September 26, 2014

Ballerina Profile: Deborah Novak

NOVAK BALLET

Deborah Novak returned to ballet over ten years ago at the age of 47 after having danced ballet professionally until the age of 23. Read her incredible story below!

When did you start doing ballet as an adult?

I returned to ballet in the fall of 2003 at age 47.

Did you ever take lessons as a kid?

In 1960, I began to study ballet at age 5. I danced throughout my high school years with the Jebedon Ballet theatre, a local company in Huntington, West Virginia. For college, I went to NYU, where I studied with Nenette Charisse, and also at the American Ballet Theatre, with teachers such as Leon Danelion, Patricia Wilde, and Madame Swoboda. After college, I danced professionally in national touring companies, regional theatre, and summer stock, playing such roles as Maria in West Side Story. I danced until 1978 and stopped when I was 23. Funny, I saw that many of my friends quit ballet at the same time.

 Why did you decide to take ballet as an adult?

I was at the gym one day, listening to that horrible pounding music they play, watching the stupid daytime sit-coms on the TV bank, and it suddenly hit me that I can do better than this. I was trained as an artist, and I might as well do something artistic. So I went to one of the Nautilus machines, used it as a barre, and began a slow developpe a la seconde. And then it happened: I saw that I could still do it. I let go of the “barre” and guess what . . . I balanced. Was it a perfect developpe? Far from it. But my extension was still there and my placement was still there.

Where do you take classes?

I’m currently with the Charleston Ballet in Charleston, WV, but I am cast as the “Russian Dancer” in the Huntington Dance Theatre’s 2014 Nutcracker. Here, I am working with choreographer Robert Royce, and taking his company class with numerous 16 year-olds.

What is your favorite part about ballet?

Believe it or not, I enjoy barre-work. I love to work on my body, developing fine motor-control, getting in touch with little-used muscles, and improving my technique. Barre-work is like a journey into the self. I’m constantly checking my body, and trying to discover what I need to do to get better. On another point, what I love about ballet is melding movement to music. I feel that music has been de-emphasized in much contemporary dance–indeed, many choreographers can’t even read a score. But in ballet, the music still holds a primary place. And I love moving to classical music.

What is your least favorite part?

My least favorite part is what most people love: performance. I have done over 1000 productions (not just dance, but theatre, film, and television), and I’m not thrilled by putting on a tutu and a tiara. I’ve been there and done that. I do, however, enjoy rehearsing and developing a role in order to make it my own.

Who/What is your ballet inspiration?

About 3 years ago, I directed a PBS documentary entitled STEVEN CARAS: SEE THEM DANCE. This program, which won an Emmy, centered on Mr. Caras, a former New York City Ballet dancer who became a world famous dance photographer. In the course of doing this show, I interviewed many of the Golden Age Balanchine dancers, such as Jacques d’Amboise, Patricia McBride, Kay Mazzo, Peter Martins, among many others. These were the dancers I grew up with in the 1960s, and this group is my inspiration to this day.

What motivates you to keep dancing?

I have worked in the performing arts for many years, and I feel that I have something to say in dance. Since I know the balletic vocabulary and am a musician as well, I would like to try my hand at choreography.

Do you take any other dance classes?

No, I only take ballet classes. The so-called Modern or Contemporary vocabulary only appeals to me insofar as it is applied to a basic ballet technique. (I do, however, cross-train with yoga.)

What are your hobbies outside of ballet?

I love college football. On Saturday afternoons, after morning classes, I park myself in front of the TV and switch channels from game to game. Interestingly enough, many of the girls in my company are football fans as well. When we are backstage in our pointe shoes, I get a kick out of the big burly stage hands, who can’t believe we’re talking about a quarterback’s completion percentage.

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

For a person returning to ballet, I recommend going very slowly. Don’t try to do what you did at 16. Ease back into it. You will get a number of aches and pains, but nothing that can’t be overcome with a little physical therapy and TLC. If you are just starting out as an adult, you must have enormous patience with yourself. At each class, find one thing that you did very well. It might be a simple port de bras, but that’s fine. Just try to master one element and focus on what you did very well.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I would like to encourage adults to take ballet. The rewards are great: anything from taking the fatty deposits off your thighs to working at a high level of artistic expression. Get a good teacher, who knows balletic technique, and go to class as often as you can.

