Ballet Bunnie Posted August 9, 2010 Report Share Posted August 9, 2010 So, I finished my summer intensive, and now I am spending the rest of my summer abroad -- in Beijing, China! I talked with my teachers, and her advice was to take as many open classes as possible, if nothing is available, then keep stretching. I found open classes offered through National Ballet of China. I went to one over the weekend. I didn't understand everything the teacher says, and my style is definitely very very different than the rest of the class. ( I am amazed that I am brave enough to take a ballet class in China!) That teacher has a lot of credentials and is currently working with some of the best dancers. But I am wondering if taking classes with her will be a good idea, just because she gave some "contradicting" corrections with my home teacher. So, should I just keep stretching? Or should I take classes with her? Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted August 9, 2010 Administrators Report Share Posted August 9, 2010 I think it would be fun and interesting, even though the method or style is different. If you are an advanced dancer, you should be able to adapt and benefit from the classes, and maybe learn some new things that work for you. If they don't, you will not be there long enough for it to matter that much, as long as they are not asking you to do anything that you feel is harmful to your body. Link to comment
Ballet Bunnie Posted August 10, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2010 Thank you, MS. Leigh! I am very glad to know that even in the worse situation, no big harm will be done! It is very interesting to be in a ballet class that you don't really understand the language, but able to understand what is going on! I will keep on dancing and have fun with all these interesting port de bras! Link to comment
Ballet Bunnie Posted August 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 I just finished my last class there, and I absolutely love the teacher!!!!! Wish I can stay longer in Beijing! So, on top of the technical things to fix/rethink, she also made comments to my training and my body. One comment was that I lack of feminism in my dancing. She thinks that she is seeing too much emphasis on power while I already have this natural ability to do fancy beats and jumps, but at the same time, she thinks that my dancing is too boy-ish and lack of feminism. I think her observation is absolutely true, and I am wondering how this can be improved... Thank you in advance! Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted August 23, 2010 Administrators Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 Is your home training not stressing upper body? It seems that in a lot of places there is a lot of work on strength and jumps and turns and extensions, but not in putting it all together in terms of how these things are used in coordination with head, arms, use of torso, épaulement, fluidity of motion, and presentation. If this is not happening in your school, or with your main teacher, then I would seek out a teacher who will work with you on these things. Link to comment
Ballet Bunnie Posted August 23, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 I don't think my main teacher has been stressing upper body much... at least not yet... There has only been one male teacher, who claimed that he was more of a "turner" than a "prince' type, stressed upper body more than the others, and he said that this shouldn't be his job, but since no one else was working on the upper body with us, he became "the one"... But I will talk with my main teacher and see if she can provide more help with that... Thank you, Ms. Leigh! You have always been so patient answering my questions! Link to comment
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