MeAgain Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 Hi! I just turned thirteen and have been taking ballet for almost eight years. I decided when I was ten that I really wanted to go pro and become a professional ballerina. I would always try my hardest in class. So when I was about eleven I expected my teachers to put me on pointe. They didn't, so I started to try to improve my technique at home. I bought some Therabands and I did strenghthening and stretching excersizes every day, usually twice a day. When I turned twelve, my teachers still did not put me on pointe, so I figured that my studio usually put students on pointe much later. But when I talked to some students who where on pointe, they told me they went on as late as ten. Now I'm thirteen and I'm wondering if there's something horribly wrong with me. I'm definately not the worst in my class. My turn-out is okay, and I don't wobble when I'm balancing on demi-point, so I think I'm strong enough. I do have really low arches, though. Is it because I don't take enough classes? I only take three hours a week of ballet, which is all they offer to my level (and I'm probably not going to get promoted to a higher level soon) Sorry for telling you the story of my life, but do you have any advice??? Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 Hi, MeAgain and welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers. If you wish to continue studying where you are, fine, but take additional classes somewhere else. You should be receiving at least three 90-minute technique classes every week in order to take on pointework. Otherwise you won't have the strength and technique for the project. Quote Link to comment
MeAgain Posted December 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 I definetely don't have the money to pay tuition for two different places, so I think what I am going to do is leave the studio I am at and go to a different place alltogether. The studio I am currently going to focuses mainly on jazz and lyrical, anyway. If i want to be a serious ballet dancer, I need to be taking way more ballet. It's just so frustrating, though, because I really love the teachers and people at my studio, and I don't want to leave. Maybe I should just talk to my teacher about it and see if there is a way for me to take more classes. Quote Link to comment
Guest pointedancer518 Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 You might try asking them. You can explain that you would like to go on pointe and they (in my studio at least) will usually tell you that they didn't know you would like to take pointe, or they will tell you that they don't think you are strong enough yet. Sometimes they think you are strong enough but they just overlooked you by accident. I hope this helps. Good luck. Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 3 hours/week don't feed the bulldog when it comes to pointework~! Quote Link to comment
NHBnutcracker Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 Have you ever broken, or seriously injured your legs, feet, or ankles? Maybe you overlooked that fact. That could keep a dancer off of pointe. A girl in my studio had just broken her shin 2 years ago, and she didn't come to the pointe classes untill this year (13 years old) Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted December 13, 2005 Administrators Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 Get to another studio that focuses on ballet. A studio that is mainly jazz and lyrical is NOT a ballet school. And you need a LOT more classes! Quote Link to comment
MeAgain Posted December 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2005 kk i took a placement class at this really great ballet school and i was put in a level where i'm probably going to begin pointe! i'm doing three hours a week of ballet and pointework at this school and i'm also taking 2.5 hours of ballet at my old studio. i really can't afford any more hours of ballet, so i'm hoping 5.5 hours a week is enough. is it? Quote Link to comment
Guest xballetdreamsx Posted December 17, 2005 Report Share Posted December 17, 2005 I really don't mean to sound rude or anything, moderators feel free to delete this post, but if you're at one school, they don't require you to go to another school to take classes. I imagine some of the people in your level will only go to that school? If they're letting some people on pointe that don't have enough hours a week, then that might mean trouble... But I might be misunderstanding.. Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted December 17, 2005 Report Share Posted December 17, 2005 Well, that matter is really between the schools and the student, as well as the student's parents, who pay the bills. That's not a matter for us. The point is, now there's enough time being spent in class at one place or another to justify starting pointe this year. Quote Link to comment
MeAgain Posted December 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2005 actually, none of my teachers told me to go to another school. they don't enable students at my level to have more than 2.5 hours of ballet a week. like i said, my old studio isn't really a ballet-based studio. i haven't told my old teacher that i'm going to another school yet, but i'm planning to tell her the next time i see her. Quote Link to comment
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