beckyl

Thanks, Balleteacher. I will try working on this a bit every day

Thanks for those, Michelle. I have done floor barre in the past but not for several months (I was doing live classes via Skype but had to quit as my studio ballet teacher said I was picking up bad habits.) I'm hoping if I pick up more pilates my core will get stronger- hopefully this will improve my balance?

The joys of public transport! I have to get a bus to ballet, at least the inevitable sprint from the bus stop to the studio (less than a minute!)is a good warm-up! What do you ladies do to improve balance? I felt really unbalanced in grand battement in the centre tonight. I have started doing some pilates via online streaming (instructor live) to strengthen my core at least

Lin apparently now my summer intensive is now class 3 x a week at a variety of times (some mornings, afternoons and evenings) so everyone can join in if they are coming after work. I can ask if it's open to non-studio members if you like? All will be drop-in.

I think given my studio is doing a summer intensive I might not go to LAB this year. I want to but it might be 2016 - give me a chance to work on my technique. I'm not sure about private lessons now. Just because I am a student and £££ are in such short supply! I'm hoping that by committing to attend ballet 3 x per week (two adult open classes and an intermediate class) I will improve. I just feel like I really lack the basics- sometimes my instructor might move me a millimetre in my turn out or move my hand every so slightly on the barre and move me an inch closer to the barre... Something exciting happened on Saturday! My adult ballet group are featuring in the Oxford Times magazine in March- the photographer came to take our pictures and me and some other girls were interviewed. I can't wait to see which pictures and quotes they use Michelle- can I be cheeky and ask how much studio space is to hire? I think at my local studio it's £18/hour with a 2 hour minimum.

Thanks for this. My show isn't until 2.30 p.m. so I think it would be OK

Does anyone know about the basic ballet classes? I'm in London on Saturday and am debating whether I am brave enough to try the one they have from 11.30 a.m. - 12.30 a.m. (I have tickets for the Miss Saigon matinee!)

The studio is in southern Oxfordshire. I have no idea about dates yet and if it's available to non-studio members etc. I will keep you posted

Thanks, Lin. I have exciting news! This summer my studio is running an two-week intensive (where we go and take daily class for two weeks) with a dancer from the Croatian national ballet! It's open to all levels and I'm very excited.

Thank you, ladies. I know my turnout isn't great as my class teacher is always telling me to 'hold my turnout.' Especially when doing something like a grand plie in fourth or fifth. Could a one hour lesson even once or twice a month be useful?

Michelle- do you do private lessons? I'm thinking about getting some to work on my basics- have found someone that would come to my house and I'm trying to budget for it? If yes (to anyone) what made you have private lessons? Have you found a real benefit? Do you do them in addition to or in place of an open/adult/other class?

Flats are a nightmare! Currently quite like the So Danca SD-16 canvas stretch model (such a high profile that drawstrings hurt :/) or I use the Tanzmuster satin model as it has an elastic drawstring. In pointe shoes, my other issue with Sonatas is that they weren't quite wide enough. The Aspiration seems to be better width-wise. Ironically, the synergy model which is supposed to be perfect for a Y-shape foot were not wide enough.

Both are listed as being a low profile shoe on the perfect pointe master list? Next time I'm in London it might be worth giving those a try, thanks for the suggestion Like I said, I really love the sonatas save for the very long vamp. Unfortunately all low profile shoes I have tried before have severely bruised my big toes :/ When I say my profile is high I mean <I>high</I> (nearly two inches!)

