Harwel Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 7 hours ago, mnemo said: I think though that we blame ourselves too much as parents and ultimately we have to let our children go. Still I sometimes wish that ballet had never been invented. Too true! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cara in NZ Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 Ha, every time I talk to someone not in the dance world and explain that DD has 'cut back' from nine ballet/Pilates classes a week to five, I see a strange look on their face. I think it's incredulity (I do remember that older daughter didn't dance and at 14 just had one hockey practice a week and one game). We can get quite blinkered about just how demanding ballet is, even for our DC who don't want a dance career but still want to dance well. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 7 hours ago, Cara in NZ said: Ha, every time I talk to someone not in the dance world and explain that DD has 'cut back' from nine ballet/Pilates classes a week to five, I see a strange look on their face. I think it's incredulity (I do remember that older daughter didn't dance and at 14 just had one hockey practice a week and one game). We can get quite blinkered about just how demanding ballet is, even for our DC who don't want a dance career but still want to dance well. not really ( and there's a risk that might turn a bit ' four yorkshire ballerinas sketch' ) in my teens i sailed small boats ... this meant in a typical spring / summer / autumn week that i'd sail 2 evenings one racing at the club, one with school either general sailing or teaching and at least one full day at the weekend ... plus a week's 'summer school' organised by the regional RYA and a week;s racing as thefamily holiday , plus any full weekend events, plus 'winter training' ( a series of weekends organised by regional / national RYA teams looking towards national youth squad selection ... on top of that i rode 4 -5 miles a day on my bike ( paperround ) - sometimes double that in the holidays as we'd cover for each other either doing a second morning round or covering for your evening round opposite number - when the UK still had daily local papers produced in the afternoon ... and walked a mile and half each way to / from school, and for a good chunk of Y10 swiiming for two full lunchtimes a wekk doing lifeguard training ... even this was towards the lower end of what the serious people were doing - the real hot shots woud be on the water all weekend every weekend and have planned gym rountines on top of their walking / cycling / running to get around the place 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 Python really should have done a 'four Yorkshire ballerinas' sketch. The challenge, is that their humour relied on exaggeration to the point of absurdity and given what some dancers do to themselves in the name of improving flexibility or whatever not sure that is possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 Taking the thread firmly back on track for my daughter it all began at the Stagecoach drama class her dad ran. She loved drama, singing & dancing & became quite obsessed. At first we were reluctant to let her take on any more. She moved from 90 mins to a 3 hour class aged 6 but we knew that ballet would help her if she wanted to develop her love of musical theatre. So aged 7 we took her to a local ballet school for the reasons it was within walking distance of her school, it had a class in the week so it didn't clash with drama & dh knew one of the teachers. A year later we were persuaded to add tap & modern. Or rather I went to watch a taster class to decide which she should do & dh over-ruled me & said she could do both. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 It all began for me because my mum wanted to have ballet lessons when she was a child but never did - so she made sure I went instead. Not that I was interested, but I was made to go anyway. I never took to it really - too tall, flat feet and no turnout whatsoever didn't help - but having googled my old teacher's name recently, it appears that at least I was in good hands Can't remember all that much about it other than my leotard was black with too-short sleeves and I was always cold... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Several posts in this thread have been hidden for contravening our Acceptable Use Policy. Details of the policy can be found here. Responses to said posts have also been hidden in order to preserve the flow of the thread and keep it on topic. Many thanks, Anna C on behalf of the Balletcoforum Moderators 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebird22 Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 My parents sent me age 3 because I was painfully shy and didn’t speak to people. I can’t remember the age I actually started enjoying it, but I adored one of my teachers and worked incredibly hard to impress her, but I was for much of my childhood not particularly good (my report sheets are hilarious). My mum was told by a proper dance mum that I would never amount to anything as my long legs got in the way, which is still my fondest dance memory given the current trend for leggy dancers and the fact I amounted to a whole 5ft2! Age 11/12 I was offered a ballet scholarship much to everyone’s surprise. Then I started teaching and everything just clicked! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullContretemps Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 (edited) Only just discovered this thread and have loved hearing everyone's stories! I was the opposite of most kids: wouldn't have dreamt of going anywhere near a ballet class when I was little, although I was very in love with gymnastics throughout primary school, and not bad at it (having begged to follow my big sister there! A common theme!). My big sister was a complete book-a-holic and went through the "ballet books" phase in her teens. She was adamant that she was to old to start, but at 12 I might just be young enough (if I had had the right facility for ballet. Ha ha ha!). She must have been very persuasive to enthuse me so strongly that I actually phoned the local school to enquire (my Mum said I could try it on the condition that I rang myself, which she obviously thought I wouldn't do!)