Thecatsmother

I personally would not recommend walking back from RAD to Clapham Junction alone late at night so think bus is better option.

I do agree that it is quality of classes that is key and can always be augmented by a few conditioning exercises at home. If you are training to use the right muscle groups and gradually learning new steps in a class which is of an appropriate level compared with peers then this should be fine. The physique of a dancer is an additional factor as very mobile, long limbed dancers will take longer to strengthen and these types of dancers in my opinion seem to gain a lot from vocational training but that does not mean that it is essential to audition at 11. Growth spurts also impact upon a dancers strength and this is a time when some additional strength training exercises can be of use again.

The message re music would work well then if you like the piece in my message????

For those who can access this channel there are a number of dance programmes this evening Tuesday 29th Oct on Sky Arts 2. There was also an interesting programme on Balanchine over the weekend on same channel. Enjoy????

Any recommended DVD box sets which provide a bit of escapism?

It sounds like this is a guide in order that they get a sense pre audition. If your daughter has good turnout and feet then pointe work and batterie should not be that important as they will see the potential. Something which is well put together, shows musicality, dance quality and her physical attributes along with good grooming seems all that would be needed. Assuming this is for selection in terms of auditions so I would not worry too much.

What does it ask for tomuchtalent? I am curious

I guess I would firstly ask her what she wants to do. Is she interested in a professional career-if so what type or would she rather teach? There are actually a lot of routes and courses out there. The one thing I do say to students, even the ones I teach who choose the non dancing route and Uni, is what will you do with it after you finish the course. I think in the current climate, while it is not great to have to be that pragmatic so young, it is a valid point for consideration. Perhaps you can share what your daughter has in mind as I am sure there are many who can share experiences?

There is a great track from the film Munich which I always thought about choreographing to. It would tick boxes of sad and age appropriate. PM me if you want more details.

Sadly it is also the male responsibility to get the correct grip for lifts as I learnt at my cost when a not so favourite PDD partner got the wrong grip for a fish dive. Luckily the floor was not far away and was able to save face by putting hands down. I did also witness a student in my PDD class once fall backwards out of a shoulder lift as she was placed too far back on the shoulder of the gentleman. She was ok and PDD teacher sensibly made her repeat the lift immediately to prevent it becoming a feared move.

It would depend what syllabus you are referring to? I don't think syllabus work has to be the focus but typically students who are considering doing the RAD exams tend to move away from grade 5 and into the more advanced syllabus around 10 or 11. Primary RAD tends to be taken around 6 years. This is not set in stone and it all depends on the dancer, the classes available and whether a vocational training is being considered. It is very common for long limbed dancers to progress at a slower pace than some with a more muscular physique as it can take longer to strengthen. This can be frustrating for the dancer but will be worth it in the end so it really needs to be at a pace that is safe and meets the needs of the dancer's physique. Additional stretching and strengthening exercises can help at home to further enhance technique. More intensive summer schools are also useful as it gives additional input and an experience of more vocational like training. Hope this is of help but grades are not the be all and end all and some schools operate without doing syllabus exams.

Well maybe it's time to give it a try Janet...

I guess my question would be where do we draw the line in terms of adults dancing safely for exercise and enjoyment. For me there is a missing component in the adult ballet debate which is the motives of the teacher. I am not really talking about adult classes in general but more the move to putting adults on pointe and even teaching pas de deux workshops. Am I saying it is unsafe in all cases, probably not, but there needs to be a careful assessment on a case by case basis. One could argue that adults attend at their own risk but I for one feel I have a duty as a teacher to not place students in a situation where I feel they are at greater risk of injury due to obvious factors. Am I being over cautious? Some may say yes but surely there could be a more stringent way of taking adults onto workshops that could reduce the risk such as an introductory class? I love watching ice skating and have often wondered what it would feel like to really learn to skate. If I had a lifelong yearning to try a triple axel, would an ice skating teacher be willing to help me pursue my dream? I would hope not but for me the analogy raises some key points which are worthy of discussion. When do teachers know they have crossed the line and how can this be assessed in order that adults can continue to enjoy ballet but not at expense of their own well-being.

Story of the day. In the days where footmen were rather more formally dressed at ROH, one that I know relayed the story of when he walked onto to stage to present a dancer with flowers not knowing he had the end of an entire loo roll attached to his shoe. You can guess the rest...

