Adult Ballet as an Absolute Beginner

[Angela Essex]

Hi Everyone!

Are there any other adult beginners on here? I’ve been going to ballet class once a week since September having never danced before in my life and am really enjoying it. Just wondering how long it takes to get any good? I’ve got better at the barre work my teacher has been doing in class but I’m still embarrassingly bad, especially when it comes to centre practice. I’m much worse than all the other ladies in the class who have returned to ballet having danced as when they were younger and I’m getting fed up of being the worst one. We are doing rad intermediate syllabus. My teacher is trying her best god bless her, she’s really taking time to explain things but there’s so much to remember and I keep mucking it up. I practice with you tube videos a few times a week in between classes but progress seems so slow. Feeling like I need some moral support or maybe just a stern talking to telling me to stop being such a whiny baby and practice more 😂 Sometimes I actually feel bad for being in the class with all these better dancers, but I’m too stubborn to quit, besides I actually love going to the class despite how rubbish I am 😂. I am really trying to improve as I don’t want to let the rest of the ladies in the class and my teacher down but I’m still sooo bad 😂 Has anyone else on here felt similar as an adult absolute beginner? 

[Jan McNulty]

Hello Angela,

 

There are many recreational adult dancers on this forum.  If you click on the adult ballet tag that I have added to the thread it will bring up a number of different threads.

[Angela Essex]

Just now, Jan McNulty said:

Hello Angela,

 

There are many recreational adult dancers on this forum.  If you click on the adult ballet tag that I have added to the thread it will bring up a number of different threads.

Fab thank you Jan 🙏😊

[Tango Dancer]

Hi Angela

 

I'm an adult beginner.  I've been dancing about 3 years and still consider myself a beginner. I've never done ballet before but coming out of the difficult end of a relationship and the fact my doctor wanted me to stretch more, I decided to go to a ballet class. It's completely addictive and I love it. 

 

There are many parts of ballet I struggle with including and not limited to arabesques in releve, fondus in releve and anything where I have to pirouette and the teacher isn't shouting out which foot I'm meant to be on and which way I'm turning.   But I love it.  Centre is definitely hard though. I am often not that good at it.  I do a repertoire class online regularly and I'm aware I'm fairly terrible at it because I can't move my body fast enough to accomplish the steps in the time available.  I enjoy the class though so I keep going with it.       

 

I do wonder if you have the right level of class.  I don't know what level RAD intermediate is but if you've not done ballet before you might want to try a beginner class where they break things down more thoroughly as well.  I do a fairly basic class online one day per week,  a beginner class online another day and then a more challenging in person class (or I did until my teacher went off to perform).  Could you maybe do something easier as well just to drill the basics a bit more and feel more confident?  Maybe do one online sometime?

 

Some days I do feel like I'm the worst one in class but it's not a competition and nobody else notices you as much as you think.  I said to David (one of my ballet teachers (who is also my tango teacher) once that I wished I could move more like Marianela because she's perfect.  He said to me "you are not Marianela and you don't have her body and experience. You be the best you that you can and that is enough.  if you believe you can do it in your head, the body will catch up in time."  If your teacher is any good they'll be pleased with your improvement, especially if they see you taking on corrections. I know that none of my teachers would ever want me to feel I was wasting their time and they all celebrate as the students improve.  They know I'm doing the best I can to learn and that a plump 40 year old body like mine won't manage everything that an experienced dancer's body would.  

 

Ballet does take time to learn.  I learnt the basics of salsa fairly quickly but ballet is a lot slower.  The changes and improvements are incremental.  Over time my passe has improved and got higher and my port de bras now looks quite good.  I did a class on Thursday and the teacher said to lift the leg from underneath in the developpe.  She's said that before but this time I could actually feel the difference in my body when I did it and the results looked really good in my view.  Some things I will never get like e.g. perfect turnout because I didn't learn it as a child and I'm fine with that.  

Edited November 21, 2021 by Tango Dancer

[RuthE]

Hi, I started ballet as a 40-year-old absolute beginner at the start of 2019. I am now taking Improver-level classes, but RAD Intermediate is a bit (if not quite a lot) more advanced than that, and therefore likely to attract people who know what they’re doing from years of childhood study. I honestly wonder if you should look for a more appropriate class - maybe if you mention your location, people might recommend some?

