Guest firebird718 Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 I'm 15 (going into 10th grade), and have recently become more serious about my future as a ballet dancer. Although I don't know right now if I have exactly what it takes, I'm working my hardest to improve to reach that "professional" level. I was wondering what the recommended number of classes/hours i should be dancing per week to be considered for a career as a ballet dancer? I'm not necessarily looking to join the best company, because I know I'm not a prodigy, but a well-known, well-established company where I can do what I love, perhaps as a member of the corps, would definitely suffice. Currently, during the school year, I am dancing around 9-10 hours a week, 4 days a week, not including practice, with pointe clases on 3 of those days. I would be able to squeeze in a few more classes here and there, and plan on taking open classes(broadway dance center/steps) when I have days off, etc. I attend a highly competitive academic high school, though, so i wouldn't want to sacrifice my academic performance, in case a dance career doesn't work out. However, I feel that this amount (10 hours) might be too little for training for a professional career. A professioanly opinion on the recommended amoutn of hours I should be dancing would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 Welcome, Firebird718, to the Young Dancers' forums at Ballet Talk here on Ballet Alert! Online! Congratulations! You have just met the place where the rubber meets the road. At this time you should be taking daily technique classes (every day but Sunday), and at least one other class in addition, be it pointe (preferably 2-3/week), character, modern or jazz or Pilates/stretch. It is now that you have to make the decision - are you going to be a dancer, or go to college? If I hear "in case it doesn't work out" one more time, I think I'll scream. "In case it doesn't work out" is the almost certain road to failure in ballet. You will always have a mind, you will not always have a cooperative body. If you intend to dance professionally at all, you must assume that you will either enter professional-track training now, to enter the job market at the end of high school (or even before!) or prepare for a dance major in college. The choice is now up to you. Make it quickly, because you are now in a countdown with the calendar. Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted August 23, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 I agree with Mr. Johnson, of course, however, I really think that more pointe work would be preferable. Our students only have 3 pointe classes a week, following their technique classes of course, and the other two days they have modern or jazz. I would like to see them have 5 days of pointe and the jazz or modern classes be a third class. This is looking at a more ideal situation, which is hard to find! Quote Link to comment
Guest firebird718 Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 Thank you for responding! I will definitely see to it that I squeeze in a technique/pointe class 2 more days per week. In addition, to the technique/pointe, I'm taking a jazz/theatre dance class once a week, and a jazz/tap class once a week, so I think I have that part of it covered. Quote Link to comment
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