Any adults here doing ballet?

Adultsk8r509 · January 20, 2013, 09:31:34 AM

I just started taking an adult ballet class. Class is a relative word since I am the only one enrolled I am getting a 1 hour private lesson each week so far. I have never in my life taken ballet.
I am hoping it will help my flexibility and balance and posture on the ice. Last week my teacher tried to teach me some basic turns. Spotting? Are you kidding me? Turning in the opposite direction to my skating spin? Very difficult.

CaraSkates · January 20, 2013, 09:45:18 AM

I take an adult ballet class once a week for 75mins. It is a small class, about 7 students. The teacher is wonderful. I took ballet in highschool for 3.5 years and then once maybe 5 classes throughout 4years of college. My class is a mix, some students like me who danced some when they were younger and some who have just started.

As far as helping skating, I have always had good balance but I feel ballet really helps with my hand and head positions and just general carriage on the ice. I agree about turns being hard! When I danced a lot I could do doubles both ways and triples CCW (my skating way). Now...I struggle with singles!

Clarice · January 20, 2013, 10:18:26 AM

I'm not taking ballet right now, but I have in the past and loved it. I thought it really helped with overall body awareness and alignment, as well as carriage. We used to have ballet for skaters at the rink, but our teacher has gone back to Russia and I'm having trouble finding a good adult class in my area that fits my schedule. I'm taking ballroom now, since I'm an ice dancer. I really enjoy it, but I miss ballet.

hopskipjump · January 20, 2013, 07:41:25 PM

When my daughter was taking ballet, her coach talked to the teacher about certain things that you do for ballet that skaters should not be doing. I don't know what those are, but they conferenced a couple of time about it!

I took ballet as an adult and LOVED it. It wasn't for skating, it was just something I wanted to try. They changed the class to permitting 13 and ups and I really felt graceless so I stopped taking the lessons. I will say I felt taller, strong, and more beautiful before the kids started in the class!

Adultsk8r509 · January 20, 2013, 07:48:10 PM

Quote from: hopskipjump on January 20, 2013, 07:41:25 PM
When my daughter was taking ballet, her coach talked to the teacher about certain things that you do for ballet that skaters should not be doing. I don't know what those are, but they conferenced a couple of time about it!

I wonder what those things are. I can tell you one thing... it's gonna make my bunions sore!

I took ballet as an adult and LOVED it. It wasn't for skating, it was just something I wanted to try. They changed the class to permitting 13 and ups and I really felt graceless so I stopped taking the lessons. I will say I felt taller, strong, and more beautiful before the kids started in the class!

Purple Sparkly · January 22, 2013, 11:01:07 AM

One of my students is 8 and she has taken enough ballet to know about spotting. I have told her several times that we do not spot in skating because we spin faster than dancers.

sarahspins · January 22, 2013, 12:51:21 PM

I've thought about doing it... the only problem is finding the time to take a class, since they only seem to be when I am working or have no hope of arranging babysitting

VAsk8r · January 22, 2013, 06:26:25 PM

I'm starting my second session of adult ballet tonight. I think my balance improved over the first 8-week session, though it doesn't really seem to have improved my skating. I mainly want to improve my flexibility and core, and I don't like yoga, so I figure ballet can't hurt. If I were just doing it to help skating and not because I enjoyed it, I don't think it would be worth it.

ONskater74 · February 10, 2013, 07:21:35 PM

I would love to take a class... But I'm a middle aged guy in a small town....

The best I could do, I think, is try to find some library books. If there were some stretching and posture exercises that I could just incorporate into my current routine, then it might help. Even a gymnastics book might have stretches. For me limbering up and flexibility is a challenge. I'm way better than I was a year ago, but still too stiff through the back. Legs take a lot of painful work to get them warmed and loosened. Gettin' old I guess.

accordion · February 13, 2013, 05:22:29 AM

Just about to start ballet lessons at the rink, run by one of the coaches who is expert in ballet too.

Do I need proper ballet shoes? Would just socks or bare feet be OK?

