Simply Adult Ballet: the progress of one adult dancer who took up ballet later in life

[Michelle_Richer]

I will try as I have a lot riding on the Intensive.

Looking at the Spring Intensive schedule its no clear if dancers are only expected to do one solo, those that want too, but Tom knows I really want to do both. I think the details of the tutu bottoms should be available on his shop part of the site on the 1st of March. I’m also not sure what he expects dancers to wear for the corps de ballet piece (Friend Dance) RB are in Tutu’s, but I don’t think he is expecting that, but I will check with him on Thursday.

 

I may take my plain circular tutu bottom just in case, but for the solo’s it will be a full professional sequined white tutu for me, and of course with wings for the fairy variation.

 

As for keeping fit, during March I only have two repertoire workshops “Swan Lake” and “Cleopatra”, but loads of practice and one to one coaching as well as my regular classes and rehearsals.

 

Tuesday is my immediate worry as I need to be back at ENB plus I also have to check out my next studio for hire, otherwise I have to take a chance on it like the last one, and that one I wouldn’t have hired if I had seen it first.

[Michelle_Richer]

I did the Romeo an Juliet Workshop in Edinburgh in spite of the loss of my car. Its just the frustration now of getting my car done. I have dropped the key over to the lady at the office of the garage that looks after my car, it’s also very close to where I live, its lunch time now and no one has been over yet. I really not very good at waiting as I just keep thinking of all my dancing plans that are now falling apart Grrr, I wish I had two cars.

 

I guess not is ballet wearing my feet out, its also wearing my car out too. Ah well a bit of enforced rest and diet too as I didn’t get any shopping in on Saturday.

[LinMM]

Are you going to tell us about the workshop Michelle?

[Michelle_Richer]

Been there done that, its in the appropriate thread.

 

My car is being picked up tomorrow (Tuesday), but they have ordered the fuel pump, but it does mean I will miss ENB and checking out my new studio, I will phone the studio tomorrow and see if I can rearrange to see it on Thursday before my LAB classes. Today has been really flat, no ballet and not really knowing when I can get back, so I hope I'm back on the road by the end of tomorrow, otherwise I will go mad.

 

I received an email from RBS today to say they will only be taking bookings for their adult classes after 11am on the day. I guess that because I went in and see them the day before.

Edited February 24, 2014 by Michelle_Richer

[Michelle_Richer]

Car was picked up this morning, I got a phone call at lunch time to say after checking everything the fault had cleared itself, however I still ask them to change the fuel pump as I rely heavily on it for getting to and from my multitude of ballet classes. Hopefully it will now be reliable but it will take a little time to regain confidence in it.

 

Its all systems go for the Angles Theatre rehearsal tomorrow. Have arranged to see the new studio on Thursday before my LAB sessions, so pleased to be back to ballet.

[Fiz]

I am thinking quite seriously about stopping ballet for a while. I was rushed off my feet or not well during the Christmas term and it is the same story this term. There is still so much to do here plus our daughters are bringing in more and more possessions from their flat so that the house looks like a bomb has stuck. Nor are they inclined to help us unpack, cook or do anything else. I don't need to stress about missing class on top of all that but I really am not happy about it.

[Anna C]

Oh dear Fiz :-(

 

Instead of stopping ballet, could you not speak to your dds and tell them that your house is neither a hotel nor a storage facility? They are grownups, aren't they? - so you're well within your rights to expect help. You wouldn't expect them to give up their leisure activities but nor should you.

[Thecatsmother]

Do you enjoy ballet when you get to class Fiz?

[Fiz]

I have only been once since we moved, Balleteacher, and I found the centre practice quite difficult. I had mixed feelings, really. I don't feel up to an hour's taxing class apart from anything else.

[Moomin]

My advice would be to make yourself continue! I do appreciate the feeling which you describe, it's hard when you have a family and other responsibilities but in the long run you will feel better for taking time for you. Could you find a slightly easier class for a while? I so regret giving up ballet when I was younger, I just will not let myself do it again. If you go every week it becomes a routine and easier. I often have a bit of a wobble that I am terrible but I think that comes with being a perfectionist, it's only the teacher watching, I'm sure they've seen worse!

