miss.pointe

Has anybody got plans of implementing programmes at their schools or dd/ds schools after the Olympics?

This is really long overdue but she ended up getting accepted at Lewisham College one year foundation degree course and as far as I know they take ballet everyday so she's very happy and it's a great start

I signed up for FCD membership today - the lady I spoke to on the phone was ever so helpful and it seems there are some nice resources and extras as well. Thanks again!

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond - I have checked out the Foundation for Community Dance and it seems to suit my needs plus includes a CRB check which is another bonus! Fiz - what a shame! Where are you? Would love to teach you

I have searched to see if there is already advice on the forum but haven't found anything. I am going to pass my first teacher qualification very soon and was looking at different types of insurance. I'm very confused as most of us new teachers seem to be by this sort of thing! NDTA referred me to Markel with a very reasonable quote (which can be paid monthly which suits me even better!) and I'm tempted to go for it but the limits seem lower than others I've seen and I was wondering if I'm being a numpty by going for it just cause it's cheap! Although my instructor from the dance teacher training course said hers was even cheaper so maybe I just think it's going to be so expensive but it's not! "Dance UK" also have an offer when you join as a member with them which is slightly higher in price. This is one I got from Markel: Premium Breakdown You can choose to buy all the covers quoted or just some of them Cover Limit Premium Professional Liability £50,000 £49.50 Public and Products Liability £1,000,000 £40.00 Employers' Liability £10,000,000 £0.00 Property Damage £0 £0.00 Business Interruption £1,500 £0.00 Directors and Officers Liability £100,000 £0.00 Insurance premium tax @ 6% £5.37 TOTAL ANNUAL PREMIUM £94.87 I will only start by teaching one adult ballet class a week (small group) and possibly adding one more to that for either children or adults at a different venue. I can't see myself making much money in my first year and am working full-time besides this doing something else. Hiring a studio, etc. Can anyone be so kind as to offer their experience and/or advice on whether this suits what I want? Many, many thanks!

Bucks Uni do a Foundation Degree specifically for IDTA teachers (you need to be at least an IDTA Associate) which my teacher (from my IDTA teaching course) reccommended to us. Haven't looked into it in much detail but it's there!

I can completely relate to this! I had the problem at my first audition as a young teen and only last week at my teacher training class, yikes! I would say there are two things that have helped me - 1) take every chance I can get to have to pick up a routine quickly, it does get easier - I go to a Zumba class once a week for variety's sake and even though the routines are quite simple, the instructor's rarely talk you through them and you pick it up as you go along 2) I focus on the footwork first - sometimes with arms and other isolations included, it can seem a lot more complicated than it is - focusing on the steps means I have a foundation and at least I'll be on time with the music, then I can add on the arms, head, etc, as I go. I wish there was a quick fix for the slower learners among us - but good luck anyway and I hope more people have advice!

Just wanted to say thank you for all the support - taught my first adult class tonight - it went well and also saw lots of areas to improve, looking forward to learning more! They all enjoyed it and want to come back. Thanks again!

Fantastic news! One door closes, somewhere there opens a window! Good luck and enjoy!

This is beautiful. I teach my first adult beginner's class tomorrow everyone (as a student teacher, of course). Wish me luck and thank you for all the input!

Wow, perhaps my answer has come in the fact that nobody has answered this question! Although since posting it I have come across more teachers who are using it and a girl who recently was accepted at Scotland's Ballet West school who had previously studied it. Interesting.

I have come across the PTD (Professional Teacher's of Dance) a couple of times recently. They were started in 1993 I believe and are recognised by CDET (I have seen their website and been in touch with their secretary who is very helpful). Has anyone studied with them, teach with them or know much about them in practical terms? What is their standard like in relation to ISTD, RAD, etc? Thank you!

In researching my question a little online and realising other people may find this useful, this blog link was interesting http://adultbeginner.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/give-this-ballet-teacher-a-piece-of-your-mind/

Anjuli_Bai, David W and everyone - I am really inspired and interested by your comments - very, very helpful! Thank you so much all. P.S. First day of dance teacher training intensive course today - both inspired and slightly overwhelmed, in a way that I know this will stretch me and help me do my best!

Thank you toursenlair and drdance - really helpful!

Your door comment made me laugh! I'd love to, hearing good things about the place, but I live in London so not sure when I could make it. Definitely sounds like an op for market research, thanks!

