January 7, 2013

Beginner Ballet Tips: Strengthening Ankles

Français : Pied sur la pointe

Ankle strength plays a huge role in ballet, especially pointe. I’ve struggled a lot with my ankles so far, having to take some time off because of bad cases of tendonitis. However, I’ve been working to improve them through various exercises. Regardless of whether you’ve had ankle injuries in the past, these ankle strengthening exercises are useful to get ready for pointe work as well as ballet in general.

Prehab: Strengthen Your Ankles: While I was told to stay off my ankles in ballet, several of the different doctors that I saw recommended the last exercise in this article, writing with your feet. I find it’s super easy to fit this one into your routine because you can do it while watching TV or while lying in bed.

12 Ways to Build Ankle Strength:  This article, from Active.com lists a wide variety of ways to strengthen ankles, including Theraband exercises which are my favorite. Again, some of these, such as the balancing ones can be done pretty much at anytime.

What other exercises have you come across to strengthen your ankles?

Filed Under: Etc., Info, Outside Class Tagged With: , , , , , 3 Comments
January 4, 2013

Ballerina Profile: Joie of Some Assemblé Required

This week’s Ballerina Profile is Joie from Some Assemblé Required. She’s been dancing for an impressive 7 years now, since she was 21. Enjoy!
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Adult Ballerina Project: When did you start doing ballet as an adult?

Joie Brown: Age 21– I’ve been dancing just about seven years now!

ABP: Did you ever take lessons as a kid?

JB: I took tap dancing for awhile, but no ballet.

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

JB: When I was a kid, someone told me I was “too big” to be a ballerina, and I took it to heart. I steadfastly refused to take up my mother’s offer for ballet classes, even though I desperately wanted to do it. Many years later, I decided, “Aw, what the heck! Why NOT? You only live once.” I then promptly signed up with the Atlanta Ballet Adult Division.

ABP: Where do you take classes?

JB: I currently take classes at City Dance Studios with Carla Escoda from Ballet to the People here in San Francisco. I’m about to move to Los Angeles though, and will be on the lookout for a great new studio there!

ABP: What is your favorite part about ballet?

JB: Getting to look graceful– it’s a nice change from my everyday clumsy clonking about. I also really enjoy performing even though I don’t get many chances to do it. Also, learning to dance in pointe shoes is totally a girlhood dream come true.

ABP: What is your least favorite part?

JB: The fact that adult bodies have limitations. There’s only so much flexibility and extension a 27 year old body can give. (Now, if I could just get up to 3+ classes a week, maybe it COULD change…)

ABP: Who/What is your ballet inspiration?

JB: Anyone that does it better than me. Which is just about everyone! Hehe, in all seriousness, watching any ballet performance gets me inspired to dance!

ABP: What motivates you to keep dancing?

JB: I’m a visual artist, and my brain is constantly crowded out with noise/creativity/excitement. Ballet gives me a good 1.5 hours of mental silence– if you think about anything other than what you’re doing, then you are NOT doing it correctly!

ABP: Do you take any other dance classes?

JB: I don’t at the moment, but have taken Hip Hop, Lyrical, Modern, and Musical Theater before! (Plus the aforementioned tap when I was 6…) I would like to try a jazz class!

ABP: What are your hobbies outside of ballet?

JB: I’m an illustrator by trade, but I also draw in my spare time (for fun! I must really love my job). I also like playing video games, going on walks, baking, and reading voraciously!

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

JB: It’s gonna be tough, but remember to have FUN with it. That’s the whole point, after all! What helps me is imagining that I am dancing better than I am, and that I am wearing a giant pretty tutu with a tiara and sparkles, et al. On a stage. With lights. And people throwing roses at me! … thank goodness my other classmates can’t see inside my head!

ABP: Anything else you’d like to add?

JB: I have a ballet blog that I update occasionally at: www.blondieballet.wordpress.com. It contains my experiences in classes, random pictures and videos, and ballet-related drawings that I do. I’m also slowly adding in past entries from a journal I kept about ballet when I first started… so think of it as a blog that grows both forward and backward!

