Falling Behind! Help!

[dance91]

Where I am currently living, there is no good ballet around. I have jumped from taking 6 days a week for about 2-3 hours a day, to taking 4 times a week for about an hour and a half. I do Pilates twice a week to try to stay in shape but I really feel like I am losing strenght and ability! Is there any way to help me stay in shape/not lose what I already have?

[Victoria Leigh]

Hello Dance91, and welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers

 

I wish I could be more positive about your situation, but unfortunately, without both the quality and quantity of training needed to make a dancer, it's not going to happen. Since you have moved to where there is no professional training program, it looks like you may have to consider a residency program somewhere.

[dance91]

Thank you. My mom and I are looking into a professional school in Frankfurt, Germany. It just means a long drive or train ride but I willing to do anything at this point! Do you know anything about it?

[Victoria Leigh]

No, I'm sorry I don't know the school in Frankfurt.

[dance91]

Whoops! I am thankful for your help!

 

dance91

[~DaNcInQuEeN~]

dance91, Wow! My family is moving to Kaiserslautern Germany this year! (My dad is in the Military)

 

We knew about a possible move to Germany around November, so I planned ahead. My parents visited Germany, primarily to look at Ballet schools and we narrowed down our ballet school choices to three: John Cranko in Stuttgart, the Ballet School of the University of Mannheim and Hamburg's John Nuemier Ballet School. After sending in a video, I was rejected from Cranko, accepted into the top level before University at Mannheim (!) and Hamburg would like me to audition in person because they had some concerns about my feet.

 

It turns out the move is definite. I am VERY nervous and apprehensive about moving. I especially am anxious about the language barrier; I can hardly string two words together in German, although I have lived there when I was younger for five years. We have purchased German tapes and books and I am attempting to self-teach myself a bit of German before we leave. In the summer I also might do an intensive German Course.

 

Mannheim sounds like a great school to me. There are some concerns about weigh-ins and an old fashioned veiw on food intake, but my parents observe that the students at Mannheim actually looked much more muscular and a bit heavier than the "ideal" ballet body type. It is also just a short train ride from Kaiserslautern.

 

The point of all this rambling is that there ARE good ballet schools near you (and in the future me)! You just have to know where to look... I haven't heard of the ballet school in Frankfurt, though. But if your training is not satisfactory, and it is your goal to become a professional, I would get as quickly as you can to another pre-professional school.

 

There is a lengthy and helpful thread in the Pre Professional Schools General Discussion called "German Ballet School Help"

 

If you don't mind me asking, what school do you attend now? How are the teachers? I would have PMed you this information, but I see that you are not a full member yet. I would love to keep in touch.

[dance91]

Alright DanceinQueen, the probem is I have looked around!!! The dance here is not like it is in the states or what you are used to! Actually, our moms met at an audition I went to in Saarbrucken. The school there was a very low level. I took at Mannheim for three weeks in level 7. They kept me on "trial" there to see if they could help me with my physical problem of a shallow demi plie. THey told me I needed to see a doctor (to see if he could do anything for me), otherwise they wouldn't except me. Well, after tears and a feeling of failure I did see a doctor. Come to find out, I have a bone problem in my foot that allows little range of motion. I am sleeping in casts and the problem can be fixed when I am older with sugery..Yes!! So, I could get back into Mannheim but I honestly didn't enjoy it that much! I might have been weary of looking around, as for you, you have a smooth transition going straight into dancing again! In Mannheim, the students were very nice but I didn't feel I could express myself through emotion and ability at the same time! Everyone had to be the same and that is sometimes hard, not being able to dance as YOU! You might enjoy it but just realize that it is very different from where you are coming from! Most of the girls speak English there and they are really really nice!

 

Anyway, I am looking into the Frankfurt Conservatory and I have an audition set up for April. I am hoping it will work better for me because right now I am taking on base(with a really good teacher) two days a week, on the Economy once a week, and since my mom is a teacher she gives me private lessons. Anyway, I would love to stay in touch with you! Please note that I am not trying to discourage you, this is just my opinion!

 

Till later,

dance91

[~DaNcInQuEeN~]

OHHH I see! The ballet world is so small!!! Who knows why I didn't put two and two together and figure out who you were. I didn't know that you had a screen name on ballet alert also.

 

Was it really hard to understand corrections or combinations without understanding German? I am trying to learn as much as I can, but I don't think I have a knack for languages.

[dance91]

DAncInQuEen, yeah the ballet world is really small! No, it wasn't hard to understand the combinations because FRENCH is FRENCH!!! Sometimes the teachers would correct me in German and if I was really confused the girls would help me...they were really nice..I wouldn't worry about that!!!! Besides, between actions and listening you can understand Germany.

 

I have no idea what the level difference is! Are they the same? Don't know! Level 7 wasn't that hard! We didn't work on grand allegro at all which I think is a necessity. Anyway, I will be interested to see how you like it! Everything will work out! Keep me posted and if you have any other questions I will try to help you..even if you need help with a German word or something (I'm trying to learn German in school). Ok, till later..

 

dance91

[crystal210]

For the word 'eleve' in german I believe you are most likley refering to the german number 11 'elf' Hope that helps!

[dance91]

Hey DanceInQueen...cyrstal210 is right. Eleven was the level below level 6/7. It was usaully during the day and some of the girls from eleven also took with level 6/7. It is just a little bit easier that 6/7. I took both eleven and 6/7.

[~DaNcInQuEeN~]

That must be it. My schedule is during the day. You said that level 7 was a bit easy though

(no grande allegro!!!???) and this worries me, especially if level 11 is below level 6/7.

 

I love my current school as it is and would hate to take a step down!

 

Oh and about German words... how do you say "turn out" and "extension" in German. Those terms are pretty important in a ballet class.

[Mel Johnson]

There may even be some crossover into borrowed words in the designation of the "eleven" class if it is easier than a "seven". In French, "élève" simply means "student". Turnout is "en dehors" and extension is "extension", but what German teachers use colloquially, I don't know.

[dance91]

Sorry DanceInQueen, don't know those words in German. Really, don't worry about the language! You can understand what they are saying by their actions.

[Mel Johnson]

Then there was the German ballet master I used to work for - "Stock die verdammte Bein heraus! Ich interessiere mich nicht wie stark!" (Stick the damn leg out! I don't care how high!)