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

[Thecatsmother]

Yes, core stability and working to ensure your weight is correctly positioned over the supporting leg will help with balance. Holding turnout is also vital but pilates should help with both.

 

V basic exercises you can do without the need or sometimes risk of a wobble board in some cases is just to pick up one leg by bending the knee almost like you would during running. Then practice balancing on the leg you are standing on which is in parallel and straight not bent.

 

When you can hold this for a while with ease you can make it more difficult by doing with your eyes shut.

[beckyl]

Thanks, Balleteacher. I will try working on this a bit every day

[Thecatsmother]

This is good beckyl if you want something to do at home.

 

http://youtu.be/qL5pKpXtB5I

[Michelle_Richer]

Wow Balleteacher I am impressed, that is a very long clip of Dreas Reyneke’s Dynamic Fifth, I have his DVD and it 98 minute long so I am surprised at the length of this clip and its contents are excellent if not a bit advance.

 

Dreas also has another DVD in the series called “Turning Out Dancers – Advanced Pilates with Dreas Reyneke. I have both.

 

Dreas Reyneke, a world class Pilates teacher, devised this series of advanced graduated exercises for classical and contemporary dancers, dance teachers, gymnasts, and athletes. They develop technique to protect against injury, and practised daily will develop core control, balance, and symmetry during movement, and will strengthen the joints and improve flexibility.

The exercises are demonstrated by three dancers from the Royal Ballet: Tamara Rojo, Johannes Stepanek, and Edward Watson, and English National Ballet's Désirée Ballantyne.

 

After some discussion in one of my classes I’m starting to look at Lisa Howell’s flexibility program as I can now accommodate a time slot for that on Tuesdays and Fridays, also many of the Less Mills Body Balance routines have a lot of similarity with steps in Lisa’s Program.

 

Becky : You may also find Less Mills Body Balance classes in your area at a local gym. They are quite fun to do as you will be doing them with others, but not necessarily dancers as it a general fitness class based on a combination of Tai Chi, Yoga and Pilates. Our instructor generally teaches the same routine using different levels and you chose which is appropriate for you.

 

All of this was discussed some time ago on this thread on post #604.

[beckyl]

Thank you, ladies. I am starting some basic pilates like I said to strengthen my core- it will definitely help with my developpe (which is improving- I feel less floppy now!) and my grand battements in the centre.

 

I feel like I'm always struggling for time! I work 8.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. every day. I take jazz on Tuesdays, ballet on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, I'm also doing my teacher training right now- I have no idea where people find the time from! Mondays and Thursdays I try to do interval training and pilates at home.

[Michelle_Richer]

I managed to check out another studio today, although its not quite as big as My Sleaford one, it definitely has potential, its fully equipped with the usual mirror, barres and sound system, it also had lots of natural light. What did impress me it was a nice wooden sprung floor which had similar slippyness to my local hall and the Sleaford studio both of which I’m using to get to grips with the Black Swan solo.

 

That studio is booked for this Friday as they are on half term break next week.

 

Hopefully the additional studio time will go someway to getting Black Swan sorted, however with next week being half term my rep coach is still providing me with a session but does not have to rush off to teach class afterwards, so I may extend the coaching period to 2 hours if it feels worthwhile.

 

Thursday last week was frustration with the London Bus strike. I checked the tfl website before setting off, the 170 bus from Victoria to Battersea wasn’t on the list of busses running. Oh poo I though, I will have to travel to Clapham Junction and walk the rest to RAD, that I did. When I got to the street entrance of RAD I could see people waiting at the bus stops on both sides of the road, I walked over to a gentleman and ask him if the 170 is running, he said he thought so, with that the 170 bus came to his bus stop. Although the long route I had taken to get there was unnecessary, at least the journey home would be strait forward.

 

My frustration didn’t end there, I still managed to arrive at least an hour early and as no one had the studio booked, I was able to do some practice, woopee that was great. However when the rest of the class turned up, about half were missing, there were only two of us from last week. It was especially difficult trying to dance in formation with so many dancers absent.

