Guest pashmina Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 I just started up again after a long over due vacation. Basically I dance till I was about 13 now I am 28. Needless to say I feel like I have two left feet. At times I feel like my teacher thinks I'm an oaf and the advanced adult students waiting for the next class look at melike a hopeless case! I know that dance and ballet are hard work but I feel so intimidated by the older adult students!! Help!! Quote Link to comment
psavola Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 pashmina, I don't know if this helps much, but those advanced beginners are probably not evaluating your progress. I remeber being a complete beginner, and looking up at the advanced beginners wondering if I'll ever get that far. Eventually I did. (I still do not feel graceful in class - but I've since learned that having to cope with fustration belongs to the ballet package. ) When I look at complete beginners now, I do not compare myself to them. Instead, watching a basic class awakens fond memories from my own beginner days - endless floor exercises , battement tendus a la seconde in 16 counts each, not being able to do a decent temps leve in sixth and my teacher's theatrical eye rolling when she caught me sickling again. Most people remember being beginners, and would not dream of looking down at them! Päivi Quote Link to comment
Kate B Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 Hi Pashmina and welcome! Psavola's right - most people in the class will not look at you in that way, although it is understandable that you might think they would. The people watching your class are not even in your class, right (?), and they're probably watching to see what the actual class consists of, not how the students are doing. Advanced people sometimes need to do beginners classes too, so they can go back to basics and really think about their technique. If you've done ballet before it won't belong until you get back in your stride. The 'muscle memory' will return, especially if you do a few classes every week. Don't worry! Enjoy it. Quote Link to comment
elise Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 i just started ballet again at 26. i danced from age 4 until about 20 or so. and since graduating college and getting a job i've gained a lot of weight and lost whatever it was i had before (flexibility, agility etc). i've had 2 classes so far and it turns out my old teacher from about age 8 and on, is now my teacher again. it's a bit embarassing to have her see me as a beginner but i love going anyways. we've had a pre-pro student join our class to make up for one of her own that she missed and i was a bit skeptical of it at first. but you hardly noticed she was there, i'm sure she had other things on her mind than how the beginning adults looked. and i firmly believe atleast half of dancing is attitude (not the position) ;> anyways, i am rambling, i am just happy to be back dancing again and i hope things work out for you. having fun is the most important thing! Quote Link to comment
lampwick Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 pashmina, I started dancing again in my late 20s after taking a five year break from ballet. I can totally sympathise with feeling like you have two left feet. My body didn't feel like mine at all for a long time. After 9 1/2 months, I still can't do the same things that I was able to do before (fouette turns are especially embarrassing). But it'll slowly come back to you. If you're too hard on yourself, it'll only hamper your progress so try to not let yourself be embarrased (it's hard, I know). More importantly, don't avoid difficult things. Those are the things you most need to work on. You can't compare yourself to others. Just look at your own progress and be proud of it. Hey, maybe some of those advanced dancers wouldn't be able to progress at the same rate as you if they were given the same set of circumstances. You never know. Quote Link to comment
dido Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 Hi pashmina, Along with all this other very good advice I'll add my 2 cents: I'm inbetween levels at my school, so I take both Elementary classes (which aren't quite challenging ehough) and Intermediate classes (which are a bit too challenging sometimes). This is where the advice comes in: I watch ALL the dancers in both of my classes whenever I get a chance, and I am never, never looking down on them. Girl A is very light and has beautiful ballon, Girl B really uses her feet during tendus in the center, I admire Guy C's pirouettes, and Mrs D (who looks like she's in her 40's but I know is 63) has unbelievable port de bras. So remember when you see people looking at you, they're probably thinking something like, "Hmm, so maybe if I adjusted my thumbs like her I'll look less like a scarecrow." Quote Link to comment
Funny Face Posted October 20, 2003 Report Share Posted October 20, 2003 Also, just remember that the REALLY good dancers won't look at you in disdain. Those are the ones who know that the more you learn, the more you need to learn. You'll see. Quote Link to comment
Guest pashmina Posted October 21, 2003 Report Share Posted October 21, 2003 Thanks guys! Thst makes me feel so good!! Now before I goto class I ll remember all the awesome replys!! Also Ive decided next term to take classes at a local community college along with my studio work. My goal is to dance everyday and do what I love! Thanks so much for the encouragement!!!! Quote Link to comment
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