Going Back to ballet continued...

[Michelle_Richer]

Only two sessions this week, BRB ( two scenes from Aladin) which was quite fun and my show class at the Angles Theatre, at least now I think I have everything of the show sequences documented, I’ve a few omission and corrections to type up, then I think I have something I can practice all the way through off site, at least I can get that polished as I need to put it to bed other than group class rehearsals.and start to concentrate on Swan Lake Act II, the corp de ballet scenes.

 

JSC: I note your link and I now have some serious thinking to do, as I think I can just squeeeeze in the Pirouette Workshop, and the Grand Allegro Workshop. I see these are held at ISTD2, my Swan Lake workshop teacher as part of City Academy also operates from there.

[Michelle_Richer]

JCS: I have just booked the Pirouette Workshop in July.

[lartiste]

Hi Miss L!

 

Second all of the recommendations so far there's also:

 

London Russian Ballet School which I can't recommend highly enough one of my favourite places to take ballet when in London www.lr-bs.com

 

Central School of Ballet

 

http://www.centralschoolofballet.co.uk/aeccourseoutline.php

 

The Place

http://www.theplace.org.uk/17438/weekly-timetable/summer-term-timetable-2013.html

http://www.theplace.org.uk/?lid=17646&bid=197

 

I've just wrapped a 5 day workshop with ENB - also a BRB Insight day on Tuesday - and I now have a renewed respect for professional dancers! By tomorrow after taking class in London I will have spent 27 hours in the studio this week!

[Michelle_Richer]

Awful news tonight, had a phone call from my Monday ballet teacher, the dance school is now closed, bankrupt, her and her colleges are now finished, they were told Saturday. I feel really sad for what has happened to them, and sad at loosing both teacher and really good friend.

[Fiz]

That's dreadful, Michelle! I am so sorry;(

[Michelle_Richer]

Thanks you Fiz, I’ve been very emotional this morning over it, far more than I have ever been over Salsa, and that I’ve done for years. Did my body balance class that helped a bit.

 

I did find an alternative in Peterborough which I have never been to before, I dropped them an email but no response, I tried to phone them but no answer, however the classes do not start until 4pm, so they may not be anyone there. They seem to do lots of classes for youngster throughout the week including Saturdays, so I hope they are ok. At least until my other friends have had a chance to re-establish a new school of there own.

[Michelle_Richer]

The Peterborough school doent start back until the 19th Grrrrr

[Fiz]

Class last night was fantastic and I am still high from it We have someone new who has never done ballet before although she has done another form of dance. She was good and so nice. She was just as excited as I was and will definitely be back. I am so glad it is no longer just me and the older woman

[Fiz]

Someone on Twitter said she thought I'd been doing ballet again for a year so I checked. It's a year today, so Happy Ballet Anniversary to me

[Michelle_Richer]

Hi Fiz

I gad your back at class now and Happy Ballet Anniversary too.

 

I did my local morning class this morning, only three of us again; I think I am the only one that is always there. Nicky our teacher has changed and combined some of out barre routines. Some new stuff in the centre too but nothing very taxing.

 

We had and additional piece added to our show dance last night at the Angles Theatre, a bit of a brain teaser until we build the muscle memory, but that’s just rehearsal after rehearsal now and no barre or centre practice anymore, it’s all for real.

 

Tuesdays is a new one for me with ENB level 1 Grrrr, but it’s the only way I could get into the system. There classes are a highly subscribed, as I want to do levels 2 and 3 in parallel. It was a fun class especially as it was only week 2 of absolute beginners, had to keep biting my lip a bit though, it was extremely difficult not to ask too many question as it would undoubtedly look as if I was making a nuisance of myself. In any case I had a nice chat to both the level1 and level 3 teachers in there rest area (kitchen) before classes started and before I actually knew they were teachers. It least they now know my level, background and enthusiasm. At least existing students get prior notice of classes for next term before they are made available to the general public. I hope I can at least get one, if not both of those next time.

