LinMM

I was just googling "proportions and ballet dancers" and the first article that comes up there is interesting(sorry am so useless at posting links etc) and you will be pleased to see swan princess that about half way down in Blacktype is the statement "Ballet Companies like talent and talent comes in all shapes and sizes". So hope there's some encouragement for you!!

Hi Swan Princess please don't think about giving up just yet!! It is true probably that having a longer back to legs proportionately may not create such a nice line and may restrict some leg height etc. if you really do love ballet then you can be aware of certain limitations and make the most of other qualities. I would hate to raise your hopes unnecessarily......but sometimes you can prove people wrong!! Presumably you have taken some grade exams and passed them?! I don't know what level you are at right now of course but if you are progressing well and are enthusiastic I would just keep going and see how far you can get. If going for auditions etc maybe really think carefully about choreography you use to show yourself to advantage....if get the choice etc. You may not know yet what direction your ballet could take you and even if you do not for whatever reason actually make it into a company down the line maybe you would make an excellent and creative teacher.....but for the time being keep your eyes on the goal you would like to achieve for now.

This conjures up such a lovely picture afab!!

You don't say how long you have been "back to ballet".....there is a whole topic thread on this called "Going Back to Ballet"(under the general "doing Dance " topic.

Anyway you say you are pregnant so can't answer any particular problems related to this

However when I first returned to,ballet after a 22year gap I was continually getting cramps either in the feet or calf muscles. It was very annoying because Imhad to keep stopping etc and had to stop dong any rises at all as as soon as I went on demi...a cramp was likely!! I don't know the exact scientific reason for this(lactic acid build up and all that) but I assumed it was pure lack of practice!! Gradually after a few months it just stopped and I assume this was because the muscles were just getting stronger...and now two years later it rarely happens.

I can vouch for bananas too. Again I don't know why but Imsuddenly felt attracted to eating them more and if I have an early class then if nothing else I know I can get through the class if Ive eaten a banana bought on the run so to speak! (though porridge with banana is better!) Obviously if you've been doing ballet for a while now there may be some other problem......by the way it took me 6 months before I could do a full plié and about a year before a plié in fourth position!!

Hopefully will be inspired to!!

Glad you felt more confident today. Yes sometimes it's the little joining steps in the middle of an enchainement that can mess it up for you and you then always seem to be on the wrong leg!! Very irritating! However getting the top half of the body improved and looking good is really important as then hopefully people may not be looking too closely at ones feet!!!!

Yes I find fondus especially when combined with ronde de jambe en L'air quite tiring....it takes a lot of strength to hold the leg up for so long and probably hold back a bit on fondus when on right supporting because of my knee which plays up,from time to time.

Wow I could do,that in my younger days but not now.....well I might be able to do,it but would be wiped out the next day!

Seymour was also a great comedienne in Dances at a gathering Ive rarely seen her role in this bettered

That alone could sway me!!!!

I never saw her swan Lake either!! But did see her with Nureyev in Sleeping Beauty a few times nearing the end of her career

When she was younger(in the Soames era) I saw her in a gala which must have been 1959 ish maybe 1960 and there were many interesting dancers in it. She did an extract from The Firebird in that. Ive been trying to find some info on this gala as I'm sure Helpmann and both the Tallchief sisters were in it. Somewhere in the depths of the loft I do have the programme with some autographs on it but might take me a year to find it!! I'm pretty sure even Alicia Markova performed a small piece.

It was the first time I had been to the ballet and I still remember the strangeness of seeing people for real I had only seen in books up till then!!

Maybe I will have a look at the Bloch shoes as well then just to see the differences etc. The trouble with buying new shoes is sewing on the elastic....urghh....Just hope I haven't lost my thimble......

Michelle you must be super fit did you say you did 5hrs of dancing on Tuesday.....was that consecutive hours. I have a two hour class on Fridays just slightly longer than usual and I can't imagine doing another class afterwards!!

I saw Fonteyn do Juliet and she was definitely past 40 then and I thought she was wonderful still got the joy of Juliet the young girl across in a totally believable way and was excellent getting that indecision and nervousness across at the idea of having to take the poison! Fonteyn had a wonderful abandon in her dancing I thought and only wished I could have seen her in Giselle.

I'm not sure about Guillem....wonderful technician and I thought she was okay in Cinderella but haven't seen her in anything that would truly test acting skills unfortunately but she was the one who got my partner going to see a bit of ballet initially!!

Yes it was on in Brighton too(where I live) but suddenly got email from Duke of York cinema there and it was only on for ONE day and again in the morning. Anyone who received that email may not have had time to arrange to see it......so I'm glad I saw inLondon in the end or I would have waited 8 months and then missed it!!!

