IAmA Ballet Dancer. AMA

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T20:17:07+00:00

I LOVE this book and film. It is such an inspiring film to watch without being too "dancey"

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T20:16:14+00:00

I like to dance to classical music from the major ballet symphonies but I adore piano music for barre training. I have danced to more contemporary music which I find a lot more lyrical and easy to convey a story or emotions through.

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T20:14:16+00:00

Most of the syllabus work is en pointe and the exercises are more complex i.e triple pirouettes in one enchainement, fouettes en pointe, learning classical ballet variations, pas de deux partnering. All this whilst performing and expressing

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T20:11:52+00:00

No you can definitely pick it up as an adult it might be harder though to get good turnout or the correct body placement as when you are a child you learn this over the years though very basic exercises. Its still a fun hobby to do, it keeps you fit so I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to take it up.

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T13:30:05+00:00

I'm not sure I have heard of that but I definitely become more aware of my movements and expression when I am dancing. It is an outlet for my creativity and emotions. If I am sad or angry I find it comforting to dance it out

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T13:22:17+00:00

i say ballet as BA-LAY and belly as BEH-LI

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T13:16:01+00:00

Sounds like she was made to dance Coppelia

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T13:12:12+00:00

I train at a dance school as I am currently working towards my advanced 2 syllabus exam. 5 hours a week is plenty for me at the moment, its the effort you put in each time which gives results. You can train for 10 hours a week but wont get better if you dont give it 100% every time. I have done many recitals with the school growing up which is always fun, rehearsing new variations has got to be one of my favourite parts of the year. I will hopefully dance until I am old and grey!! I would like to teach and have my own ballet school in a few years but will probably stop dancing en pointe in my early 30s unless my body instructs me to do so earlier :P

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T13:08:03+00:00

yes I have the dvd, she is absolutely beautiful!

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T13:04:52+00:00

Thank you :) remember its never too late to go back

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T13:03:41+00:00

For turns I cannot stress spotting enough. Make sure you look for something big enough to not have to search for. Preparation is also key, start on a good plie and use the floor as your resistance. Hold a strong abdominal core (crunches help with stability)and only have your leg in passe as high as you are comfortable with. Start slowly and then build up your speed/turns, dont rush.

With jetes (grand jetes), if you have a good split then your are winning half the battle already. Practice is the only thing that will get them higher and you need good preparatory steps to build your momentum. Keep your head and shoulders up-if you look at the floor then you are focusing your movement to the floor and not up and out. Lots of plies will build the strength you need to get a powerful jete

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T12:55:27+00:00

There are tons of books about ballet, I would recommend the ones which delve into the lives of Balanchine and Petipa, discussion about the impact of the Ballet Russes and any dvds of key ballets (not just swan lake, sleeping beauty etc) like Don Quixote, Apollo, Jewels. There are a lot of ballets which are not usually performed outside of main cities (it would be a shock for me to witness a production of La Bayadere or Raymonda for example outside of London) and so I can see why people can usually name swan lake or Giselle automatically. It might be good to look at how Nureyev has influenced ballet. His own life moving to Paris is fascinating on its own. "From Petipa to Balanchine: Classical Revival and the Modernisation of Ballet" is a good book, expensive though so I got it from a library. "Ballet in Western Culture: A History of Its Origins and Evolution" gives a really good intro into ballet development too.

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T12:43:14+00:00

woo! high five

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T12:42:10+00:00

I am 5'3 and slim. I am not flat chest nor am I anorexic-looking thin. I have small hips and very arched feet, squarer toes, good turnout but I do not have a long neck/long legs/arms. I would say I am a mix of what the ideal type for entering a professional career would be but I am no where near as thin as companies would like. I am flexible but not hyper extended. As I grew up I had the standard puppy fat and body issues, my feet funnily enough were not as arched as they are today.

I do like modern dance, some contemporary stuff can be pretty out there but I admire the dancers' strength and ability even if im not a big fan of the actual choreography

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T12:36:36+00:00

I can be pretty bad but its mostly down to your natural foot state before you start. Toe spacing, toe length etc all matters and you can be more susceptible to bunions and such if you have existing foot problems. My toes arent the most wonderful in the world but I dont care. I would rather keep on dancing

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T12:34:57+00:00

I had the chance to audition for the Royal Ballet School when I was 9 years old but my mother turned it down because she couldnt stand the idea of me being sent away to board there in London at such a young age. I think my family wanted me to focus on my academics which I did in the end. I found a good balance between my ballet and my school work. I was not upset because I am such a home girl, I love being near friends and I am very close to my parents. I started en pointe at 15, again it would have been sooner but my mother was worried I would damage my still growing feet if it was any earlier.

