sophie_rebecca

On 13/10/2018 at 07:06, Viv said:

In class today I learned the entire Giselle variation (in about 10 minutes so it was a bit hectic!) and I must say it is HARD! Certainly far above grade 5/intermediate foundation in my opinion. Very fast, tricky footwork with some pretty complicated steps. Normally you don't learn saut de basque until advanced 2, but they've thrown them into this variation. I can't do pointe at the moment because of my achilles but even on flat it was challenging (in a good way) and I think it will be a good compliment to my usual classwork when we start polishing it. I haven't learned any of the development exercises for it yet so they will hopefully help me get a handle on the steps at a slightly slower pace. The more I learn of this syllabus the more grateful I am that the RAD has developed this program, it's a lot of fun but is still good training. 

I'm doing Coppelia from level 2 + the Barre & Centre modules on a Tuesday & the level 3 Sleeping Beauty variation & associated barre & Centre on a Friday, I have to admit I'm not a fan of DR, I find the skill level required varies tremendously, obviously you have to remember that some things are optional like the beats in the adage for level 3 (honestly they're insane!) or the number of chaines, Id have to look at my teachers book again to get the list, the allegro 3 from centre for level 2 is a bit advanced too I have lots of little niggles too, like how the preparatory exercises don't always match the movements which messes with my muscle memory or how in the prep exercise you get 4 sets of 3 walks but in the variations its 4 walks so I end up trying to think if it's 3 or 4 walks to start with sets me off wrong, side note to this my brain works in a different way to the majority with the way I learn & retain info, I like consistency & repetition.

Anyway I could grumble on about DR for hours but I'll save you, I'll just crack on, keep my head down & do my best, it's not like they'll change it.

33 minutes ago, Richard LH said:

Thanks for posting these links.

Here is what is available from  the Bolshoi so far on You Tube --  just the last  1hr 48, and a poor quality recording at that   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z88kZ0RI9AU

Mind you I would not recommend much of the earlier stuff they broadcast yesterday, which included a recording of a pretty excruciating school admission session, with young boys and girls wearing only knickers  having to dance  in front of a po faced Committee, plus the depressing/bad tempered  La Bayadere rehearsal already mentioned herein.  

The RB and Australian You Tube videos are technically good quality recordings, but  many of the current Facebook videos  have unacceptably poor visual or audio quality, including those from the rest of the UK (with the exception of Northern Ballet).  

I saw that low quality one on Youtube & the poster is promising an HD version of part 1 & 2, the official Bolshoi team say they're working on sharing the feed,

"Большой театр России / Bolshoi Theatre of Russia Our segment will be available soon on media.bolshoi.ru, we'll inform."

So I'll keep an eye out for the official one, Totally agree with the sentiment, some bits made me super uncomfortable.

I've collated all the video's from World Ballet Day barring the Bolshoi official feed as it's not yet posted (if you find it please let me know) For anyone who was unable to watch or keep up you can find all the links in this post.
 

On 07/09/2018 at 22:05, Dance*is*life said:

I teach Grade 7 between IF and Inter. As The_Red_Shoes so acurately put it - no pointe work , double pirouettes or brisés in the exam! And I would add to that no free enchainement!  It's a beautiful syllabus and a charming way to teach my students about the Romantic period in ballet.

I couldn't agree more, when my exam journey began my teacher started me at inter foundation this was after about a year of a general adult class, it gave me a great technical grounding we've now moved to Grade 7 which is just so beautiful & has given my dancing so much more quality, the two together have been perfect for an adult beginner like myself.

Thanks Nicola,

For those interested, it was Broadcast on C4 Random Acts Tue's 7th & is now available on YouTube,

This film was an incredibly emotional journey, working with my teacher Lynne to convert so many raw emotions & memories of growing up trying to find myself into movement.

