From Dolly Dinkle to Pre-Pro

[serenade]

I have danced for fourteen years at a studio that I would characterize as halfway in between "dolly dinkle" and pre-pro. This year, however, I am transferring to a pre-pro studio. I have taken a few classes there over the summer and while the training is excellent, I am completely overwhelmed at how far behind I am in technique. I spoke with the staff about how I felt and they helped me to find classes at a lower level to help me catch up. So this year, I will be taking three ballet classes and three pointe classes per week at a lower level as well as one advanced level ballet class per week. Although I will be the oldest one in the lower level classes, I would rather do that than be completely "lost" in the advanced classes. I don't plan on dancing professionally or have a career in dance-I just want to take classes because I love ballet and want to improve.

 

Does anybody else have any stories about transferring from "dolly dinkle" to pre-pro and feeling overwhelmed at the difference in the two studios?

 

Thank you,

serenade

[Victoria Leigh]

Serenade, as a teacher I do understand how difficult that can be, especially for someone who has had so many years of prior training. I applaud you for being willing to make that move, and to take the lower level classes. I think that you will find that there are some "built in" habits that will be somewhat resistant to change, but just stick with it, as it can be done!

[serenade]

Serenade, as a teacher I do understand how difficult that can be, especially for someone who has had so many years of prior training. I applaud you for being willing to make that move, and to take the lower level classes. I think that you will find that there are some "built in" habits that will be somewhat resistant to change, but just stick with it, as it can be done!

 

Thank you for your kind response. I am thoroughly enjoying dancing in an environment that emphasizes such good technique although I agree, it is quite an adjustment.

 

I have another question. Over the years, a very small handful of people would leave my old studio to study at a pre-pro school and cited their reasoning as wanting better training. The directors at my old studio would often remark(not to the student but to other staff members) something along the lines of "Well you know we're not that serious. We're a place for girls to have fun." In essence, they were saying that students couldn't blame them for not providing the same quality training as a pre-pro school. I understand that not every studio is pre-pro and that there are recreational schools that can still give high quality training but how much should be expected out of "recreational" studios? Should schools that are only strictly recreational uphold to the same standards of high quality training as pre-pro studios? Or do recreational ballet schools have a valid claim of not adhering to such standards?

 

I am interested in everyone's opinion on this topic. Switching studios has opened my eyes to how much difference exists between types of studios!

 

Thanks,

Serenade

[vrsfanatic]

Good ballet, is good ballet however sometimes schools are opened with a purpose that is different than teaching good ballet. There is no "standard" recommended by any governing board for the training of dance. Within the industry however, it is known which schools teach to a professional standard in ballet. Even within that standard there are levels.

 

The bottomline is if one aspires to a career, choose wisely!

[Victoria Leigh]

Very well stated, vrs!

 

The problem with a recreational school is that, while it is possible for them to offer quality training in ballet, they can't offer the quantity needed for the same kind of results. So, there are some schools that are a "place for fun" where students can learn ballet that is well taught, but they cannot advance to the same levels as students at schools where ballet is much more intensive. Unfortunately, a lot of these schools do not have the staff to provide the quality training, although there are some that do. As vrs said above, choose wisely!