I hope you continue Fiz, you deserve a bit of time for yourself x

[Anna C]

I don't know any ballet student who doesn't have a slight loss of confidence once in a while Fiz; especially when starting a new class. It's a bit like starting a new job! My dd finds ballet the perfect release for everyday stress but not because it's easy! :-)

 

I wonder what advice you'd give us in the same situation? Would you tell us to persevere for a little while?

[Fiz]

Probably, Spanner! I will think about what you have all said. I shan't go today. I feel too rough. My husband isn't well either.

[LinMM]

I hope you will continue with at least one class a week Fiz. It is hard with mother/daughter relationships......somehow often daughters remain as "the children" in their own homes whereas in other people's homes and /or situations they can be very enterprising indeed!!

I always remember my mum saying " I'm fed up with being the head cook, waiter and bottle washer round here" ........and then we knew we had overstepped the mark and got stuck in!! Children sometimes need reminding........sometimes even 20 and 30 something ones!!

 

I know how you feel though.....I have a foot injury at the moment which started at the beginning of January after just having got over a back injury!! It seems to be taking a while this time and I get very despondent when I can't do a class properly.

Tonight is my local Russian class which I love but luckily it's now seemed to split a bit into some younger teenagers who are about grade 5 level and all the rest some of whom are particularly good!! Definitely at Advanced level and a few at more intermediate level.

Tonight I just wasn't confident with my right foot so I joined the teenagers and in the end managed to do a good class because if I had joined with the more advanced lot (which I had been doing until recently) I would have lost confidence. The teacher is very adept and flexible and allows you to slot in wherever which is enormously helpful and sets slightly easier adaptations for the less experienced or walking wounded as myself!!

The trouble is with ballet that if you leave it too long it takes ages to get back in.....more so if you are that bit older......so it's worth hanging on in there even if some classes don't go so well! I usually try to just take 10-15 mins at a time.....when I'm up against it....so that you can think well that 10 mins was okay.....the next 10 not so good .....but the following 10 very satisfying and so on ........that way you usually can feel happy with at least half of what you do!!

 

Tonight I was finding it difficult to concentrate as well because on the way to class I managed to take the passenger side wing mirror off (well at least it was all in one piece) the car so was dreading having to report back.......well he's had his blow now......the usual how on earth can you be such a bad driver etc .......so now after a glass of sherry am beginning to relax. Some days you feel like you just can't get anything right!!

[Fiz]

All4dancers has very kindly pmed me and talked some sense into me. Many thanks to her. x

[Michelle_Richer]

My first class this week since my car is now fixed, rehearsal at the Angles Theatre, a few more tweaks to our show sequence, not sure when we are likely to finish it, as I know we have another one to do. Several girls absent this week, but a couple of new ones, not sure if they will be in the show or not.

 

Tomorrow back to my practice hall to prepare for tomorrows LAB session and start work on one of the Spring Intensive solo's as that's creeping up fast. Also need to check out a new studio for hire before going on to RAD for my LAB sessions, with a bit of luck I will arrive early and get some free practice in.

[Michelle_Richer]

Today has been a really nice day, but I’m not sure why. I had an hour this morning in my village hall after the local ballet class had finished, I worked on three separate pieces of rep, the hall was still quite cold (15degrees) even though the sun was shining outside, it went reasonably well.

 

Check out my new dance studio near Liverpool street station, its not bad, but not ideal for long term usage, I’ve booked and paid for it for the next two week to accommodate my one to one rep coaching.

 

I arrived early (5.45) at RAD in Battersea, but a group had our studio booked until 7.30 for some sort of party (not dance), the gentleman on RAD reception said he would give me a call as soon as they had cleared the studio, that was about 6.45, so I did get a little practice time in before class. The LAB session was good, even though the end of our sequence was re-choreographed and is something that has to be relearned and polished. I don’t know why but I really really enjoyed tonight’s session.

 

Something else that happened too, my pull along case seemed so much lighter although it still as full as it usually is, I think I must just be getting fitter, or its simply that spring is in the air, but it just seemed a really wonderful day.