 

And as for your question “Just wondering how long it takes to get any good?”… well where do I start with that? Good is relative. I’m over 40, overweight, poorly coordinated, and not overly flexible. IMO, as an older beginner, unless you’ve got something resembling the ideal ballet physique and aptitude, you don’t aim to be “good”. You simply aim to improve, to be increasingly pleased with what you’re achieving, and to enjoy it while you’re there. I’ve personally found this approach very rewarding.

Edited November 21, 2021 by RuthE

[Angela Essex]

46 minutes ago, Tango Dancer said:

Hi Angela

 

I'm an adult beginner.  I've been dancing about 3 years and still consider myself a beginner. I've never done ballet before but coming out of the difficult end of a relationship and the fact my doctor wanted me to stretch more, I decided to go to a ballet class. It's completely addictive and I love it. 

 

There are many parts of ballet I struggle with including and not limited to arabesques in releve, fondus in releve and anything where I have to pirouette and the teacher isn't shouting out which foot I'm meant to be on and which way I'm turning.   But I love it.  Centre is definitely hard though. I am often not that good at it.  I do a repertoire class online regularly and I'm aware I'm fairly terrible at it because I can't move my body fast enough to accomplish the steps in the time available.  I enjoy the class though so I keep going with it.       

 

I do wonder if you have the right level of class.  I don't know what level RAD intermediate is but if you've not done ballet before you might want to try a beginner class where they break things down more thoroughly as well.  I do a fairly basic class online one day per week,  a beginner class online another day and then a more challenging in person class (or I did until my teacher went off to perform).  Could you maybe do something easier as well just to drill the basics a bit more and feel more confident?  Maybe do one online sometime?

 

Some days I do feel like I'm the worst one in class but it's not a competition and nobody else notices you as much as you think.  I said to David (one of my ballet teachers (who is also my tango teacher) once that I wished I could move more like Marianela because she's perfect.  He said to me "you are not Marianela and you don't have her body and experience. You be the best you that you can and that is enough.  if you believe you can do it in your head, the body will catch up in time."  If your teacher is any good they'll be pleased with your improvement, especially if they see you taking on corrections. I know that none of my teachers would ever want me to feel I was wasting their time and they all celebrate as the students improve.  They know I'm doing the best I can to learn and that a plump 40 year old body like mine won't manage everything that an experienced dancer's body would.  

 

Ballet does take time to learn.  I learnt the basics of salsa fairly quickly but ballet is a lot slower.  The changes and improvements are incremental.  Over time my passe has improved and got higher and my port de bras now looks quite good.  I did a class on Thursday and the teacher said to lift the leg from underneath in the developpe.  She's said that before but this time I could actually feel the difference in my body when I did it and the results looked really good in my view.  Some things I will never get like e.g. perfect turnout because I didn't learn it as a child and I'm fine with that.  

Hello Tango!

 

Thank you for your reply. I can 💯 relate to progress being slow (in my case barely existent as yet 😂). Yes I agree with you -I do think a more basic class would be good to do in addition to the one I already attend. May I please ask what online classes you do? And do you think they would be basic enough for me? There are no other adult beginners classes I can get to in my area (South Essex) - I put a post up asking for adult beginners classes in the area and someone kindly reccomended Chelmsford ballet - I spoke to the artistic director who said she’s starting an adult beginners class soon but it’s not running at the moment yet.
 

PS I love Marianela too - she is awesome. Going to see her in Romeo & Juliet and Swan Lake can’t wait. 

[glowlight]

@Angela Essex - If you are in a Intermediate syllabus class that is way more than a beginners class, so if you are holding your own at all you are doing really well.  You aren't going to build up the necessary strength in a few months (teenagers doing RAD intermediate will probably have 10 years dance training under their belts already), so don't be too hard on yourself.  Use your 'stubbornness' and keep at it, and it will come eventually I'm sure.  It might be worth a chat with your teacher to tell her how you are feeling.

[Tango Dancer]

Sure.  I mean everyone likes different things in their teachers so I can only tell what works for me.  

 

I do a  basic online beginner class with my tango instructor David Benitez from Tango Movement (www.tangomovement.com).  He's a tango teacher but he's also a former ballet dancer in Argentina and has a lovely way with him.  He does a gentle Saturday morning class for tango dancers which I really enjoy.  It's quite easy because it's designed for tango dancers who might not have done ballet before  but it's kind of nice to start the weekend with ballet and you don't have to do tango to enjoy the class.  

