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Adult Ballet Student: Laura Thomason

March 27, 2012 by 4dancers

Our next adult ballet student feature is Laura Thomason…

Laura Thomason

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

I started ballet at age 9 and have taken classes on and off ever since.  As an adult I see ballet as both meditative and challenging in a way that appeals to me.  Every class is broadly the same, yet every time I learn something new, make progress on a difficulty, or become more consistent.  I have not yet found a better form of exercise: ballet provides strength training, flexibility, and cardiovascular fitness all in one.  Plus, I get a lot of compliments on my posture!

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

2 ballet classes per week plus a modern class.

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

To my surprise, I seem to have lost the ability to pick up choreography as quickly as I used to.  The teenagers I take class with can pick up a variation after one or two repetitions while it takes me weeks of practice.  I am also more physically cautious than a kid would be–I re-started pointe work last fall for the first time in 20+ years and the fear factor gets in my way sometimes.  And, of course, dancing around all those younger people brings up the insecurity and competitive instinct that all dancers struggle with.

Fortunately my studio is a very positive environment and no one is allowed to be down on herself for very long.  When I first started in my current class, I had trouble keeping up (especially in pointe work) because I had stepped up from a much more basic class.  I mentioned to my teacher that I was discouraged and she gave me a good hard reality check, reminding me to be patient with myself till I caught up with the level of the class.  It’s been about 6 months and I am glad I hung in there.

4.      What brings you the greatest joy as an adult ballet student? [Read more…]

Filed Under: 4dancers, Adult Ballet Tagged With: adult ballet, adult ballet student

Adult Ballet Student: Jennifer Pendleton

March 22, 2012 by 4dancers

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

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!

Read more from Jennifer

BIO: Jennifer Pendleton is a dancer, women’s rights activist, nonprofit professional, and yoga teacher living in Bethesda, Maryland. She is a graduate of Duke University and Harvard Law School, has lived and worked in sub-Saharan and North Africa, and has worked at Joyce SoHo and the Swiss Institute in New York, as a Peace Corps volunteer on gender and small business development in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, and most recently served as Executive Director of the international women’s rights organization, Women’s Learning Partnership.

Filed Under: 4dancers, Adult Ballet Tagged With: adult ballet, adult ballet student, dancer, modern dance

Adult Ballet Student: Rebecca Jukes

March 13, 2012 by 4dancers

Today’s featured adult ballet student is from South London…

Adult Ballet Student Rebecca Jukes

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

Just over 4 years ago, I was going through a period of re-building my life, regaining control over who I was, and trying to fill an emptiness inside of me.

My therapist at the time suggested that I should think about finding an activity that would help me connect with myself and others, he listed off some options, and one of these was ballet. I initially scoffed at the idea knowing how uncoordinated and inelegant I was, coupled with being the owner of 2 left feet, besides, I had never shown an interest in ballet as a child, although in fairness the opportunity had never arisen to try a class back in my youth.

However his suggestion nagged away at me for a number of days, I had always admired and respected dancers, particularly ballet dancers; for their commitment, grace, beauty and ability, they were something to behold. Should I dare to actually venture into this world at my time of life? So I Googled for a local adult ballet class, and sure enough, up popped a studio close to me in Dulwich South London, which offered complete beginner classes, and I duly signed up.

Now I would admit that at the beginning of that very first class, I thought “what on earth am I doing here”, a 36 year old woman out of her depth and out of her comfort zone. But by the end of the class it was like someone had turned on a light switch, it was the most amazing hour of realization and discovery–ballet was the one thing that had been missing from my life. A spark had been ignited within my soul, and it has burned there ever since.

This spark has now grown into a fully raging inferno of burning desire and near obsession to become a better ballet dancer. The last four years have seen my interest steadily grow from one class a week, to two per week, and now up to the point of I would happily dance 8 days a week if such an extra day existed. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 4dancers, Adult Ballet Tagged With: adult ballet, adult ballet student, Ballet, rebecca jukes, south london

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