Adult Ballet – Page 2

Adult Ballet Student: Lorry Perez

March 26, 2012 by 4dancers

It’s time for our next Adult Ballet feature–say hello to Lorry Perez!

lorrychi3 — Adult Ballet Student Lorry Perez

1. How did you first get involved with ballet and what attracted you to it as an adult?

I didn’t get much exposure to the arts when I was a kid. I got a job as an usher at the Music Center in Los Angeles in my teens because it was close to my home and the hourly pay was good. I was able to see wonderful productions and I really loved it, especially dance. But as much as I loved watching ballet, it seemed very distant. It didn’t seem like something that I could ever do.

Attending the ballet has always been a wonderful and even therapeutic event so about two years ago I decided that I would look into seeing if there was even such a thing as beginner classes for adults. To be honest it didn’t seem like a possibility because I would take a beginner class and they always assumed some prior knowledge, which I didn’t have. I didn’t even know how to stand at the barre and none of the teachers wanted to deal with my lack of knowledge or skill. It all was very discouraging.

I didn’t give up though and eventually I found a wonderful teacher who offered classes for adults with zero knowledge and zero background in dance. To be able to feel just a little bit of the magic of ballet – the music, the movement, the artistry – is such an amazing gift.

2. How many classes are you currently taking per week?

I take at least three classes per week, but I would go everyday if I could!

3. What do you see as your biggest challenge as an adult ballet student?

You know, when you are a kid, everything is possible. We are less self-conscious and just freer in our minds and with our bodies. But as adults, we bring all kinds of issues with us. I struggle with my body image, with overthinking, with fear of failure or ridicule; I bring a lot of junk with me to ballet class.

An incredible and unexpected by-product of ballet class is that I am learning how to deal with all of these things both in class and outside of class! For me the biggest challenge has not been physical but mental, addressing my issues and working through them so that I can embrace my beginners mind and take a more childlike approach that allows for happiness in learning this great art. Not to say that the physical part hasn’t been a challenge. None of this comes naturally to me, but arms and legs start to behave better when I worry less and open up more.

4. What brings you the greatest joy as an adult ballet student?

I loved ballet class from the very start, but what has given me the greatest joy is progressing to the point where I now have moments that I am able to dance inside the music. It’s not every step and not even every class, but there are moments when I can really feel how the music and the movement meet and become ballet and that is pure magic! I work really hard to improve in hopes of more of that!

5. Do you have any advice for other adult ballet students? [Read more…]

Teaching Adult Ballet Class

March 25, 2012 by 4dancers

Today we have an adult ballet teacher with us to share some thoughts about her experience with this demographic….

Leigh Purtill-leg pic — Adult Ballet Instructor Leigh Purtill

1. What are you currently doing in terms of teaching adult ballet class and how did you wind up doing that?

Right now, I teach at two studios in Los Angeles and Pasadena, California and I do a lot of private coaching. At one studio, I have a program of beginner, intermediate and advanced ballet technique and pointe classes for adults which is very successful – and fun! I also choreograph the spring show and Nutcracker for that studio, both of which allow ample opportunities for my adults to perform, no matter their skill level.

When I got out of college, I taught young children and teens but now that I’m older, I find that I relate better to adults and older teens. My approach to technique is based on kinesiology and I give corrections that are primarily bio-mechanical. Students who can understand how to access certain muscles and how bones and tendons relate to each other will be more likely to apply my corrections successfully.

2. What do you like most about teaching adult ballet?

I love being witness to breakthroughs, whether it’s a beginner who finally understands how to lift up her abdominals and rotate from the top of her hips or an advanced student who hits a triple pirouette en pointe. I often wish I had a camera to capture the moment on their faces – the looks of surprise and elation are priceless.

With my beginner students, I become absurdly proud of their advances! I make sure to point out to them and to the rest of the class when these things happen so they can appreciate their progress and be recognized by their peers. I encourage them to celebrate the smaller moments because they all add up!

3. What are some of the special considerations when it comes to teaching adult ballet? [Read more…]

Mads Eriksen On Teaching Adult Ballet

March 24, 2012 by 4dancers

Today we have a few thoughts on teaching adult ballet from Mads Eriksen – the Ballet Master at Ballet San Jose’s school…

Mads Eriksen teaching an adult ballet class at Ballet San Jose School, Photo by Breanna Palermo

What do you enjoy most about teaching adult ballet classes?

I think that one of the best things about teaching adult students is sharing my love of dance with somebody that has not necessarily been dancing since they were little kids. It’s very rewarding to be able to introduce dance into somebody’s life.

What is the best piece of advice you could give an adult ballet student?