 

My highlight of the week was taking my boyfriend down to my local hall on Sunday as I had booked it for an hour. He was my scarecrow for dancing some of the Nutcracker Grand PDD. Bless him he had never danced ballet before in his life, he managed to walk in time with the music bow and present, turn me then promenade me. We substituted the pirouette for a different type but only had time to check that out in isolation. We also checked out the feasibility of a fish dive, but I concluded he wasn’t strong enough to safely support my weight. For a ballet scarecrow he did do rather well. We looked at the repertoire and know we can cover over 3 minutes of it, the rest will be via substation.

Edited February 10, 2015 by Michelle_Richer

[beckyl]

Michelle,

BIG pet peeve of mine, particularly in my broadway jazz class. People sign up for a five week block- we learn the choreography over a five week block, we are in a formation and do partner work. Sometimes people don't turn up to class "because it was raining." ???!! Even worse for show rehearsals! My ballet teacher doesn't allow people who frequently miss class for lame reasons (I'm not talking 'I was ill,' I am talking, 'it was cold outside') to be in shows.

 

Michelle can I also be really cheeky and ask how you fit in so much ballet around work, family etc? I'm really struggling to fit in enough dance and conditioning around work and being in postgrad school also

[Michelle_Richer]

Hi Becky

 

I think it’s difficult to establish if an absent dancer has a genuine reason or not, I think it’s even more difficult for the teacher to bar someone from that group when they have paid for the whole term. Even so with the best will in the world there will always be incidents when the odd dancer(s) will have to miss class, hopefully not too many at any one time that it disrupts the progress of the rehearsal.

 

I found myself in that predicament the day before my City academy’s dress rehearsal when my car broke down miles from anywhere, whilst I was on my way to another rehearsal with LAB. As soon a the breakdown people got me home I was on the computer working out public transport routs and timing to get me to London that Friday morning for an 11am dress rehearsal at Sadlers. As I live out in a small village in South Lincolnshire about 100 miles from London. I did find a route, but it meant I had to catch the first bus in my village before 7am for the first leg of my journey. I did make it on time; in fact I was first there as it happened. Fortunately my car was repaired and back on the road for the Saturday (Show day) so I didn’t miss a thing, but at the time it was extremely worrying and frustrating.

 

As for fitting ballet in, that’s simple I’m at that funny age where I don’t need to work anymore, I do still have occasional contact with my old company, in fact I’m with them next Tuesday at the Institute of Directors in London. As for family my partner died in 2005. So to be fair I have no ties other than my boyfriend “Adrian” for nearly a year now, who I have taught to dance basic salsa, we are now working on Bachata, then we have a bit of meringue and Kizomba to teach him. Part of that pact was he had to become my ballet scarecrow for partner work. I guess I’m being a bit ambitious as I have started him on what will be my version of the Nutcracker Grand Pas De Deux a he loves the music. I have given him a year for this one, as I intend us to dance it at this year’s next Salsa Christmas party run by our salsa group in Boston Lincs. Adrian stays with me most weekends but he does have to play second fiddle to ballet, that always takes priority.

[Pups_mum]

Michelle, I don't dance at all myself but always enjoy reading your posts, not least because I am in complete awe as to how you manage to fit so much in. Never mind work etc, there are only so many hours in the day! I wish I had a fraction of your energy and organisation.

[beckyl]

I'm really struggling with my ballet at the moment. I'm so much more of a jazz/contemporary, even ballroom dancer. I'm struggling with the 'open' format of my current ballet class to the extent I'm considering changing schools to one closer to home. It will break my heart because I adore my teacher and the ladies at ballet but I'm feeling like a graded syllabus where I learn choreography/dances will be a better fit for me. It is also closer to home and less costly (I am a poor student) in terms of transport. Less stressful on my schedule too.

 

Potentially I would do classical award and intermediate ballet on Wednesdays and Grade 5 and beginner's pointe on Thursdays.

 

I have been ill recently so my head is a bit all over the place but I just think it could be so much better for me, even though I dread leaving my wonderful open class. I'm learning so much and I love the barre section but centre work is so over my head!

[Fiz]

I know exactly how you feel, Becky. I went to an open class after we moved. Barre was fine (I do love barre work!) but centre and grand adagio were a nightmare. I stuck with it for a few months but I felt I was going backwards and even simple pose turns totally defeated me by the end. Luckily I am still friends on Twitter with two of the girls I liked best and we are hoping to meet up when we all go to see Swan Lake on live link at the cinema. I found another class which was a much better fit but I have been ill since the end of September but I am in touch with several class members on Facebook as well as the dance school. You don't have to lose your friends if you change schools. Good luck!

