The "Dear Shahab,..." page. If you have a question, anything concerning performing arts, feel free to ask and I will try to help. I will later post the Q & A's here on this page so that it may help other viewers. ------------------------------ Question 1: "I want you to be very honest, do you think that if I start ballet at the age of 15 that I can ever be good, really good? Would everyday practice help? I really would like to get into the ballet profession but only just recently found out how much I enjoy it. So can I do it?" Answer: It does make a difference if you are a male or a female. If you are flexible or not. If you are training with the right people, and if you have the talent and the luck to go with it. Also, it helps to have the right look. I have seen people starting later than that and succeed. The word 'succeed' is also relevant to what your desire is. To some, that would mean that they have a job 7-8 months in a year and the rest of the time they make do by performing in the satelite companies (small companies). To join a major company which has a budget of a minimum of $2-3 million a year and all the way to $35-40 million a year, such as the New York City Ballet, requires more than everything that I mentioned above. It requires also tenacity. It is a way of life so different that if you choose to engage in it, everything else becomes secondary for as long as your body can take it. I would like to remind you that the life of a dancer is very short. Recent studies show that the age of 28 is an average retirement point for dancers. That means, if they are lucky they will find some other form of art that is connected with dancing or theater after retirement. If not, they must re-educate themselves and adapt to a new environment which everyone else has already lived their entire life in. In other words, at that point you will enter the regular workforce to compete. My recommendation will not be sufficient by reading two lines from your letter. I require much more data, such as who is your teacher, how many classes a day do you take, are you studying music, are you taking classes on the weekend, what technique are you studying, where was your teacher trained, what career did he or she have, how many years did he or she dance, and ultimately, what type of dance do you have in mind? And finally, my best recommendation would be, if you can afford it or if you have the courage, go to the best dance company (professional-at least working 7-8 months out of the year) nearest to you and propose your question to the ballet master or the school master. I wish you the best. ------------------------------ Question 2: "I have just one question, does it really matter on what kind of body type you have. All I ever see, is basically anorexic girls running around. I'm wondering if I should start being more serious and get on a more stricter diet..is that really healthy?" Answer: I believe that enjoying dance is your right, but that doesn't mean that the business of dance is going to recognize that right. This is unfortunate because, just like anything else that you might do, there are certain requirements. As you noticed, some dancers are very thin. This may be by design(by choose) or by genetics. Add to that, the desire to dance, and you have a combination that might not be healthy. Wanting to dance is not what you choose-it chooses you. Therefore, you have no choice. If you want to perform, you have to perform with others and that means you are back to square one, which means working in an industry that dictates what one should look like. Mind you that this does not infer that you are inadequate. If you know that you should be a dancer, then there is no question what you must do. Don't limit yourself to one type of dance.There are many types of dancers(modern dancers, ballet dancers,etc.). You are free to choose. ----------------------------- Question 3: "Is there a way to prevent, and/or correct sickle foot (not en pointe)?" Answer: The sickle foot problem occurs for several reasons- Flexibility on one side of the foot verses the other, or not getting the right training at the beginning. Teaching the body what to do requires patience and perseverance. Add to that, some understanding, and you should be able to correct the problem shortly. Several foot exercises can be done to alleviate this weakness. First exercise: Get a five pound disc (normally used for adjustable barbells), and put a sturdy rope or an exercise resistance band through the hole to create a loop,tying a knot to close it.The weight should hang at least twelve inches away from your foot(the loop should not be too long or too short because you have to put your foot through the loop). Lie down on a bench or the side of your bed (lie down on your right side first)and hang the weight off of your left foot(not your ankle). Make sure you are looking square ahead and your foot is pointed. Having the weight at the very far end of your foot, start the exercise. Let the weight down,raising it up by your foot only. Isolate the movement-that means that no other part of your body should move. This exercise does not involve the legs at all. Do this exercise in two sets of twenty in small movements. Repeat with the other leg. Second exercise: Stand and face the barre in sixth position (parallel). Make sure you are square to the front. You will be isolating your movement as in the previous exercise. You are doing ten tendues in sixth position to the front. Make sure that alignment is correct. To ensure this, get a piece of electrical tape and stick it on your second toe(from your big toe)and stick another piece of tape on the center of your knee. The knee tape and the toe tape should continue to be in one line from the beginning to the end of the tendue movement. Since females have wider hips, start the sixth position with your feet slightly separated. This should give you a good range of movement and the desired line. Eventually you can convert this straight line to turnouts. Be patient. Each tendue that you do is important-make the best of it. The beginning is as important as the end. Give it a smooth and continuous movement, never stopping. ------------------------------ Question 4: "I have danced on and off since I was little; I am 19 now and am interested in training professionally. I am still dancing at a pretty intermediate level; Is there even a point to me thinking about beginning professional training at this age? I also don't know where to go for the intensity that I want. I took a bunch of lessons at a studio last summer but I was usually the oldest one in the class or I was in an adult class that didn't offer the intensity that I would need. I realize that I would have to take a little bit of everything, but I am mostly interested in the popular style of dance like hip-hop and jazz. Are there any studios in Salt Lake City,Los Angeles,New York City,or Orlando areas that you can recommend?" Answer: I was trained as a classical dancer since I was 10 years old and studied modern dance 3-4 years after that to supplement. Techniques that I studied were Cecchetti (Italian style) and Bournonville (Danish style). When the opportunity presented itself, I studied at Martha Graham Dance School and managed to dance a few of her pieces. Occasionally, I dabbed into jazz, studying with Luigi in New York(his style was classical jazz). And,that is the extent of my experience in performing popular dance,if you don't count occasionally appearing in Gala performances doing ballroom dancing in order to bring money for the company. Having said that, I have come across people that are able to perform "professionally" even though they had a late start. Giving you an example, in one of the companies there was a male dancer whose technical ability was very limited. But what he had going for him was his looks-he looked very exotic. His father was Filipino and his mother was Swedish. He had wrestled in high school, and after high school he managed to find a job as a Chipindale dancer. He was very strong, and whether he executed steps perfectly or not, it didn't matter to him-he was happy being on stage. He was interested in performing and the company obliged what they could. Although you cannot build a career on it, it is possible to have fun if you are at the right place at the right time. My advice is to not put all your eggs in one basket, especially when you are starting late. In regards to advising classes, I tend not to do that. Most likely you will do better if you arrive at the location where you can have a roof over your head, be able to provide for yourself, so that you can concentrate on your dance classes. And eventually, you will find the style and the teacher that is willing to teach you what you need to know. Dance career is very short-plan smartly and do it for the right reasons. ------------------------------ Question 5: "What do you do with someone who has such a high arch that on pointe they almost go over on the foot? The pointe shoe also looks as if it's broken in half when they are first worn." Answer: Someone who has such a high arch normally also suffer from hyperextension. This is caused by extreme flexibility of the joints and muscular weakness. They tend to have beautiful lines no matter what they do with their bodies but they lack speed, power, and the ability to jump.Good training usually corrects all of the above problems, and sometimes Pilates can strengthen and remedy many of the above problems as well. If the pointe shoe breaks, it is possible that the individual is not ready for pointe work as yet. A pointe shoe is just a support, a tool, to keep the foot together. The dancer is on her own and at all times she should extend her toes and foot as though she is putting her foot through a sock. The energy goes out of the toes and the foot does not get crushed or diminished in size just because one is standing on toes. ------------------------------ Question 6: "I have been taking ballet since I was 3y/o and I'm now 13. This past fall I finally started Pointe. I do not have natural turnout or a good point, is there anything I can do to correct these problems? I want to keep advancing, but I'm still at the barre in Pointe shoes, because of my turnout and poor point. Any tips you could give me would be appreciated." Answer: One of the first lessons to be learned when one takes dance classes is to relate all information and corrections that is made to other students to oneself. No matter what you choose to do in life you can take that advice and apply it in everyday life.Please take a moment and read some of the questions and answers that is available to you on this site. If something is too difficult, try to find an easier way to go. Even though the above sentence is not a quote-on-quote, it gives the general idea which I heard Baryshnikov say. I do not know what your purpose is in taking dance classes(whether professional or otherwise), but it is always good to ask questions. Life is difficult as it is. We do not need to put ourselves into situations where down the line we cannot compete.If you already know that you lack certain physical aptitudes, then you already know yourself. Stick with your strengths while you work with your weaknesses and never forget-do not obsess with what you don't have. Focus on what you do have,whether it is in dancing or otherwise. Good training will always develop the aptitude that already exists. With additional physical therapy or Pilates, you can extend that which was given to you. But by the time you achieve that physical aptitude which you desire, time has past you by and those that already have the physical aptitude will go forward much quicker. Hence,the lesson: Focus on what you are good at and let that be your guiding light. ------------------------------ Question 7: "I recently auditioned for San Francisco Ballet and was accepted for level 5. I am 13 and from Zimbabwe and someday I hope to be the first non-white principal dancer with the Zimbabwe National Ballet...I have started college math classes, so I may shift to what ever university/college my mom will get a job at. She has a job interview at the university in Fullerton. I want to try out some ballet schools while I am there in Fullerton, It is not so far from LA so I thought you might know a good studios there. Would you have any suggestions?" Answer: In the 1980's, Helgi Tomasson was a principal dancer in NYC Ballet; most definitely one of their best and very businesslike. I am not surprised that San Francisco Ballet is doing so well under his direction. Even though you have not asked my opinion directly in regards to what you are attempting to do in the summertime at SF Ballet school, I thought it would be an eye-opener for you to know about certain facts. But before I do, I must say that it was difficult to respond to your e-mail since you seem to flourish in a variety of circumstances(based on your website). And for that reason,what was missing was a specific goal towards a dance career, separate from your political baggage.The individuals that go to summer courses either to SFB or SAB (School of American Ballet), are there hoping to someday join the company. When I auditioned for SAB,400 boys were attempting to fill the only 2 available spots. They were from all over the world, some of them barely could speak english but posessed high technical ability.To give you an example,I saw some of those dancers that were there auditioning with me,performing in the most prominent dance companies in Europe within a few years afterwards.The audition took only 15 minutes and Stanley Williams choose me and a German guy(who left the school after about a month).These types of companies tend to sell the idea that they are training their dancers locally, but the fact of the matter is, that most of the dancers that join the company have already been trained elsewhere. All they are receiving is the stamp of approval. By that I mean, the one and only thing they have to master very quickly is to learn the companies'style, which is Bournonville based. Your site did not mention this crucial style, which you will be facing on your first day at SFB. If your attitude is flexible and you are able to coexist comfortably with this style, then you have a chance. Second thing, is that some of these dancers that you will meet, even though they might be only 14-15 years old, might be already considered candidates for joining the company. This was the case during my time when Darci Kistler was being trained at SAB. Finally, careful reading of already existing material in the Q.&A. section of my site indicates that I do not refer students to studios. I am very excited for you to have the opportunity to experience what could be a turning point in your life, and I would be glad to know if my words had some impact. ------------------------------ Question 8: "I have a question about a kind of movement. I know it's either a leap or a twirl, but I've looked everywhere on the web and I can't figure it out. What kind of movement (in ballet) is a pirouette?" Answer: The direct meaning of the word 'pirouette' from the French language means 'spinning top'. Pirouette is a movement that classical ballet dancers unfortunately use to dazzle their audience. Pirouette is simply a turn done on one leg while the other leg could be in a variety of other positions.(For example, in a la seconde or passe.)The standing leg is in releve (demi-pointe or pointe). The eyes during this time sustain a spot which is chosen by the dancer, and before and after each turn, the eyes return to that spot no matter what position the turn takes place in. The most common turn is pirouette in passe position. To create the momentum, you really don't need your arms. But for the visual effect and the additional force, arms are used. One foot becomes an anchor, the other, pushes off. The best way to explain what the feet do is by experiencing it;watch your hand when you snap your fingers. In effect, it is the same motion that the fingers will do to start a spin-top or spinning a coin on its edge. Similar turns can be done in the air when the pirouettes are mastered;the turns can be taken to a higher level,literally off the floor. This is known as tour en l'air. ------------------------------ Question 9: "I am 15 and keep falling off my pirouettes lately. I seem to be off balance all the time. I need to do at least triple pirouettes in the dance I am performing. Unfortunately I don't have a technically great teacher and she has been unable to help much. Any suggestions.Thanks for your help." Answer: To start mastering pirouettes, you must stop thinking of pirouettes as a way of dazzling your audience. To you, it should be just another step. When you take this attitude, you will begin to look at it from a different point of view. There is no difference between a tendue and a pirouette,for the very reason that both are rhythmically the same. When you do 3 tendues or degage, back to back, ending in plie, you do not look to your audience or your classmates for applause. Neither should you when you do 1 pirouette or 10. It is just another step. Matter of fact, this is the greatest exercise you could possibly do; Stand in 5th position and do 3 degages or tendues, ending in the position that you would like to start the turn in;for example, 5th position plie. And, go for the turns, keeping the rhythm of the tendue or degage. So 1,2,3,4 degage ending in 5th position plie(or from there, go to the rond de jambe 4th position plie and start the turn from there).Arm preparation is always started with opening the arms as you go to plie just before the turn. You bring the arms gently to 1st position, which is parallel to the belly button, so it does not throw you off balance. And think of spotting numerous times, continuing to bring your left arm with you when you are turning to the right.(Like a metronome,never too early or too late, just in time.) Give the same timing to degage as you give to your spotting; most importantly, never stop moving. Most often when dancers fall off their turns, it's because they are carrying too much tension in their bodies. To give an example, it is like standing on the bow of a small boat or dinghy. If you lean back, your motion causes the boat to slip from under you, which is actually you pushing the boat away while you are falling into the water. Hence, a relaxed body is an absolute necessity. Concentrate on directing your energy through your spine to the top of your head. For that, you have to put in the right amount of energy. It is a natural movement, as natural as eating with a spoon. Become more aware of your daily movement and during this awareness try not to alter the amount of energy you put in your daily activity. Eventually, you will come to the conclusion that balancing on one leg is nothing more than controlling the output of energy. ------------------------------ Question 10: "I wish to know what the theories are on when it is best for a young dancer to start on point. My daughter is just now 10, and although she has taken ballet for four years, I was under the impression that the foot and body are still not yet sufficiently developed to sustain pointe work. I am worried that our teacher may be throwing an incentive to my daughter to keep her in class. What do I need to know to better informed on this subject?" Answer: I am sorry but it is not enough to know that your child has been dancing for 4 years to make a decision whether she is ready to start pointe work. It would be necessary to know how often she has been taking classes or how serious the classes are. What is the intention of the teacher, the support group(parents), and the child herself to take classes? Some individuals will become professional within 5-6 years of this age in the United States. Of course, this varies in other countries. Perhaps understanding the history of pointe work would be the best starting place to give you the answer you seek. The history of pointe work goes back only 181 years. But for hundreds of years before that, the Cossacks of Georgia and the Ukraine, all the way to Azerbaijan, an old state that is also shared with today's Turkey and Iran, continue to dance on their toes(knuckles).This dance is known as Russian dance in the West.If you have ever had a chance to see these types of energetic dancers you will know that the dance itself has a purpose in mind besides being an upbeat and joyous movement, such as preparation for fighting, creating agility and also keeping warm in the long and cold days of winter. The oldest known record of pointe work goes back to 1818 to an individual named Mlle.Gosselin standing up on her toes for a full 1 minute. But A. Brugnoli was truly admired for her technique on pointe by the 1820's. The Romantic Era required romantic movement. To create the aura of other-worldly, they decided to go to sur la pointe(on full pointe)from a demi pointe(on the ball of the foot). And, it was Taglioni who raised the platform to the height we see today. During the early years, there were no special shoes to wear so the dancers padded their shoes, and without any additional support, managed to create pieces such as La Sylphide in 1832. So, behind it all there was a purpose. You have to ask yourself what is your purpose. The enjoyment of dancing doesn't start with pointe work or end there. It is just a tool. If you are questioning the teacher's motivation to start your child on pointe, then you already have your answer. In respect to whether the body is ready at age 10, some light pointe work at the barre can be started. But, only if proper technique has already been established due to taking serious classes for at least 3 years on a continuous basis. I personally prefer age 11 or 12. The shape of the foot is very crucial for pointe work. If the big toe or the second toe are too long, you might want to reconsider pointe work altogether. ------------------------------ Question 11: "I am 12 years old and have been taking ballet since I was 3.On pointe, I have trouble straightening my knees. When I stand in first position, I can't put my heels together without my knees bending. I have good turnout and a decent arch. I'm also starting to develop a large muscle above my knee. Are there any stretches or exercises I can do to help with this problem?" Answer: Not having seen you, I think you are suffering from an inability to perform proper posture or misunderstanding what proper posture is. Understanding how the flow of energy is also involved, is crucial for maintaining proper posture throughout all the movements that you have been asked to perform in class. If the muscles of the thighs and over the knees are being overworked, it is pretty much an indication that you are lifting the legs up or forcing them in position rather than allowing the body to execute the position. To understand posture and how energy flows out of the body,just imagine that you have been held up from the top of your head with a line heavy enough to hold your weight, and all the muscles and bones in your body are relaxed and being pulled down by gravity. This idea is central to every thing you do in order to give you the freedom you need to execute movements. The line that is holding you up directs the energy flow which goes down through your spine all the way down to your heels and even passes that. It is a very narrow line. Now, imagine a bouncing ball. When you bounce the ball, the ball returns with the same amount of force. The energy goes from inside out. From the central line, which was discussed above, take a deep breath and exhale and let the energy drop down like a bouncing ball(without any change in posture),pass your feet, and then do the degage or battement tendue or grand battement. This should alleviate excessive work done by thighs and help to keep your knees straight when you go on pointe. In addition, remember that going on pointe is an extension of battement tendues and if the proper energy flows out of the leg you should be able to execute without any problem. Always remember to use just the amount of energy that is required to execute the movement. No more, no less. Stay aloof and don't be driven by the people next to you who seem to be trying hard (using the muscles). Ultimately, the goal of taking dance classes is to dance and you will not be able to do that with bulging muscles. There are many reasons why people cannot keep their knees straight while they are standing in first position, among them is hyper extension in the knees, large calves, or large thighs.None of them mean that they are inadequate for performing some type of dance.It is also o.k. to have a little distance between your heels while you are standing in first position. To understand proper posture and energy flow, I recommend, if you can,taking a few Pilates classes with a reputable individual.Don't let them tell you that you have to take those type of classes for the rest of your life. They are only meant to help injured dancers return back to work. ----------------------------- Question 12: "I have a major problem. I am indeed a good dancer. I want to be in the Hanover School of Ballet Company, but I am afraid that my split will prevent me from making it. I practice about everyday as much as I can. But it only get better on the right leg and the left stays the same.If my split doesn't improve then I may not make the company.Do you have any tips to help me with my split problem? Thank YOU!" Answer: Although having ability to execute all movements, including splits, equally well on both sides is what dancers strive for, it is not what makes a good dancer. In addition, something becomes a "major problem" if you allow it to be.This state of mind on occasions might prevent you from solving the problem or stop you from seeing other potential solutions. Case point, Martha Graham in her old age continued to choreograph and perform with having only one good leg to execute extensions and grand battements. She was suffering from severe arthritis, but nothing stopped her from accomplishing her task. To improve splits on the left side, first acknowledge that your left side is your weaker side. Then, grab a couple of large books and make two even stacks. One stack is for you to put your left buttocks on and the other to put your left foot on. Make the stacks high enough so when you sit on the books you can extend your right leg behind you and your left foot in front of you while you are completely square to the front. Being square is very crucial. All four points of the body(right and left shoulder, right and left hip)look squarely ahead. Make sure you do not strain yourself so you can maintain the position for as long as possible. Sometimes you can add the port de bras forward and back to relieve tension.You can do this as you are watching t.v. Reduce the number of books as you improve to get closer to the ground. Remember to give yourself time to improve. You are made of muscles and tissues and they need time to recover. Practice this exercise with both the back leg in turn-in position and also in turn-out position. ----------------------------- Question 13: "Hello,I am a 24-year-old beginning ballet student. I love ballet very much and would like to begin learning praise dance along with ballet since they use the same techniques. Before you think it, I am almost done with my degree in journalism, i don't want a lifetime career. My dream is only to tour for one season before beginning my family. I would love to go to school and get a second degree in dance so I can teach it at church to the youth. My question for you is what is the best way for an adult to train and do you have any advise for me. I have not met anyone my age who wants to learn ballet. Thanks" Answer: Starting at age 24 is an uphill battle. The body will fight every step of the way. Even the strongest-minded people will cave eventually. Ballet can be very strenuous, especially if the individual is taking classes for the sole purpose of using the material for performance.In 30 years of experience, I have seen it done only twice. The most recent occasion was a male dancer, aged 22. He did not attempt to take ballet classes seriously-he took them to improve his understanding of dance and movement,and joined a small modern dance company for minimum or no pay. He made his living through computer graphics. He had no turn-out, no decent extension or flexibility, but he pushed on.Of course for men, with the above circumstances, it is a little easier since there are so few of them in the field and they are needed for partnering (dance for two).There must be a desire so strong that blindfolds the individual to the pain, exhaustion, and in some occasions, exposure to humiliation. The unfortunate thing is that no matter how little training the viewer has had, they always can tell the difference between a good dancer and a dancer who is struggling. You can not sugarcoat it. In other forms of art, fooling an audience is much easier. Having said all of the above, I am sure there are some colleges or universities who will accommodate adults such as you for the sole purpose of getting exposure and becoming a dance teacher in a short duration. But I found that these individuals actually do more damage than good since their understanding of movement is limited. No matter how many books one reads on technique, it cannot replace taking classes early on with a master who can guide one in the right direction.It is always far easier for a child to learn anew with no previous knowledge than unlearning bad habits and then learning the proper way. In conclusion, my recommendation is to take small steps by attending reputable dance classes and see how you hold up. If should arise that a small group of dancers try to put a piece together for their own enjoyment, see if you can tag along. Attend performances-modern as well as ballet. And, see where it takes you. ----------------------------- Question 14: "Hi!I have been taking ballet since I was five and I am now 12. I am about to begin pointe and i was wondering if you have any good tips for me because I do not have the best arch.Thank you!" Answer: You are not alone. All dancers face some type of a problem whether they have too much arch,too little arch, middle toes are too long, etc. Knowing that you are not alone is the key.The pointe work itself will eventually improve the feet, if it is done the right way. There are many stretches that you can do, including the old-fashioned 'foot in hand'. Here is how you do it. First, sit on the floor and put your left foot on your right knee. Hold the top of your left foot with your right hand. Put your left wrist under the left heel(palm of hand facing down),not under the ankle,and grab the right wrist. It looks sort of like a wrestling lock. This action will create a torque whereby it pushes the heel out while the metatarsals and the toes get pulled in. 2nd exercise: While you sit down on the floor, extend both feet in front of you,parallel. Ask a friend to use the palm of their hands to push down on your metatarsals(top of the foot& middle section of foot) while you keep your knees straight. The push must be gentle and continuous. Remember,when you point your foot, with or without pointe shoes, do not grip or tighten the Achilles tendon. It should remain relaxed. ----------------------------- Question 15: "I am 12 years old, I have been dancing ballet since I was 3 and I love to dance. I am pretty good at ballet, but since I am growing I am getting chubby. Don't get the wrong impression, I am not over weight or am I trying to become anorexic, I am just trying to get ideal ballerina shape without getting myself sick. Do you know of the best dieting technique or a healthy way to get thin?" Answer: The most important thing that you need to know is that we are all different and what might work for me might not work for you. You must find your own way, "the healthy way". When I was performing in the 70's and the 80's, we buried our heads into the sand in regards to our partners/co-workers of the opposite sex. We weren't aware of anorexia and bulimia to the extent that we are aware of it nowadays. I had come in contact with both neuroses through my closest friends. Let me tell you, it is not pretty and I don't wish it on my worst enemy. Somehow these individuals got the idea that a true "ballerina' must go through physical agony in order to achieve a higher standard in the beloved art. They were wrong. One of them permanently damaged herself and she is unable to bear children. And, the other, suffers by not being able to break away from the bad habit. Moderation is the key word. Balance your life with work, study, and happy thoughts. Personally, throughout my life I had what you can refer to as a Mediterranean diet. Dieticians somehow favor this diet nowadays. It includes eating rice, grains, nuts, pasta and leaning more towards vegetables, fruits and minimizing the consumption of meat. I would like to let you know that I enjoy food, so much so that I took the time to study for two years in a well-known cooking school in England. I was influenced by Mr.B's (Balanchine) desire for good cooking, who had become somewhat of a celebrity among his friends for his cooking. And finally, if you decide to make any major changes in your diet I recommend that you see a dietician and do lots of studies in order to increase your understanding of this subject. Know that life doesn't end with dancing-you will be playing many roles and will wear many hats before your old age. ----------------------------- Question 16: "Shahab, when I was younger I enjoyed learning ballet. Well, I am 35 and would like to take it up again as a means to get in and stay in shape. I admit I studied only briefly before constant relocating and financial problems contributed to my having to give up in frustration. It has been over 10 years since I have been physically active. But I miss it and find no artistic merit in aerobics. Can you tell me how a person my age could benefit from studying dance, provided I fully understand my limitations. I know that a full turnout may no longer be possible and pointe work is beyond me. I will appreciate any advice you can give. Thank you." Answer: What are the benefits of taking dance classes? The most important benefit is that one becomes more aware of ones surroundings in daily