Angela Essex Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 Hello All, Just wondering what the perspective of forum members is on adult recreational dancers attending ballet summer schools/intensives? Is it advisable or would I be better off just spending the money on extra classes or privates? Also I would be extremely grateful if you would kindly share what your experience of such intensives has been if you’ve attended one please. I started ballet as an absolute beginner 4 years ago so am still relatively new. I take 3-4 classes a week and am preparing for RAD Grade 6. I have some annual leave to take in the summer and thought an intensive might be useful. I’m not bothered about learning lots of choreography or variations, I’d just like to improve my basic technique. Any insight would be very gratefully received. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 The Ballet Retreat? https://www.theballetretreat.com/book-online 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mum5678 Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 Sander Blommaert had some adult students attending his summer school last year... Don't know too much about it, only that there were 2 female adult students and one male in my son's classes (class of approx 30). The 'children' were mostly pre-pro level, mostly 16+ apart from a couple, so all pretty mature. DS got a lot from the SI - lots of good technique work and found it challenging in a good way. Sander and the team were all lovely. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colman Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 I enjoyed London Ballet Classes summer intensive last year, the Ballet Retreat is popular, and there are a few others aimed at adult dancers around your level - I’m blanking on names at the moment. It’s good to get classes from other teachers and with other students, especially if you’re a bit isolated out in the sticks. Different corrections and stuff you wouldn’t cover in the normal run of things - mime, acting, rep, choreography, PDD and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 (edited) The Chelsea Ballet Summer School is excellent which is held at Central School of Ballet ( near Blackfriars station) from 12th August until 17th August. All the teachers were originally trained at the Royal Ballet School and have danced professionally with the Royal or ENB. There is a daily timetable of classes ….two ballet/ a contemporary/ pointework plus Rep/ Pilates every day and you can do as much or as little as you like as you’re only charged per class not per course. There’s always a very friendly and inclusive atmosphere with wide range of abilities and ages!! ( I think I’m the oldest one there now at 70 plus!!) I usually do one ballet and one contemporary a day but some people do both ballet and contemporary and Pilates every day!!! You do not have to attend every day either it’s really flexible. In the pointework class you can do as much or as little on pointe as you can manage ….ive often done this class all on demi pointe ( years since I’ve done pointework) as I love the teacher so much. I can highly recommend this as an adult summer school. Unfortunately the founder of the current Chelsea Ballet the lovely Louise Hudson has recently died but the summer school is still taking place and is very well organised. Please ask for further details if you (or anybody else) needs them Linda X Edited May 22 by LinMM 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissEmily Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 One of Sander’s adults here 👋🏼 @mum5678 @Angela Essex His Summer School is exceptionally good but as referred to above, it’s aimed at vocationally training students so the standard is very high and demanding. Ballet by Isabella does two levels of Summer School specifically for adults which are very much focused on improving technique. The RAD does an adult Summer School which is every evening for a week. I did it years ago and there was a really lovely atmosphere. Again, there are multiple levels to choose from. Was just typing about Chelsea Ballet when @LinMM posted in far more useful detail! The other thing I’ve enjoyed doing is building my own Summer School by taking a week and attending multiple lessons a day at Danceworks. You could perhaps complement those classes with the Royal Ballet School online video classes which are excellent and/or Sander Blommaert’s Ballet on Demand/ Camille Bracher’s Ballet Base. If I think of any more, I’ll post again, but definitely go for it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
academicdancer Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 I will just add that Ballet with Isabella's summer intensives (3 levels: beginner, inter & advanced) sold out within 2 minutes of going on sale so unfortunately that won't be an option this year. I'm attending the advanced week (bit daunting) and I'm happy to report back if people are interested! I was interested in London Ballet Classes, as it's not a full week, but it clashes with my ballet group's shows. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colman Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 22 minutes ago, academicdancer said: I was interested in London Ballet Classes, as it's not a full week, but it clashes with my ballet group's shows. This is a big plus, especially if you're a little bit older or injured or both (me recently) and need a little bit more recovery time. They're a friendly lot and the atmosphere is good. [Not doing it this year because the content doesn't really match my interests - no PDD this year, and too much girlie rep (I mean, fair enough, I was only boy for most classes), I've used up my travel budget doing PDD workshops anyway and I want to focus on rebuilding strength for a few months. ] 11 hours ago, Angela Essex said: I’m not bothered about learning lots of choreography or variations, I’d just like to improve my basic technique. I will say that if that's your focus - and honestly I don't think it should be for an intensive - you'll get some different corrections and new images you can apply in your normal classes but I'm not sure an intensive is the most efficient way to do it. Some coaching might be better. I'd strongly recommend intensives/workshops to expand your horizons. Some (most?) of the most valuable single classes I've had have been at workshops and intensives - an acting for ballet one with Brodie Donougher at the LBC winter intensive, and some character work with Benn Gartside and Kristin McNally for instance: the sort of non-academic stuff there's exactly zero chance of getting locally. 