Who takes "children's" classes?

[jakijo]

Hi, I'm an "adult" student (though I don't really feel like one, I'm only 21 and I look like I'm 16). I've just come back to ballet after a hiatus since sophomore year of high school and started taking adult classes at a local studio. This studio, however, has a fantastic program for students, and I was wondering if it's possible to enroll in these classes.

 

How many of you adult students take classes that are supposed to be for kids? I don't feel I would stick out once I got back up to the level I was dancing in high school, but that might mean I'd be with the middle schoolers for a year or however long it takes to get back to being advanced. How does your studio react to adults who want to take the student classes? Also, I know this is probably not good, but should I lie about my age to get in? I mean, I look 16... but lying probably isn't good....

 

Thanks for your comments!

[gimpydancer]

I've done it both ways. I took adult classes for several years at a larger pre-pro school and then when we moved I took classes with children. I'm 44 and I was taking class with 10 and 11 years old but it was the only time I could fit it in as the adult classes were in the mornings. I felt a little silly at first but it worked out ok. I still learned! The studio was very small, but with very good training, and the owner told me I could take whatever classes I wanted.

 

I'm now back to my original studio and taking classes with adults. Socially it is more fun but since you're fairly young yourself you may be comfortable either way. My current studio generally does not allow adults in the children's classes.

 

All you can do is ask, and I would agree that lying about your age isn't a good idea.

 

Betsy

[Serendipity]

I take classes mostly with children. There's one "teen/adult" class at my school but it's mostly young teens and we have a few very much younger children (schedule conflict for them for children's classes).

 

I found an adult class at a school down the road which really does have adults in it, though, and have started taking that in addition to my other classes. I'm fortunate that my main studio is so open-minded about adults taking kids' classes, because otherwise there'd be practically nothing for me in my area.

[swantobe]

I've also recently returned after a break. I'm 22. I do a bit of both. My syllabus and exams classes are with 13 year olds, and then I do adult open classes just for fun. There are actually quite a few of us "oldies" in the younger class.

 

I don't think there's any need to lie about your age. All studios I've worked with (3 in total, and I've approached others) have been completely fine with me joining their children's classes.

[spingirl]

I haven't been taking classes for a while (long story--health issues) but I started with the adult class. I got annoyed because there were so many ability levels in the adult class--one woman took it in pointe shoes! I felt like the teacher had to keep adapting to all the levels, and it just made me a little crazy.

 

Luckily, this is a great pre-pro school, and the owner/director said it would be fine for me to take with the regular students. That meant I was in classes with students at the same ability level as me, so we were all working on the same things. It's been great, though I did have to just get over being in a leo and tights with kids 30 years younger than me. And, oh, how I loved those parent visitation weeks! Especially when the video cameras were running!

 

Oh, well. I wanted classes for my ability, and that's what I had to do to get them. Not all schools will do that, though. The school for the city's ballet company won't allow it, which kind of stinks, because the schedule & location is much better for me.

 

I'm going back to class this afternoon for the first time since February, so I'm regressing a bit. I was in Ballet IV, but today's class is Ballet III, and I don't know if I'll even make it all the way through. Ugh, gotta find a leo that I still fit into!

 

Anyway, just be honest about your age and skill level. There's no shame in having to work your way back up through the levels, and at 21 you'll go through them much faster than I will at 47!

 

Lisa

[skyish]

Well there is no such thing as adult classes here, and after an 8 year break I restarted taking classes when I'm 20 (I'm 22 now) And yeah I need to tell you that it is not normal for people above the age 8 to decide taking ballet classes here, so basically they all gave me weird looks when I told them that I was 20. But I found a couple studios to accept me,and I was taking 2 levels at the same time; my main level was Ballet 7; but I took classes with Ballet 6 also (8 levels in ballet here) so in one class I was dancing with 14-17 year olds, and in the other with 12-14 year olds. It's never been a problem for me unless there's a parent watching. Just don't lie about anything, you don't need to do that. If you do need to do that in one studio maybe you should find another. Good luck

[Claude_Catastrophique]

*raises hand* me, if you consider 13 years old as kids (all 13 years: Please don't kill me now!!). I am 23 and in ballet attire I also look like 16. The most annoying thing is, that they are all one head taller than me *grumble* but 10 years younver. My teacher asked me to join that class. It is a beginners class and at the beginning they did not like me at all there as an advanced dancer. They are all beginners or re-starters after longer breaks and I suspect my teacher that she wanted some sort of a role model for them and asked me to take that class. I did not say no, I get it for free, the time is perfect and I have three classes a week now with the chance to add some pointe work.

 

So...I did not ask for the class, it was the other way around. Asking does not cost anything and I don't think that they mind you taking that class. I wouldn't lie about your age. Maybe they even like it that an adult dancer takes such an effort. I am also sure that the girls get used to you very quick. First when I took the kids class, they were like "what are you doing here" and "oh no, not you again, it is always so strenouse when you join the class". Now they are fine with me and when they found out about my age they made big eyes (ten years older but shorter! hehe).