On 10/08/2018 at 09:10, The_Red_Shoes said:

I've been too embarrassed previously to share the film they made,,,

I don't know why you were it's lovely & I'm sure it'll inspire others to try or return to ballet, congratulations ❤️ 

I posted in another thread a while ago about the basic method of fitting pointe shoes, it's more about the shape of the foot than it is the width / length, a square box can be x to xxxxx but still wrong for a tapered foot.

This may be helpful, find a reputable fitter near you, pointe shoe fit is so critical because of the damage an ill fitted shoe can do, especially in younger dancers where the cartilage has not yet fully hardened.

46 minutes ago, The_Red_Shoes said:

Well, the exam went ok, despite the heat and having to dance with three unfamiliar teenagers. It wasn't the best I've ever danced it. I fluffed some bits, of course, including making some mistakes I'd never, ever made before. The things that went wrong loom large in my head - it's  harder to be aware of the things that went right! However I think the barre, pirouettes and variation were not bad.

 

I thought  I could put it all out of my mind until the results are due but now someone from the Beeb is coming to film me next Thursday and record an interview for Radio Cumbria. That's simultaneously very exciting and absolutely terrifying.

I wish I could offer some advice for getting out of your head but I cried for 3 days after my exam because I totally fluffed the free enchainment! what I will say is there's nothing that can be done now & don't forget that the exam is grouped into parts so you're ok for a fluff here & there as it gets lost in the other pieces, each section is worth 10 points, The Barre is 1 section, the Port de Bras, Centre Practice & Pirouettes are another, Adage, Allegro & the Free Enchainment are all worth 10 individually, Point is another, there's 10 each for music & performance then the variation is worth 20 with 10 for technique 10 for music & performance, & as my teacher said the only people to have ever come out of exams & gone, I nailed that have always had worse results 😉

As for the BBC good luck! I had a crew following me when I found out my result, I was convinced I'd failed so wasn't looking forward to it, relax, enjoy it, have fun, spread the love of dance & I'm sure you're going to be fab ❤️ 

Just now, LinMM said:

Thanks Janet have just had a look and you have to email them before booking so have just sent of an email.

It doesn't say sold out by it at the moment but it may depend on how often they update the website etc etc.

Ive been meaning to do one of these for a while as I really love David Kierce and having someone of the quality of Hannah Bateman should be great but only the dates for the three days ones have been okay so far and I think may be a bit too much for me these days but the two day ones should be okay. Hopefully if still places on the October one will finally make it!! 

There's some info on their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/theballetretreat/ 

From May 24th "Our June Retreat is now fully sold out but there are still places on our August Three Day Retreat"

I'd take from that that October has some free dates, Hannah is pretty good at responding to e-mails at the end of the day as I think she's in the studio a lot of the time.

Soph

1 hour ago, cavycapers said:

I suppose I am trying to find out if the recommendations for adults taking the exams now are more relaxed than for the children.  We have all ages and sizes in our class, and some of the requirements for children are going to look pretty silly on adults of 60 and a size 16!  So I was hoping to hear from adults who have done the lower grade exams what they were allowed to wear.  As the grades used to be very fixed for different ages, the styles and colours became more grown up the higher you got.  But if an adult class wanted to start at grade 2, for instance, they would look ridiculous in pale pink leotards similar to those normally worn for that grade by 6 or 7 year olds.

I did Inter Foundation at 36 no way I'd fit into the uniform at a size 16 & 6'3" so I got as close as I could to it, my teacher has been examining for 30+ years, is a consistency examiner & as others above have said explained that the uniform is a guidance, no one has ever failed or lost marks for not having the right uniform, she's also examined people in their 40's doing grade 1 ( yes the watering can dance 🙂 )

What is important is to show up neat & tidy, hair in a neat bun etc as its about showing the right attitude.

Hope this helps.

