November 7, 2012

Calling all Philly Ballerinas and Instructors!

Not that I don’t love my friends and readers from all over the country (and the globe!) I’m just looking to connect with some ballerinas locally.

If you’re an adult ballerina from Philadelphia (or the surrounding area) I’d love to hear from you! I’m trying to find more adult ballerinas in the area to set up workshops, meetups, and maybe even a performance.

Even if you just think you might want to do ballet, shoot me an e-mail! I’d love to hear from you!

If you’re an adult ballet instructor whose interested in helping me set up any of these things, please contact me as well. I’d really like to focus on expanding the adult ballet community here.

My e-mail is adultballerinaproject@gmail.com! Don’t hesitate to e-mail me if you have any questions!

English: .

English: . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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November 2, 2012

Ballerina Profiles: Ashley of Ballet Shoes and Mickey Ears

This week’s interview is with Ashley, a fellow adult ballerina who got back into ballet after doing it from the ages of 3-12. She runs Ballet Shoes and Mickey Ears, be sure to check it out!

Make sure to wish her a happy birthday as well on Sunday!

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

Ashley: I started taking classes once a week in October 2011. I started taking more classes towards the end of spring and through summer.

ABP: Did you ever take lessons as a kid?

A: Yes!! I started taking dance at the age of 3 years old!! I took ballet, tap, and eventually jazz. I took classes until I was 12 years old, when my family moved.

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

A: I decided that I finally wanted to get involved in dancing again last year. It’s always been a part of my life. I love dancing! No matter where I am or when!! I was needing some independence and thought this would be a perfect hobby. I’m normally a really shy person when in a crowd of people. Taking ballet as an adult has allowed me to become more outgoing and confident in myself.

ABP: Where do you take classes?

A: I take classes in a nearby small town. It’s about 30 minutes from my home, but I also work out there, so I’m always right there!! It’s a small studio that only offers ballet, pointe, and hip hop. There is only one teacher, and boy is she amazing!! She used to be a professional ballet dancer. Watching her dance is pretty amazing.

ABP: What is your favorite part about ballet?

A: My favorite part about ballet is the constant challenge. Just when you feel like you’ve got a combination down or your tendues just perfect, bam!! Something new and more difficult comes along! I love the struggle. I have good days and bad days, but in the end they all turn out for the better.

ABP: What is your least favorite part?

A: The least favorite part probably has to be the tightness in my muscles. Even though I stretch and take 6 hours of classes a week, my muscles and what not always feel sore or tight. I guess that what you get for being an adult and not a little 12 year old!!

ABP: Who is your ballet inspiration?

A: I have a few! First off, all of the other fellow adult beginners I found through writing my blog. I think it’s awesome that there are other adults out there trying to do the same thing as me! It’s really neat to see where everyone has started and their improvements already!! Having fellow adult beginner ballerinas inspires me to keep going. To keep trying. To see that everyone struggles or gets an injury. The next inspirations are my teacher and the younger girls in my classes. My teacher is absolutely amazing. She’s such an incredible dancer and artistic director! Being able to share a glimpse into her world is so special. I love listening to her tell stories about her dancing days. She’s just an amazing person. She makes me strive to be the best adult beginner ballerina!! The younger girls in my class also inspire me. They inspire me to keep trying and never give up. It’s very inspiring to have a young girl say I did something really good, or be there to say its okay just try again when I struggle. Having them in class is great. They are such caring, good spirited girls.

ABP: What motivates you to keep dancing?

A: Seeing the improvements I make from week to week motivate me to keep going. Some weeks are worse than others, but things improve when you least expect it. The other thing, or person I should say, that motivates me to keep dancing is none other than my very best friend, the Legal Ballerina. She’s always there for me when I need her most. She knows me better than anyone else. She’s always there to put things in perspective after a bad class or tell me I did a great job when I have a good class. Even though we may not agree on everything, I couldn’t do this without her. She motivates me to be a better dancer (and person) every day.

ABP: Do you take any other dance classes?

A: Right now I only do ballet and pointe. That’s all I have time for!! I would love to try hip hop, but I don’t think the young girls want us older women hip hopping around in their class. Hah!!

ABP: What are your hobbies outside of ballet?

A: I like to crochet, read, watch movies with the husband, go biking, geocaching, camping, hiking, photography, and walking the dog. I just got into crocheting this summer, we’ll see how that goes!! My husband and I really enjoy doing things outdoors. We discovered the cool world of geocaching this summer while on a camping trip! I really like taking pictures with my fancy camera, as I like to call it. I’m still learning, but I think I’ve taken some pretty awesome pictures!! I’m also crazily obsessed with all things Disney. From planning every one of our trips to buying puzzles to wearing clothes, I love all things Disney!! I know pretty much everything you would need to know about Disney. I love it!!

