FullContretemps

Just wondering if anyone has heard any more about the LAB Summer Intensive. I got some details (date, location, price) out of them a few months ago but it has all gone very quiet and nothing on the Facebook page since March; no reply to my Facebook message or email. Are they just very busy or has something happened? Any idea when booking will open? Just so I can decide whether I need to make plans or not...

We have a show coming up and need character shoes for a class who don't do RAD and therefore don't have character shoes and not worth spending much on. Have sourced some, but still need a size 13, and size 1.5/2 and a boys size 4. Could be returned to you after 10th July if you would like them back. Please let me know if you can help!

Wow, I love ballet.co - such a mine of information! I think I might have persuaded them that it might be do-able with the discount from dance direct - thanks for the heads up! My sewing skills are not of the highest quality so would probably mean roping in favours. I do aspire to learn dressmaking one day though. Or seamstressing, or tailoring, whichever one seems most applicable at the time. I do love the English language!

Price goes up when you select great big sizes for people that are 5'7! Hm... I wonder how much of a discount teachers get

That's people who sew, not smelly pipes carrying waste, in case you were wondering... A bank holiday question for you: the person choreographing for an upcoming show I've been roped into has given costume ideas, saying something like the picture below for me. Found it on DanceDirect and it's £60. Clearly not paying that! Just wondering whether it would be possible to home-make with a crop top, ballet skirt and cheap leotard to chop about. If you start cutting stretchy lycra would you be able to make it stay in roughly the right shape if sewn to crop top (and maybe black shorts) or would it just lose that shape completely? Thanks in advance for your thoughts! https://www.dancedirect.com/uk/product/turning-page

I'm going tonight, and to the pre-performance talk. Class this morning was fairly fantastic as expected, and a little entertaining!

Right, having had far too many days off dancing I shall be trying out some of this tonight (let's see if anyone notices and/or tells me off!). Thanks everyone! Gosh, wish I still lived closer to London. Probably can't quite justify that but it sounds really good - have fun you two

Thanks Dance is life - that's really helpful!

Thanks invisiblecircus - should have thought to search before posting! Sounds like it might be a style or case by case decision in different enchainements. RachelC I was brought up RAD too, and all my previous teachers were, but this one has a wider style I think. Think I might have to have a go at working on the new method so I can make my own choice as to what to use. Might get told off by some teachers though - one of mine always bangs on at people who "don't releve properly"! With reference to pointe, all the slow motion multiple pirouette demonstrations I have now been looking at on YouTube use the rising method, even a couple en pointe, interestingly, which I wouldn't have even know was possible!

P.S. He showed us the Baryshnikov clip, and he does just that: Have I been taught wrong all this time, or are there just different ways? Maybe a male/female thing? Sorry, don't know how to embed video! https://youtu.be/SsOJ0G1psUA

I have a technique question raised by class this morning. I'm fairly sure I have always been taught (by a variety of teachers) that when beginning a pirouette en dehors from fourth you releve on to the supporting leg, bringing it underneath you: underneath where you weight is in the centre of your demi-plie. We have a different teacher doing some of our classes this term, who so far seems pretty spot on, but this morning we were doing a pirouette exercise with this preparation and were told not to lose contact with the floor. This means moving your weight over onto the front foot, and (presumably) doing what is technically more of a rise than a releve (where your toes by definition must move I would have thought, but please correct me if I'm wrong!). The teacher said that this way you know where your balance is rather than if you've moved your foot underneath you, but to me it seems that if I've had to move my whole weight then I might not know where my balance is. Also the emphasis, rightly, was on going up rather than round, but also up rather than forward, which I would have thought was easier if you bring the foot under, otherwise you are moving forwards so it's hard to then go up instead. Does anybody know if there's a correct way or if it's a matter of opinion or whatever works for each dancer? It really got me thinking!

Not sure how helpful as I'm more of a 10/12 in street clothes but I am 5'7 and have quite long legs and enormous thighs because I cycle everywhere! I always buy XL tights (and people in shops look at me like I'm mad and ask if I don't need a smaller size, and I assure that really is what I need!). I have found Move Dancewear's to come up quite big, and they're nice and long, unlike some other brands. They do go grey very quickly compared to others but are also cheaper. They definitely have a looser waistband than stupid tiny Capezios and I think than Blochs b ut for me it's mostly a thigh issue! So, maybe worth a try for you, or maybe not!

If I go I think I will be staying with a friend over the other side of London (Docklands-ish area I think) and commuting across each day. It's easily do-able. Obviously up to you if you're not sure about it not having been to London before, but if that's the only reason not to go then don't let it stop you There are lots of tube maps and things and always Google maps on your phone for the walking bit (or there may well be a few people walking from station so could potentially meet up).