8 hours ago, Viv said:

Which brings me to my next question - how do you tell if the problem is width, and can be fixed by going down a size, or an issue with the actual shape of the box (too square) which obviously can't be fixed? My feet look quite square when I'm standing normally, but en pointe they compress and become quite tapered. I'm worried that these otherwise good shoes will end up being too square for me no matter what I do  

Shoes are generally made for a shape foot as I'm sure you know, Nova's & 2007's are for a tapered foot so if you've more of a square foot in Grishko this is the Triumph / Super Triumph / Fouette in Block you're looking at a European Balance.

The only real way is to try the shoes at a shop with a good selection & a trained/experienced fitter, if you're able to put lots of padding in the shoe in the first place & it feels better then it does sound too wide, have you seen the 1/2 size changers? https://www.justballet.co.uk/products/tendu-size-changer?variant=20979587399 I'm not sure if they're available in Aus but if you suspect you're between widths it's what these were designed for.

A very brief outline of how I fit (& was trained to fit) pointe shoes.

Initial observation is the shape of the foot, street shoe size & any toe spaces, for first fits I'll generally fit with a pro pad (padded on top thin on bottom)

I'll select a mix of shoes that should work for the shape foot & start with the widest / longest pair,

with each pair on the dancer stands in a wide 2nd & takes a deep demi plie, I ask if they can feel the end of the box & if so how much pressure it is, if it's painful it's likely the shoes are too short, I check the heel for slack to see if it's too lose (shoe too long) or too tight (shoe too short)

If the shoes seem good the dancer is asked to sit on the chair with feet en-point (like how Coppelia sits) & gently shift some of their weight into the shoes by lifting their bum off the seat with their arms, again I'm asking for feedback like does it hurt, can you feel them sinking into the shoe, if they're sinking then they're too wide & we start again with the next pair, if all is good I'll look at the shank to make sure it's not twisted, as you've said above a twisted shank can indicate a shoe that is either too wide or too narrow but if it's not supporting the foot the shoe is discarded,

If the shoes have made it this far it's over to the barre, one foot flat one on pointe & press down into the shoe, again feeling for any sinking, swapping feet as often feet are different (length & width) if we're still good here then it's up onto pointe supported by the barre, again checking feedback for pain / pressure & checking the shank for any twisting & seeing how the shank moulds into the arch, sometimes a shoe can be perfect but the shank doesn't follow the curve of the arch & a slight adjustment of the shank here is all that's needed.

A precursor to any fitting is that toenails are neatly trimmed at least 24h prior to fitting, you shouldn't have too much of the tip but you also don't want them cut right back as both can cause issues,  it's hard to explain it on the internet but they need to be neat / flush.

If your feet are square in a tapered box you will be getting squeezed in causing the outer edge of the toenail to come under quite a bit of pressure & this will be painful, are other toes being forced under eath other? the little toe will probably also be having a hard time, if that's just the shape of your toe & proximity of the toenail to the edge of the toe then clear stretch tips can be a lifesaver (I use these as my toenail is slightly ingrown & almost all the way to the edge) http://uk.blochworld.com/product/A919 

Sorry for the huge post but it's hard over the internet to answer this as fitting is almost a black art but I hope the info helps you with your struggle, as to the question of how do you tell if its the shape of the shoe or width shank twisting is a good indicator but it won't necessarily show so the best thing is to try lots of shoes, I think we currently stock 300-400 different shoe's at the moment, it's rare for us not to find a good shoe for someone but sadly we're a bit far from you (Yorkshire UK)

Fingers crossed

Soph x

It sounds like you're sinking into the shoe as it's slightly too wide, a pro pad (https://www.capezio.com/pro-pad) may give you enough width to stop you slipping in as much, the tiny built in toe pad at the end if removed may just make it worse as you sink to the end with no padding, failing that if you've got a gap between your big toe & 2nd toe then try toe spacers (https://www.capezioeurope.com/space-pack?gclid=CjwKCAjw8r_XBRBkEiwAjWGLlFAEUJtdaLc11Q6OsSvts44RKj4iKZbd_uaEFYBp1h2qTukYYE-58hoC-OkQAvD_BwE the larger one in that pic) 

These are just attempts to fix a shoe that's not fitting you well & just may be enough to get you through to the next pair & get some usage, take care though as that pain will turn to bruising & you may lose the toenails again

If you get chance in go back to the shop & see if they have the same shoe in a width down & see how that feels, in a wide 2nd deep plie you shouldn't be able to feel much pressure on the end of the toe (it certainly shouldn't be painful) & if you put one foot en pointe with a little weight you shouldn't feel any sinking.