I would say that the speed and complexity of class work exercises tends to change according to the standard of the class. It would be normal to expect a beginner to do more repetitions of the same step and very short exercises in terms of content so that they can focus on steps, placement, working out their left from right leg and overcoming the initial blocks in terms of learning new steps. As a dancer progresses, it is normal for the length of the exercises and complexity to increase. If this is done at an appropriate pace then there should be a natural progression but it is a bit trial and error to find classes that meet the needs of the individual. It is probably a given that more advanced level classes will cover more steps and at greater speed as dancer's should the be ready to pick exercises up quicker and become a little more self reliant in terms of reversing steps or doing an exercise from the left. I think there is much to be said where possible for trying a range of classes as all probably have something different to offer. If picking up the steps becomes an on-going problem then it is useful to address this with the teacher so that suggestions can be made in order to assist a dancer in getting what they need. As I know only too well from my own career, sometimes what I think I most need is not the key component and this is why feedback is important.

I hope he will be on the mend soon. He is in good company as I believe Darcey Bussell had that surgery. I have seen several students have it done who have recovered well.

Very dark and disturbing. Surprised someone agreed to do something for arts sake which for me seems a little 'pointeless'

You do not often see the sweat spraying off male dancers when they do tours on stage in costume under the lights. The lighting does serve as a way of disorientating particularly when lifted in a back bend or doing turns into the wings. I do remember a wonderful teacher/dancer who sadly is no longer with us who relayed the story of how as a student he was required to lie on a plinth in the crypt scene of Romeo and Juliet covered by a white sheet. Being an overtired student he managed to fall asleep only to wake up in the middle of the scene and of course not remember he was a dead body on stage so he sat up. You can imagine how amusing that must have been to watch. I am sure many others know of this story but I never feel comfortable discussing others on the forum by name so tend to prefer to anonymise unless I know they would be happy for information to be shared. This did occur at ROH though to set the scene.

Can I add people who talk on a phone on the bus without the need for a phone... You can guess where I am.

Given the post about the male experience of partnering a dancer in a tutu, I thought it might be of interest to start a thread about the things you don't see from the auditorium. I shall expand upon this later but things like the smell of costumes, flooring, theatres etc. The dancer who is seen to leap effortlessly across the stage with the a huge smile on her face and then dissolve into tears in the wings only to repeat the process again. The pranks that get played on stage during a long run of the same ballet. Amusing stories, costume malfunctions, set mishaps etc. I am sure there is much of interest to be shared by those on the forum.

Dance is life. Now that does show creative thinking on the part of your students????

I am a little confused. A tutu for class work or workshops for adults I don't think I have ever seen that requested with the exception of romantic tutu's. I guess some would say why not but the question could also be why. They are not exactly cheap. At ballet school they tend to be worn in the studio for rehearsals for performances and sometimes for pas de deux but there is usually a purpose so it's not just about dressing up. Starting pas de deux does indeed introduce male dancers to some interesting angles in which to view a tutu! But I digress into other realms of the unseen world of ballet!

I always wore stud earrings at ballet school and during professional career. I think for children as in lots of activities, jewellery is a health and safety issue. If you are talking adult ballet them I think a degree of common sense can be applied. Professionals do wear jewellery to a degree but are always aware when this constitutes a risk in different contexts. You see earrings on stage after all. I think for young people it is best to avoid jewellery as teacher could be held responsible if a young person gets injured. For adults my sense is that this is part of grooming but I would certainly not ask an adult to remove stud earrings-only something which was a potential risk or got in the way of line/movement.

I could not agree more. I think in ballet if you think you have reached the destination you may be on the wrong journey. Perhaps one of the elements along with those magic moments when you enter what one psychologist termed a state of 'flow', is the constant striving for the elusive something which is always just out of reach. Yes, goals can be set and are helpful in a world where dancers have little control within companies but mastery of an art form such as ballet is something that even the greatest dancer is lightly to question. It takes decades for a principal to train to a level to perform solos from the great ballets and whilst these can and should be adapted and enjoyed by all, this must be kept in context. Performing as an amateur to a willing audience can bring much pleasure but perhaps gives a slightly unrealistic perception of what the real world of a professional dancer entails. Perhaps by studying simplified versions of repertoire it can be used to gain insight into just how hard professionals have to train.

You raise a good point as the other TV dance show that had two amateur celebs performing ballroom produced dances which were not in the same league as Strictly.