Top 2015 Adult Ballerina Projects Posts

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Top 2015 Adult Ballerina Projects Posts

Dec 29, 2015 - adultballerinaproject.com - 920
My Favorite (Ballet) Things with Johanna of Pointe Til You Drop - Adult Ballerina Project

If you're in the adult ballet community online, you've no doubt heard of the blog Pointe Til You Drop written by Johanna Aurava of Finland. We're delighted she was able to talk to ABP about some of her favorite ballet things... 6 Favorite Ballet Dancers?

Dec 29, 2015 - adultballerinaproject.com - 894
3 Essential Stretches to Improve Your Turnout - Adult Ballerina Project

Whether you're trying to improve your flexibility, warm up for class, or just relieve some muscle soreness, stretching can be extremely beneficial. For this tutorial, we've picked our favorite basic hip-opening stretches inspired by our favorite yoga poses and in-class exercises. Each of these poses can be modified to be either more or less intense, ...

Dec 29, 2015 - adultballerinaproject.com - 1041
Back to the Basics: Five Tips for Polished Dancing - Adult Ballerina Project

Ballet is an intricate, complicated style of dance. Whether training begins at a young age or later in life, the technique is challenging and requires not only great strength of the body, but of the mind, as well. Sometimes, successfully memorizing combinations and releasing the distracting thoughts of the day is a triumph in itself.

Dec 29, 2015 - adultballerinaproject.com - 767
To Return or Not? - Adult Ballerina Project

Many adult ballet dancers take a break for various reasons like work, family and school obligations, health issues and financial constraints. Returning to ballet after any hiatus is often difficult. Even harder for me was deciding whether or not to return. Until 10 months ago and despite having Morton's Neuroma, I attended 2-3 ballet classes ...

Dec 29, 2015 - adultballerinaproject.com - 876
Finding the Best Fit for Your Ballet Soft Shoes - Adult Ballerina Project

Fitting the right ballet shoe is somewhat like finding a brassière or the right shade of makeup: it's almost impossible to buy the right one unless you've tried plenty of them on. Even if you have a pair of shoes that you've worn before and that seem to work well, it's always a good idea ...

Dec 29, 2015 - adultballerinaproject.com - 985
Check out these core workouts to help improve your stability + more for ballet! - Adult Ballerina Project

A Roundup of Core Workouts To Improve Your Stability for Ballet.

Dec 29, 2015 - adultballerinaproject.com - 930
The Off Day Ballet Dictionary - Adult Ballerina Project

Messy classes are unavoidable, despite our best efforts. So, perhaps we should make lemonade and think of off days as a unique subset of ballet with its own rules and definitions. (Apologies in advance to ballet teachers worldwide) Arabesque à la Seconde: The proper name for "a la sebesque".

Dec 29, 2015 - adultballerinaproject.com - 870
5 Easy Remedies for Your Post-Class Soreness - Adult Ballerina Project

For a ballerina, there's no bigger pill to swallow than starting a warmup with all-over muscle soreness. You worked your buns off the day before, and today, you're feeling the consequence. Your legs each weigh a ton, your arms are like cooked noodles and your abs are so sore that even a chuckle sends you into the ...

Getting Enough Sleep Over the Holidays: REM-Fit Review

Disclosure: I received REM-Fit in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

It can be really hard for me to get a good night’s sleep — especially during the holiday months, when both my work and life can get pretty hectic. Plus, I really need my sleep now that I’ve stepped up my fitness game: running 3-4 times a week, Pilates, and ballet (although, for now, ballet is on a hiatus for the holidays — more on that later).

