Kate_N

Central runs an after school programme, I think.

I think you'll need to give us a bit more information - if you feel comfortable in doing so. London is the size & population of a small country, and it is really important to look for ballet schools in the area in which you'll be living, or easily commutable (and preferably not by car - that often takes longer!). 

The other thing is you'll need to orient yourself to the British education system, in both school and ballet, as it's different in some significant ways from the US system. In my experience of the two systems, academic study in the UK is generally more intense and UK children often at a higher level than US children of the same age - but this is because the UK system tends to specialise a lot earlier than the US system - generally by the end of school + post-secondary education (university or other kinds of training) they're all about even!

On the other hand, ballet education & training tends to be slower and less intense here until children are mid-teens.

In ballet terms, the emphasis tends to be on full-time vocational training around the time children take their GCSE qualification - so at 15 or 16. Prior to that, most (but not all) talented ballet students study with teachers in local studios, often supplemented by monthly Associates' classes. Ballet training tends not to be the "dance everyday" schedule of US studios.  And acceptance into this vocational training is highly selective and very competitive because numbers taken in are very small (particularly in comparison to US studios). There are pros & cons for both ways.

The Royal Ballet School is residential, as are several other vocational schools, such as Elmhurst (in Birmingham) and the English National Ballet School. Central School of Ballet might be another one to look at (central London on the SouthBank, about 5 minutes walk from Waterloo station). Then there is the school at Danceworks (central London just off the west end of Oxford Street), although I think that's been affected by COVID.

Most ballet studios offer after-school classes, and for an 11 year old, those would be 2 or 3 times during the week and probably most of Saturday. 

Associates' programmes are enrichment and outreach classes offered by  some of the elite schools (eg Royal Ballet School) to those with talent, but for one reason or another (proximity, not successful for full-time study etc etc) do not attend one of these schools.

If you search this forum (Doing Dance) you'll find lots of discussion of the various ballet training options available. 

But this is an overview, from my own observation of watching children through both systems.  The wonderful ballet parents of this forum will have the real inside stories for you, and some more specific local recommendations, if you feel comfortable about disclosing the general area you'll be living in in London eg south west, north, east etc.

oh yessss! 🤣

I don't understand your point @RosiesDream Presumably children at the RBS do find it to be their preferred school, otherwise they wouldn't be there. How is that sad?

There are many excellent conservatoires for dance across the whole wide world and the Royal Ballet School is among them, or why else would ballet students from across the world seek to study there? And the existence of other excellent schools doesn't diminish the excellence of the RBS. 

The main prizes of the Prix are places & scholarships at some of these world-leading schools, including the RBS. So I can see the logic of the RBS not encouraging its own students to enter. Maybe it doesn't want to lose them!

I was intrigued in the RB section of World Ballet Day, at how sort the coaching & rehearsal sessions were. Is this usual, or were they deliberately staged for World Ballet Day.

I'm used to rehearsals in the theatre/studio being 6-8 hours at a time. You might not call all the actors for the whole time, but a scene is worked on for several hours, usually.

I'm afraid I don't see the Royal often enough to recognise mare than a few dancers. What is he wearing?

And I misread the schedule _ the Royal ballet is in class now, with the wonderful guest teacher Olga. Just watching her clean simple barre makes my brain & body feel good!

Totally distracted from the pressing work I have on my desk today …

Looking forward to the RB stream, although I'll really miss seeing them in class. Will there be a later streaming of that, if not live? I love the privilege of watching daily class - it's usually a much more private thing, so really special to see it.

Wonderful news, and congratulations to you and your daughter, @balletbean

Thanks for taking the trouble to let us know!

Wow, thank you for this. The schedule looks amazing! More & more companies are joining in. The real treats for me are the Bolshoi, the Royal, and the Australian Ballet daily class streams (interesting to see the AB under David Halberg). I wonder if Maestro Boris Akimov will still be taking the class we see? I just love watching him teach.

Oh that's a real pity. They were a lifeline for me, and also, you can struggle through stuff that is challenging without the feeling that everyone's watching you (I mean, I know that in a studio class no-one is looking at me, because they're focusing on their own stuff, but still ...)

I love Adam Pudney's class. It's logical and feels good for my body, but he also gets people moving. He brings a lovely energy to a ballet class, particularly in the centre. As others have said, the challenge in an adult beginner's/improvers class will be that there isn't a set syllabus; you have to absorb/remember the choreography for each exercise anew.

Danceworks advertises on their website which teachers/classes will accept children over 12. 

Ahh yes, I see. That makes a lot of sense @taxi4ballet I think you're right, that there's a dearth of regular, progressive syllabus-style classes for adult beginners. If you could cope with Zoom, I'd recommend Hannah Frost's beginners classes at Pineapple (which has a great Zoom set up) - she does the same exercises over several weeks, so you can learn the choreography. She does a very good absolute beginners class, I think, and is really welcoming to complete beginners. You can find her on Instagram. I love her classes - she's demanding but funny and sympathetic.

