What's happened in your life since you joined BA?

[Xena]

I was just looking at the date I joined- Feb 2000! and I was thinking, wow 6 years and so much has happened in the time I have been a member here. I'm in one of those reminiscing moods.....

 

So when I joined I was studying for my RAD Grade 8 ballet and in my penultimate year of my Ph.D. So since joining, I have not got my Grade 8 RAD as I was away at the time of the exam ; I got my Ph.D; travelled to San Francisco where I lived for two years, doing fantastic ballet classes and workign at Stanford; got my knee fixed ; made some life-long friends; come back to the UK where I moved to Manchester for my new job and found it devoid of anysort of dance life blurghh; bought a house; joined a gym; share my time between working in Manchester and with my hubby and cats near Cambridge...and am still in Manchester.

So despite all my moving around and all the changes, Ballet Alert and its members have always remained a constant companion . I wonder if I'll still be writing away when I'm a mum? or even grandmother? he he can you imagine?

 

So please share as it's fun- although I know over the years we have all written things that have gone on, and even if you've only been here months, I'm betting some things have changed especially with ballet since you joined here!

[Garyecht]

What a coincidence Xena, as I was just reminiscing about my early days of interacting with people on the Internet about dance. Actually, I was wondering if I’d be active on Ballet Alert if I were working in an office. I probably wouldn’t, as the last thing I would want to do after spending most of the day sitting in front of a computer is sit at a computer at home.

 

But then I think about when I did work in an office and would sneak peeks at the old alt.arts.ballet newsgroup while at work. At the time I was just starting ballet and just a lurker, but admired the spirited discussion. It was always a refreshing change from the usual work, a nice way to spend 5-10 minutes. So perhaps I would be active on BA, I don’t know.

 

Xena, you are at one of the real fun places in life I think, when you are just starting out on your “real” life. I fondly remember when I was doing that—owning a house, having a family, feeling the big R (responsibility).

 

Personally, I’m headed the other direction. Retired from work last year so have plenty of time to read and contribute to BA. It’s pretty much like the morning newspaper.

 

Over all those years, I think I’ve gone through a cycle. I call it placid beginner, ambitious intermediate, and accepting experienced dancer. Though I’m certainly no great dancer, I feel quite good about what I’ve accomplished, which just makes it all more fun. To me acceptance of yourself, your strengths and weaknesses whatever they may be, is the key to enjoying dance as an adult.

[Kate B]

Like Xena, I joined BA way back at the start of 2000... I was in my penultimate year of my honours degree at Edinburgh, I was learning RAD Elementary ballet and I was taking 4-5 classes of ballet a week. I never actually sat the Elementary exam. I doubt I'd ever be good enough. Dancing does not come very naturally to me.

 

Anyway in 2001 I moved to London and although there are amazing dance schools here I never really got back into my 'groove' there being too many other things to do, I was also working too hard in my job in advertising and I had an injury that kept me out of dancing for a year or so. I have taken a lot of contemporary dance clases since being here and fallen in love with the Graham technique. I've just finished a great intensive at The Place and I'm determined to get back to dancing more than twice a week.

 

Other things in my life... No kids yet, but I have a cat now. I also got married and bought a house.

 

Now... I am about to move up to Glasgow to start my PhD. I've been trying to find out about dance schools in Glasgow but serious ones seem quite thin on the ground. There is a better selection in Edinburgh, though, so I am sure I can work something out.

 

When I first joined BA I was addicted to posting on it. Now I'll lurk once or twice a week, and post quite rarely. But I don't think I'd ever be able to give it up, as long as I'm still dancing or going to see dance. There's so much information to share, and it's so great that there's such a variety of people here to share it with.

[Chinafish]

I joined at the end of August 2004 - a few weeks after I re-started ballet in London.

 

Since then I have:

bought a flat ;

got promoted ;

went to an ENB rep day, they took a picture of the class and I was in front and they put it into all their programmes (wahoo!);

started pointe ;

joined Balletomane (amateur performing ballet company) ;

Went to Richmond ;

changed department ;

changed back ;

Went to Chelsea ballet camp and did loads of cool partnering stuff (including a flying fish!! woohoo!!!)

 

Hm... not very exciting comparing to the above people.... as in no kids, not married, not advanced academically (how many dancing PhD holders do we have around here?!)