life. These individuals tend to become more conscientious about how they communicate with other people, and that helps them to become better listeners. Please remember that dancing is physical, and as such,it demands rigorous practice. Because of this, many people find themselves obsessing with it. I guess it depends on your perspective. From one angle, it can be seen as a ball-and-chain, and from another, as total freedom. A paradox for sure. Trying to find the art in any art form is not as easy as one might think. At what point does the dancer become an artist? For an adult such as you, finding this answer can be quite difficult. You must battle the evil menace who repeatedly says, What am I doing here? For many, this is the beginning of the end because they cannot find a solution that they can live with. Thoughts such as, I must be wasting my time, and There must be something better that I can do come to their mind. Being able to find great pleasure in minute changes and small differences requires playfulness, and this is the world that you find great artists wallowing in. Other benefits of taking dance classes include looking good, feeling good, having the opportunity to dance with other people, and being in contact with others that share the same interest. I wish you the best in your endeavor. ----------------------------- Question 17: "What is the best exercise or stretch to open the "turnout"...I know that dancers each have their favorite move to increase the turnout.As I have gotten older, I find my flexibility is not as good as it used to be, so I have to work harder to maintain it.Thanks for your help." Answer: Although it is true that as we get older flexibility does decrease when it is not maintained, there are those that are able to increase their flexibility in this stage of life, such as yogis. Adapting some of their ways of life could have a positive effect. Reduction on eating meat, mediation to reduce stress, and of course, taking yoga classes, or perhaps Pilates. But none of them are as important as performing proper posture. This is where most major techniques differ and, hence, studying one type of technique and mastering it become crucial. Proper posture reduces the amount of strain in movement and provides for maximum motion and turnout. And that is what you are looking for. Attempting to change your diet, take yoga classes, on top of your ballet classes, not to mention your own personal life and your work, pretty soon you will become overwhelmed just trying to keep up with what it takes to achieve the desired motion or flexibility. Remember that dancing is not how high you can kick or do developes, but it is how you use what you have, and give the illusion that you have more to give. ----------------------------- Question 18: "I have been taking adult ballet classes...for about 5 years. I take class 3 times a week and the class is 75 minutes long. I am in fairly good physical shape tending naturally to be long and lean.However as I have reached my mid-life years, (I'm 57) my metabolism is slowing down. I am gaining weight, and the ballet class does nothing to keep my weight down... I have recently started to take some aerobics classes to increase my metabolism and hopefully burn more fat. The immediate results of the aerobic class has been an increased ability to do my grand plies with more strength.The downside of the aerobics is now my muscles feel less elongated and more bulked-up, and when I lift my leg for a develope in ballet class, the leg feels heavier.....so I am really not so sure now if the aerobics is a good thing to do if it works against the muscles developed in ballet class.What exercises can you suggest that work in harmony with ballet to increase fat burn, but at the same time not shorten the muscles and bulk them up???" Answer: Change is inevitable. Resisting it is painful. Fighting it is time-consuming. And, these are facts. Until such time that genes can be altered at any age, it would be best to recognize change for what it is. Try to assume a more relaxed posture in regards to change. And, that is the most beautiful lesson I learned from dancing. Society constantly tells us that we have to be a certain look and weight or certain height if we want to dance. But ideas are changing. Actually, there are companies being formed today that will not take younger dancers than 50 years of age. It might not be something that you desire to watch but it is available, and as such, a sign of change. Increasing metabolism using physical activities can be done in two ways: 1) Repetition (e.g. aerobics class that you have taken, and/or swimming) 2) Weight program (light weight lifting)-fastest way to increase metabolism. When you increase your muscle mass, you also increase your metabolism. Exactly what you have been experiencing and what you have been doing. There is always some amount of give and take. When you increase your mass to increase your metabolism, that means that you are also increasing the tension in the muscles. Hence, you have to work harder to accomplish the same task. You can see the loop, can't you? Some dancers choose swimming. But, all of them use a combination of weight resistance (when they go to Pilates) and swimming in order to 'tune' their body and create a comfort zone. Their metabolism is high enough so they do not gain weight and, at the same time, the muscles are not so tight that they have to work hard to execute movements. ----------------------------- Question 19: "I am 40 and I have always wanted to learn ballet technique. I think it is beautiful and athletic. I want to take a basic class but all seem overwhelming. Is a private class recommended or do I just jump in?" Answer: I totally believe that dancing must be done in a group.It was meant to be done that way. And as such, I recommend taking adult classes to start. But, it might be helpful to first take some yoga and/or aerobics classes, especially if you are not currently physically active, before attempting to take a ballet class. I suggest this method to adults for the very reason that they become open to working with other people to become more flexible, and to get used to keeping a rhythm in movement. In a beginning level ballet class, you are required to maintain your upper body quiet and still while your legs are active. Many new dancers find this separation strenuous in the beginning. Do not choose your first ballet class lightly-look for a reputable place with a teacher of substance rather than a student who fills the spot. Here, experience counts. ----------------------------- Question 20: "Hello.My questions concerns the different methods taught of ballet.My dance background is in Vaganova; however I will begin taking private lessons from a teacher with a background in Cecchetti in addition to my regular classes.May I ask your professional opinion on the combination of methods? I would prefer to stay true to the Vaganova method however I cannot find a private teacher with a background in the method. What is the difference between the methods?" Answer: The best way to see the differences between styles or methods is by attending performances by the company that uses that specific style. For example, if you get the opportunity to see the Royal Danish Ballet you will see Bournonville style at work. Or, when you see the Boston Ballet you will see Vaganova style at work. If you do not have access to live performances perhaps you can see the difference by renting or purchasing videos of dancers which are famous for using a specific technique. I find that it is important that a young dancer’s training be established by one style or method whichever that may be. Mastery of a certain style is crucial before attempting to change or learn new methods. There are two ways to find out which style best works for you. One is by taking a class and the other is by watching a class or performer with that specific style. The one style or method that speaks to you the most is the one that you will find yourself expressive in. As such, all methods will be beneficial when they meet the right person with the right attitude and body type. And ultimately, each method will create outstanding performers when their criteria have been met. Many students frantically attempt to beat time by taking different styles in the hopes of getting ahead, but in my opinion this is not the best way to go. On the other hand, you will find that many dancers and teachers spend most of their life studying one style of dance or method and soon they become ignorant of the others. As such, they become prejudice to the other styles. Unbeknownst to them this is because they find other styles lacking certain aspects of expression and intensity. So it would be difficult to find a group of teachers from different backgrounds agreeable in methodology and teaching. The only country that I know of that has been able to overcome this problem and use and combine all of the known styles, such as Russian, French, Italian and English is England with their creation of RAD (Royal Academy of Dancing). Since teachers in the U.S. have not been able to put aside their differences and organize under a specific methodology, young dancers such as yourself find themselves not only in a struggle to find the right teacher with credentials but having to choose a right method for their future career. Which one do I choose? – Vaganova, Cecchetti, French, English, or Bournonville? All of them seem to have found a home in the U.S. and teachers with uncertain backgrounds emerge from this mishmash. Perhaps the question should not be what method should I study but should be, instead, what is the dominant method in the current market. Unless you are aiming for a specific company and studying at the company’s school, you will be at the mercy of individuals who will be auditioning you. And, they might not find your style compatible with theirs. The same thing might happen if you are not chosen to join the company after studying at the company’s school. And you will find yourself with hundreds of others trying to find a home for your talent. This is a dilemma that many young dancers go through. Many adults do not see or face such problems in their career until they have graduated from universities under the title of bachelor’s or masters. Even today I find that many aspects of dance in the U.S. is under the heading of “luck”. Individuals who have made it someplace just happened to be at the right place at the right time with the right style. Of course all of these will be irrelevant if you are one of the top ten. I truly hope that this will happen for you. ----------------------------- Question 21: "I am 13 years old. I have been on pointe for over a year. But I am not that good, since I have a lot of trouble on almost everything. I asked my teacher if I was strong enough to be on pointe and she said yes.But is there any way I can improve on everything?...No matter how hard I try I can never get my knees straight. Also whenever I go on pointe my back either goes too forward of too back. I can't really do anything on pointe because my posture is always screwed up. Help." Answer: “Improving on everything” encompasses many things. I will need more information to find the cause of the weakness you experience, such as how many years you have been dancing or how many classes you take a week. Do you take these classes as a hobby or do you see a career in the future for you? I find that most often when a young dancer, such as yourself, generalizes problems it is because they have not set meaningful goals for themselves. Getting back to the word 'weakness’, I must say that many dancers find the solution to this problem by increasing their understanding of correct posture in respect to the style they are studying. So, I encourage you to read about the style that you are studying, find out more about your teacher and her background, and begin to really look and learn from your peers’ mistakes. When a teacher makes a correction in class, internalize and see if it applies to you. You can strengthen your body by swimming and taking Pilates to increase your understanding of correct posture. But none of these will help you to increase your confidence in respect to your ability. That must come from you and your desire to overcome it. Set meaningful goals and take small steps and try to see if you can achieve them. ----------------------------- Question 22: "I am 14 years old and i have been dancing since I was 2 but only seriously since a year ago. When I started somewhere new a year ago my teacher really liked me because I had a lot of potential and I could see myself improving at a really quick rate, but this past summer I took off and now I regret it terribly. Now that I have started back i've been foolish and have really forced my turnout even though my hips have been tight from the "break". Now I'm having "cracking" problems and my hips hurt. Do you think there is any possibility that I might have injured myself in a way that won't heal on it's own? And because I have lost a lot of flexibility and "airy-ness" about my dancing, do you think there is any chance that my turnout and dancing will return to it's former ability at my age after taking a whole 3 months off?" Answer: You must describe with more clarity what “serious” means to you. Taking off 3 months, one must have a reason. If you take a month off, you need at least twice as long to get back to your original state of physical capability. And, of course, as you get older you have to multiply that by a factor of 2, depending on your age. Loss of flexibility can be remedied with proper work and a proper attitude towards work. You have to ask yourself why you took off for 3 months. And if your answer is reasonable and you can live with it, it will be one thing. But if you are going in and out of a state of being "serious”, then you have to ask yourself, “what do I mean by “serious”?” Physical activities such as dance bring certain euphoria for the individual who experiences it firsthand. And, in this state of mind one is usually not equipped to decide with certain accuracy and intent what is at hand. What I am trying to tell you is, to step back, and get yourself a birdseye view of what is important to you. Make a schedule and do your best to achieve your heart’s desire. If you belong to a health club or if at your school there is a swimming pool, schedule a weekly swimming session of at least 2-3 times a week for ½ hour each, and non-stop. This type of exercise should give you a relaxed state of mind as well as bringing your body back to an optimum performance level. Continue to take your ballet classes and remember what I told you in respect to time. ----------------------------- Question 23: "I am 18 years old who started ballet again two years ago after a hiatus. I want to be a professional ballet dancer in a small regional company. Right now I am at the intermediate to advanced level as far as technique but I still have working with my body structure. I am knock-kneed and hyperextended with limited turnout. While I have been trying to strengthen the amount that I have but I still have trouble holding a decent fifth position just because my knees feel like they are in the way.What accomodations can I make as well as what can I keep in mind in order to make the technique fit my body?" Answer: The condition Genu Valgum (knock-knees) and hyperextension does not seem to affect an individual who is involved in sports, and neither should it be in dancing. But of course it depends on the degree of the above problems. Good training and a patient teacher, who is willing to work with you to find your knack around your circumstance, is an ideal situation to have. It all depends on how far you are willing to go. Note the word ‘will’. I think Pilates should be helpful, not to correct it but to teach you how to go around it and use what you have. Sometimes strengthening programs are helpful in regards to hyperextension. Trust your judgement in regards to your condition. If you think that it will not allow you to perform to the standard that you have set upon yourself, then you should reconsider. And, of course, do otherwise if vice-versa is true. ----------------------------- Question 24: "Hi, I'm 15 years old. I'm a student of John-Cranko School. My turn-out is about 80°.Our new teacher wants me to turn out more, when I do all exercises. Do you know exercises to improve my turn-out. Do you think I will be a dancer, although I'm not 100% turned out? My old teacher always said that I can be dancer! And my feet are not bad, but I want more flexebility of my arch!" Answer: John Cranko’s name brought back a lot of memories for me. I associate his name mostly with the Stuttgart Ballet. In any case, I think what is more important is the question of ‘what do you, yourself, think?’ Sometimes when you ask the question to someone other than yourself it is because you have doubts and insecurity. I think questioning is very valid. It means that you are aware of your surroundings and you are trying to find your way. Ultimately, this is more important than anything else is. As long as you are looking and asking the question, chances are you will find it. Whether you can become a dancer or not, without me seeing you or having a better description of your abilities besides your turnout, at best would result in a dodgy answer. Every job has a certain requirement. If you meet those requirements you will have an easier time and can, thus, focus your attention on the work at hand. And if you don’t, all is not lost. You must then take a good look at yourself, I don’t mean physically; I mean taking an overall look at yourself. See what is important to you and what you want to do with your life. If dancing is where it is at, more power to you. But first, give yourself some time to think. Follow up e-mail: "Dances is very important for me, it's the way I can show my feelings and forget my problems. It shows me that I have to work hard, keep on trying and never give up. In reportary I always get main parts, even I'm not the best. The teacher say, I'm a dancer, I really can dance. After the performance everyone is inspired, even it was the easiest dance of the whole peace. But I'm also not bad in school! My arms are very soft, my feet are nice on point, my back is very movable, the only problem is my turn-out. When I do grand-plie, I'm 100% turned out. I worked on the plies and they are better now, my teacher said it too. When I lay on the floor on my back, or my stomach the plies or turned out. My teacher said I'm turned out, but I must learn to open my pelvis and work every day more turned out, and one day I can do everything turned out. She also said, she only had seen one girl in her whole dance life who was completely turned out. I asked, because I had a audition in Mannheim and they said, I'm not their type.But Stuttgart liked me. Sometimes Ballets have other imaginations of dancers." Answer: Now I have a better understanding of what you are inquiring about. I have a few suggestions for you. Let me know how it works for you. It appears to me that you have the turnout but you are unable to use what you have. One reason could be that you do not have the full understanding of where the turnout comes from. I didn’t understand turnout, myself, until I met Stanley Williams (find out about him). A Dan and a master of his field, he spent the last years of his life at the School of American Ballet where I trained. To understand certain things in their deepest sense, we need to meet people such as Stanley Williams. In his class, he did not distinguish between being rhythmically on time, and perfectly accurate and exacting. To describe the above sentence, he used only one word: “Pointe”. Prior to any movement, from any position, the turnout comes from the inside region between the legs. Instead of thinking that someone is grabbing your thighs and turning them around, twisting them, in order to increase the turnout, imagine this instead; That you have two tapes attached to the innermost thighs and that they are glued tightly. And, before you make any movement from the first position or fifth position, the tape gets pulled forward and in a circular motion outward, without disturbing the body which causes the foot to maintain its position on the ground. What I am trying to tell you is that you must start thinking and imagining, and those thoughts will help you more than you know. This is not a physical force but an understanding, which is applied on a physical body in a “continuous” movement. When the beat starts, the first thing to think about, which ultimately will become automatic, is turnout. The importance of turnout must be understood. It is turnout that gives you the facility to move about the stage without having to face the direction of your toes. It is the only style of movement or method, which operates in this way. You must start thinking that the beginning of the movement is connected to the previous one and where the end of the last movement ends it is again your beginning. You must ask yourself now, where do I rest if I am constantly in motion? Think of it like this. When you throw a ball, the ball continues to go. You don’t continue to follow it and strike at it in order to make it go. It goes because of the initial push or throw or let go. These are some of the words that you must apply to your movement. It is just a game that you have a lifetime to master. Read these lines carefully because they are not said lightly. Finally, it is helpful to take a few Pilates classes, focusing on turnout and proper stand in order to free and facilitate this part of the body. ----------------------------- Question 25: "Hi! I am now 19 years old and I am from Holland, currently studying at a ballet school in Holland to be a teacher. But I still want to be a dancer!!! The only problem is that I always thought I was not good enough to become a dancer, but recently my teacher told me that if I had auditioned at an early age, I would have been able to become one. So my question is: Am I really to old now or are there some schools who are willing to accept talented older students?? Thanks!" Answer: I have a question for you. If you are hungry, what do you do? Probably these are some of the steps you would take: You would go to a restaurant(many types), you would go to a food stand (fast food places), you would go to a grocery store, and so on and so forth. So, if you want to dance, start auditioning many different types of audition. Why do you need to go to another school? You start asking yourself or doubting yourself because of the following reasons: “I don’t have good training”, “I don’t have the right training”, “I am not compatible”, and so on and so forth. If you are hungry for dancing and you want to perform you must audition. Just because you have gone to an audition doesn’t mean that you have to take the job if they offer it. You don’t pick up the first sandwich somebody offers you. You would look around until you find the right match. Right match for the company and the right match for you. There are many different types of companies. If you have a certain idealistic idea about performance, it is like having a stylized idea about food. “ I will not eat until I get that specific food.” Well, I am sorry to say that one cannot wait to eat forever. And in the case of dancing, time will not stand still. You can still continue with your school to get your teaching credential while you participate, even on a part-time basis to make the ends meet, with different companies, contemporary as well as classical. If you have never tried Mexican food, how would you know whether you would like it or not? And finally, do your part. Let the people that audition you do theirs. Stop putting yourself in their place and stop looking at yourself from their point of view. And, how can you teach well without having performing experience? How can you tell what it is like to audition? What does it take to prepare for one, and so on and so forth? ----------------------------- Question 26: "Hi, I am 33 years old and used to do gymnastics from the age of 13 to 18 for 3x a week. At 26 I started African Dance and at 28 I enrolled at the kind of college that admits adults without previous dance training to become a dance teacher after 3 years. I also share the view that if a graduate from this kind of school teaches dance he/she might do more damage than good. The ballet teacher at this school was a professional with experience in ballet companies, but other teachers were graduates from just this school. Since I was absolutely new to modern, classical or jazz dance they could do more harm to me than to other students who had been dancing throughout their teenage years. I quit the school after 8 months, but I was left physically insecure, all the confidence I had in my body when I had done gymnastics was shaken. I had never been as stiff as after leaving this school. I started to develop problems with my back. A doctor recommended me to stop dancing for 2 years and instead to do some special excercises to get fit again. But for the past 3 years I have been back to dancing in a commercial studio taking 3 classes/week in ballet and hip hop, and occasionally also jazz and modern. For 1/2 year I'm taking classes daily. I chose this studio because every teacher has professional experience. I am slowly getting on my feet again and overcoming the kind of traumatic experience at the dance college.I was inspired by your comments on this web-side encouraging people to dance if this is what they want to do, and to find out what their aims are. I love dance, and that's all I want to do (don't get me wrong, I've got a job). When I am in the ballet class I'm trying to do as well as I can as if I am working towards an aim. When I am in the hip hop class I'm trying to dance as cool as the dancers on MTV. Only it would be nice, if there could really be an aim, beyond the fact, that I feel that I have no choice but to go to dance class. Also my social environment doesn't really understand what I am doing there. Is there anything that I could be working towards?" Answer: In a conversation that took place between me and a former New York City Ballet soloist, Afshin Mofid, talking about direction and aim, he brought up a conversation that he had with Lincoln Kirsten (founder of New York City Ballet). Lincoln had told him, having to philosophize about life and about dancing one eventually begins to question the reason to dance. In other words, as long as you are an automaton, putting out verbal communication with your body, the process of thought is inherently not viable. Thinking becomes the apple of sin, whereby one begins to see things that in the state of euphoria (created by body’s desire for motion)one would not see. Does this mean that most companies require dancers that lack mental ability? I would say no. But having an individual that is happiest in motion and that does not seek higher self-actualization through mind but through body would help. You are basically asking me, what is the purpose of dancing? While you are at it, what is the purpose of living? Which this brings us back to the sentences above. To find a purpose, you must have a desire. Within that desire you find the preoccupation that you seek in order for you to put up blind-folders so that you do not see the social commands and demands that surround you. Preoccupation with what you think is important, what wakes you up and gets you going, is in the air that you breathe until the desire has run its course. It is what people live for. You are already one step ahead of everyone else; you know what you like. You should not limit yourself to one aspect of this art. Find out what other aspects of this work interests you, and on the way, you will find what you seek. ----------------------------- Question 27: "In [my]advanced placement history class, you're required to do a project called National History Day. This years topic is "Revolution, Reaction, and Reform in History". I'm a dancer myself, so I found the topic of Martha Graham and modern dance very interesting. I saw on a website that you had studied modern dance, and I was wondering if you could answer some questions I had. They would really help me with my report and it would give me good background information. Well, here they are: 1. What is modern dance? 2. What makes modern dance different from ballet? 3. When was modern dance's most popular time? 4. Are there any special characteristics of a modern dancer (ex: ballet dancers are thin and pretty)? 5. What does it take to be a modern dancer? 6. How did Martha Graham revolutionize dance? Thank you so much for your time, and sorry for any inconvenience." Answer: Questions: What is modern dance? What makes modern dance different from ballet? When was modern dance's most popular time? Are there any special characteristics of a modern dancer (ex: ballet dancers are thin and pretty)? What does it take to be a modern dancer? It is difficult to answer these questions since in recent years "modern dance" and ballet have become very close. It is like describing two gray colors. What appears to be modern dance to one individual might be considered "new classical" to another. But in general, modern dance tends to look for new methods of expressions, usually by putting aside anything and everything that has to do with classical. For example, one of Paul Taylor’s very first pieces was of a man standing and a woman sitting. The curtain opened up, there was no music, and they stayed motionless for a couple of minutes until the curtain closed. You might say to yourself, how is this a dance? Think of it as excluding anything that you attribute to the term ‘classical’ and what it means to you. So, if you have to move in classical you would exclude that, if you need music in classical you would exclude that, and so on and so forth. But, Paul Taylor also could have brought the attention to the lack of movement since the audience required one by the shear fact of being there. In other words, when you go to see ballet or when you go to see dance you expect movement. And when he does not give you that, he is defying the expected. Modern dance can mean different things to different people. Another example would be Martha Graham. A genius by nature, she created a stylized movement, which you can find its roots in Asian culture. She had a great interest in mythology, specifically Greek mythology, and many of her pieces are based on it. As I mentioned above, modern dance does not recognize a set time as a period that you might say ‘we are now in the modern dance zone or period’. The fact is that companies come and go very rapidly. What is hip and modern today is not tomorrow. And that is the nature of dance. It moves through culture. It is being affected and affects individuals who come into contact with it. One should remember that no one creates a new way of moving or a painting or music without understanding what he/she is defying. That means that they have to understand the classics, its structure, and what it meant to individuals who used them before they can break away and create their own. These are the defining points where the artist decides what type of music he/she wants to use, whether they want to use short people, tall people, or yes, large set people. And, the same goes for the dancer. It is very rare to have a dancer who will stay with one company throughout their career. So it pays to be versatile. It is usual for an individual to start by taking ballet classes and then diversify by taking perhaps modern dance such as Graham technique or taking classes at Alvin Ailey, and so on. And finally, how Martha Graham revolutionized dance is a very good question that cannot be answered within the scope of this e-mail and requires much more analysis before making a serious comment. I hope that I have answered your questions. Thoughtful questions, such as the ones above, means that you personally have to engage in answering them by attending libraries. ----------------------------- Question 28: "Hello.I really like your web site.My daughter is almost 10. She has taken ballet classes since 3 years old but none of them seemed very serious.This year she is in a very serious ballet class and likes it very much.Teachers have always remarked on her ability to stand on very tips of her toes and her 'good legs' and great flexibility. In this first year she has caught up to the advanced class in many areas.My daughter is being in a beginning Pointe class. She is very strong and able.However, she will only be 10 years old in a month.Her body is slender and flexible.I have read in your question and answer section that a girl should not start pointe until she is 11 years old. This is your preference. What are the things to look for in a dancer that determines a girl ready for Pointe? Is it possible that my daughter is ready for Pointe, as her teacher has determined, or is it pretty much a given that no girl is ready at almost 10 years of age? She is the youngest girl in her class and as I said before, she has caught up with girls that are in the advanced class-in flexibility and dance steps (in her ballet slippers).She has not actually started working in her Pointe shoes-even at the barre.Up to this point she has strengthening her feet.Her teacher plans to start her in pointe very soon.When she has put her Pointe shoes on at home she stands straight and is strong on them. Is she still too young? How do I approach this with her teacher? I don't want to make it sound like I know more than she does-which is definitely not the case at all.Thank you for any help you can give to us.Also, you should know that at her age she has a great desire to dance professionally. I don't want to do anything that will ruin her chances. What happens to a girl if she goes on Pointe to soon?" Answer: Like anything else in life where it is required to have a foresight and there is lack of knowledge and trust, plus anxiety to make a proper choice and decision that will affect another, it is best to have a secondary opinion, especially in visual arts. At this stage, whether your daughter is able or not cannot be established without knowing her past history and the type of training that was required from her and whether her response to this training was positive or not. My recommendation at this time then would be the following. 