 

I do online beginner classes with Bennet Gartside from Everybody Ballet.  There are a couple during the day with another teacher from his school called Leire Ortueta who is also good.  I can't do daytime classes because of work so I usually do Bennet's class on a Thursday evening.  It's a good all round class although I sometimes struggle with the fondu exercises he sets. 

 

I used to do an in person class but my teacher isn't teaching this term which is annoying of him. 

 

I also do occasional repertoire workshops with Laetitia Lo Sardo from Birmingham where I suck fairly majorly but have great fun.  it's easier being terrible at it online because nobody else can see.    

[Angela Essex]

2 minutes ago, glowlight said:

@Angela Essex - If you are in a Intermediate syllabus class that is way more than a beginners class, so if you are holding your own at all you are doing really well.  You aren't going to build up the necessary strength in a few months (teenagers doing RAD intermediate will probably have 10 years dance training under their belts already), so don't be too hard on yourself.  Use your 'stubbornness' and keep at it, and it will come eventually I'm sure.  It might be worth a chat with your teacher to tell her how you are feeling.

Hello Glowlight!

Aww thanks for your reply. Yes the teacher did mention the syllabus was at vocational level, but it’s the only local class there is where I am and it’s an excellent school. My class teacher is super lovely and I think it might hurt her feelings if I said I was feeling a bit out of place. She really tries hard to cater to all the levels in the class. It’s really nice of everyone on here to reply though - helps a lot 😊

 

[Meetmeatthebarre]

I am not a teacher and didn't start as an adult, but I am very familiar with RAD vocational grades, and have met friends with all sorts of different ballet journeys on my return.

 

In my opinion, RAD Intermediate is the very upper level you could place a beginner - it's not ideal, but if circumstances require it, most of it is manageable safely - though some adjustments might need to be made (I am thinking of the double pirouettes, brises and pointe), and expectations managed. And that is: passing the Intermediate exam at an acceptable standard is several hundred study hours - probably two years of 2+ times a week classes - for an adult who is *already at the level of the grade below* - which RAD HQ suggests is 3+ years of recent experience for adults. But I've also seen adults jump into vocational syllabuses very early on in their journey because they fell in love with ballet, were dedicated, and preferred a constant body of work to improve over several years, than progress up classes, and do really well in the end. 

 

Other than a handful of absolute beginner courses, most adult beginner classes I've seen are probably set around Grade 5, though to be clear: this is in terms of steps and vocabulary, not that the participants are dancing at that level. It's just that as adults, we have more experience in our own bodies. Now, kids taking Grade 5 may well also start working on the Intermediate Foundation or Intermediate syllabus if they are serious about dancing - but the advantage they have is that they'll already have several grades of dancing under their belt, so the challenge of vocational syllabuses is incremental, not completely new, as it is to you. 

 

Long story short: the dancers around you probably have years of experience on you, so don't be intimidated. However, if you're happy in the class and the teacher is happy to have you, I don't think there isn't any harm in you staying - so long as you're getting enough attention 

[Angela Essex]

9 minutes ago, Meetmeatthebarre said:

I am not a teacher and didn't start as an adult, but I am very familiar with RAD vocational grades, and have met friends with all sorts of different ballet journeys on my return.

 

In my opinion, RAD Intermediate is the very upper level you could place a beginner - it's not ideal, but if circumstances require it, most of it is manageable safely - though some adjustments might need to be made (I am thinking of the double pirouettes, brises and pointe), and expectations managed. And that is: passing the Intermediate exam at an acceptable standard is several hundred study hours - probably two years of 2+ times a week classes - for an adult who is *already at the level of the grade below* - which RAD HQ suggests is 3+ years of recent experience for adults. But I've also seen adults jump into vocational syllabuses very early on in their journey because they fell in love with ballet, were dedicated, and preferred a constant body of work to improve over several years, than progress up classes, and do really well in the end. 