It's at Rambert this year. From their Facebook page: Hi, The LAB Summer Intensive is from the 1st to the 6th of August 2016. It's also at The Rambert School and the cost is £375... we hope that your holiday fits with that and look forward to seeing you in the studio this Summer! It will be 3 years since I went so not sure whether any info I have will be very useful but do ask if you have any questions not yet answered you think I might be able to help on. If I can scrape together enough pennies I'll be there this year.

Sounds like a good list. Good photos influence people a lot in their general feeling towards a place too, if they are just coming across it online rather than through the other routes you rightly said are most often used. Obviously with permission from pupils/parents/guardians, but people quite like to see the dancers or any shows that have been done. Think that would be more of an 'influencing factor' rather than a 'need to find' one though

Ooh what an interesting topic. Not sure I can be of much use but will throw my two pence in. Like everybody else I think the important thing here is whether the person is going to be able to do the job or not. Yes, companies and businesses are required to make reasonable adjustments, but there are people who aspire to a dancing career who, for so many different reasons are not suitable. If a person is going to consider joining a company they need to be pretty confident that they can do the job to a high standard most of the time. I think that with regard to reading notices and things that ought to be considered a reasonable adjustment, but if the person requires an hour a day away from people to keep their stress levels under control, that might be reasonable in some settings but probably not a ballet company. It also depends a lot on the atmosphere of the company and their attitude. Are the dancers supportive of each other or is there a more edgy competitive side? What are the management like? On a personal note, I can't give any insight into the dance world, but I was diagnosed with ASC (AS) a few years ago in early twenties. I don't tend to disclose (I was told it's up to me whether I tell people or not) immediately. When I nannied I didn't disclose because I knew myself and I knew there wouldn't be any related problems with the job as I didn't have to interact with others during the day much and could run things as I liked. When I moved into nursery I waited a month to size up what the people were like. I felt supported, part of the family and trusted them, so I told my boss, just in case anything ever happened - I didn't expect it to but thought there was a small chance. We only told the two or three people that I worked closely with and nobody else had to know, but I felt that after I told them they were very understanding, and when something did happen and I had a bit of a shutdown at work they didn't really understand, but gave a me a bit more leeway and kindness than otherwise I might have received. I've recently started a new job in a school and haven't disclosed yet as I'm not sure how they'll take it, but I think I would like to when I find an opportunity. So really, can't give any concrete help other than to say, get the person to think about what their particular needs and difficulties would be, whether they could realistically do the job (if I were a better dancer I think I would do quite well in theatre because I love the environment, I feel fulfilled when I'm there, it's my special interest/thing etc), and whether or when to disclose (what would be the benefits/drawbacks?). I've just splurged some thoughts so not sure if I've said what I wanted to but maybe something there will be helpful food for thought

Hm... I wear 6.5XX. So close haha!

Ooh looks very interesting... Only trouble is, I am now going to have to choose between that and LAB - definitely can't afford both! This is much closer to me and would cost less esp as could commute daily, but LAB is a whole week and I so enjoyed it the first year have been waiting until I have the pennies and annual leave to go again, which I thought I might just manage this year. Decisions decisions...

Just thinking, live4ballet, do have a type of school in mind yet - classical ballet or a more general course? That might affect what sort of extras you want to add if any. Are you doing any Inter classes? That would probably be your best bet at the moment, and if not going for classical ballet, think about whether your school provides all you need in other disciplines. Ballet.baby good luck with Central - I was at a summer school with one of their teachers a while back and the teaching was amazing. Keep us updated on your journey!

Ah, walking down the stairs. I never realised I did this until I saw someone not doing it on narrow stairs (I think I only do it when my feet don't fit normally), going with their feet in parallel at a diagonal. I think they were the odd one rather than me

Best of luck It sounds like you're doing all the right things. I would echo the advice to get to lots of audition days and workshops as it is just great experience as a dancer to work under a variety of teachers. And if you can get to a class for Intermediate or other of the vocational level that would really help keep your technique progress going. Now trying to work out whether I might know you or not as I'm York too! Are you central or outside town? (Obviously no pressure to answer location/identifying questions - I'm only being nosy!)

I don't really have anything useful to add, being an old person who could never have gone near vocational school, but just wondering how old you are now - how long before you will be embarking on your journey towards US?

When I had plantar fasciitis I saw a GP then a private podiatrist who did biomechanical tests etc and I ended up with orthotic insoles which I wear in street shoes. Solved the problem. Later had another pair on NHS when those died. I didn't find massaging helped very much as it made it more painful and irritated the inflammation

Thanks munchkin - obviously got some homework to do... Think I've been putting them in upside down all these years! And although I do angle it before I put it in, I don't turn it right over like she does. *off to find some big pins tomorrow and try out...*

When you Google "cinnamon bun" and wonder why you've got a load of pictures of cake instead of hair! (and I really like cake, too!) Tempting, but not what I was looking for... edited to shrink enormous picture of cinnamon bun...