Good luck & fingers crossed.

If you need an alternative I've found one of the quickest easiest ways to give a practice tutu more strength is a tagging gun, get black tags & there are some youtube tutorials but essentially tag 3 layers at a time & work your way out.

This is the thing I'm on about.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Avery-668174-Swiftach-Tagging-Fasteners/dp/B000J6A0MI

I've made the bloch rehersal tutu's look rather splendid with this method.

1 hour ago, mimi'smom said:

YBSS are doing an adult ballet masterclass on the middle/crossover Saturday ( 21st July 10am til 1:30pm) of summer school at Askham Bryan College. Copied from their Facebook page apply via the YBSS website.

 

Adult ballet Class and Solo's Masterclass lead by YBSS Director and former Birmingham Royal Ballet Principal Iain Mackay. For Intermediate and advanced level ages 20+

I just raced in here to post this, I wasn't sure if I'd be up to scratch so messaged them to check what they describe as inter advanced & got the following,

"Intermediate/advanced as a guideline so that everyone attending can really get the most out of it. I think 3-4 years training is a great marker. That said I can tailor the class as best needed. Does that help? Iain"

Hope this helps anyone make their mind up.

4 hours ago, balletgremlin said:

@LinMM get your glassss out. Results are in and I got a high merit!

 

I got my highest marks for performance and musicality rather than technique as expected. Very pleased as it's the best I've ever done on an exam and is more than 20 marks better than the last time I took grade 6 15 years ago!

Congratulations!

2 hours ago, Charliesays said:

A lot of the women attending did ballet when they were younger so already know the basics, so I feel quite out of place. I am making a lot of mistakes and feel like I am wobbly or just not doing it right!

Do I just need to carry on at my own pace and stop watching them or should I be practicing at home to try catch up a bit?

I absolutely love to watch ballet and realise no one gets to be like the ones you watch online without years of training - I just want to make sure I'm doing everything I can so I get the most out of it. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you

Hi Charlie, Welcome to the forum.

You can always watch them but don't try to match them, just do it to get a handle on the exercise.

I'm just over 4 years into my ballet journey but still consider myself a beginner! there are some fab youtube videos of the basics to get you up to speed on the terminology & positions which would be good to watch & yes practice between lessons whenever you can, it's a new thing you're learning so repetition is key but most importantly enjoy it & have a fab time.

Soph x

17 hours ago, balletgremlin said:

Sophie, my exam was 6 weeks ago too. Today was the date given to my teacher by the RAD, though last time they gave her a date, they came a week early. 

I checked in with my friend at class last night, she took hers in Mid to Late Feb & got her results a couple of days ago, I spoke to my teacher who's an RAD examiner & the schools latest results form the same time came back on Monday so fingers crossed you don't have that much longer to wait. (I've just realised I'm presuming you took an RAD exam)

1 hour ago, balletgremlin said:

Exam results are supposed to come out today. I'm so impatient and keep checking my phone every 5 second for a message from my teacher. I've heard of results coming out early but never late before.

My exam results took 4 weeks to come back, the kicker was the BBC wanted to film me getting my results so I had to wait an extra week which was torture  

A friend of mine took her exam 6 weeks ago & still hasn't had her results, seems to be at the long end of the wait at the moment, everything crossed for you.

3 hours ago, balletgremlin said:

Grade 6 exam today. Feeling very prepared but it's not until 4 so a hoping the nerves don't build up and ruin it for me. Aim is to do better than when I did it as a teen and to just enjoy it.