 

The previous Tuesdays traveling experience to BRB has resulted in a bit of a damper, I receive a Police notice this morning for “Time into red light 1.1 Seconds” whilst I was travelling through Leicester ( not a route that I am familiar with). So looks like £60 fine and 3 penalty points Grrrrr.

 

 

Monday was a bit of a sad day since the unexpected closure of my Lincoln class. The Peterborough one turn out to be a bit odd, that they were taking no more adult students, however on the bright side I have found an afternoon Intermediate / advanced ballet class at Stamford, I start there next Monday, fantastic  . I also came across one at Grantham for Saturdays, they do two shows a year, but I am not sure if that include dancers from the adult class, never the less that is really on my radar now, however they have not responded to my email, so I think I will go along this Saturday anyway.

 

 

So its Kings Lynn tonight for Ballet, seems ages now since I was last there.

Edited April 18, 2013 by Michelle_Richer

[Fiz]

I am sorry about the speeding fine but I hope the Stamford class makes up for it, Michelle.

[LinMM]

Although London is a way to go there are some good classes around. I returned to ballet two years ago after 22 yr gap!! And have slowly added more classes so am hooked again. I have just retired so am usually the oldest in the classes but its great that there are adult classes anyway. When in London I stay in Islington so go to Central : David Kierce is great teacher and fun great for adults and does beginners plus on Monday eve and the same on Sunday plus a more advanced level class. There are lots of ther teachers there too just dependng what level youre at but of course London being London if it says General that means anywhere from intermediate to Royal Ballet dancers in class!! I've tried London Russian too in Clapham...some good beginners plus classes there on several nghts and mornings if you can get there but once you go more advanced, students will be younger and atmosphere somewhat rarefied for adults!! I did Franziskas workshop in February and have signed up for her may 18th one too her Sunday afternoon class at Danceworks I make only occasionally but again very good and she does a more advanced one following on. I was also lucky enough to do Chelsea Ballet Masterclass this last Tuesday at the Place (was in Chelsea Ballet years ago) and cannot recommend this class highly enough...teacher Richard Ramsey(ex Royal) but its only once a month. I actually live in Brighton where I do classes linked to the BBO at the Brighton Ballet school run by Sonya Pettigrew. if you want you can go through all the grades and take exams as an adult there. I do grade 6 and 7 there but am not keen on doing exams and there is no pressure to do so. There is also a Russian style class (I do love the use of the upper body more) run by Judy Breen at Patcham school on Wednesday Eve's. Also a very good value for money class on saturdays 12-1.30 with the Ballet Collective in Portslade only £6 for one and half hours....although in middle of industrial estate brilliant studio huge with great sprung floor! Class is intermediate/advanced level but varied, very well run and prepared by a group of women who take turns to take class. For the lady who lives in Lincoln I know there are some good classes in Cambridge though have never tried them. Can look up my info. Hope some of this useful anyway

[LinMM]

Forgot to say Brighton Ballet School is running a summer school this summer over two weeks end of July beg of August info will be on their website.

[LinMM]

Seem to be forgetful today! Also another venue in North London for classes just down the road from Sadlers Wells and not far from Central School either is the Urdang Academy in Rosebery Avenue. They also run classes for Adults and again info from their website. I haven't actually tried any classes there but someone I know recommended Raymond Chai classes. There should be a class there to suit beginners plus/ ballet returners, intermediate and advanced etc. Also thanks for info about the City Academy Michelle which I didn't know about and is very close to where I stay when in London.....the Swan Lake workshop sounds great but before I apply want to check whether this is for any age or just for younger vocational students.

[Fiz]

Lin, what about classes for adults in Cambridge? There were hardly any some years ago when I was looking for them. The level I am doing at the moment is about Grade 6/Intermediate, I was told.

[lartiste]

That's terrible Michelle I'm so sorry to hear that your dance school has closed   It's always more challenging to discover adult classes outside of London, not only in there being enough adult interest to make the running of a class viable but also many adults find it  diffiicult to commit week on week to regular attendance due to outside commitments. I hope you find a new class to attend soon.