1) If “you” are attempting to take the next step for her to become a professional, then you must make time to have her be seen by an established organization. An organization that is recognized for its work and are able to maintain a minimum of a million dollars budget. It might cost you to find out but in comparison of a lifetime of error and misjudgment it is a minute loss. 2) If she has a strong desire to become a dancer then it is beneficial to find the best training possible and let her flourish and find her own way. I refer to these type of people as those who “know that they know”. I have found that those people that “know that they know” do not need much guidance. It is very difficult as a parent to accept this because we have the responsibility to decide what is best for them. In our culture in the United States most often than not it is required of each individual to make their own choice in life so they cannot blame another for their errors and failures. Ballet is an extremely competitive art form. For that very reason auditions normally take only a few seconds. They might continue with the audition, but they have already made their decision within a few seconds. The reason for that is because everything is in the open and there is nowhere to hide. And finally, in response to ‘What happens to a girl that goes on pointe too soon?” At this stage of their lives, youngsters grow differently, making it very difficult to answer this question. Ballet requires certain technique and strength and unless the youngster has been trained properly they will not be able to hold positions and frequently they are bound to pick up bad lifetime habits difficult to get rid of. In addition, their bone structure is still quite soft and susceptible to change under pressure. And these are some of the reasons why most teachers prefer to wait until the child is at least 11 or 12 years old. ----------------------------- Question 29: "I am 13 years old, and in high school I am considering taking the performing arts classes.I can sing, and act, and I want to know how to dance.I was thinking about taking ballet and jazz classes at "... Studio" and I was wondering if I could ever be an "ok" dancer.I am not overweight at all, if anything I am under weight... no, I am not on an kind of diet I have just always been this way.I play other sports, like softball and volleyball so I am in good shape.I don't want to dance professionally or anything, just be good, like to dance in performances, etc.Do you think it is possible? I would be taking about 3 classes a week. Help, Thanks!" Answer: Aim for enjoyment and make every minute count. Whether you are good or not at this stage is irrelevant. The path that a potential professional will take is considerably different than the one taken by an amateur, even at a young age. You already know what you want; what is keeping you from getting what you want is your competitiveness with others. Omit that and you will have what I first stated-enjoying every minute of your time invested in the dance studio. ----------------------------- Question 30: "I live in a small city about 1 hour from a small metropolitan area. My 14 year old daughter took ballet lessons from a local teacher when she was in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. (Lessons stopped after that because the teacher left town at night with the money for recital costumes.) This fall she started lessons again (once weekly) and after 5 weeks her new teacher said she was ready for pointe shoes. I questioned how in the world can she be ready for what I understand to be a very serious step in ballet instruction when she has not had any formal training for 6 years, and the teacher said she is. My daughter has very good control and form and learns very quickly, but I thought a person needed years of training before starting pointe. There is a professional dance company in the metropolitan area with a school associated with it. I have suggested to my daughter that we look into classes there, but she wants to continue lessons at this studio because she likes her teacher and classmates and does not want to make the long drive because it will be boring and she gets motion sickness. All she wants for Christmas is pointe shoes. My concern is that she not engage in an activity that may cause injury. I would appreciate any advice you could give me. Thank you." Answer: I must congratulate you. You are definitely correct in questioning her instructor. No one in their right mind would put the child in pointe shoes after only 5 weeks with a huge gap between training, let alone taking class only once a week. Since I don’t know which metropolitan dance school or company you were referring to, I cannot make any comment on that. But, call them in advance and ask them if you can watch a class with your daughter, preferably their professional class or their advanced class. By just watching the class you can make the necessary decision whether your daughter is willing to attend more serious dance classes with more regularity and discipline, or whether you should save your money and find something less painful to do. I have already stated in my Q. & A. the requirements for taking pointe classes for the beginners and youngsters. Unfortunately, since there is no standards that dance instructors must adhere to in the United States, policing what is being taught in small art schools befalls to the parents who are unskilled in these matters. And that is why I have opened this site, hopefully it will have an impact and educate concerned parents such as yourself and will stop unscrupulous instructors such as the ones that you have come in contact with. Take the time and visit that metropolitan dance studio-Let her see what she is missing. You must challenge her at this time because she is beginning to feel comfortable with the individuals where she is training. ----------------------------- Question 31: "My son is 19 and has been dancing for 3 years with a small town city ballet and enjoys it but does not plan to dance professionally.For the last month he has had increasing knee pain without any obvious time of injury.The pain increases with plies and leaps and lifts.He is just "marking" now and taking ibuprofen. I have an appointment for him to see a sports orthopedist and physical therapist.My question is, should I encourage him to find another activity or do you think this is treatable?" Answer: Knee injury is the most common problem dancers face every day. The fact that you do not know, and he doesn’t know, when the injury or pain started indicates that it has been a gradual injury rather than an incident. I cannot stress enough the importance of proper training. The alignment of the body must be correctly followed. If after checking with the sports orthopedist and x-rays you find no physical problem to correct, the next thing to do would be to slow down and let the body heal. One can use this period to do strengthening programs, take up swimming, and also attend Pilates classes to improve alignment. It is a common practice for dancers to ignore pain and suffering because it is expected from them. It is a smart dancer who can tell the difference between an injury that can end his career from one that is manageable and can be corrected by the means mentioned above. In the 14th and 15th century, it was common practice for educated people to be exposed to the seven liberal arts, which were grammar, rhetoric, geometry, astronomy, theology, music, and medicine. Dance was studied concurrently with music, but now it has taken a back seat in our daily lives. Furthermore, it is taking abuse in television sitcoms. If your son can continue to be a productive member of society and dance as an amateur at the same time, he has managed to lift himself to a higher standard and he must be commended for it. ----------------------------- Question 32: "I am now 13 years old and dancing is my whole life. I really want to take this with me in my future. I do tap and jazz. When I was little, I did ballet for 1 year. For Christmas, I asked for a pair of beginning pointe shoes. Just to practice with my friends. Next year I want to take the class. I have a pretty nice arch and I just wanted to know if I am ready for them. I also wanted to know if I am ready, what exercises I could do with them. Thank you very much." Answer: As you get older, you will find that having love for something, most often than not, is not enough. In order to achieve pointe work with good standing it requires much work. I have answered questions concerning pointe work and they are located in the Q.& A. section of my website-I must refer you to question #10 and others as it applies. Knowledge in our world has become crucial for our existence. The more you know about a subject that you are to undertake, or make an important decision on, the better your chances for success. Try to attend dance performances and read more about the subject. From your e-mail it appears to me that you are not ready to take on pointe work ----------------------------- Question 33: "I am 17 years old and I have just recently started ballet again after 4 years. I have a hip problem that i went to the doctor for. She said that some of the postions I put my leg into when i dance causes my back and hip to get out of alignment. I have also noticed that my back and legs are not as strong as they need to be to dance well. Could you give me some excercises to strengthen my back and legs?" Answer: Getting back to dancing after a long period of absence is always difficult. You must be patient with yourself and give yourself time to recover. Start focusing on proper alignment in everything you do, lower extensions to achieve the alignments, start swimming 2-3 times a week, and attend Pilates classes if they are available and you can afford it (Many of these types of places hire assistants. You can help them as a part-timer in exchange for class.). ----------------------------- Question 34: "Hey, I am in a company at my school, and an inner city school and we have to have so many people even if there not at advanced level in our class. And I am probably an intermediate dancer, but I am one of the better ones in the company. Well the teacher told us that the key to dance is using a neutral spine ( scapula flat, ribs kissed, belly concave, and AS IS bones parallel to the wall)I was wondering if u have ever heard of this and if it really does help u dancing. Also I have another question, that when you do an attitude in the back is ur hip not suppose to be lifted? Because that's another thing she has told us, and it makes your attitude look bad." Answer: Many dance teachers who are listed as a faculty in public education school system and deal with a large number of children, try to come up with a standard method of communication that will make their life easier when they teach dance. In the process, they put a tremendous amount of stress on the students. This problem is exasperated by lack of knowledge on the part of the teacher in the subject. In short, no one dances trying to control every part of their body simultaneously, such as keeping their stomach in, ribcage closed, scapula flat, and so on and so forth. The dancer becomes so preoccupied with controlling and remembering all these points that there is no time to concentrate on movement and remembering the combination and the musicality, which is the essence of taking dance class. Good teachers try to explain certain basic technical issues inherent in all movements and through these techniques the body becomes calm and quiet and will maintain all the points and desired shapes. And, ease of movement is also achieved, including the attitude that you had inquired about. Through training, the dancer should achieve freedom and not feel bottled up in his/her own body. What I am trying to say, is that we do not have to invent the wheel every time we are training a new dancer. But as long as there are no standards to be followed in the art of teaching dance in the United States, learning to dance is equivalent to pulling teeth and because of it it is mocked by those that cannot understand it. You can simply achieve the same understanding of how alignment should be, though it requires patience, by simply lying down on the floor, keeping your feet parallel, bending them at the knees. Then put your feet flat on the floor, hands beside your hip on the floor, look up straight to the ceiling, and keep your hip plane and without any deformities such as tucked in or reserved (sticking it out). Listen to some music that you like, breath in and breath out. Make sure that your spine is straight but relaxed, in one line. Now imagine two horizontal lines-one on your shoulder, the other on your hip, and these two lines cross the spine in a right angle. And there you have it. The line on the shoulder and the hip are parallel to each other, so when you stand they should also be in this same form. Relaxed body is essential to free movement. You can experience turnout the same way. As above, you have lied down on the floor, with your knees bent, flex your right foot while you still have your heel on the floor. Lift the heel only one inch and extend it out away from your head without touching the floor. Now turn out only that right leg from the hip, not from the foot. Turn it in again from the hip. Keep the middle toe in one line with the knee. Mind you, that the left leg maintains its position and perform the exercise without extra force or energy. As a clever person you are, you can find a multitude of movements to add to this exercise, such as tendu to a la seconde or devant. They refer to these exercises as floor exercises where you can learn how to control your upper body in relationship with your legs without having to fight to balance yourself. These types of exercises came about when dancers were injured or needed a better understanding of alignment. You can learn all the basic floor exercises in a Pilates class. ----------------------------- Question 35: "I have been searching up and down for help or information on how to overcome knee pain from ballet. My friend has been sufferring pain in the knees when ever she dance's and goes for long walks and then when the pain strikes, she then has to go sit down and have a rest. Both her and myself are willing to put full time, belief and effort so that she can overcome this pain and forfill her dreams in ballet. She is only 15 but as I said both her and I are going to help her overcome this so please could you help us out in any way" Answer: I have answered a similar question in Q. & A.’s Q31 on the website. If after you have checked with physicians you have found out that there is nothing inherently wrong with her knees, such as torn cartilage, it is then time to step back and take corrective measures. Give it a rest. If there is an inflammation, have her put an icepad on her knee as often as she can and take anti-inflammatory medicine prescribed by physician. Start strengthening programs, such as physical therapy. Take Pilates classes, and floor exercises (which are becoming more available every day). Take up swimming, and increase knowledge and understanding by starting to read in regards to dance techniques and its history. This is a time to become knowledgeable and to find new interests. This is a time to start working harder than ever before on other aspects of dancing, which she didn’t have time for previously. Join a public university library, which would cost her about $60 but will have more available related books and videos (free if read within the library). It is imperative to be hopeful. I have known dancers that had to undergo four major knee surgeries and still return to dancing. It takes determination and knowledge for her to get through this. And, she is not alone- many dancers experience a similar problem at least once in their career. ----------------------------- Question 36: "I am 26 years old and have had two children 23 months and 6 months. As a child I danced from the time I was 2 1/2 till I was 15. I always wanted to go professional but lack of money prevented it. I have just recently started taking an adult dance class in jazz and tap but would love to do ballet again. I have almost perfect turnout and still have excellent flexibility. Unfortunately I am about 180lbs from having my daughters. Is there anything you would recommend for returning to a decent weight for ballet and is there any hope for me ever being able to dance on Pointe again even on a hobby basis." Answer: It is a myth that you need money in order to take ballet classes. In my entire life I never paid anybody for a dance class. Well, that is not quite true- occasionally I paid to take some classes here and there so I could experience other styles of teaching. It is surprising how many people actually stop trying to follow their dreams because of lack of money. There is always a way. It is only the question of ‘how badly do you want it?’ It is lack of knowledge, which we try to remedy here for future generations. There are many scholarships available all around the world for those who are willing and have talent. All performances, from regional to major ballet companies, require and need people. Of course the companies are willing to give scholarships to boys more than girls, but in all honesty, potential always exists. All is not lost. Your desire to experience dancing will be an extra boost to help you achieve your goal while you lose the weight and get yourself in a right set of mind. Throughout my career I have seen women who teach or take classes while they were pregnant and after giving birth return to their routine shortly afterwards to lose their excess weight and to do what they love best. And you shall not be any different. Whether you are able to dance on pointe or not is irrelevant. Dancing on pointe is just a minute section of the dance world. There is so much more to it. As long as you know there is always a way to get around problems, you will continue to look to find it. To lose the weight I recommend registering for some aerobics classes at your local YMCA or community center if lack of money still persists. Otherwise, you can join a health club. I think three times a week should be good enough. Once you have lost your weight and your desired weight has been achieved, replace the aerobics with swimming. Try to look forward to the future and teach your children the same love of dance. You can always teach them what you know as they get older and there is a great sense of accomplishment there. ----------------------------- Question 37: "Hi! I just turned 12 and wondering if I could be able to get back in ballet.I've had previous experiance when I was three,four and five. Since then I done gymnastics, karate, soccer, and cheerleading. I can't do a split but I have good flexability in my legs. I'm hoping I can do pointe and other things after some training but I'm afraid I won't fit in." Answer: Under proper circumstances and training, you should have no problem getting back to routines. But I would like to respond to what appears to be your main concern: “fitting in”. You must remember that ‘fitting in’ usually means that you are asking for someone else’s approval. As dancers, we start our career at such a young age and invest an enormous amount of energy and effort to achieve our goal; it is bound to displease some members of our family who believe that we should spend our time on something more tangible. There is also a question of ‘fitting in’ or gaining approval from our peers. In either case, as you grow older you will find that always attempting to please others is usually a waste of time, and what you need to do is to choose a path that has some meaning for you. This could be a short or a long-term goal. Commit yourself. Put blinders on and go about your business. You might succeed or fail. In either case, you will have learned something new about yourself and you will make a better decision next time. ----------------------------- Question 38: "Please explain to me the level rating system for ballet. My daughter is looking into intensive summer workshops and one of the schools differentiates between levels 2, 2x, 3 and 4,5,6 etc. I would like to know how the level of a child is determined. Is it based upon specific skills attained or something other than that. Thank you for your help." Answer: Your question assumes that somehow all dance schools, major or minor, have come together to set some type of standard that would be recognized by all who live in the United States. As I have mentioned in my Q. & A., United States does not have any set standards in respect to classical ballet. Hence, each specific school, which might be connected to some type of regional or major ballet company, have their own ‘level rating system’. It is basically a way of categorizing students, hoping that certain skills can be taught or learned within a set time period. The levels usually have been predetermined by either the ballet mistress’ or ballet master’s own personal experience as performers and teachers. The level rating system is also a way for paying parents to figure out how much more money they have to come up with in order for their child to go through the program. But my experience tells me that none of these level rating systems really matters because those who are able bodied master the skills and precision within a short period of time, which makes the system obsolete. And those who are unable usually will be set aside to complete the program but will not be taken as company members. In a school associated with a major company, very few of their students per year are transferred to the company itself-one or two at best. So, the rating system is a way for generating steady income for the school and the company. In the Royal Ballet school, which is associated with the Royal Ballet company, students are yearly examined with some being eliminated to make room for newcomers. In this way, the student knows where he/she stands and is not misled with a hope of joining the company. And that is the major difference between the American and the English rating systems. ----------------------------- Question 39: "I am a male ballet student and was wondering if a company like ABT for example would consider hiring a male pointe dancer. I've heard of Les Ballets Trockadero but I mean a real ballet company that has a vast repertoire and large amounts of fame. Or would any ballet company like NCDT. I was wondering because I think I might be better at pointe than actual male oriented ballet. And do you think technique and how good you are matters when something like this comes up? I am 15; 5' 6''; and weigh 120-125 lbs. Everyone says I look anorexic but I'm not. And people say I'm the most flexible guy they've ever seen (which really surprises me)! So any advice, answers, or help you can dish out would be greatly appreciated." Answer: I believe any type of ability beyond and above what is required is great. But, being able to go on pointe and being able to execute movements with clarity and purpose is another. In the past, the reason they started to use pointe was to give the impression or allusion of lightness. Of course, we are far beyond that. But, still there is the question, why? The question is not to distract you from your interest but rather to pinpoint your idea further. It is interesting that you are inquiring to know where it can be used. And, that is good because for rare abilities it is best that you find a market for it, first, before you jump into it fullheartedly. In any event, technical abilities certainly are a must. But on top of that, because of your interest in pointe you must also familiarize yourself with the mannerisms and styles, but yet, the different choreography of solo pieces which usually female dancers become exposed to in advanced pointe classes. Many male dancers, in order to improve their pointe, resort to using pointe work at their leisure. And occasionally they are able to perform half-decent combinations. But this is a far cry from being able to use the pointe work as bread and butter, like women do. I guess what I am trying to say is that you have to reach within yourself and find that entrepreneur within you and find a new use for it that hasn’t been thought of yet. ----------------------------- Question 40: "Hi I am 21 and I recently started teaching a ballet technique class at a studio that for years has only focused on jazz and hip hop. Many of the parents are excited about their children learning better posture, turnout, and grace however the children, who range from age 6-12, are not as enthusiastic. My hope is not to turn them into ballerinas, but instead educate them on the basics of ballet to improve their technique in all areas and build strength to prevent injuries. How do I get my young Britney Spears dancers to enjoy the discipline of ballet?" Answer: The first question that you have to ask yourself is whether your personal standards and ideals in regards to ballet is more important than being flexible in these circumstances. Can you divert? Can you change? If the answers are no, you will have a difficult time. If the answers are yes, please read on. It is always wonderful to have students that are there willingly and participate in every moment of the class. But having fallen short from this ideal, all is not lost. You have to find their needs and their interests and use that to build your class around it. For example, in modern dance or jazz, ability to fall or use the upper body separate from the center is an essential technique. Hence, those who know Limon technique fair well. If you are not familiar with this technique or style, I suggest that you go to your local university and request a videotape of a dance performance that uses it. The technique requires knowledge of ballet in conjunction with falls and rolls and catching oneself and hitting certain ballet positions. Perhaps you could come up with something like that. It will add a certain amount of difficulties and also would be unusual enough to catch their interest. In between, you can put in your ballet techniques and correct the students individually to your heart’s desire. But first you have to be able to hold them down and that requires reaching within yourself and throwing in a few combinations that will hold their interest as well. ----------------------------- Question 41: "I have a daughter that is very serious about ballet. She is eleven. She shows a talent for ballet, the discipline, and the body type except for her height. She is very short for her age. I have spoken to as many people as I can about this because may be her efforts would be better spent in another direction if her height is going to prevent her from fulfilling this passion (obsession). I know that most professional companies have a height that most of their corp is. Is their an industry standard or minimum that they are looking for? I am looking for honest answers because she is so serious about this. Any information you can give will be greatly appreciated." Answer: All companies, especially ballet companies, have certain standards that they try to follow. But most certainly these standards change from continent to continent. And with that, the body type requirement also changes. For example, since the appearance of Balanchine and his affiliates, United States has had a preference for taller, thinner females with long legs. This dominance has also had a major effect around the globe, but this does not mean talented, shorter individuals have no chance at all. These individuals, if male, must be outstanding in technical abilities since they will have a harder time to partner. Such an individual was hired by New York City Ballet in 1983 (or 1984). He was a gold medallist from Japan. He had won the same medal that Baryshnikov had won several years earlier. For women, shorter ladies are preferred for partnering but, of course, this has some limits as well. Extreme height differences, in either direction, must be balanced with technical ability to compensate. This is not only for ballet but for all other dance styles as well. ----------------------------- Question 42: "I have noticed lately that I have an increasing problem with what I call the "duck-tail"...that is, my derriere goes out in the back when I do a plie. My teacher humorously calls this "sitting on the pot"...does this happen because of a weakness in the abdominals? And what exercises can help correct this tendency? Thanks for all your help." Answer: This is a basic error ("derriere goes out in the back when I do a plie") and it could happen for a multitude of reasons. I will name just a few: 1) too much turnout from the feet rather than from the hips 2) alignment error or misunderstanding 3) lack of ability to mentally see movement before the execution In Q. & A. #34, I have explained the very basics for understanding alignment, which includes exercises. The fact is that in this position the hip or tailbone is stationary and you do not have to worry about balancing, concentrating on turning in and turning out of one leg. One inch off the floor, bending and straightening the leg, you will come to an understanding of where turnout truly comes from. What hit me about your letter was your instructor’s method for describing the plie movement: "sitting on the pot". I find this to be negative imagery. Since doing a plie is one of the most common steps in ballet, the words "sitting on the pot" become enhanced and enforced by the performer. You must replace these terms with a positive imagery, such as with pictures of correct movement. When you are lying down on the floor and doing the exercises mentioned in Q. & A. #34, after awhile you will see yourself performing these steps with ease and relaxation. The best way to correct an individual is to go through the dance movement at least once or twice in the class very slowly, breaking every step down so that eventually the movement becomes automatic. ----------------------------- Question 43: "My daughter is 10 and has been dancing for six years. The past three years she has been taking two ballet classes a week and this year three in preparation for Pointe work. She's been told she'll be ready for Pointe this summer. She does well in her classes. She also is an accomplished cheerleader. On more than one occasion I have been lectured about how cheerleading or any other sport will ruin her stretch. Her teacher seems to feel that she should be dedicated at this point to dance only and stop any other forms of physical activity. I think if she could she'd have the girls stop gym. Could you please explain the biomechanical basis for her beliefs because it seem to me that a 10 year old should be able to do both provided that she has the stamina and proficient teachers/coaches. My daughter is aware that she'll have to choose between these two activities in a few years. I don't think she knows what her long turn goals are with respect to ballet. I think she'll be too petit to consider a professional career. Is it appropriate of her dance teacher to but this much pressure on her at this age? Thank You." Answer: Simply put, dancing classical ballet, or any physical sctivity that requires remembering a multitude of movements weaving into each other, and non-repeating especially, must become automatic. In other words, the dancer, him/herself takes the back seat and allows the body to execute movements. It is known as muscular memory. And that is why classical ballet dance teachers require their students to refrain from other activities. Of course this has other benefits as well, such as preventing potential injuries from participating in other sports, which could keep the dancer from attending class on a regular basis. It is imperative for individuals who are planning to become a professional to exercise specific parts of their body in a certain manner. If strenuous exercises are performed on a regular basis outside of dance class, the legs and upper body could develop in opposition to what the dancer wishes, hence, stopping the dancer from executing movements with ease. It is quite difficult for both the parent and his/her child who attends dance class in this society to minimize activities when there is so much to be offered, from ice skating to snowboarding, soccer to football, gymnastics, etc. Where do we draw the line? It is difficult to choose. On one hand, we want to expose them to as much as possible and on the other hand,doing so will damage other potentials. Best example would be a boy who likes boxing yet has much talent in playing piano. ----------------------------- Question 44: "Hi. I need to do a report on the alikenesses and differences of ballet and mime...do you think you and help me a little because I can't find any information anywhere....thank you so much" Answer: Pantomime and ballet can exist separately and, yet, together. Those who study pantomime take ballet classes regularly and, of course, ballet dancers study pantomime as a part of their education, especially where classical ballet is involved. Both of them require silence and abstract movement to tell their story. In ballet, alignment and visual exactness is required and each movement is not necessarily helping in the totality of the story. But in mime, each step will be required to bring about certain meaning. ----------------------------- Question 45: "I have problems doing releves en pointe.Do you have tips or suggestions to help me be able to do them?" Answer: Obviously, any basic footwork that you might have been taught in your first day of pointe work can be helpful, such as roll ups and roll downs. You face the barre, plie, hold the plie and you roll to releve, maintaining the plie, and while you are on pointe you slowly continue to straighten your knees while at the same time you continue to maintain the turnout and alignment. Most importantly, you must keep your Achilles tendon relaxed. Do not allow it to become tense, even when you straighten your knees. This exercise must be done slowly and also can be done in reverse. In other words, you releve or roll to releve on pointe, then plie on pointe, and then roll down on your feet, putting your heel down on the floor, then you straighten. Be