If I do need shoes, canvas or leather? I have a really wide foot - any recommendations?

Cheers all!

alejeather · February 13, 2013, 09:28:14 AM

Quote from: accordion on February 13, 2013, 05:22:29 AM
Just about to start ballet lessons at the rink, run by one of the coaches who is expert in ballet too.

Do I need proper ballet shoes? Would just socks or bare feet be OK?

If I do need shoes, canvas or leather? I have a really wide foot - any recommendations?

Cheers all!

If you're not sure you're going to stick with it, you might just wear socks for your first class, but ballet shoes definitely have some advantages over either barefoot or socked feet.

As far as canvas or leather, it's up to you. I danced in canvas shoes for the last several years of my ballet training, though I think leather might last a little longer. I also have pretty wide feet and I always found that Sansha carried wider widths than most of the other brands.

Hope that helps. Enjoy!

Skittl1321 · February 13, 2013, 09:55:39 AM

Quote from: ONskater74 on February 10, 2013, 07:21:35 PM
I would love to take a class... But I'm a middle aged guy in a small town....

If your town offers adult ballet classes, the fact that you are a male and middle aged doesn't make a difference. I've had beginner men in two of my ballet classes- neither was in a major metropolitian area. Most studios, even pre-professional studios, offer an adult class, I've only run across one that does not they used to, but stopped when they went to audition only for all their kids classes. They have only 2 teachers on the staff.

My current ballet class is letting me down a bit- it has morphed into 'dance for exercise'. We haven't done adagio in 2 weeks, doing crunches instead! It is also a very chatty class, so the 90 minute class is more like a 60 minute one. I think I will likely take with the kids next session, unlike LTS with kids (which is much to disorganized for me) ballet kids have to be disciplined and quiet!

Icicle · February 13, 2013, 06:42:13 PM

I take two ballet classes a week; one with adults, the other with kids, who are very good skaters. Amazingly, I'm not as far behind the kids in ballet as I'm in skating. It must be because I did ballet in my childhood. I think ballet helps a lot with skating. My posture and my arm positions have improved. We don't have any problems with ballet turns because the classes are taught by skating coaches. So they have us spin counterclockwise, like in skating.

accordion · February 14, 2013, 06:08:38 AM

Well I had my first ballet class. I went to buy some shoes and was told Sansha - WIDE. They didn't have my size but it may come in tomorrow. So today I did in socks and then barefoot. Would be better with shoes I think.

The teacher is one of the skating coaches who also has ballet expertise. Age mix was from 16 up to mid 40's. The other 40+ lady & I know each other and stuck together. The atmosphere was very welcoming and fun.

I derived great pleasure from being able to turnout my hips more than the teens. They handled it well & got their own back when it came to back flexibility and jumping height.

Be interesting to see how I pull up tomorrow. Have made a pact to go next week, hopefully with shoes that fit!

Landing~Lutzes · February 15, 2013, 02:47:37 PM

Before I began skating I was a ballerina on a pre-professional track, so I think ballet is an awesome thing to take "on the side" of skating....Or anything reslly! It will not only improve your flexibility, grace and coordination but also your over poise and presence, if that makes sense :-P you will become more aware of where each part of your body is, how you are holding it, etc. You will find improvement in your lines which will translate to skating very well you learn how to achieve the most out of leg extension and port de bras (how you hold your arms). I could see how it could help your jumps, as you when jumping in ballet you learn to utilize the most out of your knee bends and such. Currently I do an adult class once a week (I am 19, I quit dancing pre-professionally and competing three years ago and now I just do it for fun) and I love the adult class I go to! However, there are some "ballet habits" if you will that will not translate to skating...spotting, for example...I still have a hard time not spotting in my spins when skating, but I find spotting helpful when I am working on twizzles.

Anyways, that's just two cents coming from an avid ballerina! Diane, I will shoot you a message about the adult class I go to...you may be interested in it as it has more gals and the teacher is wonderful.

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Any adults here doing ballet?