Do you have a blog?

No, but since I’m 60 years old now, and still dancing on pointe, I’m considering it. Some very interesting situations have developed with the 16 year olds I dance with, and I think others might find it interesting, and perhaps, amusing.

 

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September 24, 2014

Following your dreams (it is possible): Pineapple Dance Studios

The Royal Ballet Company almost blacklisted me once.

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I was four years old and my long-suffering mum took me to London to see The Nutcracker, and I was more excited by hitting audience members with a plastic wand than watching the performance.

Strangely, this behaviour was not permitted; a stern usher instructed me to behave, or I would never step foot in the prestigious Royal Opera House again.

Not gonna lie, this first experience didn’t allude to a life-long passion for dance.

It wasn’t until I was eleven with an obsession with S Club 7 when the signs started to show. I wanted to learn every single dance move, to the point where they’d change it to S Club 8. I would be that good. I spent hours practising in my bedroom, acting nonchalant whenever my sisters knocked on the door.

But behind the privacy of four walls, I was safe. Granted, my Beanie Babies weren’t an enthusiastic audience, but I never considered myself to be a ‘true’ dancer; one that could go to classes, perfect their turn-out and achieve the splits. That just wasn’t me. And so, my secret dance love affair continued. I would record music videos from CD:UK on my ‘GRACE’S TAPE – PLEASE DO NOT RECORD OVER’ tape, and practice the popstar of the moment’s routine.

Reaching my 18th birthday, I felt old. It was all very dramatic. I hadn’t chased my dreams, taken chances, truly lived. Y’know, the usual.

I was someone I felt I should be, not the person I wanted to be. I set myself resolutions, and the first of these was to learn how to dance.

I remember my first ballet class distinctly – an intimidating group of near-professional 14 year olds in pink ballet tights and shoes with fancy ribbons. And me – a clueless teenager in some tracksuit bottoms and a pair of holey socks. It was tough and humbling. A whole new cosmos to breath in; incredible strength and technique to conquer (all whilst remembering to smile like you were in the Miss World competition).

I left the first class exhausted. But vibrant. Maybe I wouldn’t be the next Darcy Bussell, maybe I looked like an idiot. But I had found my identity. Over the next few months, I tried and loved everything – modern, tap, lyrical, musical theatre, commercial.

A year later I left my hometown for University, and as all true love affairs go, things don’t always run smooth. New surroundings, academic challenges and friendships took me away from dance classes.

After graduation, I found myself in London. A huge city, I was lost. Full-time work was an alien concept – that Friday Feeling, the Sunday blues… I was suddenly an adult (in the technical sense, at least), yet something was missing.

After a quick Google search, I found Pineapple Dance Studios. I was sceptical – surely they only let professionals in with a penchant for Fame?

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No, it turns out. You need neither experience nor leg warmers – just a passion to learn. Class after class, I fell in love all over again.

That was nearly two years ago. Pineapple now feels like my second home. Friendly faces and inspiring teachers, I can be me. Dance gives me focus, purpose, contentment. It encourages me to better myself, whilst teaching me to accept myself now.

I am still very much a beginner. It will take years to make significant progress, and of course there are thousands of dancers more skilled than I am.

But that’s OK. I don’t dance for other people. I dance because for me, dancing is breathing.

This post was originally published here.

Filed Under: Ballet, Blog Tagged With: , , , , 1 Comment
September 22, 2014

Adult ballet: injury risks and reality checks

When  I took up ballet as an adult and as a beginner there was a common protest from my friends:

You’ll wreck your body.

Ballet has developed a reputation, deserved or otherwise, of being an injury-prone activity. We accept this blindly without taking into account who is being injured and how.

A recent article in Melbourne’s Herald Sun, barely more than 100 words in length, carried the headline “Ballet hazards high.”

The headline alone invites justification of pre-determined perceptions of ballet.

 “New research from Sports Medicine Australia has found young dancers are at a higher risk of injury than other athletes, with 75 per cent risk.”

That’s a worrying statistic – but read on.

In a quote from the study’s researcher, Monash University’s Christina Ekegren, we learn more about the who, rather than the what, they were studying,

“We found that the majority of the dancers monitored danced six days per week, with each participant dancing an average of 30 hours per week.

This was on top of their normal school work.”