mindful not to lock your knees or push your knees back when you are straightening your knees in this exercise or any other exercise. Think of straightening your knees and pointing your feet as one motion. It is like putting a sock on, which is extremely long. When you put your foot in the sock the energy goes into the sock and out of it. It continues until the knee is straightened, and no further.I think you might be having difficulty understanding when to stop straightening your knee and where your energy goes when you are trying to straighten your knee. There is a certain imbalance—the two legs are not equal. This also implies that mentally you don’t consider them as equal. This can be remedied by starting all exercises with the weaker leg first and then following with the stronger leg. This way, you give your weak side an opportunity to catch up and, at the same time, build some confidence that the right and left are just that and not better or worse. ----------------------------- Question 46: "Hi Shahab!... I am 15 years old. I started dancing ballet when I was three. At the school, my instructor Katarina (who has been dancing all her life in a well known company in Russia) said that it is remarkable how straight my legs are, how flexible I am and how strong my feet are. She immediately asked me to dance "sur pointes" when I turned five. I know that it is extremely quick. I stopped dancing when I was 6 because of the war. Now, I live in Canada, I wish to start dancing again. I have brought with me some videotapes with movement and dancing instructions. I practice as much as i can...I'm VERY good "sur pointes" but, every school I go to dance, they always tell me I can't start by dancing "sur pointes" right away because I need experience.. :( I really know I can do it! I have a passion for dance and whenever I'm on the stage I feel like an angel and I feel as if I'm floating and flying. :) I hope you can help me. Thank you a lot." Answer: Everyone is free to do what he or she wants to do, in theory. But, rules and regulations of the society that we live in bind us. In the society you lived in before, things were obviously different. Now, you are where you are at and things are not to your liking in this specific circumstance. So, let me give you an example. A person who is trained in Austria for violin holds their bow differently than a person who studies in England. You can practically tell by just looking at them, what country they are from. This does not, however, state which one is the better violinist. The rules are just different. Recognizing that is where you will find your freedom. Using the time you have to the best of your ability where you are at is the smartest thing you can do. You do not need my permission to do one thing or the other. The fact that you are questioning implies that you know the answer, otherwise, you would have done it by now. Focus on the enjoyment, get the best training you can and as frequently as you can. Keep your eyes open for possibilities and do not limit yourself if you think you have potential. ----------------------------- Question 47: "Hi! I'm 14 years old and I have been taking ballet since I was 3 but my teacher wasn't big on ballet, I loved it!!! I recently was forced to quit because my family had to move to a different city. I want to start up again and I'm not sure if i should start in intermediate or beginner. I'm also thinking of doing ballet professionaly can you tell me some good ballet schools? Thanks!" Answer: I do not refer people to ballet schools. This is one thing that you should do on your own. Choose the school that gives you the best opportunity to become a professional, if that is your goal. And, it is not too difficult. All you have to do is find out where some famous dancers were trained. Before deciding on becoming a professional read the Q. & A. section in its entirety. I have some pointers in there that might help you in making this decision. In addition, it is easy to use the word “professional”. The action speaks louder than the word. One is a professional, even though he/she might not be making the money as of yet, with their approach to their training. That means taking 5-6 classes a week—classes with good standards and direction. ----------------------------- Question 48: "I'm 14 years old and I have taken ballet since I was about 11. My teacher told my parents that she noticed a natural talent in me and I have been moved up to a advanced class after a year and a half of taking classes. Now I take regular classes and one hour of private lessons a week. I would really like to be a professional dancer some day. Do you think it's too late for me to start looking into it? Thank you!" Answer: In this world, everyone has to make a living and that means he or she is selling or promoting something that will ultimately enrich him or her. When you enter, or consider entering, a very competitive world where only a few people are able to make a living in, then you should do the smart thing-—always get a second opinion. You don’t have to inform your teacher before doing so—-just go audition or have some major dance company or school have a look at you. If you are serious, that is inevitable. Of course, you can always sit back and enjoy the compliments you receive and leave it at that. It is good to become informed by reading about other dancers and their history, find out when they started dancing, whom they studied with, and especially at what age they started to work with a major company. Take the time to read the Q. & A. section in its entirety. ----------------------------- Question 49: "Your answers are awesome.I found your page of answers and questions in search of insight on praise dancing and where I can learn in New York. I am a 33 years old woman that has just began to discover my intense joy in dancing. The class that I am taking shows beginning ballet steps with a modern twist. I have no previous training,but my dance teacher who has extensive dance experience, has remarked many times that I have a natural gift to dance. I love to dance and would like to increase my skill and creativity in ballet. While all of the odds are stacked, being over 30, I see what my dance teacher is doing in her local community by offering kids an opportunity to learn real dancing that they would not otherwise be exposed to, and would like to have the qualifications to do the same in mine if the opportunity presented itself. I may never be a professional ballerina, yet I do think there is a need, and audience and a possibility for me to truly blossom. There are so many things to learn. Can you suggest the best strategypathway?" Answer: In places such as England, there is training available for those who wish to teach music and/or dance in public arenas such as community centers. Of course, they require some type of certification and licensing—-certain classes must have been mastered and certain examinations completed. But in the United States, as far as I know, there is no such narrow specialization. The long route is getting a master’s degree. The short route is as follows but there is no guarantee of getting a job afterwards: find the best teacher that you can, tell him/her what you have in mind and ask him/her to train you. That means that you have to take classes regularly for a while and, ultimately, help him/her in teaching lower level classes so that you can gain experience. But based on what I have seen being taught in some regular schools and community centers, I do not consider them to be valid dance education or training centers—-I believe these locations do more harm than good to the community of dance as a whole. This situation owes much to a lack of proper training and interest by those who are in control of fund disbursements. Hence, those students who are exposed to this type of training tend to have a dim view of dance and the dance world. ----------------------------- Question 50: "HI I am an eleven year old dance student.I have never taken ballet except when I was about 6 or 8 and my teacher taught me way to hard stuff for my age.Anyway...I have taken jazz and am on a dance team.I have a perfect dance body according to my dance teachers.I'm 5'6 and weigh about 98 pounds.I was wondering if you think it possible for me to get on pointe shoes because I can stand on my toes(which is bad but is a habit)and turn on them in my jazz shoes.Alot of people think I am already on pointe but I am not. MY teacher says I should do ankle raises to strengthen my ankles before I try to get on pointe shoes but that is the only advice she has given me.I haven't really asked her though.Is there any OTHER dance moves to strengthen my ankles?and also is there hope for me to get to be a proffesianal dancer?I can do split leaps and very clean pirrouettes and splits etc.I can almost do my left splits and left split leaps.What way is there to help me do things better on my left side?" Answer: I have answered the question of how to become a professional in the Q. & A. in a segmentary method. In other words, you might have to look at the Q. & A. section in its entirety to find the answer. At the same time, you will come across some questions and answers that are relevant to those of us who have interest in the profession of dance. To strengthen the left side you can start all combinations at the barre on the left side instead of the right. Hence, you give more importance to the left and your first attempt and concentration is employed to improve the left side. The best way to start using pointe shoes is to take pointe classes. Normally, after several years of training and preparation the body is prepared to take this step. It is not the student who makes the decision but, instead, the teacher who leads the class as a whole, together, to this point. I would like to emphasize that the whole dance world does not revolve around pointe work. There is so much more to be seen and appreciated about dance. And yet, most students are stuck with the mere façade of dance, namely pointe work. ----------------------------- Question 51: "Hi, I'm 14 years old and I am a competitive Rhythmic gymnast. Once a week we have ballet lessons (half-hourly), and I was wondering if taking an additional ballet class would benefit. I'm flexible, and have good turnout. I also like ballet a lot, but am I too old to start properly?" Answer: I have seen gymnasts become dancers, for example Igor Youskevitch participated in the 1932 Olympics before becoming a very famous dancer. When I was at the New York City Ballet School we had someone who had won a gold medal who was now training to become a professional dancer. He had difficulty landing softly using his plies, since in gymnastics ending with straight knees is promoted. In any case, I suggest you register with the best ballet school that you can and begin to train on a regular basis. Set the goal at one year and look at your improvement as a whole. At that point, you will be in a better position to make this decision. ----------------------------- Question 52: "My daughter is 6 years old and is taking ballet classes at the... Ballet pre-primary level. She loves to dance.However,or as well, she just made a highly competitive gymnastics team which requires training 3X/week for 9 hours. Part of the time they have one of the...ballet instructors teaching them at the gym which is nice. Anyhow, my daughter appears lean and tall...about a head taller than the other gymnasts that are her age. At what point if ballet is to be her destination should she drop gymnastics? Right now she only has one ballet class/week for an hour and one swim class for 1/2 hour. The ballet instructor says she has a nice frog stretch, great leaps, and model jumps with pointed toes...she has much flexibility with the splits et. which I don't want her to lose in strength moves in gymnastics. She can climb the gym rope with just her arms....which does not seem that great for ballet arms...anyhow....any suggestions? She likes it all..school, art, flute, popcorn playhouse. Gymnastics just came calling first with the time demands but she does not prefer it to ballet. How long can she do the gymnastics before it will encroach on her ballet?" Answer: I found the student “need” to be the key decision factor.It will project the right time and activity. Nothing is written in stone and everybody is different, physically and mentally. One cannot say with any certainty that guiding children to a certain activity will produce exacting success. But the chosen field most certainly will give him/her lifetime characteristics. I believe the answer you are looking for can be understood best when it is projected into the future. Therefore, reading the Q. & A. section question #43 and #51 should help. ----------------------------- Question 53: "I have a daughter who is 17. She had classes in ballet, tap, baton and jazz from age 3 until she was 7 when she started acrobatics. She is an excellent tumbler and cheered until last year. Recently she has taken a modern dance class at her high school which was really too easy. She had signed herself up for ballet at a local ballet school, but was put in a class with 7 and 8 year olds. After just two weeks, they were asking for money for their recital. My daughter wants to find a situation where she can "work and work and work" on her technique and on getting strong. Her long-range goal is to get a degree in dance and education. We are having a heck of a time finding a program that would accommodate an older girl that has great flexibility, the "perfect" dancer's body, but hasn't had a chance to develop the technique. Can you give me some ideas on where we can look?" Answer: Every state attempts to present itself in the form of at least one or two major dance company. These are some of the locations you can get started on (i.e. Kansas City ballet, Minnesota ballet). Word of mouth can be quite successful in locating a good dance studio. Many dance soloists and principals, tired of living in large cities and burnt out from travelling, decide to open their dance studios in small cities. If you are not sure of the background of the dance teacher who you take your children to, inquire directly about it or look in the Internet under their name (many dancers and teachers provide listings of this sort). Dance Magazine provides a listing of schools and classes for each state. Once you have a list, drive to these locations and ask if you can watch the class with your daughter. This way, you can make the best decision for her. Attending state college with a dance program could be another option, in conjunction with private classes. ----------------------------- Question 54: "Can you tell me something [about the CSSSA prgram]? We are from Nebraska, and my daughter was chosen by audition tape to take their 4 weeks summer program. Thanks!" Answer: Probably by now you have made a decision whether your daughter is going or not. Summer programs everywhere tend to be very hectic and watered down in order to expose maximum number of people with some degree of knowledge. As our population grows, this process will also expand in order to accommodate. I traveled the U.S. and, as far as I know, all states provide some form of art program similar to California State Summer School for the Arts, including Nebraska. I am familiar with the work of some of the instructors, such as Donald Bradburn from UC Irvine, who will be teaching dance history there this summer. For someone who is trying to find a path for their future, these types of programs will not be such a bad idea because they will be exposed to different subjects in one location, sampling if you will. But, if she has already decided what she is going to do with your life, such as ‘I am going to become a ballet dancer,’ or ‘I am going to teach dance history,’ or ‘I am going to be a back up dancer’ I would say that she is wasting her time with these types of programs. If she already knows what she wants to do, then she should pursue more narrow programs that will provide more tangible knowledge in preparation for the future. For example, School of American Ballet (NYC Ballet) provides summer programs that can be quite challenging for those who want to become ballet dancers. In regards to CSSSA, the program is open to students from +2,700 public and private CA secondary schools and the tuition for CA residents is approx. $1515 and $3700 for an out-of-state student. In addition, many state colleges, including universities, have policies that practically open the door to high school students during the summer. It gives students the opportunity to expose themselves to quality classes at minimum cost and for those that plan to join a university the credit can be accumulated. ----------------------------- Question 55: "Hello. My daughter is 8 1/2. She has been in ballet since she was 5. She has also taken jazz, but not as long. She enjoys class, most of the time.Sometimes, though, she seems discontent, and not very willing to try what the teacher has asked of her and I find myself calling her over to the side to correct her behavior. When I ask her, at home in private, if she wants to continue class she always says yes. Is it normal for children to go through this stage of not wanting to be in class sometimes, or should I dig deeper and find out if, perhaps, she is only doing it to please someone else? I was not a dancer, so it's not as though I am trying to get her to live out my dream for me. I feel that if she doesn't want to do it, we can always find something else for her to enjoy, and I have told her this on many occasions. I also have another question pertaining to the "level" at which she is being taught. She is in Ballet III. The other girls in her class are all the same age as her. They have recently lost the teacher they had since they began, and the teacher they had for the last three months, who was wonderful is now gone as well for personal reasons, now they have a new teacher who is very young, has not taught before and seems extremely nervous. She appears to be a good dancer from what I have seen. I feel that she is having them do things that are much too advanced for them. Like I said, I am not a dancer,so I don't know what truly is too advanced and what is not. She recently tried to teach them the following combination: glissade (2x), assemble (1x), sissone (1x), sous-sus (1x), attitude devant (1x). It continues on with other movements they have done before, but the assemble and the sissone is what I am most curious about. They have never done anything like this and really had trouble getting it to work. What do you think? I apologize for the long question! Thank you." Answer: Major dance schools, which prepare their students for the parent company, normally have a set schedule. Certain movements have to be mastered before the year is up. In these types of schools, failure to succeed leads to elimination of the student. Hence, as the classes become more advanced there are fewer students in class. Most of these classes are usually run by state (country), hence, money is not an object. So, they choose the best dancers and whoever is remaining, ultimately, is hired by other companies once they graduate. In the Q. & A. section of my web site I have described in detail that each U.S. school uses terminology to describe levels, which become irrelevant elsewhere (even in the same state). So, Ballet III at age 8 is a statement unclear to me. However, the fact that she has been going through a multitude of teachers in a short period of time indicates to me that it is a private school where she is studying. The main purposes for these locations (if they do not have a parent company) is to teach ballet or dance to their clients the best they can, providing the instructor’s ability to teach. Hence, the instructor’s experience comes into question, which you already have done by stating that she is a youngster. Whether sissone or assemble or any combination thereof is chosen by this instructor to be appropriate for your daughter cannot be determined with any degree of certainty without having a closer look in person. Short of that, I think it would suffice to say that sissone and assemble can be taught at the barre at the end of the first year of instruction. ----------------------------- Question 56: "I am 14 and I've been dancing ballet for about 2 years. What can I do to continue my training at house without a video?" Answer: Assuming that you have been taking class for two years, five days a week (six for good measure), then all you need is to take some Pilates classes twice a week or do some stretches at home to increase your flexibility. If you are taking class and do not want to become a professional, doing exercises that increase flexibility or maintaining it would be good enough. But if you are insisting to continue practicing at home, then I suggest that after each class take a paper and a pen, sit down and write down all the combinations that you did in class. Make a copy of the music tape that your teacher uses or ask the pianist if you could tape her class so that you can practice at home. ----------------------------- Question 57: "I am 13 years old and I have always pretend i was a ballet dancer but you see i have not the body for a dancer what do you think i should do for exercise and a good diet to get to have a dancer body type?" Answer: Let me reinstate your question for you: “I am not going to use a computer, but I want to put it on my table just for kicks. Where can I get one?” There are more important things to do in life that you can preoccupy yourself with.The dancer body type is just a tool; it is just a step, so the dancer can use it for performance. She/he happens to be the tool, the person you see walking down the street. Unfortunately, people have now come to the conclusion that the look and the impression are more important than the accomplishment of the individual. Therefore, what you have is a bunch of people who are attempting to look like a ballet dancer when they are not. It has created this atmosphere that you wallow in. Put it aside and go inside yourself and find out who you are and what you want to be. That is your gift that all of us are impatiently waiting for. ----------------------------- Question 58: "Okay so this is a really basic question but how do you know where to sew the ribbons on a ballet shoe? Many thanks" Answer: How to sew ribbons on a ballet shoe is taught in the first day of pointe class. Whether this question is for yourself or a family member, please do not attempt to use the pointe shoes in your spare time at home because you can actually harm yourself. But, in regards to sewing: The pointe shoes normally come with ribbons and thin, pink elastic. Before sewing, take a good look at the shoes. 1) The shoes have lining, that is, the outside is pink and the inside is white 2) Notice there is a string. When you pull on this string, notice that it floats. That is, you can tighten the shoes around your foot by putting a knot on it. Therefore, any sewing must be done with caution so that the string does not get blocked. This string is tightened or knotted and more often than not the extra string is cut. 3) Take one end of the elastic and sew it in the back of the heel directly (back of the heel and close to the string). Take caution not to sew into the string that was discussed above (2). Put the shoes on, pull the elastic around your ankle, bring it back where you had sewn for measurement until where it is comfortable to wear and it does not hinder movement. (Mark the elastic with a pen so you know where to sew it.) This creates a loop. When you put the shoes back on, you start putting it on by placing your foot through the loop first. 4) Now it’s time to sew the ribbons. There are two ribbons per shoe. Take the shoe in your hand. Pointe section away from you, take the back of the heel (the fabric area) and bend it towards the pointe and make it touch the inner part of the shoe. This forms a triangle. Take the pen and mark the corners that were created from the bend—these corners will be the location where you sew the ribbons, one on each side. Again, take caution not to sew into the string. Make sure you have at least one inch of ribbon sewn into the shoes for good measure. Word of advice: most often, this process is time consuming and each dancer likes to do this by themselves to ensure success. So, each dancer has their own way of sewing their shoes. Most often it is passed down from their instructor. They first start with outlining the ribbon while they are sewing, using the lining of the shoes (white fabric) at the location described above, which is marked by pen. Finally, they follow it with several times of going through the pink fabric for good measure to ensure that the ribbon does not come off. Make sure you use pink thread for pink shoes. ----------------------------- Question 59: "I have been a ballet teacher for about 6 years now but have always taught intermediate & advanced classes. This fall I will begin teaching my first beginner ballet class. I'm excited for the opportunity to work with little ones (5-9 yr olds) but am having some trouble finding materials for this age group. I would like to have a coloring page to give the kids after class each week but all of the coloring book pages I find are either cartoons or OBVIOUSLY not drawn by anyone with a knowledge of ballet technique. I think this is a good way to expose younger students to ballet terms and poses, but just can't seem to find the resources - Can you offer any suggestions?" Answer: I had never thought of coloring books to teach terminology. It is a good idea though. Perhaps you can create it yourself—all that is required is a book that has pictures of basic movements: plie, tendu, etc. You can use tracing paper to copy it, then superimpose it on another sheet by following the line. Then, go back on the paper that you had marked and with a pencil or pen copy the design. This way, you can make 10-20 sheets with different ballet positions with the name of the position below the drawing. You can copy the paper as many times as you want and pass it on to your students. As you teach you can produce more of these coloring sheets and within a few months you will have a stack of vocabularies with drawings to rely on. You can even put them on file, separately, so you can reuse the same system for future classes. There is, however, a great difference between 5 year olds and 9 year olds, as you know, but I have found that each culture responds differently to authority. That also has a lot to do with the manner parents approach the subject being taught. If parents consider ballet as something to do (for a short duration) but continue, at the same time, to degrade the subject by making fun of it and imposing concepts, such as ‘boys should not dance/take ballet classes,’ ‘how can you make a living out of dancing,’ or ‘nobody is going to take you seriously with that occupation,’ this will have an effect. Their children will respond differently to you. However, your appearance, the manner that you approach the class, what your intentions and goals are, and how much success you have had in the past will also have a major effect on them. If the atmosphere in class is very relaxed, you will probably suffer the consequences in the future. So, it pays to have a plan, such as what you are going to teach the first week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, etc. But, it is hard to do such planning when the number of students is small and not regular. In addition, such plans will also require providing additional classes in the future for those who advance forward. This is why many schools have a grading system, a type of badge of honor. But perhaps more independent than terminology is the mythology, the stories that can invoke their imagination. Any mythology will do (i.e. Russian, American). These are the mythologies/folklore that ballet masters around the globe use for their choreography. How you go about using mythologies/ folklore is up to you—to your own discretion. Those kids that continue to come to class will eventually learn the terminology anyway. ----------------------------- Question 60: "I'm 15 and dance at --- in California. I don't have the best technique in my class but I think I'm one of the most hard-working students. I've been dancing since I was 7 but seem to lack strength and flexibility in my back. Also, my teachers have told me that I should work on my abdominals, my turn-out, and my arches and ankles. Could strenghining any of the above help me with my back or vice-versa? Do you have any tips or exercises for any of the areas I want to improve?" Answer: You told me what you think you don’t have but you didn’t tell me what is your goal, your purpose, where you are going—the most important part. I receive e-mail such as yours regularly. I will tell you exactly what I tell everyone else: Give yourself a couple of hours to read the Q. & A. section of the web site, from top to bottom. Afterwards, sit down and think about what you want to do with your life. Once you decide what you want to do, then start taking small steps by planning for 1 month, 3 mos., 6 mos., 1 year, and 5 year. Check regularly to see if you are on track. Keep a diary as a record of what you are doing. As you get older, your goals and aspirations will change—it is only natural. If you can’t decide what you want to do, know that you are not alone and the fact that you are having difficulty in making a choice might suggest that you have a multitude of interests. If you should decide that you want dancing as your career, then the sooner you start working on your difficulties the better your chances will be in the future. I recommend taking Pilates classes; I don’t mean videotapes (from commercials you see on T.V.), but where a personalized coach can help you in overcoming your problems. And, with strong training in ballet classes you can make something out of yourself. It will be expensive, time-consuming, and will require patience, but for a person who has a desire to take this path he/she will eventually overcome it and find a way to pay for the courses. I have seen people who have taken 10-12 years of ballet classes without having progressed in any meaningful way; in addition, they don’t understand what dancing is all about—“they have not found a purpose” (quote: Martha Graham). ----------------------------- Question 61: "Hello I am 16 and I am going to be 17 soon. Since I was a little girl I have always wanted to have the experience of learning ballet. I know I am too old to start ballet professioanlly, but that isn't really my concern. I would just like to learn ballet for the joy of dancing.I would like to be given some advice on what I should do. I'm afraid if I ask a ballet school for advice they are just going to tell me I am too old to start, or I would be put in a class with really young kids because I am a beginner. I live in london and I was wondering if you could suggest any places I could join. Would I have to join an adult class? I also have quite a bad posture and I know this is going to effect my performance. Could you give me some advice on some stretches to help with flexibility for my back and legs.Thank you for your help I will really appreciate it." Answer: It has been awhile since I’ve been to London, but I am sure that if you look under the category of ‘dance center’ you will find a place that will take your money gladly. No one will ever tell you that you are too old cause you will become a client of his or her. If you are in bad shape, start taking some aerobics classes first. They will help you to get a move on, lose some weight, and move to music. They will also help you with some flexibility, but they will not teach you about alignment. I have written about alignment in the Q. & A. section of the web site, so have a look at it. Most dance centers offer adult ballet classes, which are usually held in the late afternoon or evenings. ----------------------------- Question 62: "My daughter is doing a research paper on ballet dancers and needs to find out the proper name for a Male Ballet Dancer. Is there a right or wrong answer? Thank-you for the help." Answer: From The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Ballet (2nd edition, 1987), by Horst Koegler: Danseur, Danseuse. (Fr., male and female dancer). Often used with an adjective—for instance as d. etoile (the d. who stands at the top of the hierarchy of the Paris Opera B.), d. caractere (a character d.), or d. noble (a d. of ‘princely’ roles). ----------------------------- Question 63: "Hi i am 15 years old and i have been dancing since i was 12 so not very long i am a very good dancer i take ballet and jazz but my flexibilyty needs improvement i can't do the splits at all and i hate doing the excercises that will help make me more flexible because they hurt so much!!! I was wondering if you have any excersise tips for me to do everyday at home so i can do the splits because i really want to!! Thanx right back soon!!" Answer: There are 2 approaches to increasing flexibility: 1) Direct method, which you noticed, is painful. But, if it is done properly and gradually, with alignment in mind, it can be quite effective. It will require patience and, very often, many years for an individual who is not very flexible. Know that the pain you experience is the same pain that people before you had experienced and that the human body is able to take large doses of pain when it is applied gradually. In other words, you will get used to it and as you get better at it you will want to do more of it. 2) Yoga method. Some people respond to this much faster. It is less painful. But, perhaps the combination of the two methods, direct and yoga, is the way to go. Start making stretch exercises a part of your life. When you are studying, sit down on the floor rather than on a chair, in different positions. You can do the same thing when you are watching T.V. Go over the Q. & A. section of the web site where I have described some exercises that you can do with your family members. Perhaps consider, as well, taking Pilates classes. ----------------------------- Question 64: "I am 15 years old [in England], and have been taking Ballet since I was four. My aim is to become a professional ballet dancer. I am not in a full time school at the moment, but am considering auditioning. I have been on pointe for around a year and a half but am not excellent. I recently passed my gd5 exam with RAD with nearly full marks. In order to be accepted into a full time school, how strong on pointe must you be? (what steps should you be able to do?) I would be very grateful for a reply." Answer: The question is what you mean by full-time school? Your question is very vague because if you were planning Arts Educational you would be dealing with different circumstances than if you were joining Royal Ballet. Even though the system may be the same, you might be dealing with a different class of competition. It is always good to know whom you are going up against and/or the standards at where you are going to audition. Such places provide a list of requirements. Contact individuals who you are wishing to audition for, so you will have a better idea of how to prepare yourself for them. ----------------------------- Question 65: 1st e-mail: "Hi! I have been dancing on and off since I was 9. I’m now 16 and the last few months I have been thinking about ballet as a career. For the last year I have been having tap and modern lessons, and started ballet lessons a few months ago. Am I too old to hope for a career in Ballet? I have the physical appearance of a dancer; I am flexible and can do the splits and have an almost perfect arch. Is there any dance schools in London, England that have courses for 18 year olds plus? I’m looking for a good Ballet teacher in my area, Carmarthenshire Wales. How can I tell if the teacher is good, or how can I go about finding a good teacher? How much training a week should I have? If I was to audition for a school, what are we expected to be able to do?" 2nd e-mail: "Is it true that a ballet dancers toes have to be a special shape to be able to do Pointe work? I’m not sure if my big toe is too big to do pointe work. How can I tell if its too big? Could this ruin my ballet career, as I’m hoping to do ballet professionally?" Answer: Please have a look at the Q. & A. section of the web site. Read it in its entirety. It will give you an idea of what you are getting yourself into. I have answered the question, ‘Am I too old,’ there. Also, I have answered there the question about pointe work and size of toes. There are adult classes available, which are taught by freelance teachers. You can find such classes in places such as Dance Center. Many of them have had long careers as professional dancers and rely on that experience to draw students to their beginners, medium & advanced level classes. Depending on their popularity, they might have 20-100 students per class. In these situations, those students who have made certain agreements with the teacher, and who tend to visit the teacher on a regular basis, get more attention than others do. A short visit to London should help you in finding a suitable situation for yourself. It will take a little time, but if you stay open and converse with people they will point you to the right direction. Once you find a teacher that you like, approach them and tell them what you have in mind. Ask them whether it is feasible. And, as always, get a second opinion. Visit the Royal Ballet School. Even though they have strict rules, it will give you some idea about quality. Then, perhaps make a visit to Arts Educational School. Open a dialogue with schoolmasters, and since they are local themselves, sharing with them what you have in mind will be beneficial. The more people you speak to the better your chances will be in finding the right place for yourself. You have to take at least 1-2 classes a day, 5-6 times a week. Try to visit London at least once or twice a month, with a designated location in mind, before moving to London. Get in touch with people prior to visiting them, via e-mail, and let them know that you are coming. There are many other things in dance that you can do, many other styles that you haven’t considered yet, which might keep your interest. For example, dance notation. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to write the new ballets and then reproduce them just by reading? Anyway, these are some of the steps that you can take. Good luck. ----------------------------- Question 66: "Hi Shahab. I just have a few questions. I'm 19 years old and i want to go to UCI or UCSB to major in dance. I'm auditioning in January of next year. I took ballet and jazz in junior high for two years but i stopped and started again only a year ago. I really regret ever stopping and now that I've realized that I love dancing with a passion, I feel like it's too late. I take 5 classes a week, ( I would take more but that's really all i can afford) and I just joined a gym to build strength. Is there anything else I can do? Also, what are my chances of getting in, considering that I haven't had a lot of expreience but teachers tell me that I have talent. One more thing... is there any way I can learn steps faster? What do I need to do to focus more? Thank you so much." Answer: If you are going to the university for dance and are not confident, then you should find out where lie your strengths. It seems that you have a limited amount of dance experience. At UCI, you will confront female dancers who have retired recently, were injured, or are there for the sole purpose of becoming a teacher. And, you even might find a small group of students at the university whom wish to become professional dancers, with some of them being quite good. I recommend that you start working on writing an essay or two. Research the subject well and write the essay in a format required by the university—no less than 20 pages per essay. The subject matter must be interesting to you. You should have at least referred to 4-5 books, 3-4 articles, and a couple of web sites (most definitely educational only: those web addresses that end in .edu). Make sure there are absolutely no errors in your essays, even if that means you have to pay someone to help you. When you are about to audition for these universities, provide the individuals with your essays. Your effort in this respect should be recognized; afterall, the purpose of going to a university is to study a subject matter analytically. And, at the same time, continue to train to prepare yourself for the audition. It pays to visit these locations as soon as possible, and if you can, watch the advanced students at work. This will give you an idea about your competition. If you have access to Pilates classes, and you can afford it, start taking them. Some junior colleges have such classes and will cost you about $13/unit. I think Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa has such classes. It will help you with your flexibility, give you strength and help with alignment. I wish you the best. ----------------------------- Question 67: "Hi! I'm 13 years old (14 next month) and I have always wanted to do ballet. When I was about 5 I did basic lessons for about a year and loved it, but I've forgotten everything now. I really would love to do ballet now, but my mother has always said that I'm too old, even when I was about 10 she said I was too old to start. I am now going to start classes at ---. Do you think If I work hard at ballet now I could be good at it and even do it professionally? Am i too old to start? I am quite flexible (for example: I can put my leg behind my head easily.)I will appreciate any advice! I really want to fulfill my life long dream, if it is at all realistic! thank you!" Answer: It is interesting how parents, even today, continue to project their own personal views onto their children, sometimes even without knowing it. At this point, the best thing to do is to collect information by reading as much as you can about the subject you are interested in. You could start with reading the Q. & A. section of the web site—read it in its entirety. It will give you some idea of what other people are experiencing. At the same time, the Q. & A. will provide you with some ideas of how to proceed in asking the right questions from yourself and from those you wish help from. Once you have gone through the process, try to locate the best school you can and start training. This should keep you busy for awhile. Once you have taken those steps and have established yourself, write me back and let me know how you are doing. ----------------------------- Question 68 : “Dear Shahab, I have been anorexic for five years. Do you think it smart if I start ballet now? I'm still struggling with the eating disorder.” Answer: Research has been ongoing for finding causes for anorexia and bulimia. I feel for you. Many of my best friends and partners in my dance career were anorexic. Back then, anorexia was recognized in the dance world as a way of life. And outside, it was yet to be recognized. I assume that you have read some segments in the Q. & A. section of the web site concerning the issue of anorexia and bulimia. From the mid-60s onward, due to Balanchine’s success, the accepted body type changed forever, which made it more difficult for those women whom wished to become dancers. A similar concept exists in so-called ‘regular’ people’s lives, with models appearing to have put themselves through severe diets prior to exposing themselves to the camera. I receive many e-mails from teenagers around the globe whom are wishing to become a dancer/ballerina just because they want to have a dancer’s body and not because of artistic reasoning—this is a self-centered way of thinking and has no merit. And, my answer normally is that the dancer’s body, female or male, is an instrument and nothing more. To maintain such an instrument requires dedication and inhibition, sometimes to an extreme, which is not required from ‘regular’ people. Then the question should be why require such an instrument for ‘regular’ people? But, for you, I believe that anything that can act as a positive distraction from an obsessive behavior is beneficial, as long as it is not used for the sole purpose of self-punishment. If you wish to dance, dig deep and find the purpose behind it. That purpose should be something that will get you through the difficult parts, and help you to curb your behavior for the sake of opportunity to perform and execute those movements that will allow you to express your feelings better than any words can. If you find this connection, you should find exhilaration and freedom unlike anything you have experienced before. ----------------------------- Question 69: “Hi Shahab! My 8 year daughter has flat feet. She loves ballet, but I read that flat feet are weak and unsuitable for a ballet dancer. Is it time to quit paying for lessons? Are there some exercises that will really make a difference? Thank you for your time.” Answer: Changing body structure of any form is always difficult. If you do not intend a professional career, then you do not require perfection, as I have written over and over in the Q. & A. of the web site, in regards to competition in this field. It is best that one starts close to that idea of perfection—the closer, the better the chances of success. Even then, there is no guarantee. Luck has a lot to do with it. Mental facility has a lot to do with it. Flat feet are just another barrier, which creates its own weaknesses. I could tell you that you can put a wet towel on a hard surface and ask her to put her heel at the end of it and start curling the towel via her toes, in order to create muscularity and strength if practiced everyday. Or, take her to a podiatrist and find out whether it is possible to make any corrections via supporters, etc. But, it will not bring about a natural arch. There are many people who have flat feet, or a variation of it, and still manage to become dancers. But, I cannot speak for your daughter’s desires and wants once she becomes conscious of herself and begins to blame her weaknesses for her lack of progress, if that should occur. We are all taking risks—some bigger than others. The final question would be what are her conditions in respect to the rest of her body? At age 8, it is best to take her to be seen by at least two separate unbiased idividuals, preferably from two different locations, to be examined for future possibility in dance. If she was not meant to be a dancer, they should be able to decipher that. ----------------------------- Question 70: “Do you know where I can find good ballet theory links? This is, not dictionaries but lessons or just theory which may be useful to complement my ballet classes.” Answer: I do not know of any links, assuming you are referring to whether there are any web sites you can go to. More often than not, when dancers talk about theories, they really mean technique. Assuming that is a correct statement in your case, I made a list of a few books. One is Bournonville style, three are Russian style, and finally, American/Balanchine style (if such a thing exists). Suki Schorer had been a dancer in NYCB and a teacher for many years at SAB. The book has many pictures. It might help with the understanding of some technique. I made the list in this form because you did not mention what style you had in mind. Some books are briefer than others are. 1) ‘Bournonville Ballet Technique’ by Vivi Flindt and Knud Arne Jürgensen (1992) 2) ‘Classes in Classical Ballet’ by Asaf Messerer 3) ‘Suki Schorer on Balanchine Technique’ (1999) 4) ‘Russian Ballet Technique, as taught by Alexis Kosloff’ 5) ‘Ballet Technique for the Male Dancer’ by Nikolai Tarasov (1985) If you really meant ‘theories of movement,’ then you should read any work written by the following people: 1) Francois Delsarte’s book/s in regards to his science of movement even though they are no longer quite valid. 2) Dalcroze in regards to the nature of rhythm. 3) Laban and his contribution towards writing movement. 4) Martha Graham and her technique. 5) Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman and their theory of movement. ----------------------------- Question 71: “Hi! my name is jennifer and i am in dance one at my high school. I have to do a report on why do ballerina's have a turn out and i am not able to get any research information because no one carries it. I was wandering if you could tell me asap. Thanks soo much!” Answer: Let me start answering your question by comparing it with a seemingly unrelated subject, in hopes of making things clear. In martial arts, they teach stands, whereby the toes line up with the knees in parallel position. The reason for that is that the feet are used as weapons and the ball of the feet, lined up with the knees, is in a better position to deliver an effective strike. Continuing with this pattern, the martial artist, standing in parallel position (6th position in ballet), would have to step forward or backward, or sideways to deliver his/her kick. It is natural for a human to run forward and backward while in parallel position. However, in martial arts they are also taught to run sideways in parallel position, which is much slower than if he/she turns, faces the direction, and starts running. But, doing so will leave footprints on the ground, which would indicate the direction he/she has taken. If his/her intention was to hide, he/she has failed and most certainly would be discovered. Of course, other benefits are that when running or walking sideways during a fight the feet are already in a correct position and one doesn’t have to make adjustments. Similarly, there is a reason for dancers to use turnout as a way of transport. In the past, even before Louis XIV, some folklore and court dancers used turnout as a way of guiding themselves across the floor. These folklore and court dances were performed not on stage but in the backstreets and courts, where farm laborers and statesmen sat or stood all around in a circle. One had to perform knowing that the audience was all around and that the king (or head person) presided at the focal point. In other words, the dancers had to present their front to the king more often than their backside. During this period, 1st and 3rd position were used and combinations did not involve extensive movements due to the long, heavy clothing the women wore which prevented the audience from seeing their feet (but, you could see the men’s). Briefly mentioning, Louis XIV was the first person responsible for opening a dance school in his court and for naming the steps (of course not personally). As we go forward in time, we find courtiers trying to outdo one another, hiring professionals from other countries to teach them how to perform certain combinations. And, as the combinations became more advanced, they required more turnout because one could actually stub one’s own toe if there is not enough turnout to make allowance for faster movements. The increased turnout provides for a quicker adjustment in bringing the hip in its proper position in order to create balance and stability in transitions of two feet to one, or one foot to another, which is crucial for jumping. Also, it facilitates developpes (unfolding of the working leg into an open position in the air) and extensions. But, the reason why the turnout increased as time passed on is because eventually the stage was born, creating a separation between the performer and the audience. The increased turnout created ease of movement, which gave the impression of gliding side to side. But, it took years to develop enough techniques to actually begin to use it in a way that we are familiar with today. And finally, the reasoning behind turnout comes down to aesthetics. Turnout, by nature, creates elongated and elegant lines, which goes hand in hand with the concept of Romantic and Classical Ballet. Industrial Revolution also had a major impact. Movements became more angular and sharper, and things had to happen quicker because the taste was changing to match the fast pace of life. A certain ‘cleanliness’ in respect to execution of movement, which never existed before, was now required. I think a turning point was Nureyev’s defection. A sort of East meets West. He incorporated the glories of Russian dance with European exactness. If you look at the black and white movies and pictures prior to Nureyev’s arrival and compare them with say 1965 or 1966 and onwards, you will see what I mean. ----------------------------- Question 72: “I am doing an Assignment for Secondary School on Ballet and I would like to know the names of the 5 steps of Ballet and instructions on how to perform them.” Answer:Your answer is on the following web page: http://www.100megsfree4.com/ballet/balletterms.html  (There are other terms defined as well on the web page) ----------------------------- Question 73: “Hi! Shahab, I just turned 15 a month ago, and I'm a girl. Like the first question in your Q. & A. section on your website, I have never done ballet before but I really want to learn now and would probably start at the Minnesota Dance Theatre since I know the artistic director, but I haven't had the chance to ask her any questions lately. I've been doing Middle-Eastern dancing for a year but nothing else before. I don't think I want to get into the ballet profession but I'd like to have some skill. I would really love to learn pointe sometime far ahead in the future but I don't know if I'd ever be able to learn that since I'd be starting so old. But any suggestions or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!” Answer: It is interesting that you are doing Middle Eastern dance, but by its nature it does not prepare you for any type of formal, classical (or even folkloric) dance. Islamic literature has identified 3 forms of dance: folk, sacred, and secular. Of the above, only the sacred dance form received any type of attention by the Islamic writers of the day. The best example of it would be the Sufis (the Dervishes). The secular dance, which you practice, was banned by theologians because of the suggestive movements that it portrayed. This dance form received some attention in the Middle Ages. And,at the same time, folklore dance experienced some difficulty, however it was tolerated if and only if it was practiced in communal ceremonies. Of the three, the Sufi dance (sacred), which comes from the Arabic word ‘wool,’ sits better with me, personally. I always had the idea that the dance should lift one to a higher consciousness, classical ballet or otherwise, and the idea that the dancer acts as a medium for the audience, not as an object to drool over. In the 8th century, the first order of Islamic mysticism that used dance appeared. And by the 15th century, it was well established. In these orders, there were no females, but some convents were reserved for women. Sama, which means ‘listening,’ is the name given to the physical and musical portion of the ritual and, for obvious reasons, was sacred. In other words, you cannot have an audience for it. Not all orders combined dancing and music. Many who practiced this form of dance declared that since man is of this world, dance can transport him to the heavens or to the celestial sphere. This explanation was used, and still is today, to counter the opposition from Sunni Muslims. (There are Sunni, Shii and Kharijites. These are 3 forms of Islam). The most sophisticated form of Sufi dance was founded by Din Rumi (died 1273), who was considered to be the greatest mystic poet of Persian literature. You might know it as Whirling Dervishes. The myth that surrounds Rumi starts with the sorrow over his teacher’s death named Shams al-Din Sabzawari, from Tabriz, hence his last name (Shams-i Tabrizi). Tabriz is located in northwestern part of Iran. Rumi, who was overwhelmed by his teacher’s death, danced for many days and became the metaphor for spinning heavens. If you wish to start training for classical ballet, but you don’t intend to become professional, then you should be fine. You are doing it for the enjoyment you foresee in the subject. Once you start, you might find interest in other forms of dance that are derived from classical ballet and yet do not use pointe work. I performed in Minnesota many years ago. During that time, I was privileged to have Senator James Ulland of Minnesota and his wife in the audience. ---------------------------- Question 74: "Hi! I am 13 years old and I take dance at school. It's not a dance school but the class class teaches you the basics of ballet, tap, and jazz. When I was little, I used to take Gymnamstics, Ballet, and Ice Skating. I am so angry that I quit all of them, because I could have been good. I was wondering if you think I could still get back into Ballet and be good at it. I don't want to be professional, but I just want to become active. Also do you think that I could be able to do a split if I get back in? What are some of the types of dancing you can take?" Answer: Show me and yourself that you are interested by reading the entire Q. & A. section of the web site. You have just experienced a lesson in life. There are so many people who hang on to the memory of a past glory and wish that they had done something different. Learn from this mistake and try not to repeat it again. Decide one way or another whether you want to retrain and then apply some of the methods that I discussed in the Q. & A. about finding the proper instructor and environment to achieve your goal. ----------------------------- Question 75: "Hey Shahab,...I am 11 years old, 5' and about 95 pounds. This is my 3rd year of dance combo.I am also taking my first year of lyrical. Anyways,my 1st problem is-I want to go on a diet that is good for me without making myself sick or hurting myself. My 2-I have a desire and a really really BIG passion to dance. I am very serious about it. I like ballet because it comes naturally,but jazz and tap I have to work real hard it get it right.I like trying and looking at the 13-14 year old dances and doing them. I enjoy them very much and I am able to do them.But my own classes I'm at now are kinda hard for me. My teacher says that I should stick to my level-but for some reason,I feel that what im doing now is not at my level.i am a bit flexible but I need some stretches that will help me be able to do splits and become a better,healthier dancer.Anything you give we would be a great use and blessing for me. Thanks!!" Answer: If you were a bit older, I would tell you to take control of your passion and desire. It is a big lesson to learn because that which you love the most must be hidden or others will take advantage of it to harm you, knowingly or otherwise. It is like a big secret—you share it only with close relatives. Maintaining a façade is like performing on stage and putting a smile on even though you may have great pain or extreme joy doing one of the pieces you love the most. You have to keep your emotion in check. This way, you will make the right decisions based on known facts and not be pulled apart by emotions and the adrenaline driven by physical activity. Hence, it is best to make important decisions when you are not physically active, especially at your age. In regards to your eating habits, there are multitudes of Q. & A. questions that are on this subject, which I recommend that you read as soon as possible. And, because of some of the confusions you might face in this matter, I suggest that you read it with your parents. Eating habits should never be altered without the assisted direction of a specialist, especially at your age. I just do not see any need for a person at your age to have a reason to alter her eating behavior. It is best to experience one or two types of dance, rather than a “combo,” and try to gain mastery in at least one, which would create a sense of accomplishment, if nothing else. ----------------------------- Question 76: "This is a very trivial question, but one that I cannot find an answer to: Why are ballet tights pink? I know it is not just because it's tradition." Answer: Color is irrelevant. In some Russian schools, young girls wear black leotards, short white socks and pink ballet slippers (no tights). Russian boys also do not wear tights. As one of my friends says: “It is perhaps pink because Americans want to be discreet.” Some people suggest that the reason behind wearing pink tights is that it is easier to see the muscles at work. Then, how do you explain black tights for boys? It is also as easy to say “pink is for girls and blue for boys.” There is, additionally, the concept of it being ‘traditional,’ something handed down through the years. For example, SAB (School of American Ballet) has such a tradition. History of tights tells us that in 16-17th century men wore it for daily use. Up to 19th century, it had a tendency to appear and disappear for public wear in Europe, specifically in Germany. By 1890, tights were used for boys’ clothing, mainly for warmth. But, it disappeared in 1900. In late 19th century, tights were used for athletics and obviously for ballet. The seams were sealed in the back of the leg and it was only recently that the technique was developed to make seamless tights. ----------------------------- Question 77: "Dear Shahab, I think your website is very informative and helpful!thank-you. I would just like you to give me a straight answer is starting ballet at 13 (girl) too late to want a professional career in it? I did many different forms of dance before hand. how many hours should I be training a week? Also, does it matter about weight and bone structure? Do you know the maxium weight a ballerina can be? Also can ballet dancers be 'big-boned'? Or do they HAVE to be tiny framed? Did the canadian ballerina evelyn hart really start ballet at 14? I also heard margot fonteyn started late? Thank-you very much for your help." Answer: As always, you must invest some time reading the Q. & A. section of the web site—you will find there much of the information you inquire. Time has changed since Margot Fonteyn. Competition starts much earlier now and you will find that many will join professional companies at least by age 15, most often as apprentices while they continue to train. However, if you have opened your heart to these circumstances, go and look around and see what is available. Educate yourself and judge what are your chances. Some become energized when things are difficult and others just quit and move on. I know one thing, during your research you will find who you are. ----------------------------- Question 78: "Hello just wondering if you could tell me: How did Ballet influence Physical Theatre originally? How do people in the Ballet industry feel about his Art Form nowdays? Thankyou" Answer: In this respect, traditional standards (ballet) are used as a force to be countered. Physical theatre is, hence, looking for new directions to illuminate the public. Recently, I have written an article, which describes how I feel in regards to new renditions of traditional work, which could be related to your question (http://www.100megsfree4.com/ballet/newsletter6.html). It is not the style that points to the cause of man’s confusion, but the fairy tale (the storyline), which hopefully will break through and clear the way. It is here that we learn about humanity and of ourselves. The politics of the dance world is the politics of the dance world. Whether people like to see old dancers or young dancers performing on stage is a matter of time. One could, as seemingly the physical theatre attempts, make an issue out of it. But, I think there are more interesting subjects that are worth telling. These new directions find their path when the traditional standards and method of execution lose symbolic meaning. Personally, I do not find the new direction reasonable. It is reeducation that is necessary. It is necessary to bring the public to a level where they will understand the symbols. You might find similarities in this concept when people as a person or as a nation attempt to understand and experience God and return back to the beginning, to the origin. In a sense, they are experiencing a renewal and saying good-bye to hundreds of years of trial and error. Joseph Campbell said that this is not necessary in respect to religion. I say, this is not necessary for dance. It is like trying to find a new language. By the time you find enough audience for it, it is too late. No man lives long enough. As always, the market drives the industry and there are those who break away, trying to make their own path. Those that are smart enough always base it on the past. They reinvent the past. They do not try to start from scratch, which seemingly physical theatre is trying to do. They have high ideals, but none of them are new. They have been in existence in one form or another. ----------------------------- Question 79: "I teach contemporary dance in China and I am trying to find an illustration of the various first positions, do you know of a good source in internet??" Answer: Your question is incomplete—it is not clear whether you are inquiring about arm positions or leg positions. Contemporary dance, such as Martha Graham technique, follows classical ballet positions closely. However, one of the differences that one experiences in contemporary dance is being able to go through movements without attempting to hold specific positions (creating a picture). ----------------------------- Question 80: "My daughter is 12. She has been dancing on pointe for 2 years in an accelerated program after having studied ballet since age 5 and gradually increased the number of class hours to 2 1/2 per week the year before beginning pointe. She currently takes ballet 6 hours, pointe 2 hours, and pilates, modern and character dance 1 hour per week each. She began her accelerated course with an RAD syllabus. Last winter, she began to retrain with a Vaganova based syllabus, due to the sudden departure of the teacher. Before the first teacher left, she mentioned that my daughter was not turning out from the hip and that her feet were rolling inward. This has remained a problem. Her current teacher says that she has never developed sufficient strength to hold her turn out, and is gradually working on stretching and strengthening exercises in class. Recently, she was seen by an orthopoedic surgeon who said she has an excellent build for ballet, excellent natural turnout, but is extremely flexible and had a low arch that is subject to turn in (pronate). She was seen by a physical therapist, who has proscribed physical therapy to strengthen the arches, bottoms of her feet, turn out muscles and ankles, for the next two years. She is just beginning her adolescent growth spurt. So, she is now in the process of trying to correct this problem as well as learn a new style of dancing. I am wondering: is it is advisable for her to go off of pointe for awhile while she is growing, trying to correct her turn out and strengthen her muscles? Is she at a disadvantage as a dancer having low arches?" Answer: I refer you to Q. & A. #69. My recommendation to you is this: if she has invested this much time to train, it is best to stop taking her to different specialists because it will make her feel as though something is wrong with her, even though she might not say anything. Ballet, itself, has a tendency to correct things if she is trained properly. She needs a teacher that acts as an overseer. Ultimately, all training and styles have the same goal, which is performing. I recommend that you look into the Q. & A. in regards to different styles and why one is preferred over another. She must continue her pointe work once she has started—that cannot stop unless she is injured. Finally, taking her just to any Pilates studio is not helpful. Many Pilates instructors have recently been trained just to deal with the public. If you live in New York, there are Pilates specialists who help only dancers. You must find one of these individuals who themselves have been a dancer before and have a deep understanding of the subject and not just a diploma on the wall. To mentally understand turnout is like a religious experience for those who are having a difficult time with it. For those who continue on and become professional, ultimately, they, through a rigorous, quiet, internal search, will find a way that differentiates them from others. It becomes a personal knowledge gained through experience, which no diploma can legitimize. However, there are some exercises, minute as they