Increasing Classes

[dido]

It's Spring Break for me, and with all this extra time I wanted to devote it all to ballet.

 

Here's my question. I know that the more classes I take the better. I was thinking of taking 1 class today, 2 classes Tuesday, 2 classes Wednesday, 1 Thursday, and 2 Friday (these would be morning, 10:30-12 and evening 6-7:30). Sort of like a mini-intensive.

 

Normally I take 3-4 classes a week, more usually 3. Is going straight from 3 to 7 just asking for trouble?

 

I'm hoping all this extra work will give me a little boost to get over some hurdles, but I don't want it to be counter productive.

[Garyecht]

If you are on spring break you are probably young and the temporary increase in intensity will probably do you well. I would go for all the classes that you can afford.

 

Several sports that are more physically demanding than is ballet have “training camps,” usually just a week or so in length that are unbelievably brutal on the body. What you learn from these camps is how well the body can adapt to increased intensity and there is a boost in conditioning and enthusiasm. I would assume that the same would occur with ballet.

[BarreTalk]

I agree with Gary. Go for it!

 

Overall, you shouldn't increase your training workload more than 10% a week, but with your base, your body should be able to handle a week's worth of increased load (just don't try to maintain that level without a rest). If halfway through the week, you feel you can't maintain the load without getting hurt, back off!

 

Because of your comment that it's spring break, I'm assuming you are a student. Dancers many years senior to you have successfully survived a week of all-day ballet at the Adult Dance Camps in Richmond, and many don't have the background you have.

[dido]

Remember teachers get a Spring Break too!

 

But you're both right, I'm pretty young (27); actually wanting to get opinions because of that 10% rule that Barre Talk mentioned. Not so long ago I would never have even hesitated, now things are getting creakier.

 

Thanks for the "been there, done that."

[DreadPirateRoberts]

I'm interested to hear how this works out for you, because I

am thinking about building up from 3 classes a week to 5 or 6,

in preparation for some kind of more intensive study in the

summer. (If I can free a few weeks in my calendar, that is)...

 

Anyway, I wanted to first encourage you to try it, and secondly

to encourage you to treat yourself in another way -- at the end

of Spring Break week, get a massage!

 

Perhaps you already do this sometimes anyway, but I bet after

a week of increased classes your body would thank you for it

[psavola]

I agree with garyecht and BarreTalk - going straight from regular 3 weekly classes to regular 7 weekly classes would probably not be a very good idea, but having a more intensive schedule for one week, and then backing off to normal again would probably work out just fine.

 

Our school's summer dance camp is longer (7 full days) and has a much more rigorous schedule (3 hours of ballet, 1,5 hours of another dance form, plus rehearsal every day) than your planned one, and adults even much older than you take it, and do just fine.

 

I also find that my living habits have a huge difference in the recovery speed of my body. So take a good care of yourself.

 

Päivi