Filed Under: Adult Ballerinas, Ballerina Profiles, Interviews Tagged With: , , , , 2 Comments
January 3, 2013

How-To Tips: Make Your Own Tutus

Super Fluffy Aqua Iridescent Tutu

(Photo credit: pumpkincat210)

Even though I’m 21 years old, I’ve still always wanted a tutu, even though I don’t need one for a performance or a class. I want one for a photos I’ll be taking for the blog in the future, although I’m a bit wary of spending $20 dollars for a cheap one on the Internet (although I love DiscountDance for many, many reasons), because I won’t e able to compare colors to my leotards.

While the idea of making my own has crossed mind, I’m not big on sewing. This tutorial looks great (and for the most part, it’s no sew–just sewing a ribbon, which I’ll do by hand). Although it’s not going to hold up to a lot of dancing, since there’s no elastic, it still looks like it’ll be great for a photo shoot (the creator made them for her daughter to run in a race).

Do you own any tutus? Have you ever considered making your own?

Filed Under: Ballet, Clothing and Gear, Info Tagged With: , , , , , , , , 1 Comment
January 2, 2013

Guest Post: Different Teachers, Different Perspectives

Here’s another great guest post from Scott (he writes loveballet89 and In The Wings) on the benefits on taking ballet classes from multiple instructors.

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When I first returned to ballet class at 39 years old, I liked my one little ballet world.

I was devoted to one teacher, Vicki B., and an amazing group of ladies who became my comrades. I was happy, content, and did not want to shake up the status quo.

About three years later, our school went through a change of leadership, bringing in Mr. and Mrs, O as artistic director and ballet mistress. Classes that were once labeled “adult” became “open classes.”

Mr. O would be teaching some of the open classes (and would eventually be taking over the Monday morning class taught by Vicki B.). It was an interesting development considering our previous artistic director didn’t give anyone the time of day unless they were in company, let alone adults.

Some of my comrades were reluctant to take a class under a male teacher. Even I was, and I’m a guy. But I wanted to take an extra class, so I signed up for one of his classes.

I still took classes from Vicki B., who is most responsible for building the base I draw on. She taught from the cechetti method, while Mr. O was more SAB and had taken classes under Balanchine.

She was more “let’s build the fundamentals.” He was more “I will challenge and push you to see what you can do.”

I was amazed by how much I enjoyed both. I was amazed how well the classes complemented each other.

I’ve now had four teachers in seven years. I’ve picked up different things that I can use from each one. If you’re having trouble with pirouettes, sometimes a different opinion on how to do them helps.

This year, I’m taking three classes under three different teachers. Susan K. on Monday puts a huge emphasis on the movement of the arms and head. Mr. O puts more of an emphasis in movement quality on Thursday. And Mrs. O. on Saturday is a stickler for proper body alignment. I learn so much from each.

I’m not saying go out and shake up your ballet. But don’t be afraid to try a different class under a different teacher.

And take advantage of master classes if they offer them to adults at your studio.

I truly believe being taught from a different perspective every once in a while from what we’re used to can really help us improve as dancers.

 

Filed Under: Ballet, Info Tagged With: , , , , 3 Comments
January 1, 2013

2013 New Years’ Goals

Arabesque - Image from "Bio of a Dancer"

Arabesque – Image from “Bio of a Dancer” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I hate the idea of New Years’ Resolutions and in the past few years I’ve avoided most of them. Instead, I figured I’d make a list of goals I’d like to accomplish in ballet (and for this blog) over the next year.

Perfect my pirouettes.

Complete the 30 Day Stretch Challenge.

Make stretching a part of my daily routine.

Go to the gym at least twice a week.

Get my left split.

Get my right split.

Get my straddle split.

Achieve a decent 90 degree arabesque.

Go to every ballet studio in Philadelphia for adults.

Travel to NYC to take a ballet class.

Build core strength.

Strengthen my feet for pointe.

Take awesome photos of me in my ballet gear.

Create a forum for adult ballerinas.

Create a list of studio reviews for adult ballerinas.

What are your goals for the new year?

Filed Under: Ballet Tagged With: , , , , , 2 Comments