[beckyl]

Thanks, Fiz. I know I don't have to make the decision right now, especially when I'm home with the dreaded stomach bug! Open class in the centre is just way too fast for me, I feel like somewhere closer to home would be a better fit... just a bit nervous that I will be ancient in a grade 5 class! 

[LinMM]

You are probably making the right decision though Beckyl

 

It's better to find a class you can really work in at your level so you can gain some improvement. When you are on top of the material then you can really dance it rather than having to try to catch up with it all the time which in the end is not very satisfying.

 

It might only need to be a temporary situation as at some point you could go back to it of course and then be able to get more out of it.

[beckyl]

You are so right, Lin and that's how I feel now, that I'm just kind of paddling along and not making any real improvement in centre work :/

[Fiz]

I hope you are feeling a great deal better today, Becky. This is a particularly nasty bug which is all over our local hospital and GP surgery at the moment. It struck my poor ex dd while she was travelling by train! . It was a nightmare journey for her.

[beckyl]

I'm managing to eat a little but still feel pretty yucky. It's keeping me awake at night with the pain and I've had to cancel a multitude of plans today... thankfully none of them were on a train- how awful

 

... there was definitely no ballet for me this morning!!

Edited February 14, 2015 by beckyl

[LinMM]

Michelle you will be very glad to hear have just finally bought a practise tutu!!

 

Well I haven't got it quite yet but tried one of Just Ballets on at the Move It Event and she is sending me the next size up.

 

But because the layers are tacked down it has a nice shape and doesn't flap up ......which I have seen .....and am not keen on.

 

Just got back from London where today did a great workshop with Franziska Rosenzweig but am completely knackered so will report back in a day or two!!

[Michelle_Richer]

Hi Lin

Well done you, I know for our show pieces we require both types, Im not sure what Tom is arranging for overlays for the skirts.

 

I started with another coach on Friday as an addition to my regular one. This was to help sort out the pirouettes and attitude turns in the black swan solo as its taking me longer than I had anticipated.  Most of it to be fair is the issue with my left ankle, particularly the fouette into the attitude turn.

 

My ankles are fine with the exception of my ENB classes and I really don’t know what it is in those classes that has such an effect.

 

On the run up to Christmas I dropped ENB for 3 or 4 weeks while I was doing shows and my ankles were fine. The very last week running up to Christmas eve, the only classes I had was ENB, the day after my left Achilles was as bad as ever. I rested it for 4 days it actually was getting worse. Then I went back to Alfredsons Heel Drop protocol and each day gave an improvement.

 

My first thought were it was a combination of the classes particularly the grand allegro from the Advanced (Last class) and the long walk back to south Kensington tube. In the beginning I added in 1 minute extreme stretch the Achilles before leaving, but that didn’t help. I substituted the Tube journey for the bus from Royal Albert Hall to Kings Cross, again that was ineffective, however 50 reps with a resistance band during the bus ride does seem to help. Finally last week I dropped the Grand allegro for my last class due to the impact it was having on my black swan solo, and again it was totally in effective.

 

Alfredsons Heel drops do appear to keep my ankle functioning but it get very sore (painful at about ¼ pointe), its OK for normal pirouettes however for a fouette launce into an attitude turn without dropping the gesturing leg, does require the pivoting leg to momentary drop and snap up into a one foot releve unassisted by the other. I think also with the associated pain it also produces a psychological barrier where the brain wants to do it, but the body refuses. At the moment I’m working purely on gaining strength for that single leg snap up into releve in isolation at the barre and off it. Hopefully not only will I gain some strength I will break this unwanted psychological barrier which says its going to hurt.

 

Apart from that issue my new coaching session was fantastic and real fun too .

[Michelle_Richer]

Finally a glimmer of hope with my ankles, it seems I've been treading water for ages, Alfredsons heal drop protocol has stopped them getting worse in periods of high ballet activity but hasn’t removed the unwanted debilitating stiffness after rest during travel etc.

 

Although this week was a little lighter than normal due to half term, there was no Monday class at Lincoln, in fact my Lincoln class is now closed until further notice I think mainly it’s a combination of dwindling numbers and the venue being sold, that teacher remains as one of my rep regular coaches and we still do a Monday rep session. However for Monday evening I have been able to find a ballet fitness class, I start next week.

