33 replies to this topic

[katerinaver]

Hello, I am 24 years old, just finishing my first semester of ballet 1, with a really good teacher at my university. I was wondering next semester how many classes do you think i should take? This semester I just took ballet 1 2hrs/week, because I wanted to get myself back in the game without any injuries (I haven't done ballet for over 15 years, prior to this class). What do you recommend how many hours/ classes a week to advance at a steady pace. I think I am ready for more now!

Thanks,
Katerina

[Victoria Leigh]

Every day would be good (Five days a week, if there are that many classes offered.)

[JayBird]

I know this post is from a while back, but I was wondering how many times most adults here are dancing. I'm going for 3 days a week and usually for at least 2hrs. I was considering picking up another class at a studio near my home, which would bump me up to four. It is getting pretty expensive though. A close family member is also freaked out by how much I am dancing. I can't seem to explain why it is so important to dance throughout the whole week. If I'm already dancing 3x a week, will it make a difference to go an extra day, and if so how would you expain this to a person who has no dance experience?

[Serendipity]

I get those looks and the "omg" effect all the time.

I dance every day except Sunday, at two different studios. Both are happy with me going wherever I feel I want to, due to the level of technique I have attained in the past and currently.

Schedule is as follows:
M - 1 hour
T - 1.5 hours
W - 3 hours (supposedly 2.5 of them on pointe, but that's hit or miss at the moment)
TH - 1.5 hours
F - 2 hours - one of those on pointe
Sat - 1.5 hours

Add at least 5 days of warm-up cardio, abs and stretch at the gym beforehand and you can see an insanely full schedule.

Last year, I found it too stressful at the start of the school year to do a schedule like this so scaled it back. This year, it seems to be settling in nicely.

What do I say to those looks? Just simply, "I enjoy it." Usually there's a look of awe (and perhaps pity when my back is turned! ).

[MelissaGA]

I am happiest when I can get to 3-4 ballet classes a week. They are all scheduled as 90 minute classes, but most run closer to 2 hrs.

Usually, I only manage 2-3 classes a week. I do find a difference when I can take class at least 3 days a week. A 4th day, when it happens, is a wonderful luxury!

[Hans]

I agree with the above--enjoying it is a great reason! You could also mention the physical fitness aspect of dance. Many people go to the gym every day, for example.

[Flashnflaky]

I was going to say the same thing as Hans. No one would bat an eyelash if you had said you were going to the gym every day of the week. Many people who get that into the gym exercising also enjoy and feel really good about what they are doing, just like you do about your dancing. There's nothing wrong with having a healthy habit!

I think it's just the "ballet" part that's tripping people up...since mostly their exposure is performance-thin young ladies onstage. They just somehow can't wrap their heads around the fact that ballet is great for anyone!

[Reebs511]

I currently only have classes three days a week and I miss the fourth class (the teacher isn't available during the week anymore). I noticed a big difference when I went from one class to two, then to three-four. Each time I added a class, my mind/body connection improved and I found it easier to remember combinations, incorporate corrections, etc. If there were classes available every day, I would take them.

Occasionally my husband and I will squabble about the importance of ballet, usually when I complain about having to miss a class. He's supportive, but doesn't always understand when I get upset when I miss class. I've tried to explain it like this: he enjoys running and going to the gym, two things that he can do pretty much whenever he wants. I enjoy dancing, but I can't really dance at times when there aren't classes. Since class is only given at precise times, I want to arrange the more flexible aspects of my schedule around it. Usually when I remind him how cranky I get after a few days of no ballet, he shuts up.

[whatsthepointe]

Usually when I remind him how cranky I get after a few days of no ballet, he shuts up

I should try this technique with my boyfriend . He started pouting when I told him I was planning to take three classes a week... This is the maximum I can reasonably achieve, not due to a lack of classes offered (between my two studios I could take a class every night), but considering other engagements/schedule conflicts and money issues... Ballet classes are expensive compared to other activities!

[gimpydancer]

[/quote]
... Ballet classes are expensive compared to other activities!
[/quote]

Not compared to horseback riding they're not. I rode from the time I was a kid up until about 10 years ago (riding lessons once a week until I was able to lease a horse and ride three or four days a week as an adult). I think the cheapest I can get a lesson in this area, and it's not an expensive area, would be about $35 an hour. And that's just one one-hour lesson a week.

I love horses but I love being able to do something indoors when it's really hot or really cold outside and I can dance three days a week for what it would cost to ride once a week. Plus it ends up being more efficient in terms of time. It takes a good half hour to get the horse ready plus at least another half hour to an hour to clean him up.

[whatsthepointe]

Not compared to horseback riding they're not.

Not a fair comparison!

[gimpydancer]

OK, how about ice skating? We pay $110 for 8 lessons, and they're only 1/2 hour (plus 10 minutes of "free skate"). That works out to $27.50 an hour, still more expensive than ballet.

[Flashnflaky]

How about comparing it to snowboarding? It's not available year round everywhere, but here it's ALMOST year round (they ride the glacier in the summer) at Blackcomb & Whistler.

Board: $500
Bindings: $150
Jacket: $250 or more
Pants $100
Boots: $250

Winter skipass: $1529
Summer skipass: $400

I don't know about you, but although I LOVE snowboarding, I'd rather spend the cash on ballet classes! )

[whatsthepointe]

Oh gosh, you all like expensive sports! Snow boarding it's still not a fair comparison - not better than horseback riding. Hopefully, one does not need to buy ski boots every year! My snow pants are about 10 years old and they still serve me well
And, assuming that a skipass gives unlimited access for the season, by combining Winter and Summer skipasses one has all year round ski access. That is the same cost of unlimited classes at my ballet studio (2000 $/year)...

How about swimming??? Here, it is about 9 $/hour at the local community centre. My local gym membership is 1 $ a day, so if I went there three days a week for one hour and a half, that is a little more than 1.50 $ an hour. In Toronto, skating has comparable prices (per class of course) to ballet (who wants to freeze on the ice for longer than 1/2 hour, anyway?). Other dance forms also have similar costs (I tried ballroom dancing). Swing dancing was cheaper. My boyfriend used to pay 10 $ for his Irish dancing classes (1.5 hours). For the same 1.5 hours class in ballet, I pay twice that. And I am not addicted to pointe shoes, or I would have to add the cost of shoes every, say three months for a recreational dancer? 100 $ a pair...
So, do you see my reasoning?

But this was not the topic of the original poster.
Ideally, one should take as many classes as feasible. For a recreational dancer, this usually translates into 3-4 classes a week. Definitely, one class a week is quite insufficient to make any kind of progress.

[AerBear]

Just adding my 2 cents here... I used to be a competitive synchronized skater and in my last year, my bills were up to $15K (not including travel, food etc. to 1 international competition and Worlds both overseas). So for me to only pay about $600 total for my classes right now seems super cheap (albeit my parents paid for skating). But after skating when I started ballet, I expected it to be way more expensive than it is. I guess my perception of pricing is a bit off