! Never looked back, learned to tolerate ribbons when I started pointe (I have a real sensory issue with ribbons, lace and buttons!!), somehow managed to wangle more of my parents' pennies on extra-curricular activities than both my elder sisters put together to have an extra lesson a week (on top of music lessons, which were my "official" "thing")! Then as soon as I had a Saturday job/student loan/actual wage you can guess where my own pennies went. And still go... All thanks to my older sister's wisdom edited for typo Edited January 24, 2018 by FullContretemps 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzyballetmum Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 My own dance journey started way back aged three in Beckenham when I was forced by my mother to go for walking pigeon toed and being generally hyper active . I thought you had to be very serious /sullen and never once smiled , I remember skipping around the room and thinking I was doing it right if my cheeks flopped so I was serious enough. After my Dad died my mum decided to move north , I was starting a new school and was so happy to be leaving those dreaded ballet lessons behind , only when I got to my new very small school I was told by ( what turned out to be the class bully ) that all of the girls there did ballet on a Wednesday eve, when I said I hated ballet I was told no one would be my friend if I didn't come. So the next Wednesday off I went to the local church hall . I was very behind but started to enjoy the classes. Not long after I took my first ballet exam , the moment I walked in something just clicked and I performed . My examiner was the fabulous Susan Robinson and I was overjoyed when I got the results . I was also told by the same girl that if I didn't give up no one would be my friend . I was going nowhere ! This was the start of my ballet teacher really building me up and for the first time I felt like I was good at something . I was still going just once a week when aged 13 my mum signed me up for summer school at ybss . I was in for the shock of my life , they accidentally put me in a higher group and I found myself on the barre next to the most exquisite dancer called Clair Thomas ( some of you may remember her ) she was phenomenal. All week I struggled to keep up but just loved it . That September I started at a more serious dance school and after being there a week I was lucky enough to be cast in EYB's nutcracker .At 16 I went to full time ballet school. This was a difficult journey for me I had a lot of physical facility but my brain didn't always engage . I remember the principle saying " I've bought a race horse and come away with a donkey " I was relentlessly picked on in the first year , the second year I was ignored which in many ways was worse, in my third and final year things picked up and I felt happy . When I arrived at the airport for my first job Susan Robinson (my first examiner ) was randomly stood there , I went over to tell her thank you , I probably wouldn't have been stood there without that very first exam result . Working life was rocky , some great times and some not so great . I saw the world and made great friends but it was cut short with a knee injury . Fast forward a few years and I had my own daughter . I had no intention of her dancing however her dad was in a west end musical at the time and one of the other dancers mother ran a dance school in our sleepy northern village . I was persuaded to send her to baby ballet there.she was painfully shy so I thought it might help . When it was time for her first exam she was still wanting to stand at the back at look at the floor . In she went and I sat outside with my stomach churning . The teacher was peeping in and said " you just have to come and see this " I couldn't believe my eyes there she was performing her heart out . When the results were out she had scored 97% it was the start of her own journey . She initially preferred the musical theatre side but after becoming a JA age 8 it was all mostly about ballet , she turned down a west end role to focus more on the classical side . We were not thinking of vocational school too seriously until she did both the white lodge summer school and ybss at the end of year 5. She was so desperate to go there that year 6 was a stressful time . Fast forward to year 8 and she is just so happy to be there. I know there's no guarantees with dancing but for now she is just cherishing every moment . Sitting at the ROH watching her perform in the Nutcracker this Christmas I could just feel my heart bursting with pride for her . All the years, of given up weekends summer holidays and well "normal" life in general seemed to finally in that moment feel very worth it. I have loved reading all your journeys on here . Hope mine wasn't too long winded . 28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 No, indeed it wasn’t! It was lovely. Good luck to your dd! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletmum55 Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 Your story made me cry dizzyballetmum 💞 thanks so much for sharing. Your dd is certainly one to watch, I have no doubt she has a wonderful career ahead of her, as she is simply beautiful, and she couldn’t have done it without you xxx 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzyballetmum Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 46 minutes ago, Balletmum55 said: Your story made me cry dizzyballetmum 💞 thanks so much for sharing. Your dd is certainly one to watch, I have no doubt she has a wonderful career ahead of her, as she is simply beautiful, and she couldn’t have done it without you xxx Aww thank you , as is your lovely little dancer and so lovely that through dance our daughters got to be friends . Xxxxx 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletmum55 Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 4 hours ago, Dizzyballetmum said: Aww thank you , as is your lovely little dancer and so lovely that through dance our daughters got to be friends . Xxxxx Ahh thank you too, and you’re so right - a shared love of dance is fabulous for that xxxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viv Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 (edited) My first attempt at ballet was when I was 5, my cousin was going so of course I got sent along too. About the only thing I can remember is that it was in the rec hall of the tennis club and I was bored to tears most of the time. When my cousin quit I struggled on for a bit longer but actually quite agreed with @Cara in NZ's mother - ballet was just a lot of hopping about! Throughout high school I was involved in drama, choir and theatre work, both onstage and backstage. When I was 15 I remember being involved in musical theatre as part of the singing chorus, and they tried to make us join in with the dancers...it was a disaster! But I watched the 'proper' dancers and I have never been more jealous in my life. I wanted to do what they could do (I still wish I could do what they could do) but I thought that it was one of those things, if you don't start it as a child then you've missed your shot. I gave up the idea of dancing. When I was 19 I got diagnosed with a neuromuscular condition, where my brain sends the wrong signals to my muscles and vice versa. I was in a lot of pain, and quite spastic for a while because my muscles simply would not do what I was telling them to do! The medication I was on was awful and I was looking for anything I could do to improve my quality of life. I came across a scientific journal that had experimented with 'dance therapy' for older people with my condition and had reported good results. There was no 'dance therapy' in my city, but there were adult ballet classes. After about a year of umming and ahhing, I finally forced my sister to go with me to a class. From the very first lesson, I was hooked. My pain decreased, my coordination increased, and I have dropped my medications from 10 pills a day to a mere 3! My sister quit after the first 6 week term, but I'm still dancing 4 years later. 