[LinMM]

There's definitely been some sort of change this week it seems like spring really is in the air! ......hope am not eating my words if it snows next week!!

[Michelle_Richer]

Another Sunny spring day today (Monday), but it didn’t stop that Monday morning feeling.

 

A new relief teacher for our body balance class this morning, the routines were different and a few moans from the girls, I enjoyed it though.

 

Had to catch up with the Stamford show sequence as I missed last week, it looks as if there is only one more week to go to complete it, a pity as it has been a real change for that class and a pleasure to dance.

 

Lincoln was a good class, short and sweet as we have now incorporated Pointe work. It started with the new term last week which I missed when my car broke down, but I took my Pointe shoes in tonight and my feet were reasonably fine considering I haven’t had them on for several months now.

[Michelle_Richer]

I was very anxious when I started today as my weekly hair appointment had to be put back to 11.15am instead of the usual 9am as my hair stylist arranged to be in later. Also I was using a new studio for one to one repertoire tuition, so travel timing was a little unknown other than a rough estimate.

 

As it was, I arrive 30 minutes ahead of schedule, enough time for a quick coffee in a café near to the studio. The rep session went extremely well with lots of corrections to work through before next week, its absolutely amazing of the detail I missed from a video clip of the scene to be danced, I spotted the odd one my teacher missed, but I missed loads, it really was worth while and I certainly feel we have accomplished something, it’s a fantastic arrangement.

 

I did my two usual classes at ENB, at the level 3 class we certainly worked hard, at the end of the session at the barre my leo was soaking, it wasn’t just me, I think we all felt that way, but it was a really really good session, I think the best I have ever had there, in spite of being told off at the end of our enchainement for using double pirouettes when I was only supposed to be using singles, oh woops. However our teacher did make the comment that she needed to increase the standard to get more of us up into level 4, I think to let more of the level 2 dancers to move up to level 3 as spaces at level 3 are limited. She certainly pushed us tonight.

[Michelle_Richer]

Last week really ended on a downer, towards the end of last week I started to develop mild tooth ache, naively I must have thought it would subside and go away. By Friday it was clear this was not going to happen, so I emailed my dentist as I didn’t think he worked Fridays to arrange for an Antibiotic prescription. Over the weekend it got much worse, however I still enjoyed Northern Ballet’s Cleopatra on Saturday, but I didn’t stay long at MOVIT on Sunday, When I finally got home I was absolutely shattered and had taken the maximum recommended painkillers and the ache was still there, it was awful.

First thing Monday I rang my dentist as I was desperate to see him, unfortunately that meant I had to miss my class at Stamford where we had been working for several weeks on an Turkish dance from an Egyptian ballet scene, this was to be our last week. It also upset the booking on my local hall too, but I was able to pull that forward, at least I got some practice in for tomorrow(Tuesday) for my one-to-one rep coaching.

At least I did get to see the dentist who X-rayed the offending tooth, although its not a permanent long term fix I have been prescribed antibiotics, its seems a little calmer now, after at least getting to my Lincoln class tonight with more pointe work which was really enjoyable.

 

This week is going to be a very heavy week, so I really don’t need the distraction of nagging tooth ache, I just hope it hold off.

 

In order to keep pace with the number of performance pieces I am learning, I have suspended my fitness classes for the moment and also my Social dancing for at least this week, I guess this is where it starts to get serious.

[LinMM]

Apart from Angles Theatre and Stamford class what other performance pieces are you doing and who for etc?

 

Sorry about the tooth ache it's amazing how many times they come on badly at weekends or just before public holidays......grrr!!

 

I' ll keep you informed about the foot situation re attending LAB etc later this week. But I do now have a medial arch support which fits snugly into my ballet shoe plus 2pages of A4 exercises to do!! I haven't danced with this support yet......just walking around the house in my ballet shoes. Because I now have similar ones (the ones for the ballet shoes are a slimmer fit) for ordinary shoes I have been advised to give it another week before trying out in class.