Some teachers at Pineapple & Danceworks are happy to take competent young people. Check the studio websites to see which teachers will take children between 12 and 16.  Or ring those studios.

Yes, yes, yes!  Excellent point @taxi4ballet I'll be working till I'm 68 I think, on current calculations.

I'm lucky - my local studio offers adult dance classes mostly in the evenings, although not Silver Swans. However, I'm not that bothered about Silver Swans - no offence to anyone taking or teaching that programme, but I'd rather do a straightforward ballet class, and adjust for myself whatever my ageing body can't manage - although luckily, I have no age-related impingements. Whether that will be the case in a decade when I'm 70, I don't know! 🤣 And I'm also lucky in that my local in-person teacher runs a very good Absolute Beginners ballet class, so any adult can join and learn. It's a very open ethos at the studio (although I wish there were more advanced classes, but hey ho, we can't have everything). 

I’ve taken his class when he was substituting for someone else - Nina Thilas-MOhs or Christina Mittelmaier, I think. So it wasn’t necessarily a tough Intermediate level. I loved it. He encourages you to spread your arms in second and take up space, and move. 

On 12/09/2021 at 18:47, LinMM said:

Just looking at those two words relevé and élevé I get the feeling the relevé has a sense of bringing together so drawing the legs underneath you more whereas élevé feels more like a rise in situ so for example in 5th position in the relevé your feet would come together and be touching but in an élevé (though personally I’ve not heard that term used in a ballet class) the  feet would be more apart from the 5th position from a straight rising up so to speak.

@LinMM that's the way I've heard the 2 terms used in various studios in several countries, particularly if the teacher wants us to rise without plié or the 'snatch' of a releve. But to be honest, I don't hear the term "eleve" very often - mostly just 'rise onto demi-pointe.'

On 05/09/2021 at 09:47, elyy said:

 I fell a little bit unmotivated to go to dance and sometimes I regret I quit gymnastics for dance, I like dance but I don't think I have an artist personality (for example I don't like to choreograph, or acting..), I like a lot the tumbling part. 

I think this depends on what age you are, the kind of training you do, and have done in the past, and what your overall dreams, ambitions, and aims are for your life at this immediate time, and in the future.

The thing about most achievement at a high level is that it takes hours and hours and hours of detailed work, which sometimes feels unrewarding. Progress can feel so slow. I can remember one of the reasons I lost interest in serious study of ballet at about the age of 15 was that I found doing pliés and tendus so very very boring (now I love them!). I think also I had the wrong teacher for me (and I was a competitive rider, so something had to give).

And what  @Tango Dancer says here is so so true! Sometimes, class is 'medicine' you have to take. 

On 05/09/2021 at 23:25, Tango Dancer said:

I don't always feel like going to class but I usually feel better when I do.

So you might need to think about what your aims are in the short term, the medium term, and the long term. 

And then - think about what you enjoy doing!

Thanks, @youngatheart - that's really interesting. I've never studied the Vaganova style, so that studio is one for my "Ballet tourism" list! A professional dancer relative trained in that technique and I recognise the differences between the Russian style and the English style (and the American style) of teaching & technique.

On 27/08/2021 at 20:45, youngatheart said:

Very very different to any class I'd ever done before

Is it possible to elaborate, @youngatheartIn what way was it different? I'm always up for learning new things in ballet ...

Yes, @ThecatsmotherI actually feel sorry for teachers who need to make classes pay, and I assumed that this might be the situation at the school that @Meetmeatthebarreis enquiring about. That they know the market for beginners adult ballet can often turn on the question "Can I go on pointe?" Rather than saying a flat out - and sensible - "No" it sounds as though they're trying  to meet that demand safely.  

I've seen the way adult students can put teachers under pressure to start pointe work. When someone is unable to hold turnout, can't get over the box of their shoe, and is overweight (not as a dancer but as a 'civilian') it's a red flag for me. But I suppose it's the adult's responsibility & look out - it's their body, their feet. I'd rather keep dancing without the injuries, myself.

I think that some adults have a very unrealistic image of being a "ballerina" - all the tutu-wearing and less than sensible pointe shoe wearing that goes on. It's a pity, because, in my experience,  the actual learning is way harder, more interesting, and far more satisfying than just wearing  shiny pink shoes & a tutu! 

11 hours ago, Meetmeatthebarre said:

I think it means that they allow one of the weekly beginners classes to be taken in pointe shoes

hmmmmmm, still doesn't sound reassuring. Frankly, too many adult beginners go on pointe way before they are ready. But that aside, I hope their classes are good, and what you need @meet-me-at-the-barre - do report back, as it's always good to hear of studios & teachers for adults.

I read it simply as a matter of posters' individuals' tastes?

On 15/08/2021 at 21:45, bridiem said:

Perhaps we should put forward a BalletcoForum candidate next year. Any volunteers?!

I think it’d be a-may-zing to be a Strictly contestant - to spend all day every day learning to dance.

I’m not particularly interested in the celebrities - I enjoy watching the learning “journey” ( as they say).