 

Other than a handful of absolute beginner courses, most adult beginner classes I've seen are probably set around Grade 5, though to be clear: this is in terms of steps and vocabulary, not that the participants are dancing at that level. It's just that as adults, we have more experience in our own bodies. Now, kids taking Grade 5 may well also start working on the Intermediate Foundation or Intermediate syllabus if they are serious about dancing - but the advantage they have is that they'll already have several grades of dancing under their belt, so the challenge of vocational syllabuses is incremental, not completely new, as it is to you. 

 

Long story short: the dancers around you probably have years of experience on you, so don't be intimidated. However, if you're happy in the class and the teacher is happy to have you, I don't think there isn't any harm in you staying - so long as you're getting enough attention 

Thanks heaps for the reply. It’s reassuring to know how much study that level of class involves. The teacher seems happy enough for me to stay I think and regards attention she is certainly keeping an eye on me judging by the no of instructions coming my way 😂. At first it was lots of ‘well done, good work’ etc now it seems to be heaps of corrections and down to the nitty gritty of sorting me out to do the steps properly which is doing me good. 

[NJH]

5 hours ago, Angela Essex said:

Hi Everyone!

Are there any other adult beginners on here? I’ve been going to ballet class once a week since September having never danced before in my life and am really enjoying it. Just wondering how long it takes to get any good? I’ve got better at the barre work my teacher has been doing in class but I’m still embarrassingly bad, especially when it comes to centre practice. I’m much worse than all the other ladies in the class who have returned to ballet having danced as when they were younger and I’m getting fed up of being the worst one. We are doing rad intermediate syllabus. My teacher is trying her best god bless her, she’s really taking time to explain things but there’s so much to remember and I keep mucking it up. I practice with you tube videos a few times a week in between classes but progress seems so slow. Feeling like I need some moral support or maybe just a stern talking to telling me to stop being such a whiny baby and practice more 😂 Sometimes I actually feel bad for being in the class with all these better dancers, but I’m too stubborn to quit, besides I actually love going to the class despite how rubbish I am 😂. I am really trying to improve as I don’t want to let the rest of the ladies in the class and my teacher down but I’m still sooo bad 😂 Has anyone else on here felt similar as an adult absolute beginner? 

RAD Intermediate is not the  class  i'd place an absolute beginner in, the barre work in  Inter is not straightforward - the deceptively simple exercises  are looking for very precise knowledge of the syllabus  and the  centre work  requires a good understanding of  fundamental technique  -  the young people doing Inter as part of their  training are usually 13-15 years old  and have been dancing for up to 10 years  - most of the adult  ab-initio or  returner after giving up as  youngsters I know who have done Inter have been dancing as Adults for 3 - 6  years  - often taking  at least 2 classes a week  

I'm doing RAD intermediate , as one of my  regular classes ( and I  averaged  4-5 hours a week pre lockdowns and i'm back to that  again  now - mainly ballet  but  also  one  class  3/4 weeks out of 6  of quite 'technique' based contemporary  )  -   and started  the  RAD Intermediate work  4 years into my ballet  journey ( albeit  with at least half a year  missed due to  lockdowns)  after covering  most of what is in IF  in  open / free work classes and  beginner pointe -  and still with  quite a few things to 'learn' from the Inter syllabus  ( e,g, double  pirouettes en dedans  - and thanks to lock down relearning doubles en dehors  as i was just aobut getting them  secure  if not pretty prior to lockdown 1)

you will suck in the centre for at least 4 years  different parts the centre  you'll get better at quickly some people pick up  pirouettes quickly  , others adage , others still petit allegro ( my nemesis)  and others still Grand allegro  - give me some big bold   grand allegro and i'm a pig in Muck ... 

If you  feel  that youare coping   in in an RAD intermediate syllabus class you are probably better than you think you are...  

sometimes  it can be really useful to be the  less experienced in  a harder class - certainly soem ofthe best classes i've  had have been in my  regular  'Advanced' class  where i'm definitely in the bottom thrid, or when i've been in london  and taken Intermediate levle classes where the teacher has got  carried away ( yes you Mr Denzil Bailey ) 

Edited November 22, 2021 by NJH

[NJH]

1 hour ago, Angela Essex said:

Thanks heaps for the reply. It’s reassuring to know how much study that level of class involves. The teacher seems happy enough for me to stay I think and regards attention she is certainly keeping an eye on me judging by the no of instructions coming my way 😂. At first it was lots of ‘well done, good work’ etc now it seems to be heaps of corrections and down to the nitty gritty of sorting me out to do the steps properly which is doing me good. 

corrections are a gift from the teacher ...  the  real value is when you have the experience to distill all the corrections you get from different teachers over time  in to being an all round  dancer   rather  than  someone  looking at you at you dance  and  knowing what syllabus  you do  even if it;s a free work class 

in ballet class there is only one thing worse than beign talked about ... NOT being talked about ...

