Hours per week

[purpletutu]

I'll be turning 16 this fall and I was wondering how many hours of ballet per week is recommended for a serious dancer, I'm trying to decide what my schedule should consist of. I also may switch schools, and I need to know whether or not thier schedule is sufficient. Thanks!

[Mel Johnson]

At 16 and on-track, I'd have to say that your schedule has to be based on at least one 90-minute ballet technique class 6 days a week. That's basic. A class in a specialty skill, pointe, jazz, modern, character, etc. should follow technique class.

[scdancergal1]

well i am only 14 and my schedual consist of anywhere from16-20 hours of ballet not including other forms of dance such as contemp. or jazz... at your age you are preping to be in collage and your senior or junior year (im asumming) so a large, full achedual may be in the best intrest if your concidering professional company or collage!

[Mel Johnson]

Scdancergal1, you can go back and edit your own posts for capitalization, punctuation and spelling....

 

And go easy on the advice - we're the teachers, you're a student. It's presumptuous to advise someone older than yourself, unless you're particularly asked.

[DanaD]

I was wondering about next year's schedule. Could you tell me what I have to add?

 

Monday:

Stretch&Strength, Ballet, Tap (at school)

4:30-6: Technique

6:30-8: Technique warm up & rehearsal

8-9: Pointe

 

Tuesday:

Stretch&Strength, Ballet, Tap (at school)

7:30-9: Technique &Pointe

 

Wednesday:

Stretch&Strength, Ballet, Tap (at school)

4:30-5:30: Stretch and Strength

5:30-6:30: Rehearsal

6:30-8: Technique

8-9: Pointe

 

Thursday:

Stretch&Strength, Ballet, Tap (at school)

4:30-6: Technique

7-8: Pointe

8-9: Rehearsal

 

Friday:

Stretch&Strength, Ballet, Tap (at school)

4:30-6: Technique & Character

6-7: Pointe (if we can afford it)

 

Saturday:

10-11:30: Technique

12-1: Rehearsal

[Mel Johnson]

That's really pretty good, considering that Mon-Fri you get a technique class in school. Wednesday is a little odd, rehearsal should come after class, usually, but since it's inbetween, it could be a lot worse.

[DanaD]

Yeah, but on Wednesday, rehearsal consists of kids who have a combined technique right before. It's easier for them, so they aren't late.

:]

So I don't need to add anything?

[pointe200]

Last year I could only do two classes a week due to health reasons, and this fall I'd like to add a lot more classes to my weekly schedule, but the thing is, my studio doesn't offer that many classes, at the moment I'll only be doing three technique classes (including pointe) a week there, plus five hours (technique, pointe and rehearsal) on Sunday at a youth comapny. I really want to get into a pre pro school at 15/16 (I'm 14 now), and I know that I'd need to be doing a lot more than I am schedualed to do to compete against other girls who will be training every day.

There isn't much of a ballet culture in Ireland, so there aren't any schools that offer really good training to prepare you for auditions (or at least that I know of). Would it make sense to maybe combine training at two differant studios, or might that get messy? Also, it's show year at my current studio at the moment, so I expect that focus on technique might slip a bit....

Sorry this is really long, I just really want more serious training that I'm getting at the moment and don't know how to go about getting that

Thanks

[Mel Johnson]

With that kind of goal, you have to be taking at least one technique class six times a week, and at 14, a pointe class every other day would be a minimum.

 

Find another studio at least as strong as yours and take the additional classes there.

[pointe200]

Thank you for the advice Mr. Johnson, I'm searching for studios now