Ballet update

[Xena]

Hi all

 

Although I haven't been able to post as often as I would like, I have been keeping an eye and reading all your exploits. I'm still settling in, although hubby and cats are now over here just awaiting all our furniture from the US.

 

I thought I would just fill you in on the trials and tribulations (no tribbles were involved) of finding a ballet class.

 

So first of all I actually managed to meet Mr Robin..a fellow balletalerter and he took me to his ballet class which is quite a way from where I live. It was a Cecchetti class adn the studio was nice and the teacher seemed great and to be honest I really would haev continued, if it weren't for the fact that it is incredibly awkward to get to w/o a car, and although the lovely Mr Robin did drive me, he sometimes has to work and hence unless he goes to class I couldn't go. So I haven't been back to it..it is just that bit too far, and its not fair on Mr Robin.

 

Then I found a class in my local village..oh boy where to begin. Its back doing NATD syllabus classes. After doing 16 months of non-syllabus based classes I hate it so much, I bite my tongue and go , because it is the only ballet class I have found. There are only two of us as it is.

 

OK so i may get the chance to study towards my teaching exams, gee I already know the entire syllabus for the level we are doing. (Before I left to go to uni for my degree way back in 1993, I studied this level already..in case you think I was being cocky!);)

 

I am just so shocked at the lack of anywhere decent to dance in this city. London, yeah fine there are enough open classes to go to somewhere, and i thought as Manchester is the second largest city outside of London, that it would have some sort of classes for adults. But alas. I am hoping and keeping my ears and eyes out for anything. I have asked at most of the school sin the yellow pages.

What is incredibly frustrating is literally just across the road form where I work is the Northern Ballet School. They have 5 brand new studios, and no one other than that school uses them, out of term time you can hire the studios. I am rather tempted to speak to the school and see if I can do drop ins or if they know somewhere, but I know the answer I will get....the mentality up here is that if after the age of 18 you want to do ballet, but not as a professional you cannot be serious, therefore we don't want to teach you.

 

So I have brought the new NYCB workout No.2. (well new in the UK) and I make up classes in my head and on paper, and my kitchen is big enough to practice pirouettes. But I am so missing the SFDC with its 7 days a week lessons....sigh...

 

 

Jeanette

[Guest grace]

jeanette, i am only guessing really, but i am sure that a city the size of manchester must have some decent adult ballet classes? surely it is just a case of knowing where to go - and as soon as you meet people there, they will fill you in? or am i wrong?

[Kate B]

Xena, thanks for updating us - I miss you on this board!

 

Like grace, I thought it was hard to believe that there was NOTHING suitable for you but I did a quick search on the internet (work is very slow today!) and you seem to be right. The issue also has been discussed on Ballet.co and no one came up with much at all!

 

Perhaps you could try the university of Manchester or one of the other universities there and see if they do some sort of classes. Many local further education colleges run courses so they might do dance ones. I know it is vacation now but you might be able to plan for the autumn?

 

It seems crazy, but the biggest cities do not always have the best things on offer. Perhaps you could get a group of interested people together over the summer and hire a studio.

 

In fact, if there are only two of you in your current class, could you ask the teacher to do what you want? Or could you try a jazz class or something to keep you dancing?

 

Meantime, it sounds like you are doing the right sort of thing. At least you are en famille again!

 

Keep in touch.

[Tracey]

Hi Jeanette,

 

I too did some searching on the internet for you, and found the same as Kate! I did see that the students dance society where you work (I took that from your email address on the Richmond thread!) do a class at 5pm on a Tuesday, but they may not be running by now. The only other suggestion I have for you is to get a list of teachers from RAD or ISTD and do some ringing around. I know how you feel - it's taken me so long to find decent classes, but at least I have found them. Maybe the 'north/south' divide is kicking in here - there seems to be a lot of ballroom stuff up there!

 

Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

Tracey

[Guest grace]

tracey's suggestion is a good one.

 

however, since NBS is in manchester, -isn't it?- with all their beautiful facilities and so on, - and all ballet ventures ALWAYS NEED to raise money - i suggest that you phone NBS, and ask whether they might consider starting a regular adult ballet evening class, if you can guarantee a minimum income for the teacher - say, the equivalent of what 3 students would normally pay.

 

that would put the onus on you to either find a minimum of 2 friends to take along, OR just pay the extra & have a private lesson, until word spread and more people started coming along.

 

they are bound to have at least ONE teacher who might be interested in a little extra income after hours...

 

& NBS just MIGHT end up being grateful to YOU for the initiative...

 

in the interim, don't forget that pilates is quite likely to be available somewhere.

[Kate B]

It said on one website that NBS used to do adult ballet classes but they stopped - I wonder why! Can there really be that little interest in a conurbation the size of Manchester?

 

Another thought! Maybe you should see if there is a gym that does the ballet-fusion type classes and see if there are people there that want proper ballet classes!

[Xena]

Hi guys

 

thanks for your ideas. Yes I will have a look around the gymns, and yes I think I may write to NBS and ask why they stopped teaching adults and what would make them start again? I would have plenty of ideas for them.

 

I tried the union ballet classes..hmmm..not being mean or anything but they were held in well a conference hall, which has a huge window on one side, and we used the window bar..as a barre so while i was doing barre everyone could see me. Which wasn't really the worst bit. It was just not very challenging at all. I guess I have been spoilt in SF.

 

I am in the process of phoning around for teachers......

 

I remember in the US, it took me a year before I found the place I did, so I haven't given up yet!

I do my NYCB 2 workout and now get to dance a bit of Balanchines Tarantella with the NYCB dancers:p now thats gotta be a bonus!, and have Peter Martins teaching it! He even says "yes, thats lovely' every now and again, so obviously I must be doing it right!;)