[Peony]

It’s really difficult to improve in a high level class as there won’t be much explanation of fundamentals. I’d definitely look for a beginner class online to supplement, you’re in a good position as there is so much available now, good luck!

[Pups_mum]

Dont forget @Angela Essexthat Intermediate is the level that the RAD require dancers to have passed to be eligible for teacher training - it isn't easy stuff! I'd think that if you can even follow what is going on in a class like that after such a short time you should be proud of yourself.

The other ladies have probably got a lot more experience, and even if they've returned fairly recently,if they danced as children there will be basics embedded in their brains and muscle memory that you unfortunately don't yet.

I went to adult classes for a while when my DD was young and it frustrated me terribly that things she could do easily as an 8 year old were way beyond me. But then she'd remind me that she had 6 years of lessons behind her by then and had learned the concept of turnout not that long after she had mastered walking. I on the other hand...hadn't!

I'd agree with the others that a more basic class would benefit you if at all possible, but you also need to cut yourself a bit of slack. You're giving it a go, no doubt getting fitter, and enjoying yourself. That's all good. Ballet is hard. One of the most wonderful things is the way a good dancer can make it all look so effortĺess, but it never is. A lot of repetitive, not very exciting practice needs to be done before you really get anywhere- a bit like all the hours of scales a pianist has to do I suppose. Be kind to yourself and don't expect too much too soon.

[LinMM]

This is a difficult one! 
That's because you said it was the only class in your area so looks like you haven’t much choice as it’s Intermediate or nothing!! 
At least you seem to be enjoying the class and the teacher sounds encouraging perhaps because she knows there’s nowhere else to go. 
However you said you were fed up being the worst in the class and to be honest this is going to be unavoidable because you are where you are ....a complete beginner! 
Of course you will find the Centre work difficult because this is where you put steps together where the Dance begins. 
In an ideal situation you wouldn’t be in this class as a beginner. 
Is it ballet you are really keen on or are you just wanting to do some movement linked to music? 
If you cannot find any other class nearish to  you to supplement this Intermediate one which is at a more basic level then finding one online may be the answer. 
I can recommend Franziska Rosenzweig’s online beginner and improver level ballet classes which would give you a good foundation. But there are many others. Don’t go for some famous ballet dancers class though as they will be too hard for a beginner unless it says clearly for beginners .... General ballet usually can mean anywhere from Grade 5 to Advanced!! 
Obviously continue with your current class while you are enjoying it but if the other people in this class are already quite a bit more advanced they are only going to go on getting more advanced as the year progresses and you might find this disheartening without some sort of easier back up class. 
Do you live near any largish City? 

[glowlight]

If its RAD Intermediate that you are doing, perhaps it would be worth investing in a syllabus DVD, and watching it over and over to familiarise yourself with the exercises.  You don't even have to dance along with it the whole.  Simply watching the moves helps to embed them in your brain.  

 

https://www.radenterprises.co.uk/collections/vocational-graded-syllabus-dvd/products/intermediate-dvd?variant=40849228529827

[Tango Dancer]

2 hours ago, LinMM said:

 Don’t go for some famous ballet dancers class though as they will be too hard for a beginner unless it says clearly for beginners .... General ballet usually can mean anywhere from Grade 5 to Advanced!! 

.   

 

Definitely.  Also not everyone who can dance can also teach.  Teaching is a separate skillset from dancing in my opinion and some amazing dancers don't have it.  (I don't either as demonstrated when I tried to teach my ex how to shimmy).  It's good to check if people have done some formal training in how to teach so they have the ability to explain things in different ways. 

 

I'd also say that we all learn differently.  I can't learn from looking at someone which way to pirouette because I can't look at them and then interpret from this which movements that requires me to take.  I need the teacher to say in words what I have to do and then I can recreate the movement.  I've tried a class with one teacher who had a problem with my asking for a verbal explanation so I never went back to that class a second time. So it's worth making sure you have someone who teaches in a way you relate to.   

