Beginner Profile: Alisha of Four Eyed Ballerina

IMG_0939The last profile of 2012 is from Alisha of The Four Eyed Ballerina. She’s got a lot of awesome posts up on her blog, including one about how to make an awesome and easy ballerina bun for class here!

Adult Ballerina Project: When did you start doing ballet as an adult?

Alisha: About 2 1/2 years ago, at age 22.

ABP: Did you ever take lessons as a kid?

A: I did very briefly when I was about 5, but got kicked out because I would just run around and never listen to the teacher. My mom was pretty disappointed.

ABP: Why did you decide to take ballet as an adult?

A: I loved ballet for a really long time and decided it would be a fun way to exercise. I ended up catching on pretty quickly and fell in love with it. Now I don’t think of it as exercise at all, just something I’m really passionate about getting better at.

ABP: Where do you take classes?

A: I take classes at two different studios; I dance at an intermediate level and also take pointe classes.

ABP: What is your favorite part about ballet?

A: The satisfaction you get when suddenly one day something has noticeably improved, like your leg can go higher or something you’ve been struggling with is suddenly just coming together naturally.

ABP: What is your least favorite part?

A: The sweat. Its gross, ok? Some people leave entire puddles on the floor at their spot at the barre. It creeps me out how much sweat and grossness is probably on those barres! But its worth it.

ABP: Who/What is your ballet inspiration?

A: I love Polina Semionovoa. She is such an amazing dancer and I really hope I get to see her dance in person one day; IMG_1715bweverything just see,s so effortless for her. As for past ballerinas I really like Gelsey Kirkland and Karen Kain. Gelsey was just so light and sprite-like with so much energy and Karen was such a beauty but also full of strength. I am also inspired by dance photography and music.

ABP: What motivates you to keep dancing?

A: This is a tough one! It is really hard sometimes to drag yourself to ballet class after work. A lot of the time I show up tired and starving but I find when I don’t go I feel really guilty and when I force myself to go I feel really glad that I’ve gone. So I suppose my motivation is the feeling of accomplishment and happiness that I get from my classes.

ABP: Do you take any other dance classes?

A: Nope, but I do take Yoga classes at work during lunch which I find really helps with flexibility for Ballet.

ABP: What are your hobbies outside of ballet?

A: I am one of those people who has way too many hobbies and not enough time. I love to draw, paint, take photographs, sew, cook, knit, garden, read, bake, hike, canoe, spend time with my animals, and probably other things I am forgetting!

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

A: It is definitely not easy, and as far as I can tell it never will be! Ballet is not for the faint of heart, you will have to constantly work at it and you will probably look like a fumbling idiot at first, just don’t give up! With a lot of hard work and determination you will start to see improvements; I for example have moved up to an intermediate level in just two years and one of my studios even said I could attend the advanced class if I wanted to, I also have the privilege of getting technically good enough to go en pointe. If I can do it in two years so can you 🙂

ABP: Anything else you’d like to add?

A: Just keep dancing.

Ballerina Profile: Nerea of Interpreting en Pointe

This week’s profile is of Nerea from Interpreting en Pointe, a blog that focuses primarily on ballet as well as some translation. Check out her awesome post entitled “Ballet is French.” 

Nerea performing  Kitri's wedding variation from Don Quixote in July of  last summer.

Nerea performing Kitri’s wedding variation from Don Quixote in July of last summer.

Adult Ballerina Project: When did you start doing ballet as an adult?

Nerea Fernández Martínez: I started two years ago, when I was 20.

ABP: Did you ever take lessons as a kid?

NFM: Yes, I started taking ballet lessons twice a week when I was 6. I used to go to school and learn Maths and Science like everybody else, and then in the afternoon I went to the gym to learn ballet with a beautiful teacher. We used to do performances at the end of each year, so I know what being onstage is like!

I continued dancing for seven years (I even got promoted to pointe) and then, when I was 13, I had to stop because the school decided not to offer those lessons anymore. It was very hard for me, but since I lived in a really small village, there was no other option: real schools were very far away from my home.Continue Reading

Ballerina Profile: David Chapman

studio03This week’s adult ballerina profile is of David Chapman, who bravely started ballet at the age of 57 two years ago. Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions!

Adult Ballerina Project: Did you ever take lessons as a kid?

David Chapman: No–dance wasn’t on the agenda for anyone in my grammar school let alone boys, I played cricket and rugby.

 ABP: Why did you decide to take ballet as an adult?

DC: My wife and I always followed Strictly Come Dancing on the television and I’ve always danced “freestyle” with enthusiasm. We thought about taking ballroom lessons but I wanted a real challenge that involved athleticism, acting and dancing which I could do on my own and with others – ballet ticked all the boxes and we go together (my wife took ballet class ino her teens and so did our daughters).

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Q & A with Julia and Aaron, the creators of Barre: A Real Food Bar.

From Realfoodbarre.com

Julia from Realfoodbarre.com

Julia and Aaron of Barre, a real food bar designed both for ballerinas and all sorts of athletes, were kind enough to do an interview with me for the site. Both are professional dancers and agreed to talk both about their product and their experience with ballet, They even gave us a few tips for adult beginner ballerinas!

To find more about their product, you can check out their site here. In addition, they’re also running a Facebook competition for a giveaway of barres and another gift by submitting your interpretation of “Barre, A real food bar.” and “Art”. Check out their Facebook page here.

I’ll have my review of their product (and a giveaway!) up Adult Ballerina Project later this week!

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Ballerina Profile: Scott of In the Wings

Scott is the priest in this photo from a Dracula performance a few years ago.

This week’s profile is of Scott, who runs a blog called In The Wings as well as LoveBallet89. Make sure you check it out and look for guest posts from Scott on Adult Ballerina Project soon!

Adult Ballerina Project: When did you start doing ballet as an adult?

Scott: Hard to believe six years ago at the very ancient age of 39.

ABP: Did you ever take lessons as a kid?

S: I took lessons as a teenager and danced in college. Gave it up partially because I’d grown up, and part because of what people thought of me as a guy dancing. Regretted quitting.

ABP:  Why did you decide to take ballet as an adult?

S: Partly because I wanted to live a healthier lifestyle. My younger sister died of cancer. My father started having heart problems when he was in his younger 40s. I was standing in the lobby of the studio where my daughter took classes and realized the fever to dance never really went away.

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