 

At least for Wednesdays I’ve been able to add my Body Balance fitness class back in, before travelling to London to ENB, however I did pop into RBS at Covent Garden to check availability of their studios.  During my first class at ENB we did slightly more allegro than previously and my legs weren't feeling particularly good, I had a word with my teacher at the end of the class to say it would be unlikely that I would be in next week. I wanted to preserve my ankles to get the Black Swan pirouette/attitude turns combinations out of the way.  I was beginning to dread my second (Advanced ) class particularly the centre. However once the barre was over my legs were in much better shape, we did centre then it came to jumps , this was the point where I ceased to take part last week, but as that didn’t help I carried on and through the allegro at the end, my ankles were still in good shape, but then they usually are. Its afterwards when I get sat down on the tube or bus, its murder trying to walk those first few steps after getting up. This time I had a plan it was 50 reps on the bus commencing at Marble Arch, and 50 reps on the train commencing at Huntingdon.

 

Golly it worked, when I got off the bus at Kings Cross within a couple of steps I could fully articulate the weight through my feet and then briskly walk away, which I handnt been able to do for a long time. Peterborough station tends to be the most painful, but again a couple of steps and I’m away walking quite normally, furthermore in recent times I’ve been using the lifts to protect my ankles on stairs particularly going down, this time no problem. It must be around 18months since I’ve been able to go down the stairs on Peterborough Station with my feet in parallel, usually its sideways and hanging on to the rail . Going up is far less of a problem.

 

Whilst its not a complete fix, it very encouraging and at least gives me the confidence to push my feet and ankles a little further. I have only just started doing the single foot releve up and down in prep for a fouette launch to my attitude turns. I started off at the barre but that meant I was relying on the barre to support some of my weight even though I didn’t want too. In the end I came off the barre and did it as a centre exercise, I took a little while to get the knack with my right (Good) foot from the Plie up to releve, it was the sound of the ball of the foot/toes coming under to replace the heal that clinched it, like a hop that doesn’t actually leave the ground, its difficult to explain. In reverse (Coming down) the foot slides back into its previous position. I did a few of those in quick succession with the right foot and seemed relatively easy. The left foot was another story, after a few I found it very tiring, the releve although it was a little harder, seemed ok, but the down definitely wasn’t right, instead of hearing the short slide of the foot changing position on the floor, it was a slide bump eack time it came down and my left heal was starting to get quite sore. It seams at the end of the slide down during the last 8th of pointe the heal collapses and I go down harder than it should and noisily. I’m going to try and get some silicon heel inserts for my ballet slippers just to cushion it a bit, at least it will help me build its strength and hopefully get the attitude turns sorted.

[beckyl]

Michelle- roughly how many hours a week do you dance? And do you have any issues with your knees? A previous teacher says I have 'knock knees' and I 'roll in on my pirouettes.

 

I'm currently struggling a bit trying to find lessons. I decided I wanted to do more modern and also swap my open class for an RAD (grade 5, maybe 6.) So far I've e-mailed two schools this week and neither have got back to me I understand they are busy but I'm impatient to know if I could join an RAD class even though I would be ancient in it!

[Anna C]

They could be on half-term break this week, beckyl. :-)

[beckyl]

I was thinking that too but I know at least one of the schools still has classes during half term. I will try calling them if I haven't heard by the beginning of next week...

[Michelle_Richer]

Hi Becky

Please don’t gauge the number of hours I dance as a measure of anything, my ballet in the main is strongly biased towards dancing choreography from the classics and performances, on average its been around 15 hours a week, but on occasions much more. At one time running up to last summer on Tuesdays each week I would leave home at 6.30am, travel to Leeds the do a class followed by a rehearsal with Northern Ballet, then catch the train to London for a one-to-one rep session at a studio in Shoreditch, followed by two classes at English National Ballet.  I would arrive home around 1am the following morning. In that I had covered a round trip of approximately 500miles and done 5 hours of actual ballet.

 

Apart from Ballet, I socially dance salsa and the group of dances that go along with it on Friday evening for 3 or 4 hours, and the odd weekend party too.

