Guest sugar&spice Posted May 22, 2004 Report Share Posted May 22, 2004 I managed to get my first classes all booked! And I'll be taking my first ballet class (ever) on Wednesday! I'll also be taking private classes to help me along better. I'm so incredibly nervous, and just want to know what kind of activities to expect. ANY info or advice is MUCH needed, and appreciated! -Samantha Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted May 23, 2004 Report Share Posted May 23, 2004 The very first thing that you will learn will start even before the class starts. That is, that ballet practice clothes fit like no other clothes on earth. They will ride up into uncomfortable places and droop down into inconvenient places. At the same time, they will allow you no place to hide anything that you think is unbecoming about your body. Once you've got yourself used to that proposition, then you get into class. You will learn the five basic position of the feet, and arms to accompany them. You will be told about the turnout of the feet, which must come from all the way up in your hipjoint, and is called rotation. You will learn the basic elements of barre exercises and how to stand at and hold onto the barre. You will learn that the barre is not spelled bar. You will be introduced to battements tendus, battements jetés, rond de jambe, frappé, and the elementary preparations for developpés of various sorts. You will probably conclude with grands battements (big kicks) and stretches. Because this will be your first lesson, you may not even leave the barre to do center work -- not yet! And the next morning, you will learn that you have places that you didn't think you had, because they will ache from the unfamiliar activity. Link to comment
Guest DancerJules Posted May 24, 2004 Report Share Posted May 24, 2004 Hi Samantha Welcome to ballet! You're going to love it... I hope you enjoy your first ballet lesson. I started ballet six months ago after an eight year break (i'm 24) and I really love it. You will have so much to think about in your classes that any nerves will completely disappear! No one has time to look at anyone else as everyone is so concerned about their own turnout and posture. I hope you love ballet, keep us posted on your progress! Jules Link to comment
Guest sugar&spice Posted May 24, 2004 Report Share Posted May 24, 2004 Thanks so much Mel Johnson and Jules!!! Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted May 24, 2004 Administrators Report Share Posted May 24, 2004 Depending on the school and the teacher, you might spend some of the first portion of the class on the floor, learning HOW to point your feet, rotate your legs, place your bones in alignment, and maybe some gentle stretching. If it's a TRUE beginning beginning class, then some of that type of work should preceed learning tendu, dégagé, etc. Then, after learning some things on the floor, you need to learn it all over again standing up! Link to comment
Guest sugar&spice Posted May 25, 2004 Report Share Posted May 25, 2004 Ooh! Thank you Ms. Leigh! Interesting stuff What is tendu, or degage though? I really haven't a clue about some of those names, and I'd like to know what they are. Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted May 25, 2004 Report Share Posted May 25, 2004 I think we can leave that for your teacher. You'll have enough to do before then! Battement tendu means "stretched beating" and battement degagé just means "disengaged beating". One points outward along the floor and the other goes up into the air a little bit. Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted May 25, 2004 Administrators Report Share Posted May 25, 2004 Sugar&spice, it might be a really good idea to get a book, or to at least go to the ABT ballet video dictionary online and get some idea of what you are about to do! A tendu is simply a stretch of the foot, to a full point along the floor in the front, side or back. Dégagé (or battement jeté) is an elongated tendu that disengages from the floor just a tiny bit. But, before you learn to do that standing up, you really need to learn HOW to point the foot correctly sitting on the floor, and also how to rotate the legs. Link to comment
Guest sugar&spice Posted May 25, 2004 Report Share Posted May 25, 2004 Thankyou very much Ms. Leigh and Mr. Johnson! Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted May 25, 2004 Administrators Report Share Posted May 25, 2004 Sugar&spice, I made a little edit in your post, above, just so that it complies with the etiquette of the Young Dancer boards. Link to comment
Guest dancingforever Posted May 25, 2004 Report Share Posted May 25, 2004 I have a question for the moderators, though it's a little off-topic. Ms. Leigh, you referred to dégagé as dégagé or battement jeté. I have heard one of my teachers use the latter name, and I have always wondered about why there are two words. Is it a matter of style? Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted May 25, 2004 Report Share Posted May 25, 2004 It's just a matter of different dictionaries for different schools. RAD, for example, doesn't use battement degagé at all, and calls what I call a battement jeté a battement glissé. What I call a demi-grand battement, they call battement jeté. Just different lingo. Link to comment
JennyKaye Posted May 26, 2004 Report Share Posted May 26, 2004 Sugar&Spice, Have great fun in your first ballet class.... it may be hard work at first but you'll love it! Who knows, you may be a natural! Link to comment
Guest sugar&spice Posted May 26, 2004 Report Share Posted May 26, 2004 I had my first lesson today!!! It's going to take a LOT of practise, but I did enjoy it! I felt so selfconcious about myself, and worried I'd get laughed at by some of the other teens in the class if I got something wrong, or tried something again though. I have a feeling I just...won't get on with the others in the class; no one spoke to me at all. They're quite a giggly, outgoing, loud bunch. And I'm shy, quiet and completely unconfident. I'll see how things go... Link to comment
JennyKaye Posted May 27, 2004 Report Share Posted May 27, 2004 Don't worry about the other people. Your not dancing for them, your dancing for you! I think its really shallow for people to laugh at others mistakes... I bet they all have made/make mistakes! You should come to my dance school! Link to comment
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