miss.pointe

Funnily enough someone once told me to have more salt when I got calf cramps at night. Interesting. Of course, my diet could have changed over the years and different things affect at different times of life

Hi ChocChip, sorry I took a while to respond. After seeing the photos you have posted I can't actually see if your second toe is bending backwards as you said it's difficult to get a photo of you doing a tendu. However, I can see you've gotten more really helpful suggestions and wish you all the best in making progress. I also would hazard to suggest that as you make progress in other areas, this issue may resolve itself as balance, turn out, weight placement, etc, also improve. Good luck!

Anyone have any not needed either in London or available to post pretty cheaply? I have the 2.0 metre barre. Thanks!

Thanks both! I've checked out the Student Room already but the reviews on there were a bit limited to say the least, although perhaps if I ask for more specific feedback someone will answer.

Apologies if this is double - my internet reset as I was posting I am considering doing this course as it fits well with my lifestyle being part-time/distance learning and financially accessible as well as suitable for a mature student like me! I can top it up to a Master's after the two years has finished which also appeals. I'd really appreciate any feedback on anyone who has done the course/knows someone who's done it/has any information on it, etc. Namely (but not limited to) Quality of content/course How Blackboard the online portal is/works What the workshops are like (minimal, think there are 6 across the whole two years) What "part time" means in reality What the assignments are like Anything else you can add! Thank you so much for your help!

Hi ChocoChip I am a new ballet teacher so I am still learning and hope if I say something that doesn't sound right someone more experienced will advise However, from what you said it reminds me of a similar situation I had with one of my students. This student was doing two things - 1) putting too much weight on the reaching leg and 2) allowing her second toe to bend backwards, in a double-jointed way. It sounds like you understand the importance of weight placement but I would suggest perhaps you still need work on this. It could also be your core muscles (your abdomen, back, etc) are not strong enough to keep all the weight off your reaching leg, even if you are engaging your standing leg consciously. Sometimes it feels like your weight is placed correctly but it could also be that you are just tensing or freezing the muscles in the standing leg. I can't tell if you are referring to having a double-jointed second toe, but some of the support wraps/bandages you're referring to could help if that is the case, but again, it could be the weight is balancing too much on your reaching foot. I like Anjuli's suggestion of lifting the tendu off the floor to make sure you can execute the exercise without incorrect weight. Finally, three months is not a very long time and I'm really impressed by the thought you've given this and the way you're thinking intelligently about the challenge you have! Bear in mind your body is still learning to do something completely new and in some ways unnatural and a few months is very short. Keep practicing, keep experimenting with ways to overcome the challenge, keep reading, keep asking questions - you will see progress. Good luck

I like how you call the dancer's legs the "standing" leg and the "reaching" leg as opposed to the "working" leg as I have so often heard. I have often felt this gives the wrong impression that you are only working the moving one or vice versa. Thanks for this

Thanks everyone - I'm sure pregnancy could be making it worse (or adding other factors in) but it's been happening before I got pregnant. The heavy socks idea sounds interesting, toursenlair, and would second what I though about split sole/full sole perhaps having an impact. To be investigated Lovely to be back on the forum

How cute! Hopefully the baby was start to come in a more convenient location, although having the little one sleeping in the corner of the studio when I return to teaching would make life easier. I wonder what happens when he wakes up crying though. Parenthood!!! So much to look forward to

Thanks Moomin, and you're right, there's a lot of practical things to consider with a baby! I have a friend whose gym have a class where they use the babies as resistance/weights and have them join in with the class. This sounds ingenious and yet tricky!! What happens when they need a feed or nappy change?! But I do want to tackle the issue of new mums often being full-time mothers and I know so many say they want to get fit but can't leave the baby alone. Whether that means having a baby crèche for the duration or having them in their buggies in the studio or something, I don't know yet!

Thanks for the advice all! Good point about the regular footwear which I will think about more in the future. I eat bananas like nothing else, so I think I have enough potassium from them. taxi4ballet - I'm sure pregnancy is affecting it, too, although I've had this problem before I was pregnant. And LinMM - I've been back to ballet for nearly two years. I've also thought since I posted that it may be because I curl my toes under me when I point instead of naturally pointing through the whole foot - just a tendency I have which I have to concentrate on to correct. I'm going to think smarter about this and see if it happens more when I wear my split soles than a full sole dance shoe - that would explain a lot Thanks everyone!!

I feel this is such a silly basic question but have to ask considering the amazing wealth of knowledge out there on BalletcoForum! I don't remember having a problem with cramps when I took dance class as a child/teenager. Since my return to ballet as an adult, it's something that happens quite a bit. I find myself not making such a strong point as my foot will often cramp up. Since I've been pregnant this has gotten worse and while it could be due to pregnancy as cramps are common anyway, I feel it's more because I am dancing less and so pointing my feet less. What could this be? Am I not warming up enough? Is my foot not strong enough? And what can I do to help? Thanks for helping a slightly embarrassed questioner!!

Thanks both!

