Fiz Posted January 17, 2006 Report Share Posted January 17, 2006 I don't know what it's like in the US but outside London or major cities, trying to find a ballet class is soo difficult. I don't want to go to the one at my daughter's last school for obvious reasons, plus it's 1hr 20mins drive away and I am out most evenings with our youngest anyway. I heard there was one in a local country club - it's closed. My daughter's current teacher doesn't have enough time and wants to expand lesson time for her seniors anyway - fine. I am reduced to hoping that a local ISTD/Cecchetti teacher will have a private lesson space open up soon. I am 48, overweight, love ballet, can still dance and can I find a teacher? This country (UK) is rubbish! Fiz. Quote Link to comment
jane s Posted January 18, 2006 Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 Hi Fiz, You are so right! As anyone who has been following my posts on here will know, my current school is no longer meeting my needs, for various reasons such as inadequate length of class, one teacher cutting too many corners & the other only concentrating on the exam candidates - but can I find an alternative? No! Recently I thought I had finally found the PERFECT class & was all set to try it out - & then found out the class time had been changed from a Saturday to early on a week day evening - physically impossible for me to get to due to the travelling time! So the search resumes. If there are any teachers in the UK reading this who teach adults or are prepared to consider teaching adults seriously (i.e. syllabus & not just for "recreation") please can you let us know you are there? Please! (I don't know whereabouts you are in the UK, Fiz, but I am in the South-East, & prepared to travel as long as the class is at a suitable time). Jane Quote Link to comment
Fiz Posted January 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 (I don't know whereabouts you are in the UK, Fiz, but I am in the South-East, & prepared to travel as long as the class is at a suitable time). I'm on the edge of East Anglia, Jane, and not so flexible (probably literally!) as you - my own daughter's lessons have to come first. I did get told I could do ISTD Grade five on Tuesdays, which would suit from a point of view of time and place, - but with a handful of lissome teenagers? I don't think I am that good, anyway. Plus I'm an RAD girl, except I 'm not a girl anymore . I have had some classes with the same teacher, but then adult ballet packed up (everyone else wanted to do tap and modern ). I suppose if the teacher thinks I'm good enough, maybe I should give it a go, but it's the thought of all those slim teen queens putting me off - and Philippa did understand! Fiz. Quote Link to comment
ballet_anna Posted January 18, 2006 Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 Fiz whereabouts are you exactly? I live in Norwich and there are a few good dance schools that would be able to accomodate you. Is Norwich too far for you to come? Quote Link to comment
Dance_Scholar_London Posted January 18, 2006 Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 You might want to contact RAD or ISTD directly to find out if there are teachers in your area. Quote Link to comment
Xena Posted January 18, 2006 Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 Hi Fiz Yes welcome to the barren balletless wasteland of England outside of London that is. Fiz you may want to try local gyms. Some of them do dance classes. Maybe not ballet exactly, but dance conditioning classes and pilates. It may be worth a try and if you do find these clases, normally the teacher will know places or other teachers that train adults. It is worth a go. Problem is a lot of places aren't really up on advertising, which is just detremental surely? why have a class and not tell everyone about it? A lot of the good classes are found by word of mouth, so don't give up yet. Jeanette Quote Link to comment
Fiz Posted January 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 Fiz whereabouts are you exactly? I live in Norwich and there are a few good dance schools that would be able to accomodate you. Is Norwich too far for you to come? Just outside Royston, so it's about an hour and a half away! Fiz. Quote Link to comment
Fiz Posted January 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 why have a class and not tell everyone about it? A lot of the good classes are found by word of mouth, so don't give up yet. I've tried every single RAD teacher in the Yellow pages , North, West, South and East of us! Either they don't teach adults, or it's an ansaphone and they never ring you back! Fiz. Quote Link to comment
Xena Posted January 18, 2006 Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 Hi Fiz, yes RAD teachers and ISTD teachers are a law unto themselves. They tend to be very cliquey and some are way too snobby for absolutely no reason and it is difficult as an adult to get into these classes. Don't get me wrong I had lovely RAD teachers and NATD teachers, but the problem is they tend to be with schools and so are geared more towards the younger ones and their needs come first. Have you tried local colleges that have evening clases in dance/ballet? Royston is that in Hertfordshire? or am I mixing it up with somewhere else? Jeanette Quote Link to comment