might be due to an inherent lack of flexibility of this mechanism (computer), in the Q. & A. section, where I have given more detail on how to proceed. I find that a little teaching can go a long way for those who want to find their own answer. ----------------------------- Question 81: "Hi, i was wondering if you could help me with my right leg, see i was doing a show and i pulled my hamstring in my upper leg(behind) can you tell me any streches i could do that would help it out?" Answer: If the pain is minute, just use heating pad with a damp towel and massage regularly. If it hurts when you walk, ice and heat it, one after another, 5-10 minutes duration. Again, massage regularly and see a physical therapist. Depending on severity of your pain, if you have access to a swimming pool or a Jacuzzi, you can begin doing minute stretches or tendus standing in the water. Do not force. Take aspirin, as recommended, to diminish the swelling. Obviously, if you have severe pain, you must visit a physician immediately. As the pain subsides, you can start doing floor exercises, mostly with you lying down on the floor on your back, trying to do battement degage to the front and to the side, increasing weight as necessary. Do the same exercise lying down on your stomach. A reference to these exercises has been made in the Q. & A. section of the web site. Attempting to go back to quick exercises after such an injury will increase healing time. You must be patient. Consider visiting a Pilates class for at least a month, twice a week, for strengthening and flexibility. ----------------------------- Question 82: "Hello I am 14 going on 15 and I have just started ballet I have deacent posture and a pretty good turn out. Do you think that I could still make it big. I just started this September and my teacher already thinks that I could go up to a level Three. She is a great teacher in fact she was voted teacher of the year. I just really love ballet and I hope that i could make it big. Anouther thing is that I was wondering if I could make a Barre. Thank-You very much." Answer: Joining a decent professional dance company is a privilege. It is a dream come true for many. The concept of making it big is also relative. Making it big for Nureyev does not have the same meaning as it does for me, as I am sure it does not have the same meaning for you. You could use it as an idea in the back of your mind—a driving force, if you will. But, it cannot be the only reason why you dance. If you only knew the number of people who actually begin training in this field each year, with the same idea in mind, and who withdraw when they see their dream becoming a runaway train, with no destination in mind. It is best to put a harness on such dreams and quietly practice. Focus on what is on hand. If it should happen to you, it is like winning a lottery. For many, it is fleeting (short duration). It is best to have a long career, as long as it is possible. For instructions on how to build a barre for home use, please go to: http://www.100megsfree4.com/ballet/balletnewsletter.html (You can also access it by going to www.balletinstructor.com and clicking on the link 'Barre for Home Use'.) ----------------------------- Question 83: "I am a 33 year old ballet instructor who has danced since the age of five. I performed for a while and now currently teach ballet at a performing arts school. I would like to know if you think that there is a big difference in ballet posture, verses posture for modern dance. I have a student from the modern dance world who insists that the head should be retracted back at all times in dance, while to me it looks as though this cuts off the profile and jaw-line of the dancer. I suggested to her to think of a swans neck, lifted instead of retracted back. What do you think? Thank you in advance." Answer: I don’t agree with the “retracted back” nor with the “lifted” idea even though the “lifted” is the common teaching method in order to create a commonality in regards to posture. For example, in Graham technique, the floor exercises are used to teach the dancers how to stand up. In this method, the instructor walks around with a staff in hand and asks the student, who is sitting on the floor as upright as he/she can be, to mimic the staff when it is put against his/her back. Just like sitting against a wall. It has a tendency to appear as though the chin and head is retracted backwards to create a seemingly straight line. However, in the French style (classical), where dancers are picked from youth to fit certain standards, it is important to maintain a relaxed posture in order to allow the body to perform its natural movement. Alignment takes priority. It is through this feature that dancers find commonality with one another through performance and execution. Once you ask them to lift themselves, then the next question would be, how much is enough? And it would be different for each student and, of course, different for different movements and hence, a loss of commonality among them and an exertion of energy which can be used elsewhere. More often than not, these methods are used when one has students who lack certain natural physicality and the instructors are looking for an immediate fix. In the Q. & A. section of the web site, I had made reference to floor exercises that teach and enhance freedom of movement through relaxation, which ultimately creates the appearance of being lifted but not forced. ----------------------------- Question 84: "I am 13 and have done ballet at the age of 4 and have been on pointe for one year but I consider myself advanced for my little experience with pointe work. But recently I have been across a few message boards asking whether or not they considered a ballet instructional video equal to real classes. I didn't think they where and so did a few other girls but one girl claimed that upon taking a ballet instructional video class for one year she started taking real classes. And she claimed her instructor let her proceed to pointe shoes upon 2 months in the instructors class. Do you think that the teacher was wrong in doing so? I think she was. I am now very confused and would like some help on this touchy subject even though I have never been through this video-process of ballet. Thank you for your time." Answer: I do not know who is the teacher, location or anything about the teacher’s background, since you made no reference to it. People take classes for different reasons, especially nowadays. And, they claim one thing but do another. That also goes for teachers. It is also her claim that she did not take any ballet classes elsewhere. But, these are all distractions. People in the dance world have a love affair with creating an atmosphere of wonder around them. Many who have been dancing for many years like to raise their own importance and show how clever and talented they are by claiming to have trained for less years than they actually did. All is irrelevant. Ultimately, what is important is the execution—the ability to dance. It is a physical world, which within a few seconds an individual can be recognized as having or not having something that differentiates them from others. ----------------------------- Question 85: "Hi! I'm 14 years old and have been on and off ballet since i was 4. I've always had a passion for ballet, and the only reason that I've been on and off is because my mom always took me out. I started again when i was 11, my teacher always told me I had alot of potential and that i was really good but when I was 13 my mom took me out. I went back to the studio and my instructor told me how she was going to have me advance a level and start me on pointe after the recital. Its been about a year since I've been in ballet, but I have the opportunity to start again at a different studio. I like the studio I was at, it was very strict and the instructor was very good. I dont mind starting at another studio. I have an okay turn-out and my arch isnt all that bad, but its been awhile. Do you think its too late for me to start on pointe soon or be any good at ballet? Thanks for listening!" Answer: I refer you to the Q. & A. section of the web site. Take time to read the whole thing. For most people, career choice is never easy. But, if this is not your purpose and you are looking forward to having a hobby, by all means, any experience will suffice. As we get older and begin to make decisions for ourselves, we must make them with knowledge and foresight. And, foresight comes through accumulation of others’ experiences, internalizing it as if your own. ----------------------------- Question 86: "My daughter is 11 yrs old. will be 12 this 7/03. She has been dancing since she was 3 at a neighborhood school until she was 8. At 8 years old she danced seriously at a russian school in brooklyn. I have started her in a Manhattan school(2 Saturday classes)and would like your opinion about private classical ballet teachers. thanks." Answer: Private lessons can be quite enlightening. It can help polish work in progress. Many children receive training directly from their parents if those parents were once dancers or musicians themselves, and this can be considered private lessons also. Whether it is in the ballet studio or in the backyard, the lessons are accumulative and the student will learn more than anything the attitude he/she must have in order to execute movements. This is the reason why many children who have artistic parents seem to leap with ease over subjects that perplex many others. Very often, these types of students take things for granted and tend to ask themselves questions such as “Why am I doing this?” much earlier than others do. Those that receive such training, obviously, have the upper hand over those that do not receive it. But, does this mean that other children will not be as successful? Of course not. History has shown that with good training great success can be achieved. Every time a performance is set for the school and one engages in it, minute it may be, one receives private attention until such time that the programs become complex and require the instructor to become more vigilant in instructing at the class level. These are the benefits of joining an institution. It also has its negative points, which I have written about in the Q. & A. section of the web site. Institutions, as a whole, have a tendency to train those that have the greatest chance to join their main company. The rest are just bodies to fill the space and/or be transferred to satellite companies or dissipate into the populace eventually. The question the both of you have to answer is: “What is the purpose and direction you are heading?” Afterall, it is costly, not only monetary wise but also mentally. The more time you invest, the more attached you become. When a pianist begins to train, he is always working solo. He trains by himself, not with a group, and beside a teacher—a private lesson. Each and every time, he is training to become a soloist. He is accumulating the information directly from the instructor, one piece at a time, and trying to internalize it. This is no different for a dancer, except that there are very few solo dance pieces and most are incorporated into larger pieces. Additionally, the physical activity requires much more energy than a pianist might invest in one sitting. Hence, learning to work with others and learning from their mistakes is part of the whole experience. ----------------------------- Question 87: "I have been dancing ballet, tap, and jazz, since i was 3 years old. I quit ballet when i was 8. I missed it so much, and now im doing it again. Im 13 years old and I am extremely interested in pointe. I will soon be taking private lessons. When I do, i would only be dancing twice a week, because I have my tap, jazz, and ballet lessons the other day. I know thats not nearly enough, but my parents cant afford, or have time, to send me everyday. Im not yet flexable enough, and I should be stretching at home. I try but I always forget or have something going on. So my question is, what are some ways i could practice at home, and become a better dancer? Also, what should my diet consist of? I need to eat a lot healthier. I am very interested in dance and I would love to go to a school when im older such as Juilliard. I am willing to do anything and everything to dance. Please help me! Also, do you know of any dance academys or camps I can attend over the summer? thanx" Answer: If the lack of money concerns you, stop taking private lessons. It is not as crucial as you think. Private lessons can come to mean something when you are trying to master a specific task or weakness. Also, you spread yourself too thin when you practice too many varieties. Choose a style and work with it, plus one more that will complement it. This way, you will minimize your expenditure and do more focused work by attending class everyday. Please make reference to the Q. & A. section of the web site for choosing a proper class. And, take the time to read the entire Q. & A.—it will give you some idea of what you are getting yourself into and it discusses diet, exercises, etc. If you are jumping in with both feet, it is best to do it with knowledge and understanding. The time you invest is precious. Set schedules, as described in the Q. & A., and check your progress from time to time. See if you are attaining your goal. SAB (School of American Ballet) has a summer school that you can attend. In fact, all major dance companies have ballet schools and most of them provide very good service, as summer classes go. But, it is just a testing ground for people such as you and for the company, each with their own private reason. Your reason: to find stable training with minimum cost and their reason: to find future company members and get money out of you. In regards to your question about practicing at home, dancing is something you have to learn in conjunction with learning how to deal with other people. You have to learn how to live with other people, how to work with them. It is not wise to train at home, except when you are exercising for strengthening or flexibility, until you are older. And, even then it is best to train with a teacher at hand. ----------------------------- Question 88: "Where can a beginner go to learn ballet? My wife is 29 years old and would like to learn. Any suggestions?" Answer: In the Q. & A. section of the web site, I have answered this question and what applies for youngsters also will work for adults. Most often, it is trial and error until you find an instructor that will provide for your needs. His/her agenda and yours have to match. I often ask students to write down their goal on a piece of paper and then look at it once in awhile in order to refresh their memory and to see if they have made any progress towards it, making readjustments if necessary. In the heat of exercising and feeling good, one could lose the sense, the reason, behind it all. I assume that you are going to read the Q. & A. section; hence, I advise as follows. You can attend a college that will provide a set of exercises and knowledge based on its criteria. While you train there, you are among others who have the same interest and whom can give advice on available instructors in the area—word of mouth, if you will. Then, you can attend those recommended classes (or watch them) and see if the training they offer is what you are looking for. Questions to ask yourself: Does the style match your characteristic and is it to your liking? Does the class have continuity, a progression forward for mastery? ----------------------------- Question 89: "This question is pretty simple. I really have trouble with developpes and grand battements. I can't get my legs to go any higher than a 90 degree angle or so. I practice them and everything, but what I was wondering is if there is something else that helps? It's not really the flexibility, it's more that I don't have the super strong muscles. thank you!" Answer: I have in mind to write an article about developpes. But, for now see if you can find your answer in the Q. & A. section of the web site. Read the material with the idea that it is your question. Take notes and try to apply regularly. Finding out what works for you, more than anything else, is trial and error. Even when someone instructs you, you try to do what they ask but it will never be perfect the first time around. Trying it one time will not get you there. You input the information in your head, and then you step outside of the classroom and write in your notebook what was the correction you received that day. I hope you have a notebook—it is good to write down some of the exercises you have been instructed in the class to do. It gives you a chance to rethink some of the ideas without being physically engaged. Visually understanding what needs to be done, seeing with your mind’s eye what you have to do (meditation form), is as important as physically doing it, at least trying to do it the right way everyday. This is how you go forward. Directing the energy starts with this idea. Imagining the flow of energy is like painting a wall with a large brush, except this brush never runs out of paint, or in this case, energy. And, it always delivers the right amount, no matter the circumstances. Hence, a cool head is a must. Having fear of past failures, in regards to a certain exercise, will decrease (or increase) the output of energy. That is why you must always think that this is the first time you are doing it (‘be at the moment’). I found it helpful to try never being late or early in the music, hence, investing no extra time on my fears. Just go with the flow—the flow of energy. By now, it must be obvious to you that correct alignment, whatever the style may be, is a must. Whenever you have a problem, go back to the beginning and readdress the alignment. Become even more sensitive to it. If you have never taken a Pilates class, it is high time to try one. It should help to increase your strength, but most often strength is not the answer. What I explained above is. ----------------------------- Question 90: "I am 13 years old, and this is my fifth year dancing. I am on competition dance team and for my solo this year, I need to work on my developes. I am also doing a difficult turn combonation consisting of ala seconde, fouttes, and pirouette turns. Turning is one of my strongest points as a dancer, but i sometimes move out of my spot. I also need work on my flexibility. Do you have any good stretches to increase flexibility and developes, and tips for not moving on turns (not so much pirouettes, but everything else)." Answer: If you were a gymnast and we were going to count points and your career was going to end at age 17 or 18, I would have said that you are going about it the right way, working in competitions. However, I consider dancing an art form. And, even though people, like Baryshnikov, did it in order to put themselves on the map and legitimize their talent on the worldwide scale (initiated by their government or not), it brings the art world down to the same level as acrobatics. You could for the rest of your life focus your attention on aseemingly never-ending human endeavor to dazzle others with physical superiority and mingle with average, everyday people who consider ice skating an art form by borrowing from the ballet world in order to have the best of both worlds: the artistic and the economical gains so that their name appears on T-shirts and shoes. But, even Baryshnikov saw the error of his ways eventually and returned to the basics. Nowadays, he spends his time reeducating people in his lectures and performances at universities. It would have been nice if he had recognized it when he was on top of the world. However, I guess it is better late than never. I wonder if Picasso ever thought about putting one of his paintings or sculptures up for competition. I have a feeling competitions are degrading this art form. But, it is a method of economical gain and recognition. If you are moving out of your spot, it means that you have not internalized the concept that pirouettes and tendus, in spirit, are the same thing. When you stop trying to dazzle people with the turns, and think of them just as tendus, giving them the same amount of importance, then you free yourself to execute movements as a whole, as one piece, in order to become an artist. In regards to turns, concentrate on the rhythm whether you do a single or eight. Maintain the arms in a relaxed position and follow with opposite arm, gently as to not disturb the body. The more turns you do, the slower you want to bring the opposite arm in (over four turns). This is true even for the arm in fifth position. In this case, if you are doing the right turn, the left arm has to come to the fifth position slightly more in front than a normal true fifth position, until just before the completion of the turns, which the arms will take their proper position. Flexibility is best when it is natural, but can be gained through understanding alignment. Very often, lack of flexibility is caused from mental dilemmas and misunderstanding, some learned through bad training, while others are just misconceptions of behavior. Martha Graham always said, “Listen to your body, even in your daily activity. You can learn much from just a simple sneeze.” In this way, you become your own teacher. Afterall, you are the only one in your body. All we teachers can do is correct. I have written much in regards to developpes and exercises that might get you results. I refer you to them (Q. & A. section of the web site). These are seemingly easy suggestions. But remember, even the tiniest rock will create a ripple in silent water. ----------------------------- Question 91: "Hi, can you please tell me how many cts in a grand plie?" Answer: There is no such understanding in regards to having a set standard (a set number of counts). Plies and grand plies are just tools in order to form a combination of set movements. If it was asked that the grand plie be done in one count, which would be used to start a pirouette en passe, it is quite feasible. The count depends on the music and the desired movement to be followed. In a beginners course, the teacher might use 4/4 music and ask the student to use two beats to do the grand plie and two beats to straighten out. ----------------------------- Question 92: "I have recently been diagnosed with M.E ( otherwise known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). I am 21 years old and was well on my way to successful ballet career when I was struck down with this most awful illness. I trained at a small but elite school in Scotland and competed in the 2001 Adeline Genee awards after acheiving Highly Commended in my R.A.D Advanced examination. I moved to London when I graduated in order to audition for companies in Europe but unfortunately my timing was bad. I had a number of months until audition season began and opted to take a short jazz contract which involved travelling to India. In hindsight I realise I should have spent this time taking company classes but onward to India I went. It was there I picked up a virus and my downward spiral began. I returned to London and began intensively training. I was progressively building strength until I suddenly began to loose everything. I tried to battle through it but it was obvious there was something more to this. I felt fatigue like I never have and was constantly ill. I am very tall with long limbs and I have always had a battle with strength. I am definitely not afraid of hard work but believe it may be this attitude that has landed me in the mess I am now in. I left London 6 weeks ago and was diagnosed shortly after. If there's one thing I know it is that I HAVE to dance. I knew from my very first class at thirteen that I was born to do it!! My problem now is that I have no idea how to start building strength again especially as I can't launch into intensive training. I am returning to my school in Scotland which has a semi-proffesional company attached. I know of many successful athletes who have regained form with CFS but have never heard of any dancers doing the same. I feel very isolated and would most appreciate any advice you may have for me and my situation." Answer: Recently I had to write a letter to a youngster who was battling with anorexia. They too experience much of what you are going through. Not that CFS is correlated with anorexia and bulemia, but on the outside it could appear the same. Very often our lives are not in our hands. We think and make choices. We think, plan and execute. But, I have come to believe that such illusions are temporal—momentary if you will. Very often this appears to give the feeling that something greater is at work. I am not suggesting that you should or should not have faith, nor am I guiding you on a certain path in these regards but, from my own experience, life exists in our ability to respond to our circumstances. What may have appeared to be your life-long goal, namely dancing, might not be the path that you should now be taking. I am suggesting that you should open your mind to different possibilities. But, in your current state of mind you might not even hear what I am saying. “Dancing is my life,” you might say. However, as I always point out in my e-mails is that there is more in dancing than what it appears. One could sit down and philosophize what is dance and never arrive at an answer that would be meaningful to all; hence, this, within itself, is the answer. What would be the point of exerting force on a body that is unable to take the stress? It is like trying to pull a bow that has fractured. The fracture is not visible but the bowman knows of it because he was the last one to use it. He knows that the bow will not function as normal and will ultimately break; hence, it is time to change the bow. It is just that, a different instrument, but it performs the same in many ways. It might not feel the same at the beginning, but that will change and the new bow will eventually replace the old. If the bowman had a certain attachment to the original bow, he will always remember it, talk about it and might not discard it completely but hang it on the wall as a reminder of an experience and pleasure that he received from the instrument. They were as one, he might say. I am sure that your experience in regards to your dancing is very much the same. Very often we ask why there is inequality in the world: Why me? Why a certain group? Nobody knows the answer to that. Philosophers, poets and prophets have all tried to answer and at the end it is the individual who has to choose an answer from among them. What I am saying is that you must find a new path while you are still young, something that would be less stressful on your body. Now it is time to look and find a new direction and make it your new home. This does not mean that you have to go far from the tree; there is a multitude of careers that you can look into, but you must do it gradually. You must set goals that are meaningful. Dancers tend to set goals that are grandiose because very often they are not well informed and they don’t know what is at hand. You must find a new group of people who are well versed with your circumstances and who can foresee a future for you. You live in a country that is very dear to me—England. I have found it to be overall accepting of new circumstances, much more than any other country that I have seen. They have training for all kinds of careers in art and very often they are more than happy to pay for your reeducation, if you choose to take that path. Let me know what you think. ----------------------------- Question 93: "I am a female living and dancing in Manhattan. I have been dancing ballet and jazz since I was three. I came to New York to pursue a career in musical theater. I worked on Disney Cruise Line after I graduated from The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Recently, I have rediscovered my love for ballet and have fallen in love with a man that may not want to live in New York forever. I think I would like to investigate a teaching career in ballet. I'm 23 years old and am concerned I would have to get a bachelor's degree to get a job at a dance studio. My question is, can you please tell me the exact process in the US to have all of the qualifications to walk into a studio just about anywhere they're hiring, and get a job? Thank you so much." Answer: One thing that should have been obvious to you by now is that in the U.S. your qualification is what you say it is. This is the function of the business. Most dance teachers in the U.S. make their living this way or anywhere in the world for that matter. It is a business that unfortunately uses or misuses the lack of knowledge of the public and their love for dancing for its own benefit. There are few dance teachers who have the skill naturally (whatever that means), mostly from trial and error, and fewer who are educated for this very purpose and have the background to prove it. Where School of American Ballet, for example, takes credit for producing well- adapted dancers for their company, when you truly look you will find that the initial phase of the training was completed elsewhere and with someone else. Until such time a recognizable academy can be produced and supported in the U.S., the manner teachers come to exist in the art of ballet will be from importing them—we are talking about the best. The rest have to educate themselves, burn the night candle, if you will. There are universities such as Indiana University-Bloomington that give bachelor’s and master’s degrees and their purpose is to train administrators. But, to what extent they succeed to produce teachers only history can tell. One could always try. Typically, to get a bachelor’s degree it will take you 4 years and for a master’s, 2 more years. Not only you should have the desire to be a teacher in this circumstance, but you also have to have love for subjects such as history. You have to have a love for producing literary works, being able to go from rehearsing to sitting down and reading a multitude of different books, rearranging their matter and analyzing them for your own benefit. Now, if this sounds like something you would like to do, then I suggest that you waste no more time. Contact the universities in New York, Indiana University-Bloomington and many more. Each school is strong in its own endeavor; therefore, you must go in with both eyes open and know exactly what you want. Money is probably going to be short and, hence, you have to educate yourself in regards to how to get a scholarship, how to get a loan, etc. I believe that I have answered a similar question in the Q. & A. section of the web site and I suggest that you also have a look at it. ----------------------------- Question 94: "Hi!I have been dancing for about a year and a half now and I'm almost 16. I really love it and I would like to dance professionsally when I get older. I just have a few things I cant overcome without some help. First of all, I have a very shallow plie: I mean very! I stretch as much as possible, but I'm not sure why I'm having that problem, because plies seem to come easily to most. without a good plie, I cant execute ballet steps properly. I also have a big arch in my back which may cause problems with some other steps. What are some exercises to correct this swayback and to get a deeper plie?" Answer: What you are describing is very common. It is common because people (mostly parents) in their zeal, attempting to introduce to their children a multitude of subjects in order for them to become well grounded, fail to see that in such endeavor not all their attempts may hit the target. At the same time, such as in your case, it is an attempt to introduce to you something that would be visually and physically satisfying. Therefore, you want to submerge yourself. In this, you have missed the inequality that should have been visible to you: that art is not forgiving and that this is the most important and sometimes the most difficult lesson to learn. But, how you respond to such circumstances is what one would say is the demonstration of one’s character. Either one is well taken, valid and would produce a different result—whether you continue or you stop. I suppose an important characteristic of an individual, which is most often missed, is the ability to adapt and accept one’s chance in life, that is, deal with what one is handed and make the best of it. Much improvement can be accomplished, however, by increasing your understanding of posture alignment, which allows for free flow of energy within the entire body. You can find a multitude of such discussion in the Q. & A. section of the web site. You can also attend Pilates courses, which will help you to increase your flexibility and strength at the same time. ----------------------------- Question 95: "Hi. I am 23 and graduated a year ago with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. I really enjoy working with children so I decided to major in elementary education but have always wanted to be a dance teacher, mainly ballet, for very young children. I never felt I had the experience or talent to do so which was why I decided to become an elementary teacher instead. I have taken ballet, tap, and jazz classes from the age of 11-18 and danced on Pointe from the ages of 15-18. Dancing was all I had lived for and dreamed about and wish I had started as a young child because I feel, as well as my dance teacher felt, that I would have gone far. I would love to teach ballet to young children while taking my own classes. Do you think it could be possible for me to teach a few beginning classes or is it just too late, having also not taken classes for some years now. Dance has always been my one passion but unfortunately, I have not pursued it because of my lack of confidence. I would appreciate it much if you would respond, either telling me that it could be possible and what I should do, or if its just going to have to remain a dream of mine. Thank you." Answer: I wish I could tell you that this is an admirable goal. I wish I could tell you as many spokesmen who stand in front of thousands of people and say “Take charge! No matter what kind of background you have, you can be whatever