Happymum Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 (edited) Just a quick question to professionals and teachers: how important it is to practise with barre? My DC's ballet teacher do have it but because she's (busy?/tired?/rushing after last class?) she is not using it this term at all, children do hold on to chairs instead. (There are other activities in this hall so barre needs to be kept in storege room and put up every time she teaches ballet). I don't think the quality of her teaching is any worse and maybe it doesn't really matter but because my DC wants to audition to ballet schools in near future I just wanted to ask if chairs are as good as barre? And she varies the height - one chair for smaller children, 2 or more on top of each other for taller children. Edited October 6, 2015 by Happymum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swanprincess Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 In my opinion it's fine- I went to one local dance school that had gorgeous studios, with barres and mirrors- but I learnt far far more from a teacher at a dance school in a church hall, using a chair as a barre.... So I think that the quality of the teaching is a lot more important than having a good barre! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate_N Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 Do you mean a physical barre fixed to the wall, or a portable barre? Or do you mean the exercises done at the barre? And what age are your DC? In my experience (but I'm not a teacher) very young children do a lot of stuff in the centre in baby ballet or pre-ballet. But from the age of 8 or 9, working at the barre with simple exercises would be standard. I suppose if the dance school is in a church hall or the like, then there aren't necessarily fixed barres or portable barres. And we all use chairs at home or in impromptu exercising in the office! So it sounds less than ideal. On the other hand, if my teacher decides we'll do a whole class in the centre, it is very good for my strength and for showing the areas where I really need to be thinking about better placement, rather than relying on the barre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happymum Posted October 6, 2015 Author Share Posted October 6, 2015 (edited) What I meant is doing all the barre exercises but without the portable barre (which is just lying there in storege room waiting to be used again one day). Children are holding on to chairs instead while they do plies etc. I just wanted to find out if it really matters or not. Edited to add that my DC is doing grade 3. But all the other grades up to grade6 are using chairs instead of barre as well. Edited October 6, 2015 by Happymum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 I would agree that it's probably the quality of teaching that matters the most. Our dance school has the same scenario and barre only comes out for exams. DD did get into trouble at associates for holding the batre incorrectly - not sure if that was chair related or not!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 A barre would always be better and why not use one if its there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullContretemps Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 (edited) If it's the right height then I wouldn't mind a chair now and again, and definitely agree that the quality of teaching is more important than the quality of the barre! But I wouldn't really want to use one long term unless it was the only option. The main problem I can see with using chairs would be if there are exercises that move along the barre, children may pick up a habit of compromising on them if they do not want to leave the chair. But in Grade 3 guessing that is probably not too much of an issue. Also, depending on the child perhaps it could put tension in their hands/arms if they are trying to grip it rather than rest their hand on it. Conversely, a chair would probably encourage me not to lean on the barre or hold it too tightly to avoid it tipping or anything! Maybe some of us should try it occasionally! Just wondering though, does it actually take any less time to get chairs out and place them correctly and pile them up to the right height for each pupil than to get the barres out?! Maybe some students or parents (depending on the level of class) could help the teacher get them out? Sorry, just a few random thoughts off top of my head - don't know if any are helpful or not! Edited October 7, 2015 by FullContretemps 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate_N Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 If the portable barres are there, and adjustable to the right height for varieties of children, then I think they should be used, for all the reasons other people have given. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youngatheart Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Not very professional IMO, but it depends on the stability of the chairs and the appropriateness of the height. (I remember when I first did ballet as a child, we had this situation & I used to really loathe those chairs and dream of having a proper barre. I bet some of these kids feel exactly the same!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Reminds me of the first dancing school I went to in Stretford, Manchester. A hall with a chair to lean on. Up until that point I had only seen photos in my Princess Tina Ballet Annuals of lovely studios at White Lodge and imagined every dancing school was going to look like that. What a shock I got. Mind you,I was only nine ! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I also agree the teacher is the most important componant!! As long as the chairs don't move about and are at the right height I'm sure it's fine. In some studios where there is a barre but it's fixed to the wall these are not always good because there is no height adjustment and one doesn't want to be either lifting the shoulder up or leaning down slightly in order to hold on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara in NZ Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Reminds me of the first dancing school I went to in Stretford, Manchester. A hall with a chair to lean on. Up until that point I had only seen photos in my Princess Tina Ballet Annuals of lovely studios at White Lodge and imagined every dancing school was going to look like that. What a shock I got. Mind you,I was only nine ! Oh Lisa, we must be similar 'vintage'. I'd forgotten completely about 'Princess Tina' until I read your post! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Reminds me of the first dancing school I went to in Stretford, Manchester. A hall with a chair to lean on. Up until that point I had only seen photos in my Princess Tina Ballet Annuals of lovely studios at White Lodge and imagined every dancing school was going to look like that. What a shock I got. Mind you,I was only nine ! Ladies - we need to start a Princess Tina appreciation blog! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happymum Posted October 8, 2015 Author Share Posted October 8, 2015 Thank you all for your replies. I guess the teacher is not using the portable barres to save time but If majority thinks it's not that important and chairs are fine as long as the teaching is good I'll stop worrying about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Oh Lisa, we must be similar 'vintage'. I'd forgotten completely about 'Princess Tina' until I read your post! Well i`m definately of the age to be called "vintage". I`ll be 48 next month !! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara in NZ Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Well i`m definately of the age to be called "vintage". I`ll be 48 next month !! I'm 52, but left the UK for NZ when I was 11 (in 1974). So that must mean Princess T kept going for a while. I used to nick my older sister's annuals and she was born in 1960! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 As a starting out ballet teacher I worked in a church hall with chairs, because I had no choice. I hated them. They were problematic to use and they were a real nuisance to take out and to stack them back again and I can tell you that if I would have had portable barres then, I would have used them however much of a hassle it would have been to take them in and out of storage. Simply put chairs are not a proper substitute for a real barre. They are not stable, not usually at the right height and do not give the student enough length to work along. Hands definitely need to adjust in order to remain in just the right position. It might be acceptable for Grade 3, but you are saying that all the higher levels use chairs too!!!! In all the higher grades there are exercises that move along the barre or turn from one side to the next necessistating the adjustment of the hand's placement on the barre. The correct positioning of the hand on the barre is vital for maintaining the correct stance. Whilst I would agree with the others that some amazing teachers may work out of totally unsuitable premises with no barres or mirrors, I have to say that in my opinion that doesn't make it alright and I honestly don't understand a teacher who would rather work with chairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primaballerina1 Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Not really the same as actually at dance but DD used to use a keyboard stand as a barre until we got her a proper portable ballet barre and it was really just as good though a lot smaller and not as strong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Just wanted to add that I still have several of the original Princess Ballet Books from the 1960s and even have my photo in book no 5! I studied Benesh Notation when I was at the RBS with Joan Benesh herself and they took some photos of us interpreting the notation in dance movements and also in the library for use in that year's Princess Ballet Book! You can only see my back, but I know it's me! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 Just a note to say that I have edited the thread title to make the subject clearer, as when I first saw the thread I assumed it was asking whether barre work is important, as opposed to the importance of using an actual barre. :-) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 My dd used to use a stainless steel fruit and veg rack with lockable wheels (for home practice!) . It was sturdy, stable and just the right height when she was 8 . It also had the advantage of containing apples and bananas. Never cared for chairs though as they often wobble about when stacked and its too easy to trip over the chair legs. Re Princess Tina I am left feeling very old indeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dramascientist Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 Just had to Google it! I was born in the 60s in a dancing family and have never heard of these books, I feel cheated! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anon2 Posted October 9, 2015 Share Posted October 9, 2015 I used to go in early on a Saturday morning to help dd teacher set up the barres which where stored in the village hall. It was time consuming and difficult, certainly not a one person job and not something you would want little ones to be helping with either as pieces heavy and awkward. Maybe some of the parents could offer to help set up the barres whilst their children warm up at the beginning of class? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dance*is*life Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 We use portable barres all the time, because, although we have wall barres, our classes are fairly large and we usually need extra barres - especially for the long legged seniors! Our barres are stable and are adjustable to suit all heights, but are actually quite light to handle - one or two students can easily bring them into the centre or return them to the sides of the studio. Portable barres don't have to be cumbersome! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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