Fiz Posted January 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 Have you tried local colleges that have evening clases in dance/ballet? Royston is that in Hertfordshire? or am I mixing it up with somewhere else? Hi, Jeannette, yes, Royston is in Herts (althought technically part of the Cambridge border runs through some of it!). No, I hadn't thought of local colleges etc - that's a good idea. Thanks! Fiz. Quote Link to comment
camdancer Posted January 18, 2006 Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 Hi Fiz, I go to a ballet school that specialises in adult ballet in Cambridge. We do NATD Russian style ballet. There are all ages and all abilities of adults up to over 60 years old. Lots of classes throughout the week and at weekends and a really nice atmosphere. Russian Ballet school It isn't pre-pro US type training, but we do get lots of corrections and seem to improve. And just for balance - there is also another school in Cambridge that has a few adult ballet classes Eden Dance. Hope you find something suitable soon. Quote Link to comment
jane s Posted January 18, 2006 Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 Hi again Fiz, No, I don't know any classes in that area either - the nearest I know of for sure are in Chelmsford, Romford & Aylesbury - more than your 1.5 hours drive, I bet! (And a bit too far for me too! :-() Is there not anything in Cambridge, or is that where the one where your daughter went is? No, I am not that "flexible" either if you are talking about physically, & I am also on the heavy side & certainly not very good, so don't have any false illusions about me - my turnout is terrible and as for my arms... ugh! I am in the situation you are worried about though, an adult among all the slim teens, and yes, it does make me feel even fatter than I actually am! But since New Years I have finally found some willpower from somewhere and have been stretching every day & eating more heathily, and when I went back to class last week the difference could be seen in the mirror, even after only 2 weeks! So it can be done, even when you're over 40! (e.g. my legs no longer look bent even when they're straight, if that makes sense!) I am looking for an adult-oriented or adult-friendly syllabus class (Cecchetti/RAD/ISTD/BBO) in the area around the M40/M25/M3 (Berkshire/North Hampshire/North-West Surrey/South Bucks/South Oxon/East Wiltshire/West or Central London areas, preferably later in the evening or any time on a Saturday. The class would need to be at least an hour in length, preferably more and of a standard no higher than Inter Foundation, preferably a bit easier because I want to work on some of my basic faults that no-one has seen fit to correct. Jane Quote Link to comment
Fiz Posted January 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 Camdancer, you are an angel! I always thought the Russian school was just for the uni students! I can't make their times, sadly as they clash with my daughter's but I might be able to do the 5.00 Thursday class at the Eden...I was just thinking,'Oh no, DD has singing on Thursdays' when I remembered we swapped last week to Saturday afternoons! Thank you so much! Fiz. Quote Link to comment
camdancer Posted January 18, 2006 Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 (edited) Camdancer, you are an angel! I always thought the Russian school was just for the uni students! I can't make their times, sadly as they clash with my daughter's but I might be able to do the 5.00 Thursday class at the Eden...I was just thinking,'Oh no, DD has singing on Thursdays' when I remembered we swapped last week to Saturday afternoons! Thank you so much! Fiz. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It is a shame you can't make the Russian school classes. There are a few students who come to them, but mostly we are just normal adults. I did go to one Eden class and it was really good. The teacher was really knowledgeable and danced beautifully. (Sadly politics meant it wasn't sensible for me to do both classes. ) Enjoy it. Edited January 18, 2006 by camdancer Quote Link to comment
Fiz Posted January 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2006 It is a shame you can't make the Russian school classes. There are a few students who come to them, but mostly we are just normal adults. I did go to one Eden class and it was really good. The teacher was really knowledgeable and danced beautifully. (Sadly politics meant it wasn't sensible for me to do both classes. ) It is actually, because out of the two, that's the one I prefer! And do I know what you mean about politics! That's why I can't go back to where I used to go, and why I had to ask my dd's new teacher if she minds said dd going to the local summer school here as she doesn't do one. To be honest, I am more than a bit fed up that I have to go to Cambridge - it used to take 20 minutes' drive if the roads were OK, and 40 if not. Now, a one-way system and a stop and ride and the Waitrose turn-off means it is 45 minutes on a good day, an hour on bad ones! Fiz. xxx Quote Link to comment
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