Good luck, have a fabulous time 

I've got the ones I know about listed on here under the intensives section https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1LQe92qPsOF3qHObTMypt_r-j6qE&hl=en_US&ll=53.57914022739626%2C-3.7089427571121405&z=6

As well as the ones mentioned above you have The Ballet Retreat (June in London / August in Leeds) https://www.theballetretreat.com/ & KNT Danceworks will be doing some this summer again https://www.facebook.com/KNTDanceworks5/

Soph

Just nipping in to say briefly I got my first chance to perform on stage this weekend as part of our adult performance group, 4 of us took to the stage during the schools annual show to perform a dance one of our teachers crafted for us, the first performance on Sat I was terrified, but I had a job to do & did it, I focused on the dance, made it through to the end even if a little wobbly with jelly legs through nerves.

As I got into the wings I may have said a naughty word but one of our teachers just pointed me to turn round & said "listen" the applause was amazing, I'm glad she did or I'd have just run off disappointed in myself for not doing my best & missed it, just taking in that moment was fantastic, the 2nd night the feeling was pure excitement, it's so hard to describe that feeling of waiting to go out but it's amazing! if you get chance go for it, I'm an exceptionally shy person so if I can do it anyone can.

1 hour ago, JCS said:

Well I have my results and  I got Merit. Just over the threshold but I am thrilled. 

A Merit is a Merit! Congratulations!

10 hours ago, balletgremlin said:

Thanks @Nicola H - I vaguely remember my teacher saying I could enter 'as a boy' but we were unaware of the mix & match option Sophie mentioned.

 

For @balletgremlin @Nicola H & anyone else interested who doesn't want to go through pages & pages of RAD documents 

"3.1.5 Gender. According to the heritage of the art form, the requirements for males and females in ballet are different. Candidates may feel unable to enter for a particular unit or qualification if it is designed for a specific gender."

"3.2.5 Gender. It is the policy of the Examinations Board to ensure that equal opportunities are accorded to males and females, in the context of the heritage of ballet. Candidates, including transgender candidates, may enter for their preferred syllabus according to the gender with which they choose to identify in relation to dance."

This is from the equality & diversity document https://www.rad.org.uk/documents/exam-docs/20170301equalitydiversityandinclusionpolicy.pdf 

For those that don't know my backstory I didn't think I'd be able to take exams due to being transgender, in 2015 my teacher who's an RAD board member asked what the policy was, there wasn't one so they added an open policy, since then I took my exam & I know of at least 4 other transgender students who've also taken their exams & several girls who've done the boys exams, I'm not aware of any boys choosing the girls variation as yet but there was a class of 4 men who took grade 8 female exam as the teacher hadn't realised she'd taught them the wrong one  (they all passed & we're apparently fabulous) 

9 hours ago, taxi4ballet said:

As far as I'm aware from having read the specification, you choose to be examined in either the male or female syllabus, whichever you prefer. I don't believe you can chop and change between syllabi during the examination itself.

 

 

 

This,

Sorry if I wasn't clear, you can do either the male or the female exams regardless of your gender identity, you can't pick bits from the male & female from the same exam but you could do for example grade 7 girls & grade 8 boys, or both boys & girls grade 7 hope that's clearer.

20 hours ago, Viv said:

As far as male and female pointe specifications, as this is an entirely flexible syllabus and it merely says 'pointe is optional', I wonder if that equally applies to male candidates, or if they can only do the male variation. I would actually hope that there would be a lot more freedom to choose your variation in this syllabus, even if it's just in training and not in examining the different form. Both men and women can gain a lot from breaking the traditional roles of ballet, if not in their regular syllabus work then hopefully here!

In 2015 the RAD updated their policy, in short you can do any exam you want, if you're female & want to do the male variations you can, if you're male & want to do pointe you can & any combination in between the exams are all about the dance / dancer which I think is fab.