18 years old: Any Hope?

[thunkani]

Hi there,

I'm new to the boards. I've been reading through the posts so far...it's really inspiring to see the different things people are doing. [OZARK's story [i think that's how to spell it!] for example] So, my question is a bit long winded.

I'm from California, and have gone to boarding school in Canada since I was 15. I am currently going to university at the University of Western Ontario. I used to dance when before boarding school, in California [when i was fourteen or so] and stopped dancing upon going to boarding school. Now, the past summer, I attended Ballet Pacifica in California, and was really encouraged and inspired by a teacher who was very passionate about catching me up to speed. [since I am eighteen now...]

I was taking the open classes with the younger kids, and later took intermediate classes. Now, I'm back in Canada, and I don't know what studio to go to, or which one will take me seriously. I'm really interested in dancing seriously, although I know the chances are slim. The thing is, I'm not terribly athletic to begin with, although I do have the body for Ballet, and my teacher told me I still had some flexibility in me, and there were lots of great things I could still do for my dancing. So, my main questions are:

1. Is there any hope, and how far can I take my dancing? Would I be able to get on Pointe? [i read the Reality of Pointe article already.]

2. Is it a good idea to be training with two different studios? [since I have no choice, as I travel too much]

3. Any recommended excercises or things I can do on my own to maximize my dancing capabilities?

 

Thank you so much for any feedback, I am forever grateful.

 

 

Sorry for the double post!

[Victoria Leigh]

Hello thunkani, welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers

 

There is always hope! You were out a long time though, so, it is going to take approximately that length of time to catch up to where you would have been at 18 if you had not stopped. But, there is no reason not to expect that you can get to the level where you would qualify for pointe work, if you take enough classes per week.

[eunheejun]

Hi thunkani:

 

In short, considering your youth and passion for dance, sky is the lmit . I am 28, restarted ballet when I was 26 after 11 years of hiatus, and started pointe work 1.5 years into my more recent ballet training. If you are strong enough and have been training well, I am sure that you will be able to enjoy the art to the point you want--although I am not so sure about the possibility of dancing professionally (if that's what you mean by dancing seriously). Good luck and happy dancing!

 

Eun Hee