you want to be! Not having training doesn’t matter.” Under such positive thoughts, one is only considering oneself. As you have trained to become an elementary teacher, it took you years to become who you are—you were trained for it. Many dance schools open by those with minute background or training in the dance field. Many of them, I must say, are very successful. They are successful because they produce what was the original goal—producing an income for the teacher. They are nothing but salespeople that tell the students whatever they want to hear and if they don’t it would be the end of their business. If you still want to continue with your idea, I have given direction on how to proceed in the Q. & A. section of the web site in order for you to adequately educate yourself and manage to get some training as well before you get started. ----------------------------- Question 96: "I know that you get a lot of questions about people being able to be ready for pointe work or not. I have been dancing off and on since i was three, and now I'm very serious about developing my technique in ballet. I have very strong legs and already developed strength in my calf muscles, feet, and ankles. I have been doing my ballet classes for many months and am told I have a knack for it. I feel like im ready to attempt pointe safely. Is it possible for me to start this soon after officially becoming serious? I hear advice to others that you should wait 2 or 3 years before starting pointe work on the barre, but i am 16 and am already strong and catch on fairly quickly. If Im not ready now, even though you don't know my specifics, how long would one have to wait to just start on the barre with pointe shoes? I really appreciate it, thank you." Answer: The questions that first come to my mind: Why? What is the point? Why such a rush? You are right in that I have answered this question many times and if you take the time to read each and every one of them you will come to appreciate why I recommend that you wait. There is so much more to dancing once you take your mind off the generality, off of what the community of dancers that you are involved with tell you what is important, or should be important, to you. If dancing is important and you move from the right place within your being, you will always find the right answer. This is true in regards to your dancing and is also true in regards to your regular life. I guess this (“moving from the right place”) is a piece of what you can intuitively exert in your performance and extract it as an experience you can use in your regular life as well; a feeling of assurance no matter what you attempt to do. ----------------------------- Question 97: "My daughter has the same situation described here (extremely high arch, hyperextension, muscular weakness, lack of power, ability to jump). We did not realize that they were all related. What exercises can she to to improve her jumping and strengthen her back and stomach muscles? She is 12 1/2 and dances five days a week (Vaganova teacher). Is there a style of pointe shoe you recommend? (especially deep box? 3/4 or full shank? )? Although she looks beautiful on pointe, she feels afraid of "going over." Thank you for your advice." Answer: To become a professional dancer, one has to start thinking of the body as an instrument, as “a whole”. One has to strengthen the whole body at the same time. Any exercise that strengthens a part of the body will have an adverse effect on other parts, especially with individuals who have the conditions you described in your e-mail. Much of the strengthening programs you inquire about can be achieved with good training and direction by a knowledgeable instructor who will stop in order to make proper corrections which will cause the body to memorize the proper position for each action (notice I said that the body memorizes). In such cases, Pilates can be helpful, but very often itself becomes problematic because the dancers fall in love with their own ability to perform certain exercises and forget the reason why they attend such courses in the first place. They tend to do the exercises that they feel comfortable doing and not the exercises that leads to alleviating their problem and freedom from the Pilate system. Afterall, we want to become dancers and not machines that exercise. ----------------------------- Question 98: "Can you inform me of exercises which will allow my developpe and leg extensions to get higher?" Answer: As always, take time to read the entire Q. & A. section of the website, even those that you think are not related to you. You cannot remember all of it, but a hint of it will be in the back of your mind. There are certain exercises there that you can follow to help you increase the strength of your legs. Take notes when it is related and put it somewhere that is visible to you. If you have access to a Pilates course, start taking it immediately, at least twice a week and practice at home everyday the exercises from Pilates class. Do not rush. Find meaning in the movements. Even the simple exercises will help you to grow in your expression of the movements. Resistant exercises that do not cause the muscles on the leg to grow severely will increase the holding power in extension. And also, when you developpe from passe to devant and a la seconde, the most important thing to remember is that it is a movement of transition, not a specific picture. Hence, when you go from 5th position devant to passe where the toe touches the knee, you lift the knee up (knowing your ability how high you can hold your leg; therefore, you have to lift your knee in relationship to that ideal position). Then, you maintain the knee and move the heel forward with the big toe aiming at the center line of the body (there is a line that divides your body into two halves and when you stand on one leg, this line starts from the top of your head and splits you in half and goes all the way to the middle of your standing foot. That means, if you divide your foot in half, exactly in the middle will the line end.) Now, the heel leads on and the knee continues to stay at the starting point after the lift until you have completed the developpe devant. This concept and relationships discussed above will help you gradually to increase your developpe. I mean gradually—it will not be overnight. The above is true for devant (front) and a la seconde (side) and en arriere (behind). At the same time, you have to remember that the relationship of the hips to the spine must never change. The body stays calm and quiet, like a still water. You know you are working too hard to achieve higher extension when the body is disturbed and, hence, you have to lower your extension. This means that not disturbing the body takes priority over the extension. ----------------------------- Question 99: "Hi, I recently took over an existing studio in a fairly small town. The original instructor was quite an accomplished dancer. The students that are on pointe (some of whom I think should not be) and their parents seem to think that since they are on pointe that every single class should be done in pointe shoes. These girls for the most part do not perform basic steps such as turns to any degree that would be considered advanced. Should they not be taking at least one class a week on flat to perfect their steps instead of always fighting the shoes? Also, I would like them to perform some "not so classical" numbers which I feel would look much better on flat. Can you suggest some articles that I could let the parents and students read to clear this up? Since I just took over I don't mind rocking the boat a little but I don't want to tip it all the way over just yet. If it came from an article maybe they would sit up and take note. Thank you." Answer: As a new teacher, you have to generate a certain confidence about your own ability and knowledge, which must rely and be based on experiences that you accumulated throughout your career. In fact, you are selling your knowledge—that is what you are doing. Using your experience, you should explain that certain classes must be focused on technique and that cannot be accomplished when one is preoccupied with matters that are irrelevant. If the parents know best, then maybe they should train their children. It is as such when one has to balance making a living—that is, keeping the clients (parents) happy—and at the same time being true to one’s profession and personal goal. When one is unable to feel the ground day after day, then the ground becomes the enemy instead of a friend. To dance on pointe, unfortunately, has become the highlight—it is a status to be achieved. And in the nonprofessional schools, to ask the student to remove her pointe shoes when it has become a habit is like demoting the student to a lower rank. They have misconstrued the purpose of taking a class. To take a class means to train and to improve each and every day and one could not do that when the skills are not available to use the pointe shoes on a daily basis, especially in the beginner or intermediate level. ----------------------------- Question 100: "One of my 16yr old pointe students has a difficult time doing a passe releve on pointe. She is wearing Gamba 93 pointe shoes - I think it is the pointe shoe but she hasn't gotten new ones. She couldn't releve all the over her point on the left foot; so I had her put her pointe shoes on the opposite feet. Now she can't releve on the right foot. She has a beautiful arch and has no problem getting over her pointe when she rolls up or plies eleves up, it's just on the releve. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated." Answer: Curious. Several possibilities have to be eliminated. For one, proper posture has to be achieved so that both legs accomplish their task. This means that the attention of the student has to be diverted from the shoes or exterior material to the internal. This does not mean that the shoes are not responsible for the condition. Very often, students, in their mind, assume that they have certain problems. Those problems do not really exist but the students will exhibit the circumstance physically nevertheless. By now, she must have gotten her hands on a new pair of pointe shoes and the result must have been discovered in one way or another. Very often, those that start pointe late have to develop proper strength on both legs in order to elongate the toes, maintain freedom of tendons between the heel and the calf so that the energy can flow easily and that cannot be accomplished without proper understanding of posture in motion. This means that the student must master going on pointe from 2 feet to 2 feet, from 2 feet to 1 foot and from 1 foot to 1 foot. This transition, as you are well aware, is more exaggerated in performing pointe work. The correction must be made occasionally depending on the combination, but not to the point that would become an obsession for the student. Most often these corrections can be made without the pointe shoes. But, the ability of the dancer to maintain turnout if the turnout is not natural will diminish when they go on pointe, which causes diminished strength and flow of energy. Very often, in this circumstance, the students will redefine the meaning of the turnout for themselves. Sometimes they even conjure the idea as though the two feet are two different beings that are separate from the body. It is the responsibility of the teacher to protect them from these imaginary ideas and give the students a coherent overall understanding of posture and turnout, which will work in all aspects of the execution of movements no matter what they do. With this in mind, they will find a certain freedom. In this way, they do not have to rethink every step or combination. ----------------------------- Question 101: "Hello! I am 13 yrs old and I have been thinking about dance for a long time but I never got enrolled in a studio, well this yr is my first year of ballet and I am very interested in it and I am very interested in pointe! My studio has a rule though that you have to have 2 yrs of ballet before going into pointe and I was just wondering if you thought I was too old to start pointe and also do you have any tips that I could do to help my legs get stronger and my ankles to be ready so that I am ready to be in pointe for the coming years? Thanx!" Answer: The most important thing that you have to master is that your body is your instrument and you have to fine-tune it by training properly. At the same time, you must understand the interconnecting relationship between the whole and the part; that is, for example, your foot to your entire body and so on and so on. You must understand the correct posture and achieve it without thought every time. You must understand where the turnout comes from and what it means to transmit the energy within through the extremities. You will find these concepts and ideas visibly executed every single day by those of your classmates that are serious about what they do. It frees them from what was before and what is becoming. It frees them from “ideas that society has about ballet”. They do not obsess about pointe work or the height of their legs or whether they can turn two times or four times. They obsess about quality. They have come to understand that ballet is a form of communication. They have made the leap that very few people make. For them, every gesture and movement has a special meaning, whether they are performing or practicing in class. Very often they do not even stop there—they bring it into their daily life. It becomes part of who they are. It changes them. Not because they have to be changed to become a better dancer, but they are changed because they look at the world through different eyes. They are no longer shallow and their competitor is not outside of themselves but within. This should give you enough to think about until such time that you are ready to proceed to the next level. Answers to your other questions can be found in the Q. & A. section of the website—read it in its entirety. ----------------------------- Question 102: "I am 16 years old and live in london. i started ballet and jazz a year ago. over the year i have gone up 2 grades i study grade 4 ISTD at my dance school at grade 6 ISTD at my school whch is the BRIT school for performing arts. (i study music there)my teacher for grade 6 has put me into the exam class, out of 50 people that take grade 6 only 5 people are taking the exam class. I do not feel that i am ready. I have good technique but i find it very dificult to reach the standard neccesary for example my devlope a la seconde is at 90 degrees but i find it very hard and when i look at the other peaople in the class they seem to be doing it with ease. i did used to do classes every day but i can no longer afford it because i live in a hostel and i am on income support. Do you think that i should wait another year to take my exam or take it in the summer as it is scheduled. i have been accepted into the brit school for colledge and feel that i can improove greteley ! over the next two years. The BRIT school is the only free performing arts school in the United Kingdom" Answer: Although I am a much supporter of central programming, I did not rely on such a system. Like yourself, my livelihood from early on depended on my knowledge and ability to learn quickly and stay ahead of the game. I did study in London at Arts Educational under Ms. Ann Heaton, but the world back then was quite different. The system that you live under now is much more organized. In such systems there is always a give and take. Somebody has to get paid, which gives it a feeling that there is a hierarchy. I guess there is nothing wrong with that. It depends on the culture. There is a certain fluidity that normally is associated with the arts that I am afraid has a tendency to be lost through the shuffling of pages. But one good thing about it is that it equalizes the system for everyone to experience the same thing, the same way at the same time of growth. But, the world is not based on equality and very often it is a shock to the system of those who go outside. Such a system eliminates individuals when they are not showing progress that is required by the system (when it is professional). And, when it is not professional, it gives the teacher, the students and the organizers a feeling that everyone has gotten their monies worth. The ultimate test is whether such a program is able to produce dancers or performers that are able to survive no matter where they go. I don’t know what your goal is. For all artists, if that is your goal, money is always short. There is always a struggle with having a roof over your head and paying for food and clothing and getting a decent training. Hence, the inequality that I was speaking about earlier. It is here that you have to find your inner strength and find new ways of training, new ways of looking and seeing, new ways to pay for what you need. Sometimes the students who were training in a private studio receive their lessons in exchange for keeping up with activities at the studio such as answering the phone and sweeping and cleaning the interior. Whether it is a good idea to do the exam or not, the question is what do you have to lose? If there is a fee involved, then there must be some type of consideration. If you cannot afford it and your parents cannot afford it, then you must find another means, a loophole, to make the society responsible for your education. This means that you have to educate yourself on how the system works and get them to pay your fair share. You can always ask or tell them that you cannot afford it and let them worry about and come up with some way to pay for it. You will find the strength to do all this because this is the path you should take. If you cannot, then you must reconsider because your heart is not in it. If I understand it correctly, you have been dancing for a short period of time; you are trying to learn a new language and get your body to speak it. It cannot be mastered in a year. You are not in competition with other people, not at this stage. Your competition is yourself. Read some of the Q. & A. section of the web site in regards to posture, relaxation, flow of energy, which will give you something to think about. Just being able to maintain a relaxed yet strong center will quickly allow for growth and freedom of limbs and I believe that is what you are looking for. Reply e-mail: "Thank you! i have been entered for the exam at christmas and i feel slightly more capbable. your reply has made me feel much better. thank you for taking the time to inform and help me." ----------------------------- Question 103: "Please recommend any exercises to help a dancer with short demi plie. The students can barely bend in demi plie and never have their heels on the floor preceding a jump. Is it possible to make any progress in the depth of a plie?" Answer: There are several methods of approach. One group pursues the idea that the heel should be on the ground when one does a complete demi plie. That means that whether the plie is followed by a jump, a landing or any other activity, the heel must be “nailed” to the ground. However, you must also consider the other side. In Danish school, plie is used as just what it is, a transition and not “a specific picturesque movement.” This allows the dancer who has achieved certain amount of skill to use this method as a transitional step, which creates buoyancy and simultaneously creates much more depth “visually”. Of course, either one within their own school produces a great result. As always, it helps to have good flexibility and physical ability to begin with, as I am sure you are aware. But, one should not despair if flexibility is not available because not all students mean to become professional dancers and not all who intend to become a professional dancer will become one. So, what does that mean? It means that one has to be flexible in his/her mind. Sometimes one has to do what works. We are in the business of creating an atmosphere. Every correction must begin with proper posture, which allows the body to relax. One has to divert the attention of the student and not make the weakness the main emphasis of the class because it has a tendency to become an obsession. This diversion can be achieved by using music. That means, instructing the student to be extremely musical. This will divert the attention from the problem that you are trying to correct. But, what can one do physically to improve the actual plie? If the shin is too long in comparison to the rest of the leg, it gives the impression that the plie is short. Sometimes the problem is the joints and sometimes the problem occurs because of tension in the muscles and not necessarily local. So, to correct the problem a few things have to be worked on simultaneously in conjunction with the above. The calf muscles must be stretched daily and at the same time increase the mobility of the ankle joint. The hip joints must become more open without causing disturbance in the lower back. Any exercises that increase the flexibility of the above will suffice, such as leaning against the wall, bending one leg and stretching the other one behind in parallel position as seemingly runners do before they get started in their daily exercise. Or, the frog position on the ground to increase flexibility of the hip. But, none of these exercises surpasses in importance following the original plan, which is “moving” with what the student has, especially if he/she is not going to be a professional dancer. This will increase their will to find their own way and that is what you want. You want them to search within themselves to correct the problem. Not everything has to be served on a plate because it will lose its luster if done so. That which one learns through hard work, through one’s own experience, will remain the longest in the body and in the mind. ----------------------------- Question 104: "Hi! I am a 15 year old girl who could really use some help from an experienced dancer. I started dance when I was two with ballet, then came tap at seven, and jazz and hip hop at eight. I started pointe at thirteen. I have also been in swing and ballroom classes for about three years. Tap is my favorite. I know I have the potential to be professional, and my teacher has pointed it out to me many times and so has others who have seen me dance like one time. As a sophomore, I have been starting to think of what I am going to do after high school. I am a high honor roll student with a totally clean record. I could become successful in many academic areas in my adult career, but my true passion is dance. In your opinion, which would be better in my case, going to college and continue training or joining a professional training school? I have gone back and forth on my decision. Also, I am really thinking of joining a summer program in Chicago or St. Louis; how would be a good way to present this to my parents? Another question-- I do not have the ideal body type for a dancer; after reading your Q&A section, I have learned that companies accept wide varieties of sizes, but I think that I should ask in my situation. I am 15, but only 4'9" and 75 lbs. I am still very flexible(except with my leaps---can you give me some stretches to get my legs parallel?), but I am always underestimated when people see me, so they don't consider me for anything, even after they see me. Is there any place that accepts a very, very wide range of sizes? Also, I am a cheerleader at my school, and this is my second year. After only one year, I was moved to varsity. I am a very good flyer and the squad relies on me. But if I did not continue cheering, I would be able to pursue many other dance opportunities. What is your opinion? Also I have become less flexible than before I started cheering. Is there any way to prevent this? Sorry to take up this much of your time, but I could really use your help....thank you!" Answer: If there were ever a letter that I received from someone that wanted me to make a decision for him or her so they don’t have to do it themselves, this would be it. How does one make a decision? I have written about this time and time again. You start with what is important. This means what is important to you right now. Since you cannot change the past or who you are, how tall or short you are, or how much you weigh, for this exercise it is best to just accept what you have and then take a piece of paper and pen and project. This minimizes many of the questions that you had posed. Ultimately, you have to answer one or two questions at the end and the rest will follow. It is here that I recommend reading the entire Q. & A. section of the website, which will take you a few days to read every single one and even the essays available. It gives you a well rounded idea what you are dealing with and how you should proceed. The most difficult part for anyone, adult or child, is to take that pen and paper in hand and find a quiet place to reflect. Very few people can do it and even fewer can do it regularly because it is painful, because it forces one to see things as they really are, in real time. You have to answer where the money will come from, how you will get there, what school you will attend, who will be your competition, whether you trained well and whether they trained you well. In other words, are you prepared to take the responsibility because once you divert from the norm there is no other fall guy but you. You cannot blame your parents. You keep this record and occasionally make corrections because the human goal is always changing and eventually you will find your path, hopefully sooner than later, especially if you have to train to become a professional dancer or join the society as an artist in some form or fashion. ----------------------------- Question 105: "I was reading your web-page...and I enjoyed your knowlege very much! I have been training to be a prof. balllet dancer for 11 years. (since I was 2-meaning I am now 14) I have been accepted into ABT new york.....everything has been going my way! Untill I got these pains in my metetarsal and was told I had 2 stress fratures in my 2nd and 3rd metetarsal. I am planning on talking pilates 1 day a week (all I can get) and swim maybe 2-3 times a week. Is that enough? I have been trying to do floor barre.....but I never no what to do. Please help!" Answer: It is very difficult for dancers to take time away in order to heal properly. I guess that will never change, at least not in America. Things are different in Europe, I must say. When the competition is tight and the time is short, the one who stands at the end is the winner. How is this different from the Wild, Wild West? I surmise that you take Pilates once a week because you cannot afford any more than that. I surmise that you plan to take floor barre on your own, even though there are a multitude of such places in New York that are geared specifically for such activity. That is, they do the floor barre much longer than normal in order to accommodate injured dancers, at least that was the reason behind it. And then it followed that within itself it taught people how to relax, increase flexibility, learn about posture and the fee at the time was the same as paying for a ballet class, which was less than half of an hour worth of Pilates class. I am sure there are still such classes available and I recommend that you try to find a few of them. They will teach you certain relationships (part to the whole) that would be helpful. And, once you have understood the reason behind certain movements, then you can attempt to do them by yourself at your home if you choose to. I hope that by the time this e-mail reaches you, you have healed completely and returned to work. The metatarsal is a difficult place to heal since it is continuously used, but it will heal. In your case, swimming 2-3 times a week is fine, but you need to take more Pilates classes per week if you can afford it. This is the period that you have to increase your understanding of how things work and increase your flexibility and strength to compensate for the lost time. In the Q. & A. section of the website, I have started giving instruction in regards to floor exercises and proper posture with a few exercises for a beginner. These exercises should be done with minimum disturbance to the upper body and the hips. And, as I have stated there, using your imagination you can take it further; but the above rule stands, which is not disturbing the upper body no matter what you do. Pay attention to exercises that involve weights for the foot and the wet towel exercise, which helps to strengthen the muscles around the foot. ----------------------------- Question 106: "Hello! :) I just started ballet again last year it is what I want to to. I simply love it! I was taking 2 ballet classes a week. This year I changed studios and I take ballet classes 3 times a week,1 horton technique class and 1 choreography. My dream is to join a ballet company someday. I don't want to do modern or jazz or anything else. I auditioned for Long Island Univerity's dance program and I got in. I will be majoring in dance there. I practice at home anytime when I have free time. This is what I want to do. I correct myself at home. I repeat exercises if I do them wrong the first time. I'm 18 , is there hope for me? I'm trying to take extra classes so that I can catch up and become a fantastic ballerina. I have sooooo much fun when I'm dancing.What do you think that I should do besides what I do already to prepare myself to join a company someday?" Answer: Universities are not geared to train people to become dancers. There is no guarantee after completing 4 years of school that one will get employed as a dancer. More often, the purpose of the 4-year school is to combine the artistic with literary and administrative work, sometimes choreography. These individuals are hired then in the same type of systems that they are trained in. We live in a world where 14 and 15 year olds are hired as company members, sometimes as soloists or principals, plus where the life career of a dancer, especially classical ballet dancer, ends at around age 27. I am sure there are positions to be had somewhere, but one has to audition often and not to have high hopes for getting into large companies. Since the U.S. policy has changed in regards to hiring professionals from outside, the open market has actually diminished the number of positions available; that means that these companies can hire better dancers at a cheaper rate. It is part of life. This will not happen in other countries such as in Europe, specifically in England. You must educate yourself. Your e-mail demonstrates that you are unaware of circumstances around you in the art world. You must consider that people out there have been training since they were 5-6 years old, taking 1-2 classes every day, sometimes 7 days a week. They know nothing of the world except what they do. Does this mean that you cannot make it? I don’t know. I know people that took a similar path, which is attempting to become a dancer later in life. They did not bind themselves to a specific university, although they counted on the paper that they received in order to make a living. They also did not bind themselves to a specific style; that means that they tried to make themselves well rounded so that they can function. Ultimately, this just means that your risk is greater, you are taking greater chances. For you, information is the key. ----------------------------- Question 107: "The reason I am writing to you is a problem I am having with a Personal Interest project I have been given by my mathematics teacher. I chose to do Mathematics in Ballet, which is a topic that interests me greatly, (as I spend a lot of my time doing Ballet), but a topic that doesn't have much information at the ready for me. I was researching and came across your email address, and with the hope that you might me able to help me, I took it into account. Would you happen to know anything on this topic? One question, of many examples, that I need answering is: How do you document a dance once it has been choreographed? If you have any other information that would have anything to so with Mathematics in Ballet, I would appreciate it. I know you're busy, and I'd just like to thank you now for your time and consideration." Answer: What is the connection with mathematics and dance? Before Louis XIV’s time, the people who were responsible for creating “entries” and “exits” for the King or for his masquerades and dance performances were mathematicians specialized in geometry. What is an entry and what is an exit? Back then, when the king would visit a city he would do it sometimes with 15,000 people—his entourage. It was a method of enforcing the law and producing new contracts and letting the people know who is in charge. The king spent most of his life on a horse in order to enforce his law and the people in the city needed him for protection. Hence, before the king made his appearance, a structure would be built as a reminder; the structure was sometimes permanent but very often temporary, where the surrounding area served as a theater. An exit was the same thing as an entry but in reverse; the king is leaving. I cannot recall the name of the individual who wrote about swordsmanship, but he had a great impact also on movement. He was a Frenchman during the Louis XIV period. The offensive and defensive movements were geometrical. The structure of the theater was also mathematically designed in a way that the whole entire performance was directed only to one individual, namely the king. Everyone else viewed the performance through the king’s eye. People did not go to see the performance but to see the king. Hence, everything on the stage was directed geometrically to the king, not excluding the audience. In this regard, music is obviously mathematical as well. The dancer could, and very often did, act as a separate instrument creating his own rhythm. Sometimes he followed the music and sometimes he did not, just as a musical instrument can do. How does dance of the past differ from the present? Not much. It continues to follow the above in many ways. In fact, because of the Industrial Revolution the movements have become exact and more geometrical; the rhythms have become more precise and crisp. Shortly, I will send out to the newsletter subscribers a short paper on writing movement. If you would like to receive it, please subscribe [subscription is free] via the link on the homepage. Further, more often videotape is the most common way to record choreography, which can be used to relearn old material. Reply e-mail: "I'd sincerely like to thank you for your help. I am sure to find it very useful." ----------------------------- Question 108: "Hi! I am a ballet teacher from Colorado. I'm interested in this concept of prepointe. I actually have a group of girls training in there prepointe shoes. The shanks are only 3/4 and they are supposed to help the girls prepare for regular pointe shoes. I've haven't been able to find any kind of teaching aides or ideas for a curriculum. I've been having the girls do the basic stretching and strengthening exercises but I'm wondering if there is actually a curriculum for these prepointe shoes." Answer: I do not believe in such systems. It only prolongs the inevitable. More often, the system is used to start the child too early, to keep the student on. I think it is just a gimmick to provide a new buyer for the new product. When the students have been trained properly and they are ready to get started, then they should start. This will separate those that actually want to continue from those that do not. Pointe work has become a badge of honor and I am trying to get away from that as far as I can. ----------------------------- Question 109: "I am currently 16, and have been dancing for about 3 years now. And i am interested in becoming a dancer because everyone claims that i have the potential and body for a ballet dancer. My mother regrets that she didn't introduce me to dance when i was younger, but now i'm completely up for it!! And I absolutely love it. But i have a situation at hand that has been mind bothering and i was hoping you could help me out. I have an anxiety disorder that began when i was 3. I dont eat anything healthy because of what happened in the past, so now i've limited my eating habits(although i do drink tons of milk, its my favorite). I am a pretty good dancer. I've devotion, turn out, heart, potential, and body and I'm the technique is coming along with the experience. I'm 5'9'' and weigh about 135 lbs. And I know this is about 10-15 heavy for a dancer, but i can't fix it with my eating habits. So i was wondering if you can tell me how i can lose those pounds and alo if 5'9'' is a bit too tall to be a ballet dancer. Thanks a bunch!!!" Answer: Dance life is difficult. It is difficult in many ways and it becomes difficult every year. Those people that have physical difficulty, putting themselves in a challenging and sometimes disappointing path is a stressful job with minimum return. Having as you have stated above as an “anxiety disorder” is not helpful. You must try to find something that is less strenuous and less stressful. This is no different than individuals who have physical difficulties. ----------------------------- Question 110: "Hi, I am 32 and have not been in ballet for 10 years. I was in ballet school from age 8-19 then took a few maintenance classes in college. It was a hobby and I worked hard and was very fit. I'm still thin however I have noticed that right above my knees,the muscular legs I once had are beginning to sag, but only above the knee area,lower thigh. I have no cellulite whatsoever on my body and have good muscle tone. I have practiced pilates off and on for 5 years and walk more than the average person since I'd rather walk than use my car. A friend of mine in equally healthy form also has this problem and also studied ballet for over 8 years [12-20] and is now 27. We were wondering if this is a result of once having had very muscular legs and now the muscle is breaking down despite our efforts to rebuild it? Is this something other ex-ballet dancer or ex-ballet hobbiest have had?" Answer: Certain exercises will alleviate the problem that you have. You could achieve it just by joining a gym and doing step aerobics 3 times a week, which simulates the action of plie although in parallel. Whether this occurs with dancers that stop from dancing completely, it very often depends on their circumstances and their way of life after they leave the field. ----------------------------- Question 111: "Great website you have. Thanks, it sure was a great help. Anyways, I am a 16 years old in Malaysia and hope to take up ballet proffesionally...However the options in Malaysia are so limited. Please advise! Where should I go to pursue my dream? 