Hello everyone! I'm expecting my first baby in about 3 weeks and having to put my dance teaching on hold because of pregnancy has made me think about developing a class for prenatal/postnatal ballet. I already have a good idea from my own teaching and research and pregnancy as to what is safe/suitable/helpful for a pregnant woman and getting back into shape after pregnancy. But I'm looking for a specialist who could help with some professional advice (as in a pregnancy specialist in fitness, health, dance, general) who could give their "stamp of approval" on a class. Anyone out there with these kind of credentials or know of someone, would be so grateful if you could PM me. Many thanks!

Hi Michelle - apologies for the delay in responding. Also I can't seem to use returns to start a new paragraph on BalletcoForum at the moment so my paragraphs are all squashed together! As I said, more details would be arranged as it depends on demand for spaces and which studio I'd use, cost of workshop/tickets, etc. It would be around 3 hours each evening and the very basics of ballet for absolute beginners. I anticipate at the moment it would be between 6-10 adults, so a very small, supportive class. It would include basic positions, posture, floor barre, barre work, some centre practice (very basic introduction), etc, along those lines. I teach adult beginners in a flexible way depending on their abilities and absorption so no real documented training plan at this stage. Please feel free to message for more details!

Hi everyone and happy new year! Apologies if this is not the right place to post this (admin, please remove if not) but I've been quiet on the forum but reading every now and then and noticed that a regular even if not frequent theme is about adult beginners or returning adults looking for somewhere to get up to speed on the basics of ballet before attending an open class or just to have a taster for it. In speaking to some of my adult beginners from my last batch of classes, I realised there is definitely a need for this so I'm looking into running a short course and wanted to see if there was any interest on the forum! This isn't an intensive as that's not suitable for beginners, and would simply be a small, supportive environment to learn the basics of ballet with others who are on the same "number" class as you are, attend a ballet performance and have a workshop with a professional dancer. It would be in North/Central London in Feb/March across perhaps 3 consecutive weekday evenings. More details to be confirmed and I'd be happy to answer any questions by email but please message me if at all interested - no commitment necessary. Thanks all and hope everyone had a lovely festive break and start to the new year!

I agree with looking for drama workshops or classes, as a former actor. Part of what I learned in drama school is just giving it a go, throwing yourself into it and not worrying what people think. We did the most silly games and exercises which I thought were childish but were to help us release self-conscious thoughts and too much self-awareness. If you can find one or two workshops for beginners, it may help not only with the actual acting but losing that self-conscious worry and not holding back.

I agree with the point about never ignoring a child (or indeed anyone in your class!) I sometimes wonder how much correction they will appreciate or even want but at the end of the day they are a customer and this is a service and a product and part of what I want to offer in my class is a warmth and connection and a moment to focus on your body and awareness. It's a challenge and a responsibility!

Oh dear, I remember my teacher doing that - not letting us finish the dance as a punishment I suppose for not doing it right! I love how there have been suggestions of just letting them be free/fly/dance! So far in my adult classes I end with a more contemporary ballet-style dance where I encourage them to express themselves and not worry so much about perfect classical technique. When one of the ladies texted me to say they were going through the routine at home I was so pleased!

Thank you Tulip and Anjuli - I really appreciate you taking the time to respond. All really helpful!

Maybe the experienced teachers and adult beginners/improvers can give me some tips: I find myself getting so enthusiastic about teaching and remembering how much I like to learn and make progress and push myself that I think I sometimes make too many corrections or overdo on information and tips that I'm worried I'll overdo and scare people away! Maybe this is something experience will just have to teach me, but I just want to get it right!

Sorry, can't quote on my BlackBerry But Bankruptmum - it is quite difficult to turn out from just the knee rotating from parallel to first position as long as you keep the whole leg straight and so engage the hips and turnout muscles rather than straining the knees and ankles to produce what sort of looks like turnout but is actually a distortion of the lower leg. This is why I remind my students not to bend their knees while finding their turnout in first to keep it true. I would suggest a student does this with their teacher supervising so the teacher can see it is being done properly and not twisting the knee joint or lower leg.

As in what your natural turnout is? The way I teach it is to stand with feet in parallel and then keeping your whole foot in contact with the ground the whole time, slide your feet out into first position. Any bending of the knees or wiggles or lifting your toes off the floor and you're cheating turnout. Your ankles shouldn't roll, little toes on the ground and knees over the toes when you plie. I've seen it taught similarly but in "tripod" so rocking back onto the heels and opening to first and lowering but I think it's easier to cheat that way.

Anjuli I love what you wrote. You said something the other day about missing conversations about musicality, expression, etc. I hope in my teaching I will not only help to correct the splits, a dozen pirouettes and the perfect pointework but also how to dance.

I am slightly envious I have to say at dancing full-time instead of balancing a 40 hour a week job with teaching and my own classes - thanks for the support, I didn't know much about Lewisham and she was a bit worried about whether this was the right choice above uni but it seemed more versatile than the contemporary only uni courses