So I jumped at the chance when Fitfluential offered me the opportunity to check out the following products to see if they would help with my sleep issues:

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I’ve struggled a lot lately to find the perfect pillow that would help me sleep better (especially since I can get quite grumpy when I don’t get enough sleep!). I’ve bought really stiff pillows to see if they would help (they didn’t), I’ve also had really fluffy pillows that were huge (that wasn’t great either). However, REM-Fit’s 300 series pillow has been great so far, and the perfect combination of the two: the right amount of fluffiness and stiffness as well as the perfect height. I’ve been calling it my “Goldilocks” pillow for being jusssssssssssst right. It’s been the perfect fit for me and has helped me sleep a lot better, whether I sleep on my stomach (yes, I know its bad for you, but it happens), my side, or on the rare occasion, my back.

Things I love about this pillow:

  • It’s adjustable: There’s cute little fiber-fill on the inside that you can leave in or take out to get the pillow to the perfect height for you. I like to leave it all in, but it’s nice to have options, too.
  • It’s cool: There’s a ton of features that help keep this pillow a nice, cool temperature.
  • It helps protect against allergens: Allergies are my worst enemy, pretty much year round, so I love this feature. A lot.

REM-Fit also sent me a sleep/activity tracker that’s been great for tracking my sleeping progress as well as my many activities. I also love that it has a watch face, which my previous tracker did not.

So if you’re looking for a great gift for the athletes in your life and you know they struggle to get the perfect night’s sleep — REM-Fit might be the perfect fit for them. Plus, you can use my code, KG20, for 20% off in the REM-FIT store!

How do you make sure you get enough sleep when life gets busy?

Disclosure: I received REM-Fit in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Ballet Instructor Profile: Christina Koinis

Ballet Studio PicHow long have you been dancing?

17 years.

Why do you dance ballet?

I dance ballet because it is good for the body and the soul. I love the movement and structure of taking daily ballet class. I’ve found that ballet requires both strength and fluidity. Ballet has become very personal, giving me a way to express my emotion.

Who/What inspires you to dance?

Both my family and nature inspire me to dance. My family has taught me to set goals with my dancing, as well as teaching. I live in Florida so I spend a lot of time outdoors near the water. I’ll often replicate and integrate movement similar to the ocean waves into the classes that I teach.

How long have you taught ballet?

12 years.

Where do you teach ballet?

I teach at my own ballet academy, Christina Koinis Ballet LLC.

Who do you teach?

Ages 3 through adult seniors.

Why do you teach ballet?

I want to help each individual reach their own personal goals. I have a passion for sharing what I have learned with other people. There are dancers everywhere who have that spark inside of them, but need the right teacher to pull the ability and talent out.

What is your favorite ballet step to teach and why?

My favorite step is rond de jambe à terre (circular movement of the leg on the ground). This one step incorporates so many applicable lessons for body placement. I personally had a breakthrough in my understanding of technique when this step was explained accurately and I understood it. Now when I teach, I love seeing a student’s expression as they begin to find their own turnout and body placement.

What advice/tips would you give to adults who want to begin ballet for the first time/adults starting ballet again?

Do not be afraid! I recommend finding the right teacher who has a good perspective on adult ballet students. We shouldn’t compare ourselves to others. Every dancer has a starting place where they can work from and progress! I recommend getting a ballet notebook. From day one of your lessons write down vocabulary, class notes, and corrections.

Anything else to add?

Follow me here:

christinakoinisballet.com

facebook.com/christinakoinisballet

https://twitter.com/ckballet

Ballerina Profile: Kat H.

11248074_801941201893_3359701117220624683_nWhen did you start doing ballet as an adult?

3 weeks ago!

Did you ever take lessons as a kid?

Yes. I started when I was 2.5 and danced up until I was 21.

Why did you decide to take ballet as an adult?

I missed it terribly! I have been trying to be better about taking care of myself, and dance feels natural. The local studio started having adult ballet classes and I jumped at the chance!

Where do you take classes?

Lotus Studio in Salem Oregon

What is your favorite part about ballet?

The way my brain still remembers how to do it (even though my body isn’t listening yet) and how fast I’m seeing results. My posture is improving, my flexibility has already increased, and my stamina is getting better every day.