35 minutes ago, academicdancer said: I'm happy to report back if people are interested! Do please: there's something about her online presence that rubs me the wrong way, so I'd definitely be interested in reviews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colman Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 2 hours ago, MissEmily said: The other thing I’ve enjoyed doing is building my own Summer School by taking a week and attending multiple lessons a day at Danceworks. My wife does that when my son is doing London intensives and needs an accompanying adult. She'll work a few hours a day and then wander around the studios (Danceworks, Pineapple, Central, etc) and do a couple of classes a day and attend what shows she can find. It's normally summer time, so the selection can be a bit restricted though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munchkin16 Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 Honestly for me I find private classes with a good teacher infinitely valuable. I’ve done a few intensives and various day retreat type things and they can be fun. However, they can be really cliquey, the regulars can get significantly more attention and if you aren’t confident pushing yourself forward a little bit to give things a try, you might feel a bit more lost at the back trying to keep up. It’s a good way to push yourself, however, value for money in terms of feeling progress and truly learning, I have a few teachers I’ve met throughout the years who I would always choose to return to see and take a private class with first. It really gives you time to break down the little things which you can then take back to work on in your regular classes. Really it depends on what your goals are though, do you want to challenge yourself at learning new choreography and dancing as a group? Do you want to experience a range of teachers in a short space of time to try different styles? Do you want to focus on artistry vs technique? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peanut68 Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 4 hours ago, MissEmily said: The other thing I’ve enjoyed doing is building my own Summer School by taking a week and attending multiple lessons a day at Danceworks. I was going to suggest the same as something of long thought I’d like to do…. Book a few days in a London Hotel/AirBnB when a) there’s ballet/dance/theatre shows I’d like to see & can get tickets for & then do open classes in the day…. Strolls through parks, mooching around museums & art galleries, Lunches of my choice, pop into the odd jazz club of an evening…ok, am getting carried away into dream(on)land now 😂 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peanut68 Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 Colman - you, your wife & son are clearly all in sync to share interest in watching/doing ballet… Sadly can’t see my other half supporting this idea….sigh 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colman Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 6 minutes ago, Peanut68 said: Colman - you, your wife & son are clearly all in sync to share interest in watching/doing ballet… Both sons! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Essex Posted May 22 Author Share Posted May 22 Thank you all for your replies. I have messaged ballet with Isabella and asked to go on her waiting list and have also e mailed the Chelsea Ballet via the e mail addresss on their website to ask for more information @LinMM so fingers crossed one of those will happen 🤞 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 If you feel like splurging... https://www.karisscarlette.com/maldives-ballet-retreat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peanut68 Posted May 22 Share Posted May 22 6 hours ago, Colman said: Both sons! Ouch - expensive esp if in pro training! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Essex Posted May 22 Author Share Posted May 22 2 hours ago, Jan McNulty said: If you feel like splurging... https://www.karisscarlette.com/maldives-ballet-retreat I wish but sadly outwith the budget 😭 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted May 23 Share Posted May 23 Angela I will message you re Chelsea Ballet. To anybody else considering emailing it is now Barry Hudson not Louise Hudson who is in charge of administration etc. I was going to add this summer course is not for beginners! I would say you’d need at least two years experience to get the most out of it the general ability range tends to be from grade5/6 standard to advanced level. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Red_Shoes Posted May 23 Share Posted May 23 I have attended RAD adult summer course a number of times and have always found it enjoyable and beneficial. There are three levels and they have recently clarified what each level is. It's quite demanding. Although it's the RAD it doesn't relate in any way to syllabus work. There's an option of adding a rep workshop on the Saturday.The usual teachers are lovely, attention is fairly shared around and there is always a technical focus that builds over the week. The main disadvantage I find is that it is an evening course so you have to slog over to RAD HQ every evening for a week. At my age I don't actually enjoy exerting myself late in the day! Don't underestimate the stamina required for an intensive. I usually need to skive off at some point mid week and am also prone to a lot of cramp. In all the workshops and intensives I have ever done I have found myself going through a the same process, an arc stretching from initial enjoyment, a substantial period of thinking "Why am I so rubbish?" and then it all falling into place in the end. So at some points it doesn't much feel like fun! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted May 23 Share Posted May 23 Yes the midway bit can be a bit hard and I get the cramping at night time when I’ve been over exerting more than usual. It’s not surprising if you go from say two ballet classes a week normally to even just one class EVERY day can be demanding let alone any more than this. These days I can’t cope with full day intensives where you are dancing up to four/five hours a day ( hence can’t do the Ballet Retreats any longer great fun with David Kierce) a morning or afternoon a day is enough….. but all you young 40/50 year olds should be fine lol!!! It’s why I like the Chelsea Ballet summer school format as you just pay for the classes you do each day you don’t fork out for a whole course you then can’t always fully complete. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Essex Posted May 23 Author Share Posted May 23 13 hours ago, LinMM said: Angela I will message you re Chelsea Ballet. To anybody else considering emailing it is now Barry Hudson not Louise Hudson who is in charge of administration etc. I was going to add this summer course is not for beginners! I would say you’d need at least two years experience to get the most out of it the general ability range tends to be from grade5/6 standard to advanced level. Oh I think it may be too hard for me then since I’ve not completed grade 6 yet. Even though I started ballet 4 years ago find it hard to remember combinations - in more complicated exercises I’m so busy remembering what I’m doing I don’t focus on my technique so I’m thinking if the choreography is on the more complex side it may not benefit me at this stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Essex Posted May 23 Author Share Posted May 23 11 hours ago, The_Red_Shoes said: I have attended RAD adult summer course a number of times and have always found it enjoyable and beneficial. There are three levels and they have recently clarified what each level is. It's quite demanding. Although it's the RAD it doesn't relate in any way to syllabus work. There's an option of adding a rep workshop on the Saturday.The usual teachers are lovely, attention is fairly shared around and there is always a technical focus that builds over the week. The main disadvantage I find is that it is an evening course so you have to slog over to RAD HQ every evening for a week. At my age I don't actually enjoy exerting myself late in the day! Don't underestimate the stamina required for an intensive. I usually need to skive off at some point mid week and am also prone to a lot of cramp. In all the workshops and intensives I have ever done I have found myself going through a the same process, an arc stretching from initial enjoyment, a substantial period of thinking "Why am I so rubbish?" and then it all falling into place in the end. So at some points it doesn't much feel like fun! Yes I don’t relish schlepping to RAD HQ in the evenings. It’s 3 trains away from me and is a good 2 hour journey door to door so would prefer something more in central London. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colman Posted May 23 Share Posted May 23 4 minutes ago, Angela Essex said: Oh I think it may be too hard for me then since I’ve not completed grade 6 yet Contact teachers, discuss with them, is generally the best plan if you think you might be borderline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Essex Posted May 23 Author Share Posted May 23 24 minutes ago, Colman said: Contact teachers, discuss with them, is generally the best plan if you think you might be borderline. Thank you Colman, I’ve e mailed the course organiser and told them where I’m at. I prefer to do simpler choreography than I can manage, just so I can really focus on executing the proper technique- the minute I’m having to think too much about the steps all technique disappears 😭 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 (edited) I was really meaning the general ability range of the people actually attending so that can range from around Grade 5 through to Intermediate and a few at advanced level. The classes are not set at Advanced level though ….more Intermediate level I would say. Angela I will reply to your message as think you might cope with the morning class!! You can always come along for a day to see what you think! The grade levels are really just an indication of level of general knowledge of steps and technical terms etc. and basic execution. The teachers all clearly demonstrate what they want you to do a few times. I think if you are used to doing regular grade classes where it’s the same each week it can be harder to follow in a “freer” class where you don’t know what’s coming next but it’s a good challenge and useful skill to develop. Edited May 24 by LinMM 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colman Posted May 24 Share Posted May 24 Thinking about steps/learning choreography is a different skill to learning steps, and an important one to learn unless you're interested in ballet as a purely academic pursuit where you have lots of time to learn a curriculum. As you can tell, I'd encourage you to step outside that comfort zone and explore the other stuff on offer, a lot of which is going to feel a bit overwhelming if you haven't done it before. (I started as an absolute beginner about 10 years ago now, and learning rep quickly took me ages to learn at all. I'm getting better, though reproducing it at full speed is another matter.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted May 25 Share Posted May 25 On 23/05/2024 at 22:57, Angela Essex said: Yes I don’t relish schlepping to RAD HQ in the evenings. It’s 3 trains away from me and is a good 2 hour journey door to door so would prefer something more in central London. The RAD one is really only any good if you happen to live in London and can get there easily. Not much good for anybody else unless you can afford a hotel for a week. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted May 25 Share Posted May 25 Probably only okay if coming in from south London like Croydon etc….. as you can get off train at Clapham Junction and then a shortish bus ride to RAD. But it is difficult for anyone coming in from the North it’s a trek across London if on a daily basis!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peanut68 Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Clapham Junction on my line from South Coast but it’s a very slow train & hugely expensive - even if booked in advance. Reckon an Airbnb or travelogue option could work out not much more & a whole lot less stress! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 Yes agree if doing more than about two days in a row etc! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colman Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 The Travelodge next door to the RAD is generally pretty economical, though there really aren't any really cheap options in London at that time of year. Bus to Victoria from pretty much outside the door was the most convenient way of getting into the tube network we found - we've spent a couple of weeks there over the years with boys doing intensives in the area. Clapham Junction is a ten minute or so walk if I remember properly. There's a heliport nearby too, if that helps. 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 Ha ha Colman…heliport indeed 😂 Alright for some……. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peanut68 Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 And there’s Plantation Whatf right behind one could dock at in ones Superyacht!!🛥️🚁🪂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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