[Colman]

It takes years. My wife and I are about seven or eight years in as complete beginners, and we occasionally don’t feel completely useless. Just enjoy the process. 
 

If the teacher is good and is giving corrections then you should be able to learn in an intermediate class, though I’m not sure how much you’ll get out of the allegro initially.

[Angela Essex]

6 hours ago, LinMM said:

This is a difficult one! 
That's because you said it was the only class in your area so looks like you haven’t much choice as it’s Intermediate or nothing!! 
At least you seem to be enjoying the class and the teacher sounds encouraging perhaps because she knows there’s nowhere else to go. 
However you said you were fed up being the worst in the class and to be honest this is going to be unavoidable because you are where you are ....a complete beginner! 
Of course you will find the Centre work difficult because this is where you put steps together where the Dance begins. 
In an ideal situation you wouldn’t be in this class as a beginner. 
Is it ballet you are really keen on or are you just wanting to do some movement linked to music? 
If you cannot find any other class nearish to  you to supplement this Intermediate one which is at a more basic level then finding one online may be the answer. 
I can recommend Franziska Rosenzweig’s online beginner and improver level ballet classes which would give you a good foundation. But there are many others. Don’t go for some famous ballet dancers class though as they will be too hard for a beginner unless it says clearly for beginners .... General ballet usually can mean anywhere from Grade 5 to Advanced!! 
Obviously continue with your current class while you are enjoying it but if the other people in this class are already quite a bit more advanced they are only going to go on getting more advanced as the year progresses and you might find this disheartening without some sort of easier back up class. 
Do you live near any largish City? 

I’m in South Essex, the nearest cities are Chelmsford (30 mins) London (30-60 mins by train) or Colchester (1hr). Someone on here reccomended beginners adult ballet class that the Chelmsford ballet run but sadly only the general class is still going, not the adult beginners. 

Yes I really like ballet in particular. I think it’s because I like the music and I find the movements quite meditative in a way. It’s hard to explain but because I’m concentrating so hard I leave the world behind. 
 

Thank you for the online class recommendation I’ll definitely check it out as I think you’re right - an online class in addition to the one I already do is the way forward. 

[Meetmeatthebarre]

7 minutes ago, Angela Essex said:

I’m in South Essex, the nearest cities are Chelmsford (30 mins) London (30-60 mins by train) or Colchester (1hr). Someone on here reccomended beginners adult ballet class that the Chelmsford ballet run but sadly only the general class is still going, not the adult beginners. 

 

 

I hope you don't mind me asking, but at which London terminals do your fastest trains arrive? There's obviously a large offering in the capital that might suit, but I'm  acutely aware that after 30-60 mins train travel, the extra few minutes by Tube make a huge difference!

[LinMM]

I know Franziska is very thorough ...you may find her on her Holistic Ballet website. 
She’s also very good at teaching online and not all teachers are....you won’t be able to get away with much lol!! 
It looks like you may have caught the bug! 
Have you done any other sort of Dance before? Or perhaps some Gymnastics? Sometimes just that can help with picking up ballet more easily. 
Im trying to imagine how it would be for somebody who is a beginner on the piano trying to cope with a grade 6 or 7 class 😳 

How easy would it be to get to Harlow? 
That’s a pity about Chelmsford as I would have suggested them. 
Of course there are lots of beginner classes in London. Franziska teaches at Pineapple on Sundays. However it is a long way and could be expensive for you. 
I wonder if you could ask your teacher if she is prepared to give you a private lesson even once a month could be useful. 
The RAD also have DVD’s of the lower grades too I believe. So this could be helpful so you can see the progression. 
Wishing you lots of luck anyway.  

[Kate_N]

21 hours ago, Peony said:

I’d definitely look for a beginner class online to supplement

This is exactly what I was going to suggest. There are some really good safe teachers doing hybrid - online and in-studio - classes. Give Hannah Frost's Beginner class at Pineapple a try. She is brilliant at keeping an eye on you, and explains everything really thoroughly while still getting through a pretty solid barre and centre. Christine Mittelmaier is also a wonderful teacher who's doing in-studio & online - her style of choreography is a more "dancey" approach, and slightly more demanding even at Beginners level because of that, but you'll get a sense of expansion and use of your head & back which is different from Hannah's very pure and pared down approach. 