When you decide to take up ballet as an adult, whether you have danced a lot or never before, the most important thing is to come to class ready to have fun and express your self through movement. Ballet class can have a very serious aura when people are working hard, so it is important to remember that everybody is there to share the love of dance. Remember a smile goes a long way!

HeadshotMads — Mads Eriksen, Photo by Scott Belding

Can you pass along your best tip for teaching this type of class?

I find that my most successful classes happen when I don’t spend to much time going into detail about every little thing, and focus a little more on letting people really move. The more actual dancing there is in a class for adults the better.

BIO: Mads Eriksen trained at the Royal Danish Ballet School, and upon graduation entered the ranks of the Royal Danish Ballet where he performed.

He spent several seasons dancing with Ballet San Jose, and is now a Ballet Master with Ballet San Jose School teaching all levels.

Adult Ballet Student: Jean Kyle

March 23, 2012 by 4dancers

summerschool — Fr L to R: me, Hayley, Tibor, Lynda, Natalie

1. How did you first get involved with ballet and what attracted you to it as an adult?

I started ballet classes as a 9 year old (considered a late starter for a child, I guess!) because I was always dancing around the house whenever music was playing, and it took a few years for mum to convince my conservative dad to allow me to take up ballet. For many years, ballet was my greatest passion but I slowly lost my passion for it when I moved overseas for studies in my late teens, not finding the same type of support I had from the teachers I grew up with.

After I completed my RAD Intermediate level I hung up my ballet shoes, thinking that maybe ballet was too technical and that there was nothing more I would gain from it. I looked to other forms of dance such as Lyrical and Contemporary to continue fueling my passion for dance. While I enjoyed them, I noticed that many teachers seem to view adult dancers as seeking recreation only, rather than continuous improvement.

One year ago, when I turned 40, I was persuaded to join a ballet class ‘just for fun’. I thought I’d give it a go for a week or two – I didn’t expect to be hooked again before the first class was over. In a large part, it was because the teacher, Tibor, who taught that class paid a lot of attention to technique, pushed us to our individual limits, worked us very hard but also took time to acknowledge it when we did something well. In that short time, I was reminded of how addictive the quest for perfection and the thrill of achievement can be.

2. How many classes are you currently taking per week?

Although I started out with 1, then 2 classes a week, I have been taking 5 classes a week for more than 10 months now. I decided that to regain my strength and technique, I’d need at least 3 classes a week. The thing about ballet is that it’s so addictive – unlike the gym, I never have to talk myself into going to ballet classes. In fact, I count down the days and hours to each class. We work very hard from the moment we start our first exercise to the moment we do our reverence, but it’s never a chore.

3. What do you see as your biggest challenge as an adult ballet student? [Read more…]

Adult Ballet Student: Jennifer Pendleton

March 22, 2012 by 4dancers

We’d like to welcome our next adult ballet student…Jennifer Pendleton….

1. How did you first get involved with ballet and what attracted you to it as an adult?

I actually began when I was fairly young, at 6, and danced through high school with a local ballet company. I didn’t have the right combination of talent and discipline to seriously consider pursuing a career, but despite myself took classes and performed regularly through college until, ironically, I moved to New York, was working in (modern) dance administration, and had a hard time reconciling going to ballet class when I wasn’t trying to get onstage. I gradually stopped going to classes until, about 10 years later and after living overseas and growing completely detached from any performing arts community, I moved to DC, and a friend convinced me to try a class here. It turns out this is a great area for adults, working at any level, to find a nice combination of training and community.

2. How many classes are you currently taking per week?

4-6

3. What do you see as your biggest challenge as an adult ballet student?

Making peace with where I am at my age and after so much time off (my yoga practice has helped a lot), and that fear – even in my 30s – about my joints and injuries that I didn’t have as a younger dancer. Some things I knew I wouldn’t get back, like the ‘hang time’ in my jumps. Others surprised me: even with open hips, my ‘fifth’ position looks more and more like third. And spotting is a chore for me now – I couldn’t seem to relearn it. For my first couple of months back in class, I was also surprised by how much I had to think about the combinations, although that quickly passed and I am back to focusing on simply dancing and technique.

4. What brings you the greatest joy as an adult ballet student?

I am in class simply for the joy of dancing and the challenge, and accomplishing whatever I can from one day to the next. I have had so many wonderful opportunities in my career and life in general, but simply reconnecting with something with that had always been such a big part of me, to the point I almost didn’t even realize it, has been such a pleasure. And for all the frustrations of an aging body, I am constantly amazed by what I can still do – and sometimes even better with the wisdom of experience and a different sense of discipline.

5. Do you have any advice for other adult ballet students?

Whether you have had technical training in your youth or not, try to go regularly enough that you can make class about more than just learning the combinations. If you have made a choice to be in class, don’t be afraid – this is such a supportive community, so just do your best and dance!

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