The sample is a very specific demographic.

In fact, as Christina Ekegren tells the ABC, the dancers they looked at were between the ages of 16 and 18 years of age and were at a pre-professional level of dance; studying at the Royal Ballet School, the Central School of Ballet or the English National Ballet School.

When asked if her findings could be extrapolated to the adult beginner demographic, Christina Ekegren says no.

“Í don’t think my results could be generalised to the population you’re interested in,” she explains. “many of the dancers’ injuries were the result of overuse due to high training loads.”

As previously mentioned, the dancers are aspiring professionals who were dancing an average of 30 hours per week and doing school work on top of that. Christina Ekegren also notes to the ABC that there are also potentially getting less sleep than necessary.

“Relative to the number of hours that they’re dancing, the injury rate is actually quite low,” she says. ” The activity itself is quite low risk but what makes it high risk is the fact that they’re dancing for so many hours.”

When it comes to adult beginner ballet classes taken for fun, fitness or even fashion, it would be the exception to dance more than a few hours per week. If you were to dance every ballet class at my studio, you’d only be dancing five and a half hours per week.

Yes, injuries are possible in any physical activity – whether from poor technique, lack of warm up, exerting yourself beyond your capability, or otherwise.

Netball, one of the most popular sports in Australia can lead to broken fingers and even has an injury with its name on it: netball knee.

Likewise, tennis elbow. But would your friends show concern for your new-found interest in tennis or netball?

Pre-existing concerns about ballet-related injuries generally assume a professional, or a pre-professional dancer, but when taking into account sensible measures, there’s no reason adult beginner ballet should be particularly dangerous.

If you select a studio that uses qualified teachers, follow the instructions given and dance to your own level, then there is no reason to fear embracing a new pastime.

This post was originally published here.

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September 21, 2014

Ballet = Fun, But Sometimes That’s Easy To Forget

About two weeks ago, I had a pretty miserable ballet class. I was upset with how I was doing in center floor and pretty much beat myself up about it for a while afterwards. I forgot that ballet class was supposed to be fun.

I didn’t make it to another class until this past Friday.

Part of the reason I didn’t go back was because I was feeling exhausted and sick, but deep down I was too nervous go back. So I didn’t.

I made excuses as to why not to go — I needed more sleep, I should do some work, I’m too tired. But I finally forced to go on Friday even though I didn’t get much sleep the night before.

There were only five of us in the class and I ended up standing at the front of the barre (technically the back) and had someone who was taking her first class following behind me.

That’s a lot of pressure for a “first” class back, and I definitely sweat more than I usually do. But I was really proud of the fact I managed to remember (most) of the combinations, even those in the center. I was practically in tears by the time I left.

Happy tears. Ballet is supposed to be fun. I need to remember not to beat myself up so much when I have a “bad” class.

I went to class again on Saturday morning. I also did pre-pointe in my soft shoes afterwards.

My body has been really sore and tight lately after class too, so I’ve decided to try to make more of a point (no pun intended) to stretch more at home, especially now that I have the room to  do so. I cleared off my barre (I had been using it as a drying rack) and did some stretching earlier today.

Another exciting thing that came out of this weekend is the fact that my instructor plans on starting at square one again in a pointe class on Fridays, so I’ll finally be able to start again.

How have your classes been going now that it’s practically fall?

Filed Under: Ballet, Ballet Class Recap, Blog Tagged With: , , , 2 Comments
September 20, 2014

Q and A with Nancy Lorenz, Author of the Strength of Ballerinas

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I was given the lovely opportunity to do a Q and A with the author of The Strength of Ballerinas, Nancy Lorenz, who is also a fellow adult ballerina! The book came out earlier this month, and you can learn more about it here and enter a chance to win it at the end of this post!

Why did you start ballet?

When I was younger, like many kids, I wanted to wear the pretty tutus. Then, later when I started to train more seriously, I still wanted to wear the tulle, but I wanted to dance to that glorious music too.  For me, there is an immense pull between the image of the graceful ballerina, the dance, the music, and the art that comes together so well in ballet.  The interpretation of the music to movement to audience is what makes it so magical.

When did you start taking classes?