 

 

As for knees they are generally ok, but at one time when we did pointe practice (and I’m very new to pointe) I use to wear a sports elasticated knee support as there was some discomfort on the left knee. These days that's gone, however if that knee is pressed down on the floor in front splits or sleeping swan pose then I can feel the discomfort. If its in rehearsal then I’m inclined to wear leg warms double over my left knee, the right one is ok.

 

My main issue is the Achilles on my left ankle, however I’ve noticed in recent times particularly after a long period on my tread mill there is a presence being felt in my right hip, that’s been there for a while but has never surfaced during ballet.

 

As for contacting schools, if I don’t get an email response I usually phone up and then go and see them to check them out, the teacher, facilities and protocols.

[sarahw]

Hi Michelle,

 

Re: Achilles and hip I got the same a few years ago while training for a triathlon on treadmill. The tendonitis settled within a few weeks partially and a few months completely after stopping using the treadmill. The hip took longer to settle so not so sure if that was treadmill related.

 

I can walk on a treadmill ok and use a high gradient to get a good workout. For me the trauma of running on a treadmill is just too much I think.

[youngatheart]

Hi Becky,

 

Don't know if you can get to Reading but it seems there is a new adult ballet school opening next month (see link below) which looks like it may be offering what you want:

 

http://www.adultballetstudios.co.uk/

 

I think this must be the lady who posted on here a few months ago, the timings fit. Note she says she is also interested in starting up in other areas if there is a demand, so over to you, ladies & gents....!

[beckyl]

Sounds amazing, youngatheart. Unfortunately Reading is just a bit too far from me but I will e-mail Rachael to tell her I am interested

 

I'm currently looking at a school that offers an ISTD syllabus- has anyone ever danced this? I'm worried because there are less grades I would be even more ancient in a grade 4 class or similar!

[Michelle_Richer]

Hi sarahw

 

For me the hip is treadmill related but for the moment its just an unwanted presence that I would not describe as pain, I just hope its not something that is likely to develop over time.

 

The Achilles issue actual gets better as the joint warms, in any case I don’t actually run on it just a brisk walk for 10 minutes as part of a warm up prior to stretching. The thing that has to most detrimental impact on my Achilles is my two classes at ENB on Wednesdays and I really don’t know what it is about them that has this effect. Leaving the classes I am fine, its when I stop and the body cools down that my left leg Achilles get extremely stiff and painful to articulate my weight through the foot, so I find I’m placing my weight on the heel only.

 

At first I though it was the combination of the grand allegro of the last class and the long walk back to south Kensington tube station, I dropped the long walk and it was still the same. I then dropped the grand allegro and it made no difference. The use of a resistance band towards the end of my journeys certainly help but it does not fully fix things. In addition to all this I do carry out Alfredson Heel Drop protocol twice a day as was recommended by my physio just over a year ago, its holding its own but not making any significant progress towards recovery.

[sarahw]

Hi Michelle,

 

It all sounds very frustrating. Is it floor related? Sounds as though you've explored all possibilities very thoroughly.

 

Sarahw

[Michelle_Richer]

Hi Saraw

I think its unlikely its floor related as its well sprung, the main place we do the grand allegro is the upper studio at ENB, which one of the nicest studio I have used, I prefer it to those at the Royal Ballet School in Covent Garden.

Edited February 27, 2015 by Michelle_Richer

[2dancersmum]

Nice to see adult ballet reach the national newspaper.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/goodlife/11416067/Its-Never-Too-Late-to...-Learn-Ballet.html

 

And she's such a lovely lady

[Michelle_Richer]

Well I guess she has youth on here side at only 74, she has along way to go to catch up with Scottish Ballet's oldest dancer.

 

See link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-24567818

[2dancersmum]

I posted the link because I liked an article reaching the national press about ballet being good and accessible for everyone - that it is for adults and not just children and because I know the people mentioned in the article  - not because I thought her age was remarkable.  I am well aware that there are many dancers out there older than her and she is too.  I imagine she hopes for many years dancing ahead of her.

[LinMM]

An inspiration at 74! And heres me thinking I might have to stop around 70!!

 

I really identify with what she says here ......about that moment you get into class something seems to happen and you find some energy from somewhere and come out full of life and ready for anything!

 

I didnt know there were such things as Adult Associate classes are these RAD run or by the BRB themselves.

 

I wish the Royal would do something like this!!( not that Id get in mind ;(