Dormouse

I don't think I can get away with 'reasonable adjustment' A (an examiner) would have told M if he thought I could. I started dancing in the RAD classes (rather than the adults) when I was 63. I started at Intermediate (two classes each week) and then one of them turned into Intermediate Foundation. So I did that. After my knee replacement, all the Intermediate students had passed their exam, so that class wasn't running, and I just had IF. So I started on Grade 6, and now I'm doing 6 and 7 - and trying not to muddle the plie, battement tendu, and grand battement exercises.

I cannot see how to reply to each individually, so: Moomin: RAD Grade 6 Janet: Thank you, I'll look at those Lisa: I was 61, that was in June 2006. My niece in Canada was the teacher. My choice was to attend her ballet class, or look after her LIVELY four-year-old and two-year-old! She always has a pianist, and I was hooked. It was hard to find a teacher when I got back home, and I had my first class in October 2007. Then an arthroscopy in December 2010, followed by the replacement in June 2013. So, for those who don't like arithmetic, I'm 71.

Errr ... going off the confusion topic slightly ... my exam is in June, and I'm still struggling with pirouettes. Does anyone have any tips, please? I've been told that the ability to do pirouettes just happens suddenly. Is this true? I do try all the ways I've been told to try to improve, but ... My allegro isn't too good either :-( I know why my allegro isn't very good - I was cheating for ages before I got my new half-knee, and now I'm trying not to cheat. My free movement and character are quite nice, so I hope they pull my marks up. Do you want a silly aside? I was talking to my consultant before my knee replacement, and said that when I took my right leg off the ground: "my left knee bent to protect itself and one just cannot do a pirouette on a bent knee". he replied that I was not normal. Then quickly said that he meant it in the nicest possible way, and "If all my patients were like you, I would get better results". Walking out of the hospital the morning after the operation, with no walking aids, my consultant was looking smug. Off to practise before my next lesson!

Thank you, Sim. As you see, it's easy to confuse me. I thought I was posting in Doing Dance - unless I got into a sub-forum. M & R are both RAD teachers. I rather wish A (an RAD examiner) were still around, but examining requires too much time away. M was taught by a Russian, and initially learned Cecchetti. R qualified very recently, and comes from Eastern Europe. There are other instructions they give that are conflicting :-( I'll do whichever they like in their lessons, and I think I'd better keep to palms forward for the exam. By the way ... my niece teaches Cecchetti in Canada, and that was how (and where) I had my very first lesson when I was in my 60s. Thank you for your replies.

I am confused. I now have two ballet teachers (M and R). I did have a third (A), but he is now too busy with other aspects of ballet; R has taken over his classes.My problem is that M and R are telling me different things, this would not normally bother me, but I've just been mad enough to enter for an RAD exam ... at my age! One teacher says that in 2nd, my palms should face the audience, and the other says they should face the floor because it gives a better line from shoulder to fingertips. What does the team think, please? Thank you for reading this.