 

The other thing is that with only one class a week, it's hard to make visible progress. It's hard to get your muscle memory (proprioception) embedded. So supplementing your in-studio class with an online class will help with that as well. Centre work is trickier in your kitchen, but most teachers are now adept at adapting exercises for limited space and dodgy floors.

 

And maybe once a month you could get to London to dance live with some of the great teachers in London who specialise in teaching adults. There is a lovely community of dancers once you get to know the regulars. I've seen some very beginner people in classes above their level - it's only annoying when they crash into you, but you can learn to avoid doing that! But if you stick to Beginner level, you'll really start to "get it." I agree with you about the meditative moving to music - I have friends who are late converts to yoga (they never had any kind of physical practice before that), and I do yoga semi-regularly, but it doesn't give me the pleasure of moving to music in the way that any dance discipline does.

 

RAD Inter is quite difficult - in the "old" RAD system when I was a teenager, it was (I think) the next step past Elementary which was the first vocational level, named because they cater for serious students.

 

And corrections are gold. Lucky you!

[NeverTooOld]

I was just going to make the same suggestion that LinMM just made i.e. speak to your teacher about some private lessons to supplement what you are doing in the intermediate class and help you get to grips with the basics. That might be a really good option to help you if your teacher will do it. As others have said though, RAD intermediate is difficult so I agree that if you are keeping up at all, you are doing amazingly well. Keep at it and keep enjoying it, you will see improvements as you go along but don't ever compare yourself to others, just enjoy your own journey.

[Legseleven]

If you aren’t wanting to lie down and weep in an RAD intermediate class with no previous ballet training, you are clearly doing pretty well! It is the level of the old RAD Elementary, which didn’t have a great pass rate, and as has been mentioned it is the (minimum) exam level required for training as an RAD teacher. 
I second the suggestions to find an online beginners’ class with a teacher whose style ‘clicks’ with you as a supplement. But I’m genuinely impressed that you haven’t been frightened off by Intermediate and so glad that you are loving your classes and that your teacher is clearly doing a great job. And I agree that there is nothing quite like a ballet class to meld beautiful music with extremely hard physical exercise and an intellectual workout to boot.  

[Angela Essex]

8 hours ago, Legseleven said:

If you aren’t wanting to lie down and weep in an RAD intermediate class with no previous ballet training, you are clearly doing pretty well! It is the level of the old RAD Elementary, which didn’t have a great pass rate, and as has been mentioned it is the (minimum) exam level required for training as an RAD teacher. 
I second the suggestions to find an online beginners’ class with a teacher whose style ‘clicks’ with you as a supplement. But I’m genuinely impressed that you haven’t been frightened off by Intermediate and so glad that you are loving your classes and that your teacher is clearly doing a great job. And I agree that there is nothing quite like a ballet class to meld beautiful music with extremely hard physical exercise and an intellectual workout to boot.  

Hi Legs, thanks heaps for replying. Lol yes I am mostly wanting to lie down and weep after the centre work 😂 I think we just do the intermediate barre then the centre my teacher devises herself. Thankfully I don’t think the centre is the intermediate syllabus. 
 

Thanks to everyone who has replied. It’s been so heartwarming to receive all your encouraging comments and I will definitely be starting an online beginners course. I keep hearing great things about Hannah Frost’s class so I’m thinking that’d be a good place to start. Feeling very grateful to you all 🙏.
 

As a side note I turned up to my second class of the week today (I’m normally at work so can’t make the daytime class, but had a day off) My teacher was surprised to see me and commented that I was very keen and focused in class last night - win!! I’m still the worst one there but everyone loves a trier 😆. 

[Angela Essex]

23 hours ago, LinMM said:

I know Franziska is very thorough ...you may find her on her Holistic Ballet website. 
She’s also very good at teaching online and not all teachers are....you won’t be able to get away with much lol!! 
It looks like you may have caught the bug! 
Have you done any other sort of Dance before? Or perhaps some Gymnastics? Sometimes just that can help with picking up ballet more easily. 
Im trying to imagine how it would be for somebody who is a beginner on the piano trying to cope with a grade 6 or 7 class 😳 

How easy would it be to get to Harlow? 
That’s a pity about Chelmsford as I would have suggested them. 
Of course there are lots of beginner classes in London. Franziska teaches at Pineapple on Sundays. However it is a long way and could be expensive for you. 
I wonder if you could ask your teacher if she is prepared to give you a private lesson even once a month could be useful. 
The RAD also have DVD’s of the lower grades too I believe. So this could be helpful so you can see the progression. 
Wishing you lots of luck anyway.  