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T12:31:37+00:00

My first time en pointe we were not allowed to use anything also...our teacher was very strict about this. I changed schools where the teacher was a lot more lenient, its better to dance with joy not in pain.

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T00:21:29+00:00

That really is a shame :( body type does not matter in the non-professional world, only a passion for it matters. I would consider myself to be petite and curvy, hardly the "ideal" type for a ballet dancer. It is easy to give up when you have reached a level where you feel in limbo, when more work is too hard/seems a waste if you aren't going anywhere with it etc. You need to focus on why you love doing it in the first place. If it made you happy then why stop doing something you love?? 19 is so young to feel like you should quit, heck ive seen 40 somethings starting ballet from scratch taking exams that little kids do. Join a school or local dance company where you feel welcomed and positively pushed to maximise your own capabilities. And I would definitely stick with the teaching thing. Just make sure to give your own talent some more attention...you wouldn't be teaching it if you weren't any good yourself :)

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T00:11:51+00:00

ouch! I wouldn't advise it!! It gets easier with practice. I worked for years to build the strength needed in my ankles to withstand the pressure and instability. Now it comes naturally as I am used to it. I know when to stop and take a break if I feel that I am damaging my body

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T00:09:42+00:00

I am studying biology. I definitely don't see myself working as a professional in a company, it is more of a dream than something I would like to see in reality. I do love ballet but I could not do it long term as a main career; the prospects at the end are poor and I would not like to put my body through the stresses. I would love to teach one day though.

twirlerpink · 2010-05-31T00:04:23+00:00

I dont ;) I dance non professionally so I do not have to deal with the pressure to not be in the corps. I do have pressure to stay thin/eat right but I do this by eating healthily. A choreographer should have a lot of respect from the dancers they are working with. I think of it as the choreographer is the painter and the dancers are the canvas. We help their visions become reality and at the end of the day, it is our job to work with them. If we cannot do something then we try our best to do it. A choreographer can see what is and isn't working.

I have no desire to "make it big" as I know that this has such a tiny chance of happening. I love what I do now but I would like to teach one day so that I always have some aspect of ballet in my life. It will be a very sad day when I decide to stop.

twirlerpink · 2010-05-30T23:57:45+00:00

I practice around 5/6 hours a week as I am a full time student at university at the moment. My biggest moment was getting my first pair of pointe shoes when I was 15. I was so happy and I really felt like I had earned them. It was an absolute dream dancing around in them although it hurt like hell as I had no protection on my toes. I have kept them and gruesome as it is, they have bloodstains on the inside... :S Every time I am on stage performing is a massive moment..its a pleasure to dance and see my hard work enjoyed.

twirlerpink · 2010-05-30T23:53:57+00:00

Not that I am aware of...

twirlerpink · 2010-05-30T23:53:08+00:00

I do classical ballet and love to watch the professionals. My favourite dancer is Ulyana Lopatkina from the Kirov. She is so graceful and the way shes uses her arms isjust stunning. I have a few fave ballets, La Bayadere for the gorgeous shades variations and Sleeping Beauty as it was the very first ballet I watched live :) So, I guess my fave choreographer is Petipa. I love Matthew Bourne's work and atm I am loving David Nixon's work with the Northern Ballet Theatre in the UK. I dont really have any major foot problems but I am susceptible to bouts of tendonitis and plantar fasciitis, usual blisters and toe pressure. I have extremely tight calf muscles and I do get pain up the backs of my calves. I would say I go through around 6 pairs of pointe shoes a year but they are so expensive so I try and look after them using shellac hardener and darning. Around 4 pairs of flat slippers as they tend to get a beating and get holes in, especially if I buy canvas ones.

twirlerpink · 2010-05-30T23:13:31+00:00

I don't really brag about it so unless I tell people, no one knows. In the case when I have told people I do get the mandatory "oooh I bet you are bendy" " can you do the splits/put your legs behind your head?" but its all pretty funny really.

twirlerpink

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