I think I will ring the changes and try a Capezio shoe....first at any rate. Freeds have different width fittings too but it was the mens shoe which fit in that instance. I'm up on Tuesday to see La Bayadere which am looking forward to and hoping to do class at London Russian on wed am now so can have an afternoon sorting out buying some new ballet shoes!! I do think the split soles flatter your feet etc but think I'd better stick to a full sole for mo. I even wear these insoles to help cushion the feet when jumping!

I would rest your knee tonight especially as you say you have or have had a heavy cold as well.....probably body saying it needs a rest!!

Otherwise you could find yourself out next week as well!!

Well then Sibley was fantastic in this then....a long time ago now but one of the few first nights have been to.

Thanks too for info on Songs of a Wayfarer......last time I saw that was at the Coliseum with Nureyev but can't remember other dancer..it might have been in one of the yearly progs Nureyev did there for a while..but towards end of his career. But I loved that and the music ....so will try for a ticket too!

Yes Lynn Seymour was another great actress/dancer someone mentioned. Im sure it was her I saw in Anastasia and she was brilliant in second act.

Does anyone know who did the debut performance in Manon?

I was reading on another thread here that Capezio shoes tend to be wider fitting....is this generally known?

I need to buy a new pair of ballet shoes(not split soles though) as Ive worn mine to death now for past two years and decided yesterday that they do look a bit on scruffy side. I need a wider fitting. Current ones are Freeds and are men's shoes because they tend to be in wider fittings so I could stick with the same but as have never bought shoes other than from Freeds before(old habits die hard) wondered if should give another make a go? Anyone wear Capezio shoes?

Going on June 8th...can't wait now!

Yes......I think there must be another thread on the site somewhere about this film as have left a comment there can't find it now!!

I'd been keeping track of this film for nearly 8 months and finally saw it n London at a Curzon cinema.

It was only on for a week and only at a morning showing......great for people who work!!!

I think the reason for this is they don't think it's for the general audience but I would disagree though if you enjoy ballet obviously increases your enjoyment.

Basically it follows the fortunes of some students trying to win scholarships etc by winning competitions in this case YAGP in America. All the students have very different stories and they are all interesting......this is where general public might enjoy as well as the ballet fans....I didn't expect this film to move me to tears but it did and I couldn't help wanting them all to win a top prize!!

Of course it was made some years ago now and one of the contestants did quite well in the Prix de Lausanne recently (Miko).

I could go into more detail but won't.....Its definitely worth seeing.....if you can catch it that is....the distribution is very disappointing and such a shame too. Perhaps I enjoyed it so much because had waited so long to see it and gone to considerable lengths to track it's slow progress out of the States!! But I think it's a little gem!

I agree about Stephen McRae he is getting a very good stage presence and is very believable.....I am going to see Acosta in Bayadere next week but if had the money would have liked to see him as well!

And I remember Bejart's company vividly with Maina Gielgud and a wonderful piece to Bachs St. John's Passion??

Out of interest does Bejart 's company still exist I'm sure they haven't been to UK for years now if they do.

Hope the knee gets better soon Michelle so annoying to miss class but sounds like you need a bit of a breather this week!

JCS hope you enjoy your one to one tomorrow!

Yes I think my dance teacher at the time was worried I might want to start doing MORE swimming but ballet took up too much of my time anyway then!! Probably also because of body type...tall and fairly large frame(but skinny) at the time.

Interesting about football never really linked the two before other than I had heard some football teams were having ballet lessons!

My dad was a footballer (played for Woking F.C.......Chelsea wanted him but in the fifties not the money they earn now....so that was a definite no from mum!) we have a similar physique in fact....shape of hands, legs even feet etc!!

Sorry just want to add that although I agree most PROFESSIONAL dancers probably wouldn't be looking for or needing any additional exercise( too exhausted I should think) there is still a place for a bit of science here as this can help to improve dancers training etc over time and even help prevent injuries so has its place

Posts crossed ......didn't see that your daughter has had to stop running Tulip. I hope ankles feel better soon. I suppose whenever you do a new exercise of some sort there will be initial reactions in the muscles and possibly joints to this but usually improves unless actually injured of course. When I took up ballet again 2 yrs ago even though we hadn't done any jumping in this class I was completely exhausted and had to sit in a coffee bar for an hour afterwards....let alone some stiff muscles in the next couple of days!! I nearly thought should I be doing this but am glad I persevered as am really enjoying it now.....and into the bargain have increased my bone T- score which I might write about on another thread at some point.