What is your least favorite part?

That my brain remembers how to do everything but my body isn’t listening yet. 🙂 It’s so frustrating to set up for a pirouette and then lose my balance half way through. My body isn’t the same as it was 9 years ago.  Also I’m not happy with the current selection of larger sized dancewear. That needs to change.

Who/What is your ballet inspiration?

Wayne Sleep is an inspiration. His documentary Big Ballet helped me get over the fact that I’m not built “like a dancer” anymore. It really doesn’t matter.

What motivates you to keep dancing?

How happy I am when I have my ballet slippers on. It’s like a drug. I just want to keep dancing once I start. I’m already seeing results too!

Do you take any other dance classes?

Not at the moment. I used to take jazz, tap, lyrical, ballroom, and I’ve taken a Zumba class or two. I’m hoping to start taking ballroom again this year. There aren’t many adult dance classes in my area…yet.

What are your hobbies outside of ballet?

I ride motorcycles, play golf, and remodel my house.

What advice would you like to give to those who want to start ballet or have just started?

If you want to do ballet, then go try a class! Don’t worry about how silly you look, because you don’t look nearly as silly as you think you do. As adult dancers, we aren’t all going to be tall lean size 0’s with 180 degree turnout. If a size 12, 190 lb, big cheasted (I’m talking 34GG’s here…)30 year, with 90 degree turnout can dance around in a leotard and tights so can you! Everyone else in that class is so focused on themselves that they don’t have an ounce of thought left to worry about you. 🙂

Anything else you’d like to add?

I’d love to see more adults be empowered and get into ballet. The dance world won’t change itself. Ballet isn’t just for little girls and skinny bitches for goodness sake! (Note: I’m NOT skinny shaming…I love all dancers equally.)

Ballet Instructor Profile: Liz Borromeo

Sun King Photo Shoot1How long have you been dancing?

About 30 years.

Why do you dance ballet?

Ballet is where I began my training, and I continue to find new ways to improve my technique all the time. Doing ballet helps my focus and I especially enjoy taking class myself, as after a great ballet class, I feel like my mind and body get centered again…

Who/What inspires you to dance?

My students (of all ages) inspire me. I find that hearing a beautiful piece of music will give me instant inspiration to dance and create as well. When I am feeling emotions deeply, I am inspired to dance.

How long have you taught ballet?

I have been teaching ballet for about 20 years.

Where do you teach ballet?

I teach at my own dance studio as well as in various other studios in Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR. I also am a teaching artist in local public schools, though I focus my teaching more in Modern dance and dance for musical theater in those venues.

Who do you teach?

I teach students of all ages (from 2 to adult-including active Seniors).

What other types of dance do you teach (if any)?

I teach Modern dance (based in Graham technique primarily), Improvisation (including Contact Improv), dance for Musical Theater (mostly classic Jazz styles) as well as West African Dance.

Why do you teach ballet?

I love to see students make connections from class to class as they gradually master ballet. I like to encourage students who maybe think that ballet won’t be as enjoyable as other dance forms to give it a try and see them become inspired to continue their training.

What is your favorite ballet step to teach and why?

Pirouettes–actually turns of all kinds. Throughout my own training, working on turns has been a constant challenge, and I love to help students discover what they need to do to be successful with pirouettes. I find that for myself as a student, if I have a good turning day, it’s a great class, and if my turns are “off” it really influences how I feel about dance class…helping my students have a good turning day is a great feeling.

What advice/tips would you give to adults who want to begin ballet for the first time/adults starting ballet again?

I would say go for it and let them know that just having the courage to start (or return to) class is a huge success. Taking ballet is a chance to really focus the body and mind, it’s a fun experience with other adults (we have so much fun in our adult classes) and it’s really an accomplishment to dedicate time and effort to something that requires so much discipline. Ask questions, love the amazing thing that your body can do and let yourself enjoy dance class.