shulie Posted December 14, 2004 Report Share Posted December 14, 2004 Dear Moderators, dear fellow BA addicts- I need your kind advice and your experience : I am a serious adult ballet student (21 now so still posting on the YD board ) but unfortunately in my area no school does offer more than 2 days ballet lessons a week for adult students who are too old to go pro. So I need to do kind of a patchwork system- combining three schools to get to my weekly average of 5 dancing days. The problem now is I yesterday took a lesson at a studio that actually offers pointe classes for adults. But found many points about that studio I did not like at all. They offer 3 intermediate up to advanced pointe classes a week which is fine. In the monday pointe class I took yesterday I was one of two adults put together with 9- 11 year old girls. I felt so stupid. That studio puts 9 year old girls on pointe and then states the children in their studio would get the best possible technique education. Those kids all were not on the platform (even though the teacher insisted on that they were but I do have eyes in my head too), not over the box, poorly fitted, had too hard shanks in their shoes, badly tied ribbons and the drawstrings outside (!!!) the box in more or less neat bows.... One 9 year old chinese tiny girl is doing a solo on pointe. Her technique is OK for her age and level and she seems to be strong but in my eyes she is not ready for pointe at all and neither were the rest of those kids. I was the only one who was actually on the platform and over the box. (though I got severely bruised toenails from that ballet teachers exercises which I have never had before that severe in my whole pointe career... ) OK I could say I do not care since those girls are not my children and it is not my feet that get damaged. (except for I now have to suspend pointework for some time because of the bruised nails) Still I do not feel comfortable being the only adult pointe student among arrogant 9 year olds who feel like the new Paloma Herrera and actually wanted to give a ballet granny like me corrections. Plus the studio charges far too much money for their classes in my eyes. 120 Euro/ month for 3 pointe classes a week. Still the studio DOES have some advantages. It is very close by- I can reach it within 2 minutes walking distance. Their schedule does fit together with my other dancing days at the other studios. They offer pointework for adults. (though mixed with the kids) They do not have many students (wonder why?) and this way I am getting good and frequent corrections. What should I do now? Go there and swallow down the uncomfortable feeling I have about that studio or look for a different one? I need some advice. Link to comment
Guest Luv2DancePointe Posted December 14, 2004 Report Share Posted December 14, 2004 I would think that with that many "cons" about the studio, it would be in your best interest to no longer go there. I understand you want to continue your pointework and you have the opportunity to do so at this studio. But are you actually benefiting from going there? Do you think you can improve, or advance by taking class there? Or are you just going to come back with more bruised nails, and possibly poor technique? I went to a studio for about 3 years that let me take pointe classes but I had very poor technique. I consider those years as a waste of time in my dance training, and I wish I could have them back to go to a better studio. Maybe you could talk about it with another teacher at one of the other studios...? Link to comment
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