Hi Linn! Thank you for your reply. Yes it is pretty easy to get to Harlow - I work there so I’m there most days. Is there a class there? Romford is accessible too. Yes I did gymnastics as a child and a lot of dancing with friends & family but never took any classes. I’ve done a fair bit of yoga in recent years too. 

[LinMM]

Have you heard of Harlow Ballet? 
They have various classes for Adults throughout the week. 
They used to be based at the theatre there  but may have changed location so worth checking!  Some of the teaching may be Cecchetti based so slightly different to RAD but equally as valid. Maybe it will depend on the teacher!  
This is the one I can recommend in Harlow but in fact there are ballet classes at Harlow College as well so this may be worth investigating too! As you may be able to find a class which follows on after work. 
The website for Harlow ballet giving info on classes etc  is www.harlowballet.co.uk 

Let us know how you get on with finding extra classes anyway.

Linda 

[Angela Essex]

Update:

Linn - Thanks heaps. Harlow Ballet do an adult beginner class on Tuesday evening so I’ll try that on Tuesday.

Kate N. Thank you for your suggestion Yesterday evening I did Hannah Frosts Pineapple adult beginner class on zoom. She was amazing. So thorough and she was really keeping an eye on all the zoom people. 
The thing is doing ballet as a beginner by zoom didn’t really work for me - my computer screen was too small to really see the teachers footwork and I had to put the screen several feet away so she could see my whole body properly in the camera. 
Having said that I absolutely loved the class - Ms Frost was so funny. I’m not used to 1.5 hour classes so it was tough but the commentary was absolute gold. Telling people off for ‘Kung fu panda’ feet and saying any wrong moves and she would send us to the ballet incident room next door for doing a crime against ballet and no shaking our booty - if we want to shake our booty we can go downstairs to the street dance class too funny 😂😂😂

I’m now thinking how and when I can sneak off into London to do the class in person. Gosh this could start to become an expensive hobby….. 

 

[Kate_N]

1 hour ago, Angela Essex said:

Telling people off for ‘Kung fu panda’ feet and saying any wrong moves and she would send us to the ballet incident room next door for doing a crime against ballet and no shaking our booty

 

If you're there live she threatens to fine you a pound every time a Kung Fu panda leg appears. Isn't she fab? And a really lovely person, too. I'm sorry that online didn't work for you.

 

Hannah's classes (along with other brilliant teachers, Christina Mittelmaier and Nina Thilas-Mohs) kept me sane during the lockdowns over the last 2 years. I really think they were brilliant. But now I can get into various studios live, I'm less inclined to do online classes, so I know how you feel.  

[LinMM]

Yes I find Zoom classes much less attractive now but a life saver during the height of Pandemic. 
I have to do zoom classes on my IPad which had to be placed some distance away so I had to wear my distance glasses normally just used for driving and theatre when doing the class! 
Zoom works best where the numbers are restricted by the teacher so they can really work with everyone properly and was a bit of a shock to suddenly hear “Linda leg right behind you ...go on more...more...yes ....that’s it ...every time please!”

I do feel like Kate now though as studios are open I much prefer to attend for real. 
I didn’t have much turning room and allegro was always heavily adapted for smaller spaces. 
A couple of friends who are still only doing zoom classes have said they are now a bit nervous of going back into the studio and not because of Covid!! 
But if you cannot get to a studio class zoom  is definitely better than nothing. 
Hope you find a class soon that you enjoy and can be supportive of your Intermediate one Angela. 

 

[whatkindofbird]

4 hours ago, Angela Essex said:

I’m now thinking how and when I can sneak off into London to do the class in person. Gosh this could start to become an expensive hobby….. 

 

You should definitely make a day of it! Both David and Hannah teaches at Central on Sundays — maybe try David's 11:00 class then Hannah's at 15:00? 

[LinMM]

I’ve just remembered there’s the Hitching School of Russian Ballet which might be near to you as well.
Would be great if they did an adult beginners type class....just to get the basics etc.