balletgremlin

I think it's this leotard - http://uk.blochworld.com/product/CL7122 but it's out of stock in pink.

Congratulations! We've just started learning some of the Advanced 1 syllabus in one of my adult classes - it's definitely a huge step up from Intermediate & Advanced Foundation and we've started on the easy stuff. We're just giggling our way through the exercises but I'm getting more of it than I thought - I love the battements jetes exercise but the plie music must be the most dreary thing I've ever had to dance to (doesn't help I hate counting in 6's). Allegro 1 is nice but some of the later allegros look horrid - who wants to start a grand allegro with fouettes?! Other reasons I love my teacher - she's got me doing pointe twice a week now (does it ever get easier?) and wants me to work towards my intermediate exam!

Here's a link which gives the classifications for UK/worldwide for each grade, but not a breakdown of the scores.

The RAD do a summer course in the evenings in Battersea. The format's changed this year but I really enjoyed last time round - https://www.rad.org.uk/events/adult-summer-course I also did a variation summer course with Ballet for You last summer. Not sure what's happening this year but the dates have been announced - http://www.balletforyou.co.uk/ballet-blog/2017/3/24/summer-programme-dates-announced

Adv F as a whole is so pretty and I love the music, especially for the port de bras. I'm just so happy I've found an adult ballet teacher who's so dedicated to letting us learn the trickier stuff - we may not always be exam standard but testing our limits as dancers makes other things we were struggling with seem like a piece of cake in comparison. I'm glad to see others on this thread have equally passionate teachers. As for glissades under/over, I still remember the old Grade 5 exercise (Glissade stretch bend, glissade stretch bend, and under and over, changement, stretch bend) which helps me keep straight which leg is going where. Whether you're going under or over you swap which leg you had in front. Overs always made more sense to me - you go towards your back leg and bring it in front. Unders you take your front leg to the back.

The RAD have just organised their next set of adult associate classes at Elmhurst, Birmingham which are available to book on Eventbrite. There's also a handful of repertoire workshops which take place during the afternoon on the same dates. I've just finished the last round of associates on Sunday and my hips are still aching from the body conditioning class. It was good fun but doing 3 hours of ballet afterwards and then driving home afterwards always makes me hurt for a few days afterwards.

My teacher's the same - set really tricky free work so anyone taking the exam then finds it really easy in comparison. I haven't taken any exams as an adult myself as I don't do pointe work though I did up to grade 8 when I was younger. What is with allegro 2 in all the vocational syllabuses? I quite like the one for Intermediate Foundation but in Intermediate and Advanced Foundation, it really is a hideous exercise. They're so quick, with so many changes of directions and brisés are the worst step ever - I think I've finally got overs sorted but unders just involve me flapping my feet around.