need suggestions

[david2189]

Hi guys, im a 19 year old guy and ive always wanted to do ballet, why? i really dont know ive always had the urge too! I'm thin, well shaped and very flexible so i think i'd be perfect. but i'm thinking i'm too old to start and im wondering what will the other people be like, what will they think of me?

 

id really like some other peoples thoughts on this

 

also what sort of equipment/clothing would i need to start off with, cant say ive got any experience at all with this so any helps appreciated

 

ive looked into lessons and as i work in london near liverpool st ive decided to get in touch with central school of ballet near farringdon, has anyone had any experience with these?

 

i've reposted this thread as you guys may be able to help me out more, my main question to you guys is the bolded one.

 

thanks in advance,

 

Dave

[Mel Johnson]

No need to worry about age. You're fine at 19. I can't say that I've ever directly observed students from Central School, but they do have a good reputation. Ask them about class dress. They know what their students need, they've been doing this for so long.

[Hamorah]

Central is a very good school and they do extremely well with relatively inexperienced male dancers, whom other schools might not accept. A friend's son studied there and he had only learnt once a week before going there. He became a really good dancer.

 

19 is not too late for a guy to start, especially if as you say you are flexible and with a good body. I once taught a young man of 22 who had only done Israeli folk dancing before. He had always wanted to do ballet and after completing his army service he started learning. It turned out that he was so talented, after a couple of years he was good enough to turn pro and he eventually became a soloist!

 

You won't know till you try, so go for it! If in the end Central is not the right place for you, I'm sure you'll find a place to dance in London. There's the London Studio Centre not far from you, Pineapple in Covent Garden, Danceworks opposite Selfridges and others. You'll find your niche somewhere if you want it.

[david2189]

thanks im going contact london studio centre, i get the feeling that evening classes at central is just for get fit fanatics and not people who seriously want to learn ballet

 

 

 

 

 

Edited to remove unnecessary repeat of previous post.

Edited May 5, 2008 by Redbookish

[Mel Johnson]

David, you don't have to hit " "reply" in order to answer, just "add reply" will give you a post blank to write in without quoting the immediately previous post. If you want to respond to something farther up the thread, " "reply" can be useful.

 

By all means, seek additional advice, but don't dismiss Central as a possible place to study just yet. Their Senior School ends with a BA (Hons) programme that looks very promising. And ballet will help you out if you do any other kind of stage work, or even just in day-to-day. When I was being fitted for my uniform in the Air Force, the tailors kind of gaped at me. They said that they didn't often see a new recruit who could stand up straight!

[Hamorah]

Mel - the fulltime BA Hons course at Central is for three years - that's what my friend's son did, but they may have a cut-off upper age limit for that - most boys are 16 when they join. I didn't think of that when recommending the school. But anyway, I'm not sure that that is what david2189 is looking for as he mentions their evening classes. As well as the full time vocational training, they also have external classes for children and adults and this is probably what he was considering.

[david2189]

yeh im only looking for evening classes as im in full time work 10-6.30

 

these are the 2 im looking at

 

http://www.centralschoolofballet.co.uk/aeccourseoutline.php

 

and

 

http://www.london-studio-centre.co.uk/access_timetable8.html

 

the reason i think london studio is more aimed towards people wanting to actually dance is because it seems more serious and more like what you would expect where in centrals case its more directed to the typical adult wanting to get a workout

Edited May 4, 2008 by david2189

[Mel Johnson]

Well, look about, and get some good-quality input. The suggestions made above are certainly very, very good.

[CDR]

They are both excellent schools and whilst a recreational class might be fine for a couple of months to get the basics you need to make sure you move onto a class for serious dance training. Explain to your teacher that you are serious and they should be able to make sure you're on the right track.

[Rubber Legs]

Hi David,

I am sure you will find some good adult beginners ballet classes down there in London.

I would suggest that you do not wear tights for your first few ballet classes.Tracksuit bottoms and wear swimming trucks under them for a start should be ok for your first few lessons.You will need ballet shoes however to be able to point your feet.I would suggest you go for black or white split sole canvas ballet shoes.Do post again and advise how you are getting on.

 

Paul.

[Chinafish]

Oooh.... another new student in London. Yay!!

 

I went to Danceworks when I began.

 

There on I have also tried classes at Pineapple.

 

These open studios beginners classes are often not true beginners classes, although they are quite basic. Let the teacher know that you have never done it before so they will know to explain things a bit more.

 

The Central line should be quite good in getting you to Danceworks (Bond Street) and Pineapple (short walk from Holborn).

 

I currently go to classes at Morley College which does classes at a termly basis, split by levels. To join, you will need the teacher's approval, so there should be a free trial class before you pay. Once you are approved to join the course, you will need to go to the office to enrol -- make sure they charge you pro-rata rather than for the whole year!!

 

The general attitude I get at Morley is that it focuses a lot on the enjoyment of ballet, but at the same time there is a huge emphasis on technique.

 

I work near Tower Hill, so normally I walk to Bank, get the Waterloo and City Line, then get one stop to Lambeth North for Morley. I do know of other people who take the Circle/District line to Embankment then change for the Bakerloo down that way -- I personally feel the Waterloo and City line is faster.

 

Feel free to ask any more questions either by PM or posting here.

 

Fish

 

ETA: Quite a few students in my class are well over 40, so you are definitely not too old.

[Redbookish]

David, Chinafish's advice is very good. From what people have said on the board, I'd say the Morley College classes might be ideal for you, as they offer a structured introduction to ballet. Central School & London Studio Centre will give you excellent instruction, but if you've never studied ballet before, you should be looking for a beginner's class which meets as a group regularly, not just Beginners open classes. Morley College offers these & so does the English National Ballet (located near the Albert Hall). Both of these you pay for term's tuition. Open classes are "drop in", and there'll be different people each time. An open class, even at beginner level, may feel a bit "sink or swim" as the basics won't necessarily be fully explained, whereas a structured class which meets as a group once a week, may be just right for introducing you to the basics.

 

For beginners, if you do try an Open class, I'd recommend Renato Paroni's classess -- very crowded Beginners at Danceworks on Sunday, and less so at Marylebone Dance Studio on Tuesday nights. I think he is excellent at getting his students placed and aligned. I always finish his class with extra turn out & a long spine! He's very hands on with corrections (unusual in adult open classes) & really gets you working on the detail. And he has an eagle eye -- first time I did his Sunday class, he pounced immediately on my habit of crunching my toes to get a "better" line on my arch & instep -- of course I was cheating and he saw it immediately!

 

Do come back and tell us what you end up doing!

[ami1436]

I believe Renato still teaches the beginning open class at Central...

[Dance_Scholar_London]

LSC's beginners class is on Mondays from 8:00 - 9:00 pm. It is for beginners and assumes little or no experience, or possibly students returning after a long break. If you have some experience, you might want to join syllabi classes or (slightly) more advanced classes (e.g. Wednesday 8:00 pm). Enjoy

[david2189]

thanks for everyones suggestions, some great input. i'm really interested in morley college but im afraid its too far for me as i have to get back to liverpool st to commute back home and it'll be cutting it a bit tight coming from waterloo.

 

could anyone tell me if london studio centre's (http://www.london-studio-centre.co.uk/access_timetable8.html) ADULT LEVEL 1 classes are open, as im not really interested in open.

 

edit: just gave them a call and its not open which is great, so i'll give them a go first and let you know how it goes

Edited May 5, 2008 by david2189