2 years ago I moved from doing 1 class a week at my 18+ studio because I found I wasn't getting pushed. There would always be people coming into the class who had danced seriously as children, quit for a few years before coming back, and they were always so gorgeous to watch. I realised that if I wanted to look like they did, I had to do what they'd done. I found a syllabus class at a local studio for children and started dancing with the 12 year olds in Grade 5 twice a week. As of now, I am doing Grade 7, Intermediate and Advanced Foundation, culminating in 8 hours ballet a week. I picked up tap last year and bought my first pair of jazz shoes today! It's definitely gone far past what I intended as a physical therapy class, and sometimes it can be incredibly difficult to dance with a disability, especially in the vocational grades, but I never want to give it up. I love the girls I dance with, even if I find myself giggling at some of the things they talk about - you couldn't pay me to be 14 again! Edited January 28, 2018 by Viv 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maria18 Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 I always loved to dance as a young child so I suppose it started there. Have also tried Jazz classes in the past. I did stop for a while but with a little bit more time on my hands will hopefully get back to doing some classes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoglett Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 . All the years, of given up weekends summer holidays and well "normal" life in general seemed to finally in that moment feel very worth it. After various emails and rejected dates for my mother's 65th birthday celebrations I'm glad we're not the only ones! My own DD asked to do ballet when she was just about 4. Who knew where it would take us? Never guessed that she would now be wanting to become a serious dancer. Fills me with fear for the inevitable rejections and disappointment ahead. When I see her on stage though she looks so happy, so beautiful and so graceful that it's all worth it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TYR Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 On 1/22/2018 at 12:32, mnemo said: Python really should have done a 'four Yorkshire ballerinas' sketch. The challenge, is that their humour relied on exaggeration to the point of absurdity and given what some dancers do to themselves in the name of improving flexibility or whatever not sure that is possible. We recently had a new Yorkshire ballerina in class. "Is t'other turn that way or t'other?" "...." "THAT WAY OR T'OTHER?" "..." "IS'T PIROUETTE EN DEHORS OUT OF SECOND OR OUT OF BLOODY FOURTH?!" As a Yorkshireman I was made up. Even I struggle to be that blunt, especially with ballet teachers. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullContretemps Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 Ha ha ha! Up with Yorkshire ballerinas! Although the accents over my side aren't quite as good. Bit diluted with posh southerners I think (of which I am definitely not one... well not posh anyway! Think I've been here long enough and enough Yorkshire blood in me to count. Still working on the accent but the bluntness I have down ) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletbean Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 (edited) Well if I ever had any doubts (when paying for more pointe shoes and leotards) about why we are all so passionate about dancing this morning just proved my point. My darling non DS is passionate about indoor air pistol/rifle shooting and so as a supportive mum I got up at silly O'Clock this morning to take him to his first outdoor shooting range. Grrrrrrrr piled on the layers plus heavy duty boots treked out to the range in an isolated location to the north. In driving rain and deep mud (yup my car got stuck, spinning wheels and mud everywhere), we made it. Stood around for an hour or so talking all things firearms, which means nothing to me! One son totally foscued. Then we left. Frozen and soaked through. Give me some old studio with steamed up windows any day or even better a beautiful theatre with plush seats and a live orchestra. Edited February 3, 2018 by balletbean 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie2018 Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 My elder sister went so I used to watch her, and could not wait to try dance for myself. I think every child should get a chance to choose if they want to to do it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Hello debbie2018 and welcome to the Forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mariska Posted February 5, 2018 Share Posted February 5, 2018 Our DS started at the age of 3, wanting to follow what his 2.5 year older sister did. At the same time he was also in a talent football team. At the age of 7 he asked to quit football and focus on ballet (as well as modern) only, increasing his number of hours from two to seven a week. At the age of 8 he told us he wants to go to vocational school (his ballet teacher gave him an article from the Guardian about twin boys having been accepted at the RBS. We didn’t even know such schools existed. Then, age 9, he auditioned for the State Ballet School of Berlin (we live in Germany) and was offered a place. Off he went straight after the Christmas holidays as a boarder, now four years ago and still loving every minute of it. Was on Stage with the Berlin State Ballet as Fritz in the Nutcracker and many other performances. For us it was hard to have our youngest 600 km away from us, but seeing his joy, made and still makes everything worthwhile. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthE Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 You make it sound so easy, Mariska, though I'm sure he works incredibly hard! Sounds like it was just the way he was always meant to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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