 

The ENB classes are great fun I've only ever attended the summer taster sessions in 2010 and I think 2012 but those were excellent. In 2010 we learned repetoire from Swan Lake, Giselle and as ENB were performing Romeo and Juliet that year the Nureyev choreography for Dance of the Knights which is still surprisingly embedded in my brain!

 

I am fortunate that there is so much adult ballet provision where I live however as the classes tend to be pitched at more of an intermediate/advanced level from the very beginning I have had to take classes way outside of my comfort zone in order to take enough classes to improve. On occasion I have sneaked in to the professional classes, it's not something I've ever dared do in London but I seem to get away with it locally, which tend to be smaller although not as easy to appear inconspicuous in- I do barre and then run away before centre work kicks off because that's generally when it starts to get scary!.One of the things I like about the packed classes in London is it is easier to hide at the back   Also with the cuts to the arts budget some of my weekly classes have been cut which does not best please me. I ponder why £11.6m has been cut from the arts budget, a whole year investing in the futures of many, when this week apparently we can quite easily afford to expend £10m on an hour or so of bread and circuses. Priorities boggle the mind. 

 

Congratulations on your one year anniversary Fiz!

 

Welcome to the forum LinMM! My very first ballet teacher taught the BBO syllabus and her classes were a most enjoyable introduction to ballet. The City Academy workshop is aimed at adults and is mixed level, the 3 hour workshop a few weeks ago was an amazing experience so I would thoroughly recommend it

 

Today was the first day of term at my main ballet school, Thursday is my busiest ballet day I normally take 3 classes back to back which works out at around 4 hours - and will be closer to 5 if we manage to negotiate for our choreography/pointe class too. However when I was around 500yds from the studio today a bird decided to drop a present in to my hair which wasn't brilliant. I have therefore had to spend the evening washing my hair when I would far rather have been in class, especially as I am losing my 180 degrees of turnout that I worked hard for last week which is decreasing by the second as I am unable to spend as much time in class. I really could have done without missing all of the class today I'm going to look like a badly turned out duck by the weekend.

 

If I remember correctly Susan Zalcman who teaches at Pineapple on a Thursday and Saturday also teaches at the Urdang Academy, her class are a good introduction for beginners. On the topic of Pineapple Denzel Bailey's classes are fun - I took a summer intensive at The Place while he was teaching there and I thought he was hilarious - and whenever I am in London I always try to take one of Ian Knowles 3pm classes, there's a great cohort of regulars who attend every class. Maggie Peterson's classes on a Sunday are also a great end to the weekend and throughout the summer all of the other teachers who cover for her classes tend to be very good. I generally don't dare to take higher than an elemetary/intermediate class in London because the levels are completely different and pitched higher, I once accidentally booked myself in to an open class at London Russian Ballet School which is more like a professional class and by the end I was like woah you have blown my mind, let's not do this again I think I am broken now! It was an eye opener in a good way but only if you actually have solid technique, of which I am not in possession - excellent for people who are up for a challenge though! Brigitte's classes on a Sunday at LRBS are also not to be missed!

[LinMM]

Cambridge classes for Fiz to consider. As I like Russian style on the whole the main one I found out about and was interested in was The Russian Ballet School run by Karen Stringer 01223-473402.......www.therussianballetschool.co.uk Ive never been to any classes in Cambridge though as I go there every few months to visit friends....I keep threatening to....I think they think Ive gone dotty in my retirement with all this ballet!! However here are a couple of others who do classes for adults and a range of levels ......always difficult for adult returners as only doing a very beginners class is not satisfying enough once a bit of strength and knowledge of being able to put at least some steps together starts coming back!! There is Dedikated ballet school: 01223 292562. Also www.coloursofdance.com which also does some ballet classes. The other one that looks quite interesting is the Cambidge University Ballet Club which have a website if you google them. There's always more going on than one imagines as I found out in Brighton.....there are more classes there than I have already mentioned including Cechetti and RAD but usually only one class a week for adults which is why the Brighton Ballet School is good because there are so many classes. lartiste yes I usually find Russian classes seem to,be a level up than usual. But am so lucky to have Judy in Brighton as her classes are challenging but dancey. I survived one of more advanced LRBS classes but that's one good thing about getting older one does tend to not worry so much about what others may think and just have a good old go at it but nevertheless a bit daunting when everyone has their legs round ears and you're lucky if its just above 45!!

