Training

[Guest lady caroline]

Hi all. I've been lurking around on the board here for a while, but just recently registered. I have a problem that I've not really been able to find advice for anywhere I've looked, and the dance teacher at college has not returned my email. Also, I'm not sure that this might not be better suited to the adult forum, but I am within the 'age limits' of this one, so I thought I should post here.

 

I haven't danced, not really, in 9 years. I'm 20 now. When I was younger, I took jazz and a little acro, at a typical catch-all dance studio. At the time, that was just fine with me. Two years ago, I took a Ballet Technique I class on campus and positively adored it. Then I couldn't make time for another class until the following spring, so that's a year ago, and I took the Ballet Technique II class. There was an enormous jump between the two classes. The first was showing everyone, in careful detail, how to do tendues etc., in the next he'd rattle off some phrases in French, and off they'd all go. For the semester, I basically followed along to the best of my ability, and the instructor made sure I didn't do anything to hurt myself (it was a very small class, I think we had maybe 6 people). Clearly, though, everyone but me had had extensive ballet training. So this is my training background, I've basically taken the absolute lowest level of beginner classes

 

I'm dying to get back into dance. I don't plan to one day join a company, frankly I just have different career plans, but it is something I have a passion for and am willing to spend the time on. Unfortunately, I'm pretty low on cash at the moment (I am in college, after all), so I've only been able to take dance classes offered by the campus, since they're free to me. When I can get them, it's at least 3 classes a week, so it's not a bad schedule. Unfortunately, I couldn't schedule one this semester, and there aren't any in the summer, which has me looking at the fall semester before I can get a class.

 

And here, finally, is my question.

 

What can I do in the meantime? I know there isn't much I can do in the way of technique at home, without supervision, but I have been trying to get into better physical shape. However, I'm not really familiar with training for dancers. When I did softball, or tennis, it was very easy - you lift weights, and you run. But for dancing... I'm sort of at a loss. I've been trying to stretch daily, because my flexiblity is poor, but I'm otherwise in the dark. Is anyone else in the same boat as me? Or has someone been out on a long injury, and found a good training program to get back into shape. Any advice would be absolutely grand, I really would appreciate it. Thanks!

[Mel Johnson]

Welcome, lady caroline, to the Young Dancers forums here at Ballet Talk at Ballet Alert! Online!

 

It's a good thing to want to take ballet simply for recreational purposes, and there are lots of things to watch out for if you just want to keep fit over a hiatus, but you don't have a lot of technical background to back you up. It sounds to me as though you are the one that they made the "NYCB Workout" video AND book for. Give that a test ride, and see how you like it. Both are available via the Amazon.com banner at the head of the page.