Silver Swans classes - dance teachers please read this!

[taxi4ballet]

I've wanted to take up dance for a while and have been waiting for a local school to start offering these classes. This term there are now three dance schools within a reasonable travelling distance which are offering RAD Silver Swans classes, but I can't go to any of them. They are all held during the day, and I am at work. The syllabus is specifically designed for the over 55's, but I can't retire for a long time yet, and many of us will have to work until we are 66 or 67, so many of us are missing out on this opportunity,

 

So really this is a plea from myself (and no doubt others aged 55+) who would love to join in. If you and other schools nearby already have, or are adding, Silver Swans to your school timetable, please would you come together with other teachers in your area and arrange for one class to be held during the evening so that those of us who are not yet retired can get a look-in.

 

Thank you!

[Peanut68]

Really good point! Many ‘Adult Clases’ in many areas of exercise do seem to be daytime only & actually if you look st the female participants there are perhaps 2 main categories represented predominantly; young mums & retired ladies spanning a few decades. 

I reckon your suggestion will add much needed revenue to any teacher wise enough to open up evening classes!! 

[Kate_N]

Yes, yes, yes!  Excellent point @taxi4ballet I'll be working till I'm 68 I think, on current calculations.

 

I'm lucky - my local studio offers adult dance classes mostly in the evenings, although not Silver Swans. However, I'm not that bothered about Silver Swans - no offence to anyone taking or teaching that programme, but I'd rather do a straightforward ballet class, and adjust for myself whatever my ageing body can't manage - although luckily, I have no age-related impingements. Whether that will be the case in a decade when I'm 70, I don't know! 🤣 And I'm also lucky in that my local in-person teacher runs a very good Absolute Beginners ballet class, so any adult can join and learn. It's a very open ethos at the studio (although I wish there were more advanced classes, but hey ho, we can't have everything). 

[taxi4ballet]

I do have impingements, both age-related and physique-related as well!

 

I've started an 'adult beginners' class, but the teacher changes things every week and we never seem to do the same exercise twice and I never get to the point where I can remember anything. I don't know, but I find it really difficult to do something different every time and I don't think I'm making any progress, so maybe a syllabus class might suit me better really. Which is why I started looking for the Silver Swans classes.

[Kate_N]

Ahh yes, I see. That makes a lot of sense @taxi4ballet I think you're right, that there's a dearth of regular, progressive syllabus-style classes for adult beginners. If you could cope with Zoom, I'd recommend Hannah Frost's beginners classes at Pineapple (which has a great Zoom set up) - she does the same exercises over several weeks, so you can learn the choreography. She does a very good absolute beginners class, I think, and is really welcoming to complete beginners. You can find her on Instagram. I love her classes - she's demanding but funny and sympathetic.

[Peanut68]

I’m not sure if there actually is a set syllabus for Silver Swans or not? Maybe a teacher of it can enlighten me! Thanks in advance....

Edited September 24, 2021 by Peanut68
Typo

[taxi4ballet]

Our house configuration is not conducive to zoom dance classes unfortunately.

[Kate_N]

Oh that's a real pity. They were a lifeline for me, and also, you can struggle through stuff that is challenging without the feeling that everyone's watching you (I mean, I know that in a studio class no-one is looking at me, because they're focusing on their own stuff, but still ...)

[NJH]

On 23/09/2021 at 17:27, Kate_N said:

Ahh yes, I see. That makes a lot of sense @taxi4ballet I think you're right, that there's a dearth of regular, progressive syllabus-style classes for adult beginners. If you could cope with Zoom, I'd recommend Hannah Frost's beginners classes at Pineapple (which has a great Zoom set up) - she does the same exercises over several weeks, so you can learn the choreography. She does a very good absolute beginners class, I think, and is really welcoming to complete beginners. You can find her on Instagram. I love her classes - she's demanding but funny and sympathetic.

Hannah Frost is  wonderful   - not quite on my 'fairy godmother list'  but only  because I don;t get to take class with her  that often   compared to 2 of the other names on that list