[Fiz]

Thank you very much, Lin. I have only two adult classes where I am and they are back to back, which my teacher doesn't advice at present, so Cambridge might offer me more choice.

[LinMM]

There is also a teacher who belongs to Judy's Russian organisation(there are so many different ones) who teaches in Cambridge area but just outside I will look her up again as its a year since I originally researched all this. She sounded very nice too. For Fiz

[LinMM]

April Burgess Martin is the teacher who belongs to ARBTA (Association of Russian Ballet and Theatre Arts) in the Cambridge area. My Russian teacher in Brighton belongs to this association. Not sure whereabout she teaches in Cambridge but you can email her if you look up,this association and go to members page. I don't know exactly where you are but there are quite a few in Hertfordshire and one in Dartford too.

[Michelle_Richer]

Wow girls, I’m impressed with the wealth of information on adult ballet classes you have brought to this thread today.

 

Firstly I’m just back from my King Lynn class tonight and I felt awfully guilty when I handed my lovely teacher five pounds, as I was the only one that had turned up. I keep telling them, if they know in advance ten I can switch to Peterborough as I timeshare between the two classes. Both schools know the weeks that I attend them, that’s only fair.

 

Bad news about the Swan Lake 4 day Summer School, its now reduced to a two day workshop on the 3rd and 4th of August, at £180, that’s immediately after LAB SI, I will be going but I have not booked it yet, only see it today on the City Academy website but I have already exchanged emails with Ross there.

 

LinMM: I note your comments about Cambridge classes, that around 50miles or so from me. I’m already approaching a £100 a week on fuel, so I’m reluctant to travel any further. Lincoln was my longest journey as it was 40miles away. My new classes at Stamford will be 30+ and Grantham I’m not sure about that will be around 40 again. In any case Grantham will take me up to 10 Ballet classes a week and 4 related fitness classes. Apart from all that I do have my own gym at home and dance studio with sprung floor, mirrors, barres and audio/video system, but it is quite small. It’s OK for about 3 travelling turns then you run out of space and definitely not big enough to accommodate the walk at the beginning of “Entrance of the Swans” in Swan Lake Act2.

 

As for London, yes there is an abundance of classes and I am travelling there at least one day a week, for the moment that’s Tuesdays, with a local class first then after the rail journey Pineapple at 3pm, then practice at Pineapple after class (if un-booked studio available), and finally ENB at 8:20pm, which gets me home just after 1AM.

My treat was the last Wednesday of the month doing both classes at ROH, but I have missed the last two as I am in the tick of rehearsals with the Angles Theatre on the same day. I will also take in Pineapple at 3pm if I do ROH.

 

I too am going to do some of Franziskas workshops, Ive already booked the pirouette one in June and I think I will do the other worshop later in the year.

 

I have often wondered about the Chelsea Ballet Master Classes but I don’t think I can Squeeeeze them in, even though I am in London on a Tuesday. I know Louise had a mone the month before as only seven dancers turned up for it.