 

Fish

[ami1436]

Fish, could you scan and send the picture from ENB class? would love to see it!

[Chinafish]

I don't have a scanner..... I'm sure there's one lurking about at work, I'll try!

 

(It wasn't anything impressive, just a releve in 1st with arms in 5th)

 

Fish

[ami1436]

But still, it was the one I was at right? Would be great to have a reminder and a photo of 'I knew her when... " ;-)

[Dance_Scholar_London]

Or even better: can you post it online?

[Farrell Fan]

When I first started posting on Ballet Alert (2001), I used to worry that I'd said something stupid. Now I no longer worry.

[scoop]

Fun thread! I just checked, I joined in June 2002. It's been an eventful four years:

* I've switched jobs twice, but within the same newspaper, from national correspondent to features editor to columnist.

* I've moved houses, but just three blocks away.

* And, I moved because (and this is called in my biz burying the lede) I got married!

[Tiffany]

I joined in November 2003. Since then I have gotten my M.S. in psychology (2004), been an RA at the Virginia School of the Arts SI in 2004, been accepted into a B.S. in nursing program in 2004 (and will finish this December), lived in all 3 bedrooms in my house that I share with my sister and occasional other roommate (I shared a room w/ my sister, then moved out when she started on night shift, & moved again when our latest roommate moved out), gotten 2 cats & had to give them away because my sister bought leather couches now that she has a real job and has paid off her credit cards, I've danced in several ballets-Nutcracker/snow, Sleeping Beauty/Fairy of enchanted garden & Lady in waiting, Coppelia/Swanilda's friend & Scottish doll, Night on Bald Mountain/witch, Firebird/princess (small student company so we are double cast if you are wondering about S.B. & C.), I haven't taken any really great trips that required a plane ticket but I have gotten to go to the beach & the mountains, and no husband or kids yet though I hope to have both at some point in my life. I have changed jobs, but my jobs are part time b/c I've been in school all of this time; during grad school I worked for a professor/teaching assistant & research assistant, then worked in a restaurant, now I work in a hospital. The biggest change during this time is attending nursing school. It is the hardest thing I have ever done, and I have never worked as hard for anything in my life, and hope I will never have to work this hard at anything again. One of my classmates has been divorced and she says that nursing school is worse than a divorce.

 

I am really excited about moving to another city that has an actual resident professional dance company after I finish my degree!

[Trying_to_improve]

I've been a member since October last year

 

I've joined Balletomane (same company as Fish is in )

 

Gone to Richmond (with Fish)

Attended the Chelsea ballet summer camp (with Fish, I promise I'm not stalking you Fish )

 

Gone back on pointe

Worn a tutu for the first time in my life.

 

Had my first wedding anniversary

 

Been part of publishing a white paper on pension reform with work.

[Redbookish]

Great topic, Xena!

 

I joined 2 years ago, when I was on a year's sabbatical leave to write a bhook. I did a lot of shirking in here when I should have been writing but the book's out now, and I've just got a contract with the same (academic) publisher for a second one with them.

 

In between I've moved cities, taken on a demanding new job, and become a proper Professor (in the UK there aren't so many of them as in the US). I'm really busy so dance uis even more my haven & solace. While I've had to move from a really beautiful part of northern England which I miss very much, here in Birmingham, I get to go to wonderful dance classes. Class last night was taken by my usual Saturday teacher, a former soloist with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, who always says (she's sooo nivece) that she enjoys teaching adults. Even tough the class was half & half adults and teenage bunheads, including a superb dancer from the Royal Ballet school!

 

We had a great time.

[ami1436]

WOO HOO CONGRATS! I didn't know you became a professor that's so awesome and you are hereby my dancing academic idol! :

[Redbookish]

Oh gee, thanks, Ami. It's hard to remember that it's quite special when it just seems to be a lot of hard work, running an academic department. I seem to spend more time doing budgets and timetables, rather than thinking great thorts! I think jimpickles is also a prof? maybe he can have the great ideas.

 

But I lose any sense of being clever & special in ballet class, especially at the moment with special summer classes with teenage bunheads. Who are all very sweet, but have long thin legs up to their armpits & can get the split on their grande jetés! In that class, I'm just a stocky, half-trained dancer.

 

Hope the PhD writing up is going swimmingly. It does get easier (sort of) ...