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

A: It may seem really intimidating and scary to go to your first class, but just do it!! The teacher and the other girls in class are there to support you! I would do a little research online, check out all of the adult beginner ballerina blogs here, and get some info on what to expect at your first class. Nothing’s worse than showing up being the only person not in a leotard or tripping on your elastics!! If you’re curious about ballet, just go for it and try a class! Most studios will offer you a first free class to see if you like it. That’s what I did!! Just know that no matter what, do what you want to do because it makes you happy. Don’t look back on life and say “what if?!”. Ballet can be very fun yet challenging at the same time. Give it a try!!

More Beginner profiles here:

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November 1, 2012

Happy November!

Happy November, adult ballerinas!

I haven’t updated in a few days because Tuesday night, before I could even make it to ballet class, I came down with an extreme case of tonsillitis. I’m headed to my second doctor’s appointment tonight to try and figure out what’s going on so I can get better and back to ballet.

In the meanwhile, how’s everyone been?

And don’t forget to check back tomorrow for our Adult Ballerina Profile this week of DisneyBallerina!

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October 29, 2012

What is your favorite leotard?

The Adult Ballerina Project wants to know, what is your favorite leotard and why?

Capezio corporate logo

Capezio corporate logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I only own two (with a third one in a mail and on its way from Discount Dance Supply–although I’m sure it’s going to be a little while because of Sandy). I ordered a Theatrical pink leotard because the reviews weren’t bad and it was super cheap.

My favorite of the two is my black camisole one from Capezio–the fabric is soft and it does a good job at making me feel super sweaty (gross but true). It was also fairly cheap from Amazon.

So tell me what your favorite leotard(s) are and which ones you’d recommend to your fellow ballerinas!

I’ll be spending my day stretching and working out since it’s unlikely that my ballet classes will be held for the next few days!

 

Filed Under: Ballet, Clothing and Gear, Info Tagged With: , , , , , 17 Comments
October 26, 2012

Ballerina Profile: Chris from Leotards and the Buns in Them

Chris does some ballet attitudes while mounting his bike while he does cyclocross racing.

Chris from Leotards and the Buns in Them recently talked to Adult Ballerina Project about why he does ballet and what advice he gives to his fellow ballerinas. As I’ve mentioned before, I first found Chris’s blog when I was looking for instructions on how to build my own barre, and I found them on his website–it worked wonderfully and I only spent about 30 dollars. You can find out how to make your own here.

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

Chris: I was in college, so I’d say 22, 23.

ABP: Did you ever take lessons as a kid?

C: No, but I always wanted to.  For some reason I couldn’t get up the nerve to tell anyone I wanted to be a dancer.  I happily played sports instead, baseball, soccer and eventually tennis. However I did get a yearly dose of dancing, we did square dancing in elementary and junior high. I didn’t care much for it at all, until I realized I got to be close to some girls who I had huge crushes on. However, in my mind those two styles of dancing weren’t even in the same galaxy, square dancing didn’t do it for me.

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

C: I realized that if you wanted to do something you should go ahead and do it. It’s a total cliche, but life is too short not to do something you always wanted to do. I found myself with the time and the means and couldn’t think of a reason not to try. Plus, I had a class with two girls who were ballet students in the conservatory program and after talking to them all semester long I finally got up the nerve and signed up for a class, and fell in love with it from class number one.

ABP: Where do you take classes?

C: Currently I go to the School of the Kansas City Ballet. They just moved into a beautifully rehabbed building, a former powerhouse for the nearby Union Station and former post office. I’ve been to a long list of other schools since I started stretching across the country as I’ve moved around. I also try to drop into classes when I travel, Chicago, Portland, San Francisco…

ABP: What is your favorite part about ballet?

C: Everything, it’s such a liberating experience, it’s difficult to pick what would be my favorite.  But if forced to pick something, I’d say jumping or leaping.

ABP: What is your least favorite part?

C: Paying for class, those damn class cards it can get expensive, especially when your taking three classes a week. I’ve purposely never sat down and added up what I have spent on classes and dancewear. Cha-Ching!

I don’t much care for the injuries classes may or may not have caused or have aggravated. I’m currently on a two month hiatus, tendinitis and an injury from a bike accident, only a few more weeks to go though.

ABP: What motivates you to keep dancing?

C: It’s pretty simple, I just want to improve. I can be quite competitive at times and the thought of classmates improving while I’m not really gets me going. I know that I haven’t a future in ballet, but I keep at it regardless. That’s one reason I built myself a barre. There was talk about a performance opportunity for the adult open classes, which really peaked my interest, I’d love to be in a place where performance is a possibility.

ABP: Do you take any other dance classes?

C: No. But I’ve tried modern and jazz, they were fun but I think I’m a classical ballet kind of guy.

ABP: What are your hobbies outside of ballet?

C: I race cyclocross, a quirky form of cycling, it’s a f’ing blast!   It’s funny but several members of my cycling team are former dancers and we all have found that our background in ballet has enhanced our racing both physically and mentally.

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

C: Do it! It’s never too late.

More profiles:

Filed Under: Adult Ballerinas, Ballerina Profiles, Ballet, Interviews Tagged With: , , , , 1 Comment