If it helps to not stress the ankle joint so much then has to be good I think. On the down side have been told that the injury I have may take 3-4 months to get back to "normal" so that might not mean till May!! It's a relief in one way though as I was worried it wasn't better properly in 8 weeks.....so knowing its normal to take longer has taken off a bit of panic. It's very strange though if you had seen me charging around Brighton shopping last Saturday you would think there is nothing wrong with it but it definitely isn't its usual self!!

 

I did the contemporary class last night without any bother or after affects but then we're not doing that much jumping in that class. It's a great class though and am enjoying it a lot even the bits scuffling around on the floor!! Well I'm scuffling that is.....the teacher looks great in her floor movements!

[Michelle_Richer]

Hi Lin

 

Those pieces I have been working on this week:

1) Egyptian Ballet at Stamford but couldn’t actually attend this week although I had been working on it.

2) Sleeping Beauty prep for LAB intensive. Private tuition on going.

3) Angles Theatre Sequence choreographed by teacher.

4) Nutcracker and La Sylphides LAB

5) Cleopatra Northern Workshop

6) Swan Lake, City Academy workshop this weekend.

7) Le Corsaire, private tuition on going for my party piece.

 

 

Superwoman or what?

Edited March 12, 2014 by Michelle_Richer

[Michelle_Richer]

Yesterday turn out to be a very mixed day of Awful weather with thick for and wonderful ballet.

 

The day started with me leaving home at 6.10am , a little earlier than normal with thick fog and very cold 1.5 degrees. My first session started at 9.30 which was a rep workshop with Northern Ballet on the stage at Leeds Grand Theatre. There we learnt the Wedding dance from act 1 of there production of Cleopatra. Needless to say the set for the ballet was still in place, but we only had a pianist rather than the orchestra that was present on the previous Saturday when I when to see Northern’s performance. We had 17 dancers at our workshop including me, as usual I already knew some of the dancers from one of the Northern class, but most were from away. It was a really enjoyable class and the dance has a lot of similarities to one I have been doing at another ballet school in Stamford from an Egyptian ballet.

 

At 2.45 I caught the train back to London, then it was a really beautiful spring day.

 

As always I arrived early at RAD’s HQ in Battersea for my LAB rehearsal which starts at 7.30pm with about 45mins of company class before our 1hour 15mins of rehearsal. As is mostly the case our first studio was free, so I was able to get my usual practice session in. One thing I am finding, trying to dance a sequence without music leaves it very empty, without expression and me very frustrated. In the studio next door is a RAD class with a pianist, even though the tempo of the music etc is wrong, it still to some extent brings my dance to life when I attempt to dance to it. I don’t known if others have found this. I think in future I will have to take a little MP3 place with earphones to give me the music.

I know sometimes the other studio is empty, but if I hooked up to the audio system in our room whilst the other class was present, it would surely kill the opportunity for me to use that room prior to class in the future, so I will continue to practice as quiet as a mouse.

 

Last night we were to start our work at the barre only to find some of the portable barres were missing. Tom our teacher went to the RAD class next door (Inter Foundation)as it appeared they had removed some. There teacher was at the other end of the barre as neither of our classes had got started then, this teacher, a lady smiled and said “hello” to me as if she knew me well, but I couldn’t place her. Then she told me she was my teacher at a Romeo and Juliet workshop at Cambridge a year or so ago, however I do remember her saying “I know I will be seeing you again”, but I don’t think it was in that context.

 

LAB session it self when quite well, I’ve still a bit of tidying up to do with a couple of pieces I’m a bit week on and need to reinforce the muscle memory with some additional practice. Our enchainement ending is still in the melting pot and not quite complete yet.

 

The final leg of the journey home from Peterborough through thick fog at 1am in places was quite frightening, especially where no cats eyes are present and the exit at rounder-bouts, where there is no white line to follow, but thankfully most have illuminated bollards. It was a case of judging the distance from a bollard to exit as you could not see the curb, it was really thick, and I was so please to finally get home.

[2dancersmum]

Michelle - my DD has some tiny speakers that plug into her MP3 for when she is dancing somewhere and cannot or does not want to hook up to an audio system in a studio.  Would something similar work for you when you practise at RAD or would music out aloud mean you could not practise there at all, hence the mention of earphones.  Happy to send you a link if you are interested.

