mimi66

Didn't stork nesting in one's chimney also means something else?

I wonder how long it will take to download the compelete version of "War and Peace", let alone reading it afterwards! I gave up reading the complete version about one third into it, a long time ago. Mainly because I could never remember the names of the charactors... I have just started Jorge Amado's "Shepards of the Night". His plots are complete bonkers, but Amado always somehow makes it credible and very funny. The story is set in 1940's Bahia, Brazil.

Again I am sounding such a bore, but please be aware that there is a fierce competition for getting a job as a ballet teacher, and it is not as easy as some may think to earn one's living from teaching ballet (or other dance) alone. In fact, it is very difficult. Do not forget that those who have gone through vocational school training - a lot of times, even with those who have actually danced in a reputable ballet company such as RB, ENB et all in principal roles - would be seeking teaching posts. I am not discouraging you from taking teaching course for those who has not been trained ballet at vocational schools, nevertheless I think you should not ignore this when you plan your future. Getting in to a course (for you even that will be a few years away) is not an end for you - easy to forget at your age. (hasten to add that, I am not that old yet, but old enough to know this ). Most of us who have been dancing long enough (albeit as one's hobby) to see how enthusiasm alone isn't enough when it comes to ballet related-works.

Really enjoyed it! Don't even need to log in to FB to watch the video, so those without FB accounts can watch, too.

I agree with LinMM that for male dancers it is possible to start a bit later than female, due to the fact that generally male body fully develop a bit later than that of female. "But please don't harbour any secret ambitions to end up in a professional capacity.........which is very easy to do when you are passionate about ballet.....you may think if you just work hard enough and have a few years full time you can somehow make it but as the quays says it really is too late for this ......there are loads of vocational students chasing those elusive contracts." (quated from LinMM's post today 09:15PM - sorry I don't know how to multi-quate.) I also agree with LinMM on this. You are at a stage of life where one should be horning into acquiring a skill for earning one's living, either at school or on job. Sorry to be a bore, but this is necessary skill for most of us who dance as hobby, unfortunately. By the way, I don't think there is "a lot of snobbery and cliqueism" in ballet, at least no more than any other discipline which require certain degree of experience (it has to be a bit more than just a few years' of experience, though) to acquire necessary skill(s) and knowledge about the subjects, so I would not worry about it. At least I had no such experience when I took up ballet again as an adult after over 2 decades! I wish you best of luck, odette92. And I hope you will keep dancing! Ballet is one of the few hobbies even after a decade or so continue to give a plenty of challenge and so much joy.

might as well teach them notes in Italian, then! At least you can teach them the song of doe - rei - me or whatever that lovely Sound of Music song.

I wonder if this guilt trip culture comes from what is expected for professional dancers. For instance, if you are a director of a ballet school and one of the teacher ring in sick, would it be fawned upon? And for performing dancers especially at the start of their career would they be afraid their roll would be taken away? As I have been suffering from bouts of fever (nearly 39C) for a couple of days now, I was contemplating our general work ethics (not just dance) and attitude towards sickness/injury. (but rest assured, I skipped my ballet class last night! )

I thought the same - it was very brave for Ms Bussell but I felt it was not exactly a clever move.

LinMM, which part?

Wonder if Margot Fonteyn ever thought she needed to remind anyone who she was?

Fiz, I hope you are feeling a bit better... I felt a bit under the weather over the weekend, and I missed one of my class yesterday. I am making it up by going to a class tonight - beginner's class, but it should be a very good one, as last few weeks I felt I could not feel I was using correct muscles in my normal class. It is not that something is wrong, rather, the feeling that something is not quite right... I hope today's class might give me some insight (and some after-class aches!)

sorry the above comment was just a moan! I supporse the medical prefession needs to be a bit more open-minded about the human body, I guess. Perhaps through more exposure to various physical activities....

when I had a mini disc hernia condition, I complained to the specialist doctor that I could not bend forward as much as I normally can. He made me try - I bent forward and my finger tips touched the floor. Lo, and behold, the doctor and the nurses present seemed so very impressed that a woman past 30 can retain that much flexibility. I got so annoyed and told them that normally I can get palms of my hand and bend my elbow easily. Then they decided I was hyper-mobile....

