it.

Sorry I've got to ask, I've seen pictures of 'hot yoga' David & everyone is extremely scantily clad, is that really what happens? I think I'd be in my legging & tshirt & sweating! It is an interesting argument about quantity versus quality. A lot of places say you need at least 3 classes per week to improve much but I believe i have managed to make considerable progress on 2 per week and a lot of youngsters pass the lower graded on one class a week. I'm sure there must be a ceiling though, I agree with Lin I think I could only give my all to one class a day and retain corrections etc. When people have said its not a good idea to practice at home, surely that doesn't mean any and all practice? I always try and practice my corrections, slowly mark tricky steps, practice pirouettes, test balance, try and correct posture/ arms in a mirror etc. that was always expected when I was younger doing ballet and tbh I need to do it to get things into my brain these days! Is the point that you should only be consolidating and not trying to learn new things?

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear its so serious. I am not good with inactivity either. If you are handy could you make some Christmas pressies? Lavender bags/ bookmarks/ cross stitch/ jams & preserves? Or is there something you are interested in? Photography/ musical instrument? Do you like writing? You could start writing a novel, they say everyone has one in them!

Very, very rude! I think the teacher should have asked them to either follow the class or leave if it was disrupting the rest of the class. Unless you need to simplify the steps or have an injury or weakness (which the teacher should be aware of) I don't find it acceptable for anyone to do this and a professional, in particular, should know better.

Yes, it's amazing isn't it Lin, you would think there was a market for leotards over a size 10/12 (small 12 at that!). Even when I was a skinny size 6/8 I would have needed a bra but practically everything is too open backed for that. I've just compared mine. The mirella is a little larger on the waist than the Bloch, otherwise they are the same size. The just ballet large is the same size as the Bloch/ mirella large more or less.

The cechetti leotards are not great are they (presuming they are a standard style). The rad ones are much nicer! I wouldn't attempt dying tbh, very messy and the standard shop bought dyes would not take on that material so I imagine not cheap either. Do your school sell second hand uniform? Or might be worth just buying one and then selling it on?

I've got half the pressies sorted! Can't deal with Christmas shopping crowds and 'must have' toys being sold out!

I'm glad you are both feeling a bit happier now. Our job as parents is to support our children to follow their dreams. I would never choose to send my children to boarding school but if they were passionate about dance & were offered a place & I could afford it, I don't think I could say no. What an amazing opportunity for your son, I'm sure everything will seem worthwhile when you see the progress he's made.

I agree with you Lin yoga and pilates are excellent for stretching and different levels are built into the exercises. I take your point s&p and I'm not disagreeing with you at all but barre stretches are incredibly common and not easy to get out of at all as the shape of the bar requires you to lift the leg to get it off the barre. Added to that you may also be leaning over the 'barre leg'. I feel sorry for the shorter dancers who have to get their leg well over 90 or skip the section!

Sorry, my mirella one is larger than Bloch ones, they are size large though (10/12: no 'vanity sizing' for leotards!!)

Just tried that one too Sheila :-) my leg doesn't like turning in the socket very much, think I need to work on it!

I just tried that stretch, it's good! Got foot to about head height, would have to take it off the doorframe to get higher though ( and no way that is happening!). I could do 90 to second but to the back is pathetic! My back is not flexible at all, do you have any good stretches for that Michelle? Are you doing 3/4 classes a week now Lin? I'm sure your strength will build up quickly & you'll be getting those legs up to 90 soon! In any case a lower well performed developpe can look much nicer than a messy higher one x

Baby brain! It's a cliche but it happened to everyone I know who's had babies even the ultra organised ones! I used to find some things put away in bizarre places (car keys in the fridge?!!). Maybe you could make a checklist of things to do during class; introduce yourself, place newbies etc etc. it may help to reduce stress levels!

I can recommend 'breast flow' bottles! X

The space centre is fab Lin, you must definitely go!

Pointe work, how exciting Michelle!

Me too but I'm not relying on my feet for my career at least :-( They run in families and are linked to foot shape and hypermobility as well as poorly firing shoes (I have to wear 'sensible' shoes for another foot condition but they run in my family). I would recommend you see a chiropodist or podiatrist, they can advise various appliances to wear to prevent deterioration. Your gp may be able to refer you to a podiatrist because of your career, definitely worth asking. I do know a couple of people who have had surgery and one of them didn't look like hers were very big at all so don't presume your gp will not do anything especially if they're causing pain.

I have the piece that goes from the instep crossing on top as I think they fit better that way but don't know if that is 'correct'. If they are new shoes they could be switched to the other feet if it's not, as long as you sew the two shoes with the opposite piece of elastic on top iykwim

Lin :-D glad to be of assistance!

Back to ballet this week and loving it, my legs don't half ache though! Glad to hear you are feeling better fiz, that's amazing news about your house especially in the current climate. Hopefully you will find something perfect to move to. I was surprised by the dark evenings too Michelle, I guess the rain clouds don't help :-( Lin you are very dedicated, just make sure the patio doors are locked properly ;-)

Anjuli I love your writing, your description of an adult dancer made me smile, me to a tee! I look forward to my classes all week and you're right it probably is the only time I have to really concentrate on doing something for me. As for information that I think would be useful for beginners/ returners to ballet; 1. How long does it take to feel like you are actually improving? 2. Can you do anything to speed up that process? E.g. practice at home/ other exercise/ specific strengthening exercises? 3. What should you wear? 4. Are there books/DVDs which people have found helpful? 5. How many classes should I do? What ballet method should I choose? What is the difference between cecchetti, rad, istd, russian etc? These are just a few off the top of my head (just brainstorming, sorry if some have already been covered) I'll leave the technical ones to the professionals but as far as clothing goes I found jazz pants or leggings with tunic good. Definitely nothing at all loose around the ankle as your toes will get caught. Try and get ballet shoes for the first lesson, it is very difficult to dance in bear feet and socks are very slippery to dance in. Be prepared to get quite hot and sweaty! If you want proper ballet wear there is not a great choice if you are not sylphe like! Just ballet have a nice short sleeve leotard which covers a bra nicely could probably even cover a sports bra. I find Bloch leotards are very nice too & the material quite thick & stretchy to hold everything in place! Mirella chiffon skirts are lovely as they are quite thick material to hide the thighs a bit and a flattering shape. They are one size though & I'm not sure how suitable they would be for larger than size 12. I wasn't really prepared for how long it was going to take to see improvements especially as I had done a few years of ballet as a child. I really struggled with picking things up & performing quickly to start with, my brain couldn't process things fast enough! It took a good 6 months to feel I was getting somewhere and sometimes it was one step forward and two steps back! As I've got to an age where I have established a professional career it was seriously out of my comfort zone to be the 'worst' in the class and not know what I was doing! Hope something there was helpful!

I'm looking forward to the next installments anjuli! Don't think any of us only have one teacher, perhaps mainly to do with availability of classes!

I think to move on from beginner level you should have mastered the basic steps and be able to perform them with some grace, poise and reasonable technique. I'm not sure I could put a period of time on it as it depends a lot on prior experience, commitment and natural ability. I would agree with you lin that it is obvious to everyone in a class who is a beginner and who is not! To me it is mainly about the grace, control and positioning. I have met a couple of people who think they are rather better than I think they are but I can't say that I've experienced anyone obstructing a class. As long as they're not holding the class back it doesn't really affect me how well others are performing!

Ouch £25 for an hour class, I see what you mean Michelle! What is your new class that you have lined up? Hope you are feeling better fiz My classes are back next week too, after a long lazy summer I am a little apprehensive! ( but very much looking forward to it too)