[Michelle_Richer]

Thank you 2dancersmum, but the earphones are not the issue. I don’t want to use speakers as it may disturb the other class, especially as I’m only a guest at that time in the studio. In any case I’m quite familiar with hooking up to sound systems as already I hire a studio privately each week as well as my local village hall.

 

The earphones that I have are the little flexible ones that clip over your ears and are reasonable secure, what I do need to find is a tiny MP3 play that has replay function that will constantly cycle the same track if set. The ones I have are tiny but doesn’t have that function, so you have to fiddle with it each time to replay the same track which is really annoying when you want to prepare for a second run-through of a piece of rep.

Edited March 14, 2014 by Michelle_Richer

[Michelle_Richer]

Problem solved, I have just got a couple of additional low cost (£10)MP3 players from Argos giving me a total of 4, each with a separate Rep music track on it. That gives the effect of cycling the same track which does nicely for silent rep practice.

[LinMM]

Re the LAB Sleeping Beauty pieces have you been told exactly which fairy solos we'll be learning?

 

If I do come will probably just go for performing the Friends dance.......the group section.....because of injury. Or whichever bit is the shortest or least demanding on jumps!! IfI only go for one dance I may be able to cope!

I 'll be emailing them tomorrow to see what they say about my situation but my feeling is as it's now only three weeks away that the injury to ankle will not be fully better by then.

I can now cope with turns and pirouettes on the right foot.....first time this week.......so a slight improvement.....but I have to adapt both the petit and grand allegro......only 8 jumps in first instead of 16.....or 4 jumps to second instead of 8 and not landing any jumps just on the right leg etc......which is fine in the classes I attend and where the teachers know me well and so on but not the best position to be in for three days of intensive dancing!!

 

Ive been looking at the first act of Sleeping Beauty and all the fairy solos have difficult bits in them. My favourite one is the very quick one with the fluttery hand movements which has lots of quick bourrees in......fast but short!! I also like the one with the pointy hand movements in.....but this is a longer solo.

I shall be very disappointed not to be able to attend the LAB intensive and at least hope I can come and watch on the Sunday and will be at the Sleeping Beauty performance on the Saturday night anyway but will have to make the final decision based on the long term health of my foot.

[Fiz]

Dear Lin, I am so sorry you have this naggingly persistent injury. It must be so frustrating to know you have to be sensible. Wishing you better very soon. x

[LinMM]

Thank you Fiz just so frustrating!! But Ive been told could be 3-5 months (happened in January) so will have to be patient!!!

 

To me though it's more worrying when it's a stress injury and no accident or catastrophic event to blame. It has just crept up and pounced so to speak. But I know am becoming a bore saying this but when you are older you just have to be watching your body very carefully.......no trying to keep up with those 40 year olds!!! Or dance....when there is muscle fatigue .....to please others.....that's for the professionals!!!

 

Anyway on another thread I see you have been unwell yourself Fiz so a speedy recovery for you too!!

[Fiz]

I do agree. I also have a persistent minor foot problem and also a ligament which really hates me doing attitude croisee. I get cramp in it every time I do it! Thank you. x

[Terpsichore]

..............................................

 

 

I shall be very disappointed not to be able to attend the LAB intensive and at least hope I can come and watch on the Sunday and will be at the Sleeping Beauty performance on the Saturday night anyway but will have to make the final decision based on the long term health of my foot.

............ I also have a persistent minor foot problem and also a ligament which really hates me doing attitude croisee. I get cramp in it every time I do it! ........................

I am sorry to learn of your respective indispositions and wish you both a rapid recovery.

[Fiz]

Thanks, Terpsichore.

[LinMM]

Thanks Terpischore. . At least I can walk in the normal way pretty well!! It's just that one doesn't usually do grand jetes down the high street or grand jete en tournant down the aisles in Waitrose or saux de basque (saux?)(which I love) up to the bus stop!!

So the injury only becomes evident in a dance class!!! Very annoying indeed but not that much to put up with in the scheme of things.