64, scored mostly from the classics.... Interesting choice of books. For example, Margaret Atwood makes it on to the list but another female writers of the similar age such as Isabella Allende gets no mention although her books were very popular.. And I did not see Nancy Mitford - wonder why?

I hope you will be feeling better soon, Fiz. that's really terrible... xxx mimi66

When you say "Vaganova" Summer Intensive Course, do you mean it is going to be taught by someone who was actally trained at Vaganova or someone who was trained by Vaganova (influenced) method? Just curious, as when I had a glace at the web site, I did not see any direct Vaganova (as in school) connection with any of the staff... thanks!

Actually, I think it is very "British"! Keep Calm,Keep Dancing...

I share this view and concern with Anjuli. Even for adult ballet learners over 30 years old, I see how much they take in from merely looking at their teachers - surprisingly a lot. So, imagine how much children can pick up from their teachers . Add to that, I see beginners (including children) are taught at a venue without a suitable flooring more often than I would like to see. At the cost of being accused elitist, I find many people I know share my sentiment: that if I or my children were to start learning piano, I would chose a teacher who has at least undergone the pre-professional training at the age it matters (between 11-21, more or less). Even if I or my children were only to play the piano for pleasure, because basics are so important. And for piano, we are only talking about fingers and arms (well, slightly more than that in reality) insofar as physical issues are concerned. Well in my case that was what my mother chose. I only play the piano for pleasure, but I am forever grateful for my mother's choice.

May be slightly off topic, but I found 1930's to 1950's video clips' dancing style rather athletic than lyrical. Which is rather contraditory to how people describe ballet in good old days.... Perhaps it is something to do with the video not too seamless? I wish I were there to watch Ullanova live, though.

The other day I had a lovely Australian (I think) teacher covering our regular ballet teacher. She has obviously done and teach RAD but some of the things she made us do and the way she explained certain things were a bit different (and fun!) At the end of the class, I went up and asked her : "Are you "Russian"?"

Sometimes I feel that may be a lot of adults who bring children theatre are unaware of the basic etiquettes... They seem to think (or worse, expect!) they can behave as if they are watchin the TV together at home. Once at the ROH matinee, I happened to sit in front of a young girl - around 6?- with her grandmother. Once the ballet started, the girl kept asking questions to her grandmother, and the grandmother kept answering her questions!! We were prepared for a little bit of "commotion", as it was a matinee (the programme was Cinderella) but it was very annoying, and went on all the way during the first Act. Once the curtain fell for the first intermission, I turned around and asked the gril if she was a little ballerina. She said yes. I asked her (nicely) if she would liked to try and see if she was able to behave like a professional bellerina and refain from speaking during the performance, just like these ballerinas up on the stage. It worked! She didn't make any noise during the rest of the performance. I just wished that her mother or grandmother thought of telling that girl the similar thing before setting off to ROH.

Skydancer, thank you for your reply. Interesting to find how these things work.... I can assure you that how hard you have worked for your performance did came across in the end - although not until the last episode. That was why I liked that episode. Well done! xxx mimi66

Hi, Skydancer! So nice to hear the participants' view. I have a burning desire to ask this question - please feel free to decline to answer - about that "real woman" remark in the programme. In the TV programme it came across as if only women of certain size should be considered "real". Do you feel that it was a result of that particular comment somehow being taken out of the context? I am just curious...

Dear Michelle, no, I don't think you are that naive. And if I did, not for the reasons you think. By the way, I think Lin MM has offered quite a good tip in her post on how to improve one's balletic extention. I agree with her - particularly about sorting out one's upper body. More so for really mature dancers - as one's posture tends to detriorates with age, more than one realises. I am glad to hear that you are starting to take a bit more care of your body (against injury). May we all dance as long as we can!

Fonty, I feel really sorry for Chirstie as well. On top of those cyber bullying... As for your last sentence, well, possibly, may be, who knows...