 

Edited April 19, 2013 by Michelle_Richer

[LinMM]

Hi yes I think that particular Tuesday the weather was really bad it certainly was here in Brighton and I had to miss my own class!! I went to the class this last Tuesday and there were 16-20 people there (didn't count). The next one is May 28th (which I can't do)and then I think the 18th June. It is rather late though 8-9.30 which is fine if you live or can stay in London but would be a trek if you had a 40 or 50 mile..or more drive..I probably wouldn't do that myself. I emailed the city academy yesterday and they have already replied this morning that the course is not aimed at vocational students so am now thinking of doing though a bit costly for a two day course....I had no idea it had originally been planned for longer than this. Am still building up fitness to do classes and am on 4 a week at mo...just hope I can cope with a summer school or two classes a day...probably not yet!! Though I did manage from 10- 2.30 with Franziska's course which I had been worried about! I have now booked an individual session with her before the next course in May. I do admire your tenacity in finding and attending classes and going that extra mile.....but ballet does tend to get you hooked like that and at my somewhat advanced years(let's just say Ive got the bus pass!) if you don't do pretty regularly you stiffen up very quickly even with the omega 3 et al!!

[LinMM]

I noticed Miss L is looking for classes inEssex area. I don't know how near Harlow you are but there is quite a bit of ballet going on there and they usually do a summer school though haven't checked for this year. The school used tobe connected to the theatre there but this may have changed in recent years but worth checking out if Harlow is not too far away. I believe Michael Branwell who still teaches there also has a class on Thursdays at Central in London about 7 ish I think but have never done that class. He is also one of the teachers on Chelsea Ballet summer school....this year at Pineapple. As is Richard Ramsey who took the Masterclass last Tuesday....he will be taking the more advanced class on the summer course...and I really loved his class on Tuesday...nice and dancey and lovely balance of speedy (always a challenge for me at mo) and slower content gets the best out of you.....but absolutely no histrionics! Anyway hope that is useful.

[Fiz]

It is still connected to Harlow theatre, Lin. I can't make up my mind whether to try Harlow or go to Cambridge. Parking is both places is a nightmare If they would run two adult ballet sessions where I dance at now, I would go there. I don't like driving for an hour before or after class. I am either tired or feel that whatever good the exercise part has done is negated by sitting in the car

[LinMM]

Yes parking is a nightmare here in Brighton as well and I hardly ever go into the centre by car now....luckily there's an excellent bus service which for me is of course now free. A couple of classes I go to are based in schools which is great as you can then use their car park otherwise it's the bus! I know Cambridge well enough to know there are very good park and rides there. I use the one with the big Waitrose in ( name escapes me) and they do also have these guided bus routes which are fantastically fast but I think more to the north of the city. It really would depend on exactly which class you chose and its location but I think one of the park and rides could work for you. My friends know of certain locations to park in and then walk in via the river....this would be great if classes are located pretty centrally and I can ask them to divulge their secret locations!! It's a very long time since Ive been to Harlow as Thelma Litster who ran the Chelsea Ballet for many years(now run by her daughter Louise Hudson) had connections to Harlow via Leo Kersley both of whom have now sadly died. I did a couple of summer courses there in the 1980's! So no doubt parking has seriously deteriorated there since then!! We walked in to the theatre from the Youth Hostel but Harlow does have a good rail service. Hope you manage to find a suitable class anyway.

[Moomin]

Haven't tried these personally as there are nearer options for me but I came across these & though they looked good http://www.dedikated.biz/classinfo.php

 

If you're in the car cherry Hinton is much easier than central Cambridge!

[Fiz]

I can't make the class time there, sadly, but thank you.

[Michelle_Richer]

Checked out my new class at Grantham today. I nearly walked away. Firstly I got no response from my email to them; I went early as I was not sure just where it was on this long road, in spite of trying to find it with google by going down the road on the laptop. When I eventually found it, the building (church hall) looked quite dilapidated with a “for let” board on its wall. My first thoughts was that this ballet school had closed and I was about to go. Then a lady came out of a side door, she looked a bit like a caretaker, so I ask her about the ballet school. Yes it was still there, these were temporary premises as they had to leave there previous school buildings, I think they were sold. She was a really nice lady and she explained a bit of the history of the school, she made quite a point about that it is very much a family affair, its very friendly, there is meeting room where you can get a coffee and have cake, she make the cake and was very proud to tell me she has a hygiene certificate that allows her to do that, and all the teachers are qualified too. All the money they make is ploughed back into the business.