[Serendipity]

I pay one fee for unlimited classes and technically I can take any class I want (was told that the other night). I did the school's summer intensive one year with 8-10 year olds, and last year it was with 11-16 year olds.

 

Now I'm in classes that range from 9-17 years - then me at 30-something years OLDER than they. And that ONE adult class where I THINK I'm actually one of the younger ones!

[Skittl1321]

I'm not currently, but when I was dancing 3 days a week I was in children's class. I think they ranged in age from 9-12. I really enjoyed the class, and since it is such a structured, disciplined environment, the age didn't really matter. Except for before class, there wasn't a lot of socializing.

 

I'm also quite short, so when I was in Cinderella in the Summer Fairy corps with my class, I ended up at the front of multiple columns. Then I felt silly, standing in front of children!

[jakijo]

Thanks for all your kind words, but I did ask the studio about it today, and they said no.

 

They said the only level they let adults take class in is level VII (which is the highest level they have, aka 9 classes a week with pointe, pas de deux, and variations...) which is SO not the level I am at... I'm probably more of a level III or IV...

 

Anyway, I'm so sad! Plus, it's not like I'm much older than the girls in the class... too bad...

 

And they asked why I wanted to join the kids class when I had so many adult levels open to me (to be fair, the school has a remarkable adult program with levels of beginner basic, level I, level II, intermediate, advanced, pointe and pas de deux). I said I wanted a more structured program.

 

The adult classes are great, but I feel like they are just taught at that level. They aren't really designed to help you progress as a dancer. They don't teach any "new" things, just do different things at the same level. I really want a class that will re-teach me the things I learned when I was younger, instead of just doing them. Am I making sense?

 

Does anyone else feel this way in adult classes? I really want to be retaught, and I feel like there isn't much teaching, only doing and correcting. But, if I can't remember how to effectively do a pirouette, then how can they expect me to do one without reteaching me?

 

Oh well, just a little rant. I'm sure I'll get better and advance through the adult levels, I'm just worried that I won't.... Thanks for listening....

[Serendipity]

Have you mentioned this to the teacher? There was a patch during one of the kids' classes I take where the teacher was really not doing any correcting for me (or praise, either). I mentioned that while I have a lot of experience I can't always tell what I'm doing right or wrong and would she please treat me as she does the kids in terms of correction? I do use what she tells others, but it was so frustrating not knowing what to do.

 

She has been doing better at this now, thank goodness.

[jakijo]

The corrections I get are fine, they're great! However, I just feel that when a move comes up that I hadn't learned before or had totally forgotten the teacher doesn't teach it, she just expects you to know it and then corrects you on it. This is what is hard for me, because I feel that with kids they wouldn't have that assumption and they would teach the step as it you had never heard of it.

 

I will try to talk to my teacher and make my intentions better known. I would like to advance back to where I was (back doing well on pointe, variations, and all that jazz) and I bet I just need to make that clear to my teachers.

 

Thanks for your advice!

[Tiffany]

I prefer classes with kids. I have seen studios that did allow and u]did not [/u] allow an adult to take classes with the kids. Adult classes do not get to an advanced level as far as I have seen. I always took kids classes until I moved to a certain city. In that city I talked to 3 different quality ballet studios and all of them would not allow me to take classes with the kids. So I took the adult classes. And try to find an advanced pointe class if you are an adult! haha that's a joke. I definitely prefer classes with kids. It does not feel weird to me but I am only in my 20's. Ballet is ballet and I will take whatever I can get!!!!!!

[swantobe]

As for being taught things you've never learnt - when these types of things come up in adult ballet classes, I will speak up and tell the teacher I have never done that before and ask her to go through it step by step with me. Normally this is completely fine and she'll let the others mark the bit we're doing and teach me what I don't know. Then if I can't integrate it into the dancing we're doing immediately, she will either suggest an easier step/move or allow me to practice it on my own at the back.

 

Good luck and keep working on it!

[jakijo]

That sounds great! I think it was more a factor of the teachers I was going to. The studio I'm at has a bunch of different adult levels and a bunch of different classes. I tried one of the basic beginners classes just to see if the teacher was any different (and to feel good about my dancing, I can't lie...). This new teacher was great. She got on me about opening my ribs and arching my back, which has always been a problem with me since I was 3. She also really taught new things to the class. She went through the very basic moves of a simple pirouette, and since I hadn't really been taught that in so long, it really helped a bunch. My single is now so controlled and pretty, yay!

 

So, I think I'm just going to go teacher shopping at my studio, basically. I'll keep trying a class with each teacher until I find a combo that works for me. It'd be easier and better if I could just get into the school with the kids and have a constant kind of instruction, but if that's not possible, then I'll try this. So far I have my teaching-teacher that yells at me for my arched back, a teacher that is killer on my arms (which always suck), and one that constantly yells at me to point my feet. Between them, I think I'm good!