I haven't done pointe work for months but felt through I went through every pointe shoe... ever to find a pair that were OK. Still looking for my dream pair. I have a very wide forefoot (take an E in Bloch) with a tapered/narrow heel portion. Ridiculously high profile/arch too (I had special street shoes as a kid because of it.) Currently in Sansha recital, width W (not X surprisingly!) size 10. They are not perfect though and I have elastic and ribbons... still with some heel slippage :/ Also have a pair of Bloch Aspirations size 6E. I really wish I fit the Bloch Sonatas- love the padding in the toe but sadly the vamp was just too long. List of shoes tried: Bloch Alpha (hated the shank) Bloch Sonata Bloch Synergy Bloch Serenade (total disaster fitting, ended up with very seriously bruised toenails!) Freed Classic (too narrow at the front and wide at the back) Gaynor Mindens (again, ended up with bruised toenails)

Hi Lin and Michelle, I have some jelly tips (somewhere) and will give those a go. Not on pointe (yet! Hopefully soon!) this is just in ordinary ballet shoes unfortunately. I've decided to call the podiatrist to see if they can come and see me sometime this week. Thanks, Michelle I will keep looking out for Oxford workshops.

Well my plan is to move to NYC when I qualify as a teacher but London is definitely on the cards if not just because of the sheer smorgasbord of dance classes on offer! Not sure if this is right place to ask but does anyone else have trouble with their toenails? I have some involution on both big toenails - worse since I started ballet again. I thought it was the ballet slippers but have now decided part of the problem is the tights. Where they press on my toes it hurts. I plan to see a podiatrist soon (within probably the next three weeks.) I plan to maybe put plasters on my toes (but I'm worried I won't be able to feel the floor) and order some footless and/or stirrup tights. Any other ideas?

Thanks for your advice. I dance at a studio in Abingdon, near Oxford. There aren't really any other options that are feasible for me at the moment. It provdes basically everything I need. When I go to Saturday class it's better because there are only six of us.

Hi Henry, I am e-mailing you. The weekend mixing dance styles sounds amazing! Becky

That residential course sounds amazing I hope I will be ready for that in a few years, but... Something kind of... discouraging happened to me in class yesterday. My studio is very small and there were 13 dancers. We split into two to do the ports de bra so I went in the first group of six. I was in the second row on the right. Everything was very squished and there was an obviously advanced dancer behind me (it's an open class I'd never seen this woman before but she obviously goes sometimes as others knew her.) We were all kind of squished on the right and I didn't even open my arms all the way out to second (no-one really could) and she kind of... made this growling noise at me and then made some kind of whispery comment to her friend. Anyway I felt really bad that I stopped her doing a proper second maybe (but no-one else did either) so for the rest of the class I got WELL out of the way, there wasn't even really space for me to do the choreography we are learning so I just stood at the back and marked it through with another lady. I generally kind of try to get behind someone anyway so I can kind of follow along. I have been really struggling in the centre. What should I do? Should I just get right in the back (but then if we do a combination with a run or turn or something I'd be at the front again!) Should I just mark things through? Otherwise everyone else is so nice and so encouraging. The other girls ask if I need help with anything and are so friendly. My teacher is also really nice and gives me good (and encouraging also!) feedback and correction. I'm a pretty nervous/anxious/timid person in general so I don't know if I'm just overreacting or if I did something wrong. My teacher wants everyone in the class to have a go at everything including advanced steps.

I e-mailed and they said there would definitely be something in October planned- not sure of dates yet just half-term mentioned.

Thanks, Michelle super helpful I'm very excited for October now (also hopefully I might meet some of you lovely ladies there )

Not sure if the Gaynor Minden sweater tights are too thick (maybe?) but I love them for warming up, they're very soft (but also not pink.) Not sure where you are located but I use move dancewear (a UK brand) you can get tights in bumper packs of five and they're OK. I find they go less grey than other brands.

Thanks. Sadly Chippenham is a bit far for me, I have contacted Rachael and it does sound promising. Hopefully more will come to this area though I am pnning on trying something in London later in the year

Thanks for the welcome, Janet Stamina is something to work on but I will be basically dong a 3 hour + class soon so I can work on it then. I would be interested in one-day workshops in the Oxford/Reading/Swindon area if that were possible. I am 28 but returned to ballet last year after 14 years (I was a non-serious dancer before this, took cursory ballet once a week, focused more on jazz.)

I hope it's OK to post in this thread (I can start my own if necessary) - does anyone know of any workshops/master classes for adults in the Oxford/Reading/Swindon area?