Photo Shoot

[Toadette]

I'm so excited! Today in class my teacher said that tomorrow someone's going to be in to take pictures of us. We're going to be in the RAD magazine! I hadn't intended to go to class tomorrow as it's my partner's birthday, but now I'm definitely going. I'm not sure what the article is about exactly. But I can't wait to show it to everybody I know!

[Toadette]

The photos didn't come out well apparently, so my teacher didn't send them in. But the article's out now, so if anyone is a member of the RAD, you'll be able to read about my studio! It's called the Adult Ballet Studio.

 

I haven't read it yet. We're hoping somebody will send us a copy!

Edited May 18, 2006 by Toadette

[Guest balletguy33]

I'm so excited! Today in class my teacher said that tomorrow someone's going to be in to take pictures of us. We're going to be in the RAD magazine! I hadn't intended to go to class tomorrow as it's my partner's birthday, but now I'm definitely going. I'm not sure what the article is about exactly. But I can't wait to show it to everybody I know!

 

 

That's awesome!!

[shulie]

Is it a studio only offering classes for adult students? Wow, that would be lovely and so unique!

Does it have a website?

[jimpickles]

Please can you let us know when the article comes out, as I'm sure lots of us would like to read it. Is it an Australian-only edition, or worldwide?

 

Jim.

[Toadette]

It's out now, apparently, though I haven't seen it!

 

The magazine is the RAD magazine (London edition; I don't think there is an edition for other countries) and you can only get hold of it by being a member of the RAD. You can't join the RAD unless you've passed Intermediate or something. It will be a while until I'm eligible to read the mag then!

 

We do have a website. It's www.adultballetstudio.com.au. And yes, it's great! I have a class tonight. I've just seen the Ballet Russe film, so I'm feeling inspired!

[jimpickles]

Thanks for that. I see from the website that it is just across Victoria Park from where earlier this year I was kicking my heels with boredom after a meeting at Sydney Uni. If only I'd have known about it - I'd have been haring over to try and do a casual class.

 

(As it was, I tried doing some adventurous yoga positions in my hotel room, came over faster than expected, hit some furniture, and crashed onto my hip, which put me out of action for a little.)

 

If I do send time in Sydney again, I'll try and do a casual class. If I do, I PM you so that if you are in the same class you can say hello (if you want to, that is).

 

Jim.

 

Added later - I see they "cant cater for male students". I hope they have permission from the Sex Discrimination Commissioner or whatever it/he/she's called. Could be a problem there (i.e. its illegal). Actually, I think that is unacceptable, unless they have a good reason. And I wont be making much effort to see the article now.

[shulie]

Added later - I see they "cant cater for male students".

 

Huh?! Are they insane? Any halfway normal ballet school is dying to have male students... And it is not that basic ballet training is much different for males than for females. So techniquewise there is no reason to avoiud having guys in class.

It cant be for "modesty" reasons either- Australia is a pretty liberal country.

How odd.

[ashatNYU]

That really is very bizarre. And it's right there, on the front page. I don't think I would be able to attend a studio with that type of discrimination.

[jimpickles]

Modesty? Australia? Contradiction in terms.

 

Jim.

[Toadette]

I did ask my teacher once about why she didn't accept male students. She used to. I think it's up to her to explain that one. I'm not even going to try to venture into such dangerous territory!

 

 

It's not nice to feel excluded. But I think there are very good reasons for separating the sexes in ballet (as well as good reasons for dancing together, too.) I think the training for men and women is a bit different. I've attended classes at the City Dance Centre, given by a man, and he says things like, "you shouldn't jump up on a releve, it's just a quick rise". That's the opposite of what I've ever been told by female teachers. Obviously, you should jump a little because you'll need that movement when you're in pointe shoes. Another example is, arms are different in pirouettes. The choreography is different, too. My teacher says men do lots more leaps and beats.

 

Don't girls and boys also train separately at some point in professional schools? (I may be wrong).

 

I personally don't have a problem with dancing with men, but I find it's so nice to have a female-only space in a world where we don't really have that any more. The atmosphere is great, really friendly.

Edited May 26, 2006 by Toadette

[thedancingj]

Oooh, controversy.

 

Mmmmmmm, it's not really that technique is any different for men and women - the basics are always the same! Men and women do have different "specialties" in their technique for classical variations and performance, which is why at some point classes get split up so women can practice their pointework and men can practice their big jumps, but the classroom technique is the same!! In professional companies the men and woman share the same technique classes every day.

 

You've seen that ballet teachers sometimes contradict each other, but that's not necessarily a male/female thing - sometimes it's just a matter of personal preference or background. It's VERY common for women to get tons of their training from men, and vice versa.

 

I totally understand that it can be very special and nice to have a space for women only. In the U.S. we have specialty gyms that cater to that need. "Curves for women" comes to mind, a chain of female-only gyms that's become very popular. But men can find gyms anywhere... it's too bad they can't be included in something so rare as an adult ballet studio, especially since their absence seems to be producing some slightly inaccurate ideas about ballet...

 

P.S. Don't "jump" onto releve!!

[~ Mimi ~]

he says things like, "you shouldn't jump up on a releve, it's just a quick rise". That's the opposite of what I've ever been told by female teachers. Obviously, you should jump a little because you'll need that movement when you're in pointe shoes.

The ABT ballet dictionary says:

There are two ways to relevé. In the French School, relevé is done with a smooth, continuous rise while the Cecchetti method and the Russian School use a little spring.

So maybe this is not a difference of male/female teachers, but more to do with their background?

 

 

I personally don't have a problem with dancing with men, but I find it's so nice to have a female-only space in a world where we don't really have that any more. The atmosphere is great, really friendly.

Yes, but do you think the atmosphere would be less friendly with men around?

If so, do you think this would be because the women would behave differently with men around, or men would be less friendly to the women?

 

I don't know, this year I have taken different classes and in two of them there was a man, but they were both absolutely awesome!

Especially the one in the class I am taking now is serously inspirational, he is really good!

To be honest, I secretly hope to convince him into taking pdd classes with me when I will be able to...

But he will probably have moved to a higher grade then.

 

I think it would be wonderful if more men would take ballet, so I think it's bad if the few that do are being frustrated.

 

That said, I do get annoyed from a creepy guy in Advanced who keeps trying to get just a BIT too close. But this is not because he is male, but because he doesn't BEHAVE.

[Toadette]

I honestly had no idea that this would be so controversial!

 

I’ll have to reply quickly, because I’m at work and have spent way too much time on this site already…

 

Of course I don’t think it would be less friendly with men around. It would just be different. Seriously, I like men! It’s just that I’m onto a good thing with this studio and I don’t feel like I want to change it. When I first came to Sydney, I also thought that it was a bit sad that we weren’t encouraging men to dance. But then I went to this other, high profile studio in the city, there were men there. They were encouraged and made to feel special. They were almost the ‘stars’ of the class. There are other studios here too. So there really are lots of options for the men and there’s no reason for them to be frustrated.