I had a late start.  I took my first classes when I was four, but then not again until I was twelve.  I was unable to continue, but took it up again, at age sixteen and a half.  I started seriously studying too late to try for an apprentice program, or audition for a company.  I went to New York to study acting and dance, and I picked up my ballet training again.  I was in dance heaven there, and really loved the New York classes, as they were very professional.

What is your favorite part about ballet?

I love the drama of it all – especially the tragic ballets.  While I also love the happier dances, the folk ballets, and the shorter works, I think that the “white ballets” with their tragic themes bring us out of our normal lives, and into a world that enraptures, mesmerizes, and entertains us for a few hours.  It is an escape where we can suspend belief, and fall headlong into the story.

It’s the combination of the dramatic moments, again coupled with the crescendos of the music, as well as with the sweet violin that conveys the more tender moments that pull us toward the art.  Swan Lake, Giselle, Les Sylphlides are my favorites.

Least favorite part?

Sore feet.  Lack of stamina. It’s a continual perfectionism to remember to turn out, hold my hands just so, and point!

My character, Kendra, in The Strength of Ballerinas, tries to “maintain lift, land light as a feather, and stretch the jump.”  She thinks about all of these things at one time, yet makes it look effortless and graceful – a difficult task. Add some “star quality” and you have quite a tall order!

The prima’s do it; however, comparing yourself to the most elite performers makes you feel that you fall short. Everyone, though, you must remember, is a different performer, with different personalities, unusual presentations….  Every dancer has his or her own special set of qualities to offer.

What is your book, The Strength of Ballerinas, about?

Overall, the book is about having a voice in your own life.  It is about being able to accomplish something, despite an obstacle, and the way to do that is through determination, and, an immense love of your art.

Kendra Sutton is a ballerina with a clear path into an Apprentice program of a big company, but when fate deals her a different path, she must fight with all her might to get back to New York and to a placement in Manhattan Dance.  Does she do it?  You’ll have to read the book to find out!

Who should read it?

The book is YA – that’s for young adults, aged 12 through 18; however, I think that the idea of aspiring to be a ballerina is something that is pretty basic for females.  I can definitely see twenty-something’s reading it also (and I wouldn’t be surprised if a mom or two snuck in to read it, secretly admitting that they too always wanted to be a ballet dancer!  Adults of all ages, I think can relate.)

Even if you don’t like ballet (and many girls don’t) this book is about dreams, overcoming obstacles, and finding your own path in life.  Whether you are an actor, writer, musician, science major, or star athlete, you still need dedication. This book is about dedication, and discovering the cost of getting there.

How does your own personal ballet (and life) journey relate to your novel?

Because my training was not constant, I understand the angst of completing training to get somewhere.  I know what it’s like to have a goal, and not have the opportunity at hand.  Even with uninterrupted training, many dancers’ goals are thwarted, due to injury, proximity to a good ballet school, emotional and financial support, ability…. The list can go on and on.  Determination really kicks in to keep your eye on the goal though, no matter how long it takes.  I think I conveyed some of my personal journey in my character, Kendra.

What advice would you give to others looking to start ballet?

Well, even though I still take ballet three times a week, including pointe class, I work as a college adjunct professor in my day job.  As I say in my bio, my advice is for dancers to go out and read and learn more about the world.

Learn about other historical eras, and see how the clothing, culture, politics, customs, and time periods affected the way people behaved and moved.  After all, ballet companies perform many “period pieces,” and wouldn’t it be nice to know the etiquette of the era to bring back to your art?

For instance, how do you let a gentleman take your arm, as you walk into a dinner party?  How does wearing a longer skirt affect your movements onstage?   Which curtsy is appropriate for a ballet, set in the 19th century? The 18th?   It’s called, “style.”  You see it in the first act of  The Nutcracker; in Frederick Ashton’s, A Month in the Country.

 If you’re set to perform the sixteenth century lovers, Romeo and Juliet, you’ll have to follow the protocol of the era in dress and etiquette as well.  What’s the difference between a pavane, a Quadrille, and a waltz?

This is a long answer, I realize; however, I know that all of you out there know ballet.  You’ve got the pirouettes, arabesques and lifts.  My advice would be to learn more, by reading, or watching historical movies in order to bring knowledge back into your art!

Overall, I think that ballet is a zenith of art, as it contains music, drama, and dance.  We are so lucky to be able to participate in this art that inspires, moves, and elevates civilization itself.

I love ballet.

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