How many ballet classes a week for you?

[Guest BBNButterscotch]

How many ballet classes (hours) do you take for a week? Just wondering. I know alot of adults dance for personal fulfillent, so I don't know if maybe they take less than the younger kids or something, but I was wondering.

[lampwick]

I take ten classes a week. Seven are ballet technique and three are floor barre. I started in January after a five year break from ballet. I danced my entire life and always remained at a high Intermediate/low advanced level. Not quite good enough to dance professionally.

 

I guess I just want to see how far I can really go with the proper amount and quality of training. I always took about five classes a week growing up, which I now know was not nearly enough to reach a high level. Nobody told me! I developed lots of pain in my hips and knees and finally decided to stop.

 

I started again for fun in January (after a five year break) and was lucky enough to find an excellent teacher who's helped me out with the lack of strength and incorrect placement which was causing all the pain in the first place. Now I dance with much less strain and discomfort. And a LOT more extra conditioning work to work on weak areas.

 

I'm not the type of person who would be satisfied with two or three classes a week. I'm obsessive and a perfectionist. I would be too frustrated with my lack of progress. I'm much more patient now then when I was a teen. And not afraid of looking bad. Now that I know what it really takes to be good, I hope I can get there this time around.

[koshka]

I started back after an 18 year (!) absence and at first it was only a class or two per week. That was 2 years ago. This semester I am enrolled for 5 (3 technique, one pointe, one Pilates) but when possible I take 7 (5 tech, one pointe, one Pilates).

 

I suspect that lampwick is more ambitious than I am, had a shorter break, and was better before the break, but we are similar in that we want to see where we can get.

 

PS Oh yes, and I bike to work (9 miles round trip) whenever possible, which is usually about 80% of the time. I am not sure if this helps or hinders the ballet.

[Jaana Heino]

I started ballet two years ago, from completely scratch. I currently take four classes a week. I think most of the adult students on my level take maybe two or three, classes. Some only come once a week, but they are really struggling with the material.

[Guest ogs]

I just came back to ballet after a 16 yr break and I am currently enrolled in 3 classes per week. On top of that I take 1 pilates class, 1 or 2 ballroom classes and ride horses 3-5 times per week. My poor husband barely gets to see me these days!

[lampwick]

Koshka--you reminded me of something important. I did not start back immediately with that many classes. For the first three months, I was only doing three times a week and taking it very slowly. I've been adding on average, a clas a month. It would be very dangerous to start back with the volume of classes I'm taking. Even now, I have to be very aware of how my body is doing week by week. If I need a break because of shin splints or something, I don't hesitate to cut back a bit or sit out jumps for a couple of days. Just thought I should add that in case anyone reading this has decided to make the return to ballet after a break. You really do need to build up gradually.

[Sanna Koulu]

Lampwick, your schedule sounds wonderful

 

I'm only taking class twice a week at the moment (and both classes are only an hour), because of problems with my feet. I'm hoping to add classes this coming year. It would be great to have class daily -- and it would even be possible, what with the fantastic adult classes available here! -- but I guess I'll have to work up to it. Progress is just so slooooow with just 2 hours of ballet per week

 

- Sanna

[Guest luna]

I came back to dance approximately 4 yrs. ago after a 12 year break. I started off with just one class a week, then the next year added a second class, and then last year I moved to a ballet class each day Mon.--Thurs., with an additional jazz class 2x per week. This year I've cut back a bit, as my dance schedule was interfering with my work schedule. Now I take Wednesday evenings off, but I've added a Saturday morning yoga class.

[Susanne]

Christ! I don't know how you people manage to find the time to get to class! I only attend to 3 classes a week for the first time (Have been attending 2 classes a week during the last year) and I simply can't find the time during week-days, so one of my requirements were that at least one of the three classes should be on week-ends.

 

 

So with 3x90 min makes 4 hours and 30 min of ballet each week for me.

 

(Oh yeah, I started ballet from scratch in January 2002)

[lampwick]

I work as a graphic designer in a production environment with very flexible hours. As long as I make my deadlines at work, my producer doesn't really care what those hours are. I have to schedule strange work days and sometimes that means that I don't get home until late at night or I have to work on weekends. If I had children there would be no way to do this. As it is, my boyfriend and I don't get to spend much time together. I'm at an age where I have to do this intensity of training NOW or it'll never really happen.

 

If I lost my job, it would be really tough convincing a prospective employer that I need to have a flex schedule. Graphic designer jobs at my level are really hard to come by and I'm not good enough yet to sustain myself with freelance gigs. I'm very very lucky to have the situation that I do.

[skip]

that's the only minor of my work. since my shifts change by day.....(mostly no day has the same shift...not that one is day and one is night, but one will start early morning like around 7 or so and the next day you might start at noon.......)

 

so, i have to try and i'm happy if i'm able to take one class during the week. there is probably no space for staying after october 31st, so i can get a 'normal' job and pick up my balletclasses.....if i make enough money, i can see if i can pay one class myself (o, my mommy is so lovely to pay one class , otherwise, i wouldn't be able to take classes this year )....

 

~SKIP~

[psavola]

I count my start with ballet to January, bit over 2,5 years ago, although for the first year I took only one or two classes a week so it does not count for much.

 

This year I have planned 5 ballet technique classes a week, and will try to keep it up. I took 4 classes last year.

 

Päivi

[Guest joodiff]

I started out from scratch 1.5 years ago and I currently take 3 classes a week although I used to take 4.

2 of these classes are classical ballet and the last is jazz ballet

[Jaana Heino]

Like lampwick, what makes my schedule possible for me is flexible hours at work. I also have a crazy working temperament, a lifemate who approves of my craziness, and no children, which all help a lot.

[Guest beckster]

I am signed up for two classes a week next term but I try to add open classes when I can. I also swim and do yoga or pilates classes at the gym.