spinbug Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 I've been mulling over this decision for some time now and it appears that there is a destiny for me. I started ballet lessons as an adult and quickly improved up to the intermediate/advanced level and began studying pointe and taking my Cecchetti exams. Sadly my instructor moved away and the studio that she owned was sold and eventually closed down leaving a real void in our community. The nearest quality studio was an hour's drive away. Our students scattered to other studios and sadly, some just stopped taking ballet altogether. I couldn't give up my new love and continued taking classes out of town, though. Since that time many people have inquired about my ballet studies and expressed an interest in finding a new teacher to start class again. In fact, several people asked me if I would be interested in teaching their children. Even though I had reached a somewhat advanced level, I never considered myself qualified and repeatedly refused the offer. I don't know if the new climate in the media had any affect but suddenly I had adults wanting to learn ballet. That hit a spark with me since I, myself, started as an adult and realized that there was no longer an avenue for those individuals to learn. (There is another studio in town that takes kids.) Once again, I know that I don't have the experience of some more advanced students and do not have a degree in dance pedagogy, but I do have an interest and a passion for ballet. So, this time around I decided to just jump in. So... I am now the teacher for an Adult Ballet Class! I must be crazy! Quote Link to comment
Redbookish Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 Wow! good luck, and strong thoughts. You have much to learn (I always find I learn when I teach what I teach). Enjoy getting more people hooked! Quote Link to comment
ripresa Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 YEAH! Good luck Quote Link to comment
Clara 76 Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 Congratulations! If you have any questions, or need any help, please don't hesitate to ask. Quote Link to comment
spinbug Posted April 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 Thank You, Redbookish, Clara76 and Ripressa. I'm sure this is going to be a learning experience. Thanks for your encouragement. I'm looking into continuing my Cechetti training. Hopefully I'll be able to get teacher certified, or at least start back with my graded exams again. It's the least that I should do considering the circumstances. The difficulty will be in finding someone close enough who would be willing to sponsor me. We'll see. Quote Link to comment
missvjc420 Posted April 25, 2008 Report Share Posted April 25, 2008 Wonderful news, spinbug! Good luck with this new endeavour, and way to go on your proactivity! Quote Link to comment
Laschwen Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 Seems like a lovely decision to me. Congratulations! Wish you were here..... Laschwen Quote Link to comment
airchild Posted April 28, 2008 Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 I am glad you have found your calling and are putting it into action! Go for it! Best of luck! Quote Link to comment
spinbug Posted April 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 Thanks everyone! Let's see, last week was our first class and our second one is tonight. I'm planning on adding some more classes during the week but haven't had a chance to clear anything off my schedule yet. Our first class had eight students and the barres hadn't arrived yet so we did a lot of weight transfer excercises in the middle, learning the positions of the feet and arms, worked on finding those turnout muscles right under the points of the hip in contact with the floor when you're sitting down. (I think that it's easier to feel them when you're sitting like that and you also keep your hips level.) I'm expecting even more students tonight so I hope we have enough room! Who knows, I may have scared some away last week when they realized how hard ballet can be. I had people telling me how sore they were, and we were doing very meticulous and slow excercises... Tonight I plan on introducing the directions of the room (Cecchetti style), the directions of the body and the French ballet vocabulary most pertinent for barre excercises. I know that this is a lot of information but I find that adults can really absorb a lot of info and I remember finding all of it so fascinating. I won't expect them to remember all of it at first but if I introduce it initially I can still keep referring back to it and keep reinforcing it. Right now our movements will still only be en avant, en arriere and de cote`, but eventually I'll be asking for them to move through all of the positions and introducing it now will make it easier when I'm wanting more precision. For center we are going to work some more on weight transfer excercises, like demi plie in first into sur le cou-de-pied devant and derriere. ( As we progress we'll start doing the same excercise with releve and then eventually with passe` releve`. ) I think I will also introduce the chasse into arabesque a terre across the floor. Does this all sound like fun to everyone? Well, it's really, really fun for me! Just knowing that someone else wants to learn the things I find so fascinating makes me tickled to death. I know that I'm going to be one of those really eccentric old teachers that gets excited about things that others just can't figure out. I'm happy in my own world... Quote Link to comment
ripresa Posted April 28, 2008 Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 Keep us updated spinbug!!! On introducing new terms.. it would've been so nice if I had gotten handouts that I could post at work, with body positions and arms and arabesques. Just like a "real" college class where you get handouts Just a suggestion. Quote Link to comment
spinbug Posted April 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 Well, I also plan on making posters to put up on the walls. I have a book with the positions and someone else's artwork. I wouldn't want to draw those myself, it would be unrecognizable Thanks for the suggestions. Quote Link to comment
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