May 8, 2015

Adult Ballerina Profile: Emilee Ayers

10679831_10202366864563152_5848099646574163555_oThis week’s profile is of Emilee Ayers. Check out her blog, Everything I need to know about life, I learn in dance class, too!

When did you start doing ballet as an adult?

October of 2011 (I was 23)

Did you ever take lessons as a kid?

for two years at 6 and 7, then again at 10 and 11. But I was taught in correctly and ineffectively. (I didn’t know the names of any movement whatsoever save for an arabesque.

Why did you decide to take ballet as an adult?

Despite knowing the names of nothing, they said I could get on pointe in two years. (this studio let anyone on at a certain age. I’m glad I didn’t stay.) It had been my dream since I was a kid to dance on pointe, but my mom pulled me out of dance when I started gaining weight due to puberty and didn’t take me seriously when I wanted to go back.

Where do you take classes?

Munro Ballet Studios and I’m an apprentice with the Corpus Christi Ballet

What is your favorite part about ballet?

I absolutely love the history and tradition behind it. It blows my mind to know that so many people have done the same thing I’m doing and learned the same technique that i’m learning. I feel like I’m part of a special group of people that consists of people from all over the world. Ballet is a universal language. I also love how it makes me feel. I am most alive when I’m dancing.Continue Reading

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May 1, 2015

Adult Ballerina Profile: Meghan of Wellies and Pearls and Ballet Shoes

DSC_0624This week’s profile is of Meghan. Check out her blog: Wellies and Pearls and Ballet Shoes.

When did you start doing ballet as an adult?

I returned to ballet in 2014 so I’ve only been back for a short while.

Did you ever take lessons as a kid?

I took classes for a year or so when I was 6 to 7 and then my family moved overseas so my early ballet career was short lived. I’ve always loved ballet, but it made it difficult to stick to anything as a military brat. Thankfully, I discovered musical theater when I was about 11-years-old so I had plenty of opportunities while growing up to sing and dance and ham it up! Later, I took ballet in college which was a great experience, and also after graduation when I was an intern working in D.C. … then I took a decade-long break!

Why did you decide to take ballet as an adult?

The short answer is that I love ballet and found I really missed it! It was something I always said I would come back to when I had a good work and life balance so that I could fully commit.

Where do you take classes?

I take classes in the adult program at the School of the Richmond Ballet and feel so fortunate to be able to dance there.  I especially love that that the SRB has such a wonderful program geared at adults. I also take classes at a small studio near my work a couple of times a week.

What is your favorite part about ballet?

I love the whole ballet environment – the structure, the discipline, the combination of athleticism and artistry required, and especially, I love the challenge.Continue Reading

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April 27, 2015

Updated Studio Guide + Request for New Studio Listings and Reviews

We now have a total of 60 studio listings on the website, which is fantastic. I’ve finally caught up with adding all the studios I had backlogged from submissions from awhile back. Now that I’ve finally gotten that done, I’m looking for more studio submissions! You can submit the studio you take classes at, the studio you own as well as reviews for studios.

This time around, I’m looking for a little bit more information on your part to help make the submissions even better and more accurate (as well as make my life a bit easier and get the submissions up even faster!) If you want submit a review and there’s no listing yet, please create a submission for that, too!

You can use this form to submit a studio for a listing (which anyone can do!):

You can use this form to submit reviews:

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April 26, 2015

Improving Petit Allegro Jumps with Kathyrn Morgan

One of the biggest things I personally struggle with is jumping, especially because while I was injured I was banned from doing any jumping, so I have less practice in it than anything else.

In this video, dancer Kathryn Morgan gives tricks and tips for helping you jump higher, faster, and better. They’ll also help to strengthen your calves and ankles!

Check out Kathyrn Morgan’s website, If The Pointe Shoe Fits, for more great tutorials!

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April 25, 2015

Adult Ballet Community On Facebook

Screenshot 2015-04-25 09.38.43

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I just wanted to let everyone know that our little Facebook Adult Ballerina community has grown to 211 members! If you want to join, just send me a request over at https://www.facebook.com/groups/adultballerinas/ and I’ll add you!

I’m also trying to organize a list of adult ballerina blogs and social media links over there, so if you want to find more of your fellow adult ballerinas, that’s a great place to start!

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