As it was about 9:45AM and the Adult class started at 10:30Am I was invited in to watch the tinies class while I waited, but I declined, it would not be fair on the youngsters. So I went for a walk in the gorgeous sunshine, the best day this year.

 

When I arrived back I found their meeting room, there was another lady there taking the money and keeping the register, but the room was full of mums. This is where I found I did not need to pay for the first session; I must admit I did feel uncomfortable about that. The first lady offered to take me up to the room, for some reason she took me through the tinies class. The room was not well lit, plastic chairs stacked up at one side, no mirrors or barres, and filled with little girls standing, my heart sank, so ill equipped. However once we got up stairs to there main room/studio it was reasonably large, a fixed barre on each of the side walls and a portable in the middle. They even had a couple of mirrors at one end. A was a wood floor with some natural spring but not a proper sprung dance floor, very basic but adequate.

 

The classes cost £4.00, however the first one was free. Our class consisted of about 10 dancers including me; all the girls looked to be in their twenties. The teacher was a similar age.

 

What we did was of a good standard; however it would have been a little better if the teacher had explained the sequences a little more slowly rather than just jumping in, but that is a minor criticism. We did have an unusual Port de Bras exercise which finished in a pirouette, but I think that may have been done for my benefit, as she clocked me doing half a pirouette to turn round to the other side at the barre, while the other girls just walked round.

 

Overall, I like the school and what is stands for, they are really nice people too, but I’m not sure that I will learn a significant amount from them against my other schools, but I will continue to go for a while.

[Fiz]

I didn't care for where I was going for some weeks, Michelle, but boy, have I ever changed my mind and done and leant a lot

[LinMM]

To keep attending a class regularly some things do have to come together for me. I can put up with a poor venue if the teaching is excellent and class at roughly right level and is meant for adults (I count 16+ as adult). For me the journey has to be reasonable as well, as for a large part of the year one is doing it in the dark!! Although I go a long way for classes when I go to London, I am lucky enough tobe able to stay in London and I usually have an additional motive for going up other than just a ballet class. Otherwise that class becomes too costly...though since I have known the wealth of classes up there on offer I do tend to squeeze them in when really doing other things!! Locally though I wouldn't continue with a class no matter how good if travelling time was more than an hour.....it's just the travelling back afterwards in the winter puts me off. I did experiment with this when first started looking for classes.....driving for miles down country lanes to a class in a hut in the middle of a field somewhere...but as I found classes much closer....and am lucky as here in Brighton I eventually found enough that were all good for slightly different reasons....I gave up the far flung ones!! Maybe I would think differently if classes were harder to find though. Much as one loves ballet a balance has to be struck between overall cost,travelling time and quality of the class I feel.

[Michelle_Richer]

Went to my new class today at Stamford, it was fabulous, nice building (ballroom) well equipped, nice teacher and a nice group of dancers, all in their twenties and thirties except for two youngsters in their teens, one was doing work experience , not sure about the other one. I guess there were about 12 to 15 of us. Another lady joined today as well as me, she had done ballet as a child but found the centre sequences too hard so our teacher simplified them for her. I just went with the other girls and loved it.

Stamford has a number of theatres which surprised me as it’s a relatively small town. I ask if they have ever put on a performance, only tap every two years, the last 2012. So I need to get some enthusiasm going amongst the adult ballet class for 2014. I can see I’m going to enjoy this class.

 

Long day tomorrow, with classes in Lincolnshire and London, First class at 10.30AM and last class finishing at 9.35PM. I will have left home about 8.30AM (Hair appointment) and arrive home for beddybies at just after 1.00AM.
 

Edited April 22, 2013 by Michelle_Richer

[LinMM]

Sounds like you've found an ideal class ....always a great feeling when everything comes together like that. Hope you continue to enjoy it.

[Michelle_Richer]

Yes it is a nice class, but I generally learn something new from each of them. Most of all I am looking for the opertunity to perform as a dancer, as they say seek and ye shall find. I keep seeking, its amasing what opertunities there are out there, that just need developing with a little bit of enthusiasm.