Hello lovely BalletcoForumers! There's been a bit of discussion here of late from people looking for adult ballet classes. As some of you have helped advise me on, I am currently taking my dance teacher training and as I will be thinking about my teaching ethos and aims and types of classes, I would love to get some feedback from you as to what you look for in an adult ballet class. Is getting fit and recreation or technique more important? What kind of experience/qualifications would you look for? Even down to would you want a disciplined class with everyone in black leotards or somewhere more casual? Etc, etc. Thank you so very much for any suggestions and thoughts - nothing is too "silly" to note, please. Please pm me if you'd rather. Thanking you!! xx

Hi Jo, welcome to the forum! Wish I would help but I live in London where we are spoilt for choice. Good luck with finding a class! I would suggest just getting hold of your local Yellow Pages and ringing the ballet/dance schools and asking if they do adult classes even if they're not advertised. YMCAs, gyms, yoga studios may host adult ballet classes. Hope you find something and good luck on making your ballet dreams a reality!

This is so sad! As some of you know I am at the beginning of my dance teacher training and part of my vision is to teach adults... would love to get ideas from people here one day on what adults are looking for in an adult dance class. Good luck to all of you who are forced to stop your classes and hoping something greater and better shows up!

Thanks very much for this!

This is interesting. Have you experience of anyone doing this before?

I have to say (and this makes me feel very out of touch with dance) that I've noticed a fair bit of debate on this forum about do/don't practice at home by yourself which I have to admit I have never given much thought to before. When I attended pretty much daily after school dance classes as a child/teenager, my RAD/ISTD dance teacher would always say "you need to practice, these classes aren't enough, I can tell you haven't been practicing", etc. I was quite an avid dance student and while I knew you had to be taught and corrected and guided by a professional, I don't recall being told that I shouldn't practice at home by myself. I'm certainly not disagreeing with any of the advice I've been given/read about the dangers of practicing by yourself, but it does surprise me a little bit. I was mostly taught in a studio without mirrors, and it's only when I was practicing at home one day that I realised my arms were being held too high and too far back in second (the studio now has mirrors). My teacher commented on my self correction in my next class, but she'd never said anything before.(She has had student accepted into RBS so she was a decent teacher). She gave me the correction once that my weight was too far forward in pirouettes which is why I kept falling. At home practice, I then noticed my weight was too far forward in plies as well. So again, while I don't disagree with the dangers of home practice, and this isn't even to debate that, I just wanted to add I'm surprised there is such adamancy against it even when you are in professional classes and training. Like I said, it makes me feel a bit outdated and out of touch more than anything! Anjuli you said that even when you were teaching you didn't give yourself a barre - so you wouldn't practice by yourself even though you were a teacher? All very interesting food for thought!

This is on behalf of a friend of mine and I would deeply appreciate any advice! She is a relative newcomer to dance - she's been taking weekly classes (only one or two) in adult ballet and contemporary dance for perhaps the past two or three years or so. She hadn't dance before that although she was very fit and did yoga classes, workouts, etc. Her ballet teacher has been very supportive and encouraged her to not rule out a dance degree so she must feel she's got talent. She is 31 at the moment and wants to enter the dance world in some kind of vocational way. Obviously she is too old to be a ballerina! But perhaps eventually dance therapist, dance teacher (of maybe a less technically demanding form), etc. She is very discouraged as she feels she is too old and doesn't have the training and experience but with all the fantastic comments I've been reading here about how dance should be available for everyone, does anyone have any suggestions for where she could go for more training or a website or forum dedicated to this kind of person? My knowledge is limited as my background has been in RAD/ISTD as a child and teenager, so even though I've had a break before coming back to dance, I feel like I don't know what advice to give her at this stage except to be realistic and adjust your expectations and keep your options open away from the traditional dance career path most youngsters grow into. She lives in Milton Keynes but is open to travel. Thank you ever so fantastic BalletCoForum community!! I should add she has spoken to Northampton Uni about their dance degree who think she hasn't got enough experience although she has a meeting set up with them shortly to discuss in person.

Yes, this is just for extra practice outside of regular class and would only be for barre work. Thanks all, will take a look at suggestions!

I know Pilates is not the same as Yoga, but just to reccommend some DVDs, Katy Appleton made two yoga DVDs with Geri Halliwell. Katy is a former ballet dancer with the ENB. I don't know much about her background but I have used the two DVDs for years and loved them! http://www.appleyoga.com/buy-appleyoga/buy-appleyoga/geri-halliwell.html