Anyone Can Do Ballet!
Audrey Hepburn is today’s Google Doodle, and Today would’ve been her 85th birthday. Audrey always wanted to be a ballet dancer. Here’s a video of her dancing:
Have a happy Sunday, everyone–I’ll be watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s while getting some work done!
Georgia Canning started Tutu Times when she was a University student. Since then, it’s grown into a platform for her adult ballerina students as well as a place for all dancers to discuss all things dance-related!
What is your website, Tutu Times, about?
Tutu Times was a blog I started back when I was at University and has since turned into a platform for our adult ballerinas and the dance community to discuss all things dance related! It’s constantly evolving.
How long have you been dancing?
I’ve been dancing since I was 3 years old!
How long have you been doing ballet?
Since I was 3! It was my first style and will probably be my last. I love contemporary, but they say the first step you learn is a plie and the last step you master is a plie.
Who/What inspired you to dance?
No one in particular. It wasn’t until I was about 10 that I started identifying my ‘heroes’ in the dance world. Kimberley Davis from the Queensland Ballet and Lucinda Dunn from The Australian Ballet were notable favourites. They’ve both retired now. Which makes me feel a little old! My favourite male dancer was Paul Boyd, who later became my coach.
What training do you have in dance/what is your background in dance?
I studied all styles growing up (ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, lyrical etc) and focused primarily on Ballet and Contemporary when I trained with The Australian Ballet School. I was trained in the Russian method (Vaganova) and continue that style as a teacher. Although there’s something a little American about how I dance. Because the USA doesn’t have a rich history in Ballet like Russia or England, they’re very progressive and experimental. Combine that with the fiercely passionate Australian style and I dance and teach somewhere in between all that! I’d like to think I take the best parts of each style.
Where do you teach ballet?
I have a dance studio on the Gold Coast (Australia) called GC Dance. Our adult classes are run under a different business name, Tutu Times.
How long have you taught ballet?
I started teaching Ballet to children when I was at University. So it’s probably been about 6 years now! However I’ve only been teaching adults for the past twelve months. It’s very different but I absolutely love our adult classes!
Who do you teach (ages, gender, level, etc.)?
Absolutely everyone! I don’t believe Ballet is off limits to anyone.
What other types of dance do you teach (if any)?
I can teach all styles, but primarily focus on Ballet, Jazz and Contemporary.
Why do you teach ballet?
There’s something about Ballet that is so pure and honest. It’s technically demanding, requires absolute concentration and allows you to express yourself through the most elegant movement. I don’t know what else lets you do all those things at once?! Ballet allows your body and mind to evolve, inquire and be real. Movement in general triggers an organic way of expressing oneself. It’s honest. If I’m having a bad day, I feel so much better after taking a class. The structure, discipline and moment to express puts my life back into perspective.
What advice/tips would you give to adults who want to begin ballet for the first time/adults starting ballet again?
Dive in! Don’t feel self conscious and remember that Ballet requires commitment and repetition! Don’t expect to be perfect and understand everything in the first class. It may take a week, or even a whole year to feel absolutely on top of things in class! You never stop learning so it’s unlikely you’ll ever feel 100% confident. I also constantly say in class, BREATHE! Breathing is so important.
What are you favorite activities/hobbies outside of dance?
I love going to the beach (we have some beautiful beaches on the Gold Coast!) and enjoying the outdoors. I also love to travel and try see the world during my holiday breaks. New York and Bali couldn’t be more dissimilar if they tried, but they’re my favourite destinations.
Finally over this next weekend I’ll be able to get back into the swing of things and resume my five day a week posting schedule (I miss it!). I’ve just been a little bit under the weather, not to mention busy.
Starting last Thursday, I was feeling pretty crappy, thinking I had some sort of stomach bug. I wasn’t sure of the cause, but it was definitely bad enough to affect my work and my plans to go to ballet class Thursday night. Luckily, I felt well enough to go to class Friday night.
HQ tagged along to Friday’s class–something that always makes me happy–and for a little while we thought we were going to be the only ones in class. My ballet instructor said that if we were the only ones, she would show us some partnering steps (an idea that slightly terrified me). Some more people showed up, so we didn’t get a chance to try it out. However, my ballet teacher said the next time the other male dancer who takes the class comes, we’d “play” around with some partnering stuff after class.
The rest of my weekend didn’t go quite as planned–I made it to Content Camp and learned some cool things but we ended up leaving early. I felt pretty much downright terrible from Saturday evening into Monday mid-afternoon, when I started to feel better. I think I might have a slight avocado allergy, since I ate a lot of them around the times I felt sick. I also started feeling better once I stopped eating them, and I’ve had other slight issues when I eaten a lot of avocados before. (My sister thinks she might have a slight banana allergy–and both are related to the rubber tree).
Luckily, I still managed to feel alright to go to Monday’s class, which went well. I’m looking forward to hopefully making it to at least two classes this weekend as well as sneaking a run or two in as well since I’ve been feeling better.
Have you ever done partnering steps in your ballet class, or even taken a pas de deux class?
I shared these yesterday on social media, but wanted to share it again. This is my favorite Ballet de Chat photo, but make sure you go check them all out at Pointe Til You Drop!
This week’s profile is of Dan Hynds, who blogs at Ballet Chap and also helped start an amateur ballet company, Shires Adult Ballet.
When did you start doing ballet as an adult?
Around 4 years ago.
Did you ever take lessons as a kid?
I dabbled as a teen, but never to any serious level.
Why did you decide to take ballet as an adult?
I hit thirty and lots of things were at a crossroads in my life–I needed to find a “me” thing to do that ideally kept me fit as well, so I decided to revisit ballet and haven’t looked back!
Where do you take classes?
I regularly take classes at the Sophie May School of Dance, near Bedford, and With Amie Brotherton in Northampton. I also travel to London for regular pas de deux workshops.
What is your favorite part about ballet?
It is so expressive and all consuming. When I dance it allows me to switch off from the real world. It pushes me to constantly challenge myself.
What is your least favorite part?
Allegro and small fast jumps! I’m 6’2 and just under 200 pounds; I do big and dramatic, not quick and nimble!
Who/What is your ballet inspiration?
It might sound clichéd but I’m inspired by many of the other amateur dancers around me–the adult ballet community is such a supportive caring group of people. More than once I have close to quitting, or been really nervous about a class or performance and I have been picked up by those around me.
What motivates you to keep dancing?
I want to be the best I can, and I don’t like quitting!
Do you take any other dance classes?
I did one term of tap in my younger years and that was quite enough, thank you!
What are your hobbies outside of ballet?
I’m a singer, I ride horses and cycle.
What advice would you like to give to those who want to start ballet or have just started?
Go for it–I wish I had ten years ago.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Yes! I’m part of a group who have started an amateur adult ballet company–we plan to give more opportunities to adult dancers to perform in our area. We are called Shires Adult Ballet, and we are on Facebook and Twitter–website coming soon!
