How Long Does One Stay in Adult Beginning Ballet & is Pointe Possi

[red*satin]

Hello!

 

 

I have starting taking adult beginning ballet classes about 2 months ago. Next week I will be taking 4 classes per week. I was just wondering how long one stays in beginning ballet as an adult. I am not in a hurry or anything, merely curious. Also, I am 50 years old and wondering if it is possible in the future to be able to take pointe classes at my age?

 

 

Thanks so much for your input!!

Edited June 26, 2008 by red*satin

[Redbookish]

Almost anything is possible IF your body is physically suited and you can get the right training. Teacher Mods can comment further with proper expertise, but to get a sense of what's required with regards to pointe work, you should read the stickies The Facts of Life about Pointe work and A Pointe Readiness Issue.

 

My personal view, having done pointe as a teenager, and then again as an adult in my 30s, is that really, I don't know why pointe work seems to be the be all and end all of "dancing." It hurts! and it's tough on your body, and more importantly, for me, there is so much more to work on ... But I'm in a minority on that view. I know.

[Clara 76]

Well, it depends. Your age hasn't got as much to do with it as your body does. In other words, some feet/ankles/legs are made for pointework, some aren't. Unless you were en pointe as a teen, and are coming back to ballet, then I wouldn't trust a teacher who allows you en pointe until you've been studying a good 3 years at 4x week.

 

Now, as far as when one begins taking more advanced classes, that depends upon the teacher and the student. Hopefully, the teacher will let you know if it is time for you to challenge yourself. If she doesn't, you can always ask!

[ineluctability]

I stayed in Beginning at 2 classes a week for 3 months. Then moved to Ballet 2 for 3 months and now I'm in Ballet 3. There are 4 levels at my school.

It depends how quickly you pick things up and how well you execute them.

[Victoria Leigh]

You must be some kind of whiz bang, ineluctability, or, did you have ballet in your younger years, before you started as an adult?

[eunheejun]

I also think it is really up to the individual and the physique. I did adult beginning class for 4 months (once a week), then the same class twice a week for another 4 months, then started taking 3 classes a week (including adult class and teen's exam prep class) for two semesters before I took the RAD intermediate exam where I got a pretty good mark in pointe section. I was introduced to pointe work towards the end of my first year. No previous experience in ballet, but I am physically pretty strong (I found out that I have a professional athlete's body composition) and was well- relatively young (started pointework at 28). As for me, pointe work always makes me really realize how lousy I actually am in techniques that I initially felt comfortable with. Your extension suddenly decreases, balancing becomes much more difficult, much more strength is required than on demi-, you need to pull so much harder to push yourself forward.....It really is like learning to dance all over again. And it really is a great learning tool in that sense! Good luck and I hope you can start pointe work some time soon in the future.

[red*satin]

Hello Everyone!

 

Thank-you for all your replies and input! I never really had taken any ballet when I was younger. A little but it was so long ago, over 40 years ago!

 

I am in pretty good shape and I guess the one thing going for me is that I have always been naturally extremely flexible. I can do the splits right off without having done them for probably over 20 years. I guess being very flexible is an advantage to ballet?

 

 

I am just wondering if I can build the strength. I know as one ages, one loses muscle mass.....

 

Thank-you everyone!!