2ndly, I'm currently doing RAD Advance. However, due the the heavy work...my thighs have become more and more bulky.They are no longer long and I have already stopped growing. My height is only about 161cm. Please advise. Will I make it professionally...or shall I give up my dream? Thank you!" Answer: You have to take stock of what is available in your surroundings if you are unable to leave your country to go elsewhere. That means that you have to visit companies that are in Malaysia, probably mostly in the capital. If the company is state-supported and it has a school, then you have to see if you can join them via auditioning. If it doesn’t or you cannot, all is not lost; there is always modern dance if it is available. When you have done your research, you will then have to consider such things as how much money you are going to be make, whether that level of living standard will be acceptable to you, and what will the future will be after the career has ended (i.e. does it mean that you have to go back to get a degree in order to be able to teach in Malaysia?) If you an entrepreneur type and none of the above are available, you could take charge, educate yourself by any means possible and start your own company, classical ballet or modern, and see if you can get government subsidies for it. It is true that in order to dance in a ballet company there is certain requirements. Physically, the closer one is to the standard of the company, the better one’s chances. Things are changing but not fast enough. You are the best judge of the circumstances that you are in. What I am trying to say is that you have to create your own environment; you have to take charge. ----------------------------- Question 112: "Hello! We have a son.We want him to start a ballet classes very soon. But we have one delicate question or concern about boys and Ballet. It seems to us and we are not along that a lot of homosexuals among the male dancers of the Ballet.Is it coincidence? Is there some kind of conection between Ballet and Homosexuality? Do I have to worry that it can affect and change the sexual orientation of the growing boy? What is your thoughts on this subject? Thank you!" Answer: Directly answering this question, there is no correlation between an individual performing and/or training to become a ballet dancer and homosexuality. That means that ballet does not cause homosexuality. Here I am being very direct so that there is no confusion. Are there many individuals who are homosexual in the world of art and dance in the professional and semi-professional world? The answer is yes. Is it more than any other field? One could never be sure with any certainty, but I have a tendency to say yes and there is a reason for that. It gives them a freedom of expression. Since the society, especially in America, does not provide an adequate system that would educate people in a way that would be meaningful, the art has come to be pushed aside and looked upon as secondary, irrelevant, unimportant. Presidents such as Ronald Reagan, with their policies, who demolished much of activities and programs that were helpful to the world of art, are responsible for questions arising such as yours. When and where does one become educated about ballet, about music, about painting, etc when there is no central system? Each faction takes its own path, leaving certain areas of the country practically in the dark ages. The better question would have been, what is the responsibility of the artist? Why do we need an artist? Why do they choose to become an artist when there is little economical drive for it? Does our society need male dancers? Do we need dancers? Do we need painters? The answer to all these questions as far as people such as Reagan was concerned is no. If it weren’t for former President Ford’s wife, who was a dancer herself, the U.S. would have failed to recognize Martha Graham, a shinning star of the modern dance world, of modern art. A better question would have been, why does America fail to support their artists, why America cannot produce decent professional dancers with any regularity, why do the major American dance companies constantly import their soloist and principal dancers? The answer is easy: for the same reason that they hire 200,000 foreigners a year, mostly technicians, to take over American jobs; technical jobs such as the ones in Silicone Valley. It means that they are unable to produce or do not have the reason to train people locally. It is not cost effective. When you can import at a lower cost a trained individual, why should you spend the money to train a countrymate? Same goes for the dancers. But, there is a cost. This cannot go on forever. In 1870, Nietzsche said that God is dead and we killed him, which initiated massive artwork, poetry, paintings and changed the form of dance forever. That was the impact of Nietzsche and with that the myth that we had come to know had died and the arts that were produced afterwards, until about 1935, was hence reactionary. Even today, we still experience in our lives what Nietzsche had said. All you have to do is look in the newspaper and you will find out that the statement must be true. But, there is hope. Joseph Campbell said that we need artists because they are “our myth makers”. What does that mean? Why do we need myths? Haven’t we advanced enough so that we do not have to use myths? We need mythmakers as much as we need doctors, physicists, chemists, etc. We need the mythmakers even moreso; to give us a reason to live, to do better with what we have, to create a better world. The artists are the mirrors of our society. I don’t know whether your son will choose this path or not. There are very few people that do and even fewer of them are remembered. But, make no mistake, they are an intricate part of our society. Recently, I wrote an article called Maturity Questioned(http://www.100megsfree4.com/ballet/balletnewsletter4.html). to address certain points that indirectly answers your question. And, if I fail to make the connection, I would not honorably be answering your question. Circumstances as they are, there would be a day in a dancer’s life (hopefully never) that in order to advance forward they are tempted to do things that they normally would not. Reply e-mail: "Thank you for your honest answer! You covered it all!" ----------------------------- Question 113: "I'm 25 years old and wish to pursue Ballet. Money was the never the issue it was just parents who felt Ballet was a waste of time and never allowed me to pursue dancing. I know that I'll probably never make it into a company (although inside I wish I could) but I have a burning passion for ballet; so much that I can't go without it and want to learn despite my age. I'm leaving the military to pursue my dream. I would love to perform one day even if I'm never paid for it. I don't know where to start. I'm taking pilates now to build my strength and muscles and will begin a class geared towards attaining flexibility only. How can achieve my dreams of becoming a ballet dancer at such a LATE start? Do you think it's possible to ever join a company ( I don't care is I'm only in the corps) or is age a serious deciding factor? I live in the DC area and wanted to know if you had any recommendations for teachers who are willing and can properly train someone in my situation? My heart is in this probably more than dancers who begin at a young age and I am relentless, so enduring the pain and humiliation is well worth it. I appreciate any info you can provide and HONEST advice, don't be afraid to be completely frank with me. Thanks." Answer: Before you take a leap of faith, I recommend that you take the time to read the entire Q. & A. section of the website. By that time, it should be clear to you that starting so late serves no purpose even when there is no concern about making money. However, as I have recommended many times over, you could participate locally, even produce your own small company or get a gathering of people who share your interest. You could spend a couple of months creating a few pieces, thoughtfully create a semi-stage in the studio that you practice in whatever style that interests you. When it comes to production there will be a time when what you have to say, hopefully, will be more important than what style you use (classical or modern). At that point, hopefully a light bulb will light up in your head that you can have the best of both worlds rather than being trapped in only one. You will be exhausted because you have to practice after work everyday and rehearse on the weekends and be creative, all at the same time. Can you do it? I don’t know. Very few people can. Those that can and have the energy, the talent and the drive to do so, seemingly live happier lives. But, time will pass and other things will become more important to you. One could try to push aside society and take one’s own path separate from it, as Nietzsche had suggested. But, I think we don’t have to be “destroyers”. When he wrote that in 1870, I don’t think his imagination stretched to the 21st century. Any stressful, major change must be thought through properly. A small dose of experience will suffice to show you that what seemed to be a glamorous world, as Hollywood most often present the world of art, in reality is not. Very few people live like that. I think that as Americans we have become lazy, we have forgotten what it means to work; we want everything instantaneously. Hence, my recommendation to you is to hold back on the wild horse whose desire is to become a dancer and bring it down to reality and make it feasible. That is possible. From there, who knows. ----------------------------- Question 114: "Hello Im 13 years old and have been doing ballet for about a year and i want to start on pionte i havent said anything to my ballet teacher as yet as im scared that i will be knocked back and not good enough what should i do i want to do pointe???" Answer: If I take away everything that you are physically attached to, such as television, this very computer, perhaps your cellphone, even the car you use to go to school and come back, everything and just leave you with a few clothes on your back and ask you who are you, can you answer? Since you are not your cellphone or your house and you cannot show off to your friends because they are not going to be there, I have to ask you, who are you? If you don’t know the answer to that, it is o.k. It takes a lifetime to find out. Some people don’t even bother with asking this question. For you, dancing has become like your belongings; it is just another cellphone, its just another pair of “shoes”. It is unfortunate that that which is suppose to teach people to quiet themselves and listen to their body has become just another gadget, just another tool to pick up and put down. There will be a day in your life, I hope, when you become intrigued with something so much so that you want to know everything about it, to submerge yourself deeply. Afterall, this is the only way to find out who you are because it is how you respond to this need that will tell you who you are. In regards to pointe shoes, I have answered this question. If you have the need, it will take you a few hours to find it in the Q. & A. section of the website and meanwhile you will learn other things. ----------------------------- Question 115: "I am 12 years old and my extension in developpe is very low to the front and the side on both sides. What can I do to get it to at least 90 degree? My teacher says to just practice and to do crunches? What do you think I should do I have 1 year before I am old enough to enter into the North Carolina School of the Arts and my extension has to be at least 90 degrees or higher." Answer: If you make it to the school, that will be great. But it is not the end of the world if you do not. Not everyone was born to become a dancer. The competition is tough and getting tougher and more and more people try to find that specific talent in that specific type of work in order to advance forward faster. But, that doesn’t mean that one should quit trying. Your developpes could be low for a variety of reasons at this time. Your body spends most of its time growing and your muscles are not set and strong as yet, as it should be. You are not the same as last week or what you will be 6 months from now and just simply doing crunches (which I don’t recommend for females) will not help. As always, take time to read the entire Q. & A. section of the website, even those that you think are not related to you. You cannot remember all of it, but a hint of it will be in the back of your mind. There are certain exercises there that you can follow to help you increase the strength of your legs. Take notes when it is related and put it somewhere that is visible to you. If you have access to a Pilates course, start taking it immediately and at least twice a week (and I don’t mean the generic videotape that has been commercialized lately. You must choose the Pilates instructor very carefully.) Practice at home everyday the exercises from the Pilates class. Do not rush. Finding meaning in the movements, even in simple exercises, will help you to grow in your expression of the movements, which ultimately will give you the chance to attend your school. Resistant exercises that do not cause the muscles on the leg to grow severely will increase the holding power in extension. Also, when you developpe from passe to devant and a la seconde, the most important thing to remember is that it is a movement of transition, not a specific picture. Hence, when you go from 5th position devant to passe where the toe touches the knee, you lift the knee up (knowing your ability how high you can hold your leg; therefore, you have to lift your knee in relationship to that ideal position). Then, you maintain the knee and move the heel forward with the big toe aiming at the center line of the body (there is a line that divides your body into two halves and when you stand on one leg, this line starts from the top of your head and splits you in half and goes all the way to the middle of your standing foot. That means, if you divide your foot in half, exactly in the middle will the line end.) Now, the heel leads on and the knee continues to stay at the starting point after the lift until you have completed the developpe devant. This concept and relationships discussed above will help you gradually to increase your developpe. I mean gradually—it will not be overnight. The above is true for devant (front), a la seconde (side) and en arriere (behind). At the same time, you have to remember that the relationship of the hips to the spine must never change. The body stays calm and quiet, like a still water. You know you are working too hard to achieve higher extension when the body is disturbed and you, hence, have to lower your extension. This means that not disturbing the body takes priority over the extension. ----------------------------- Question 116: "My, daughter has been studying ballet for 3yrs and she's 13yrs, however she doesn't have great arch, what advice can you give me that she can work on her arch, she is a very good dancers, her teacher has called her a quick study student she has great extension, strong ankle, good technique, she been on pointe for 2yrs, great body, it just her feet, aren't that great, what are your suggestions?" Answer: As I have mentioned many times before, the job of the instructor is to choose students that have their instrument and facilities intact from the beginning. This will ensure that the student who wishes to become professional at least has a good start. But, the fact that after one year of her studying ballet she has been encouraged to do pointe work, suggests to me that the environment is not professional but temporary, because no one in their right mind, after only one year, will start a new student on pointe shoes. One year is not enough to learn about technique, style and strength needed to sustain the student on pointe. If she is in it for enjoyment, then having a great foot is not crucial. However, exercises in the Q. & A. section of the website have been given in order to improve such problems. Very often, good training and an instructor’s way of teaching can teach the student how to hide the areas that are not as, shall we say, perfect. ----------------------------- Question 117: "I need your opinion about a dance class I would like to start. I just turned 15, and I've never had a class before in my life, but I have a 90 degree turnout, I'm very comfortable en pointe even with regular dance shoes or without, I am flexible, and I have excellent balance. In your opinion, do you think I need to go through many years of ballet to get to Pointe level? Also, what do you suggest I can do to advance more quickly through the classes? Also, turn tips would be greatly appreciated. I am in the double range, but would like to expand it." Answer: Read the Q. & A. section of the website in its entirety. Pay particular attention to question #114. When you turned 15 years old, did it happen all of a sudden—yesterday you were 14 and today you are 15? Nothing happened in between that was significant to you? Did you not make any friends? Did you not learn anything new? Did you not get to know yourself a little better by deciding what you like and dislike, what you love and hate, what you can and cannot do, what laws you should follow and which ones you can break without getting severely punished or just a slap on the hand? If you live your life the way you want to learn dancing, it won’t be much of one. Things that are instantaneous and come easy usually don’t mean much; only those things that one has to work hard for usually gives the person a better chance to understand how the world functions. It gives meaning to our lives. ----------------------------- Question 118: "Shahab, I need to know the best stretches to do to get really good flexibility for spilts and ballet." Answer: You fail to tell me who you are, what is your purpose, how old you are, are you taking classes to become a professional or are you a professional, are you an adult, etc? You can see that my answer would vary depending on the way you answer the above questions. If you are an adult and your intention is only to enjoy your experience in class, doing splits is not required. Matter of fact, if you have no prior dance experience as a child, I would suggest to keep away from such exaggerated activities because if they are done incorrectly it could actually harm you. I assume that you have read the Q. & A. section of the web site in its entirety; there are more than a hundred questions answered there and in some form or fashion I have answered this question already in there. There is always a point when one has to rely on the artistry rather than physical ability or brute force. But, since you had asked about splits, I will get you started in a correct way. However, you should know that the holistic way/approach (that means, increasing the flexibility on the whole body equally) is the preferred way because it creates balance and beauty within the movement. In any case, find a bench that is relatively low to the ground; I am talking about those old fashioned benches that existed in the boy’s locker room. Sit down and put your right leg on it and make sure that your body is square to the leg. Your left leg is also in parallel position and the left foot is obviously on the floor. Make sure that you sit upright. Make sure that you feel your spine straight; a line that makes a 90-degree angle to the edge of the bench. Point and flex the foot on the bench in parallel position. Then, with a straight back, take a breath and start a pulsation towards your leg. If you are flexible enough, you can touch your knee with your chest while your back is straight. If you are not that flexible, do the pulsation for eight counts and go as far as you can without disturbing the leg in parallel position. Then, roll with your upper body and try to touch the top of your head on your knee. Start an eight-count pulsation here. Once you are done with this exercise, do it four more times after relaxing for a few seconds between each set. Obviously, you will have to do the same thing on the other leg. And, for more flex you could hold on to your right foot while you are doing the stretch. Eventually, you will involve your left leg as well while you are doing the exercise above but the left leg will extend to the back. In parallel position as above, the left foot is taken off the 90 degree angle and now you put the top of the left foot in parallel position on the floor and the left knee is barely touching the floor (Obviously, we still have the right leg on the bench.). Start as above with the pulsation, going forward and at the same time attempt to push the left leg back. But remember that the left buttocks must be relaxed and feel the energy going down and out from the front of the left leg to the back. You must focus your attention on keeping the body square in the front. The shoulders and the hips make parallel lines to one another. The spine is the line that divides the two parallel lines. Just because you are stretching it does not mean that these lines should be affected. Try not to force your body and do take your time. If you have done your exercise correctly and attempt to stretch the left leg back, you will begin to have a split that is correct, which is closer to a gymnastic split. What is missing is the turnout. Start with these exercises and once you have managed to keep your right and left leg in a complete split while you are sitting on the bench, start experimenting on the turnout in the same positions. Also, you can begin to decrease the distance between your buttocks and the floor by finding a lower bench or creating a circumstance that could make it viable. Reply e-mail: "I am not a dancer my daughter is the dancer of the family and she has limited access to the Internet so on occasion I will let her do searches while I am present. She found your site and a wanted to ask questions. She is studying at a local school of the arts but she is having problems with her flexibility she is not overly flexible. Since the email I sent she has manage to get into both left and right spilts turned in and turned out. She is still having difficulty getting into the middle spilts. Her teacher had told her that she needed to get more flexible and somehow that would improve her extensions. I do not understand that remark because how can flexibility improve your strength. She has been taking Pilates classes. She wants to attend School of American Ballet and was told at audition last year that although she was not old enough for the summer program her style and technique was really good for her age of 11 this year she is 12. The teacher who gave the audition class said that she needed to work on her flexibility and strength because last year she could only do 1 spilt and her extensions were less than 90 degrees. What she really wanted to know was there any ballet tapes that we could get that would give her the flexibility she needs. It is funny that every teacher has a different answer to her question. Although I try and encourage her in anything she does this Ballet thing I would just rather she do for a hobby and have more of a normal life and not want to become a professional ballet dancer. Being a single parent is hard because I am dealing with this all alone she gets this ballet stuff from her Mom because her Mom studied ballet and also took her to her first real ballet performance when she was 3 and she did not make a sound until it was over. Her Mom was killed in a car accident when she was 5. So we have tried to have an as normal life as possible. So any help you can give her will be greatly appreciated and if you know of any tapes would be great. Getting local help is almost impossible! Thank you." Answer: First and foremost, take the time to read the Q. & A. section of the website in full. Whether you think the question relates to your circumstances or not, take the time to read the answer anyway. I have answered your question in many ways there, in regards to flexibility, strength, whether one should continue or not because of the lack of certain ability, etc. I have given these instructions because I wish to minimize pain, agony and potential sorrow that these students might feel because they were not able to achieve their goal. Many so-called dancers live in a limbo, unaware of reality. I am writing to every single student, parent and teacher, giving my 30 years of experience in the field, freely and holding nothing back. Very often, what I have written, people skip by and take what they wish, leaving behind what may discourage them. But, this is expected because people hear only what they want to hear or until they are ready to hear it. One could work at flexibility. One could work at technique. One could change one’s physical body to some extent. But, it shall never be the same as the one who has it from birth. If you can accept this, or better said, if she can accept this and understand it fully, by all means, continue. But, it should be written down for posterity, as a contract between her and herself, that if she did not or was not able to bring about all that is necessary to succeed, then there is no one else to blame but herself. The time period that she invests to push on in something that she is unable to do readily requires more work outside. The time period that could be well spent on something else. After a few years of investment in such activities, love and hate becomes one—one cannot distinguish between them. It will become much harder to let go and even more difficult to start something new. One is always trying to catch up from that point on, where her classmates have left her behind on other subjects. Of course, I have said all these things many times in many forms in the newsletters and the Q. & A. section of the website. It is up to you, as a parent, to take the time to read these materials to your child and discuss it with them so that they will make the best judgement they can make. ----------------------------- Question 119: "Hi Shahab,thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions. I did find some answers in the Q. & A. section but I still do need some more detail. 1)You mentioned that if you are training with the right people and you have the talent and the luck to go with it, dancing will be good to you. But you also said it helps to have the right look. What is the "right" look? 2)You told a story of two good friends who suffered with eatting disorders, can you tell me why it is easy for a dancer to turn to that choice, and what to do to prevent that from happening. 3)What is the most important thing for ballerina's to remember when thinking of body image? 4)What is the most important thing for observers to remember when thinking of the ballerina body image? 5)What does it take to be a professional ballerina, meaning what kind of body do you need? 6)Do young dancers have pressure to be that type of ballerina? 7)What is the biggest challenge for dancers? 8)Do you think being surrounded by mirrors all the time for a dancer have some psychological consequences? If so what? 9)You mentioned that happy thoughts are important, what do they do for you as a dancer? 10)Anything you want to add." Answer: A1 and 5)The right look is relative and in relationship to your style, what country you are in, and whether you are an outsider or an insider. Depending on the above, this means you either impose your style on the people or they impose it on you. This comes about because your ability enhances the group or it is a separate entity. Obviously, I am talking about top ballet companies and I am sure that is what you are asking me about anyway. The right look is the look that literally makes you a viable part of the group. It makes you saleable without any difficulty. Of course, there is an extreme on either side, but for that, one has to be extremely good or different, yet more often than not also have the talent required. A2 and 6) To prevent it, you have to make it known to the dancers that there will be a job for them as they grow older and change. And, of course, it depends on the culture that we are discussing here and whether the dancers are treated decently or considered dispensable because there is a large group out there trying to get in. One could make a comparison between the way Europeans versus Americans treat their dancers. I know many good dancers who were quite known and had left their career behind with just memories and a few pictures, nothing more. For that very reason, the short period that one can perform becomes that much more important, depending on what country you are in and what other circumstances you have. The time that a dancer invests from youth to the time where it becomes saleable is quite long. And yet, on average, it is half of the period of time that the individual could actually dance (career for a dancer, on average, ends at the age of 27). A3 and 4) I think that most difficulties arise because the art of ballet has become available to the large populace as “something to do”. The view/idea about what it means to be a ballerina, what aura and physical presentation she projects, is seen differently by different groups. Popular culture, obviously, has a hand in this in order to make a sale. The concept of beauty changes drastically depending on the time period and this has caused havoc in society. Please view the most recent newsletter edition for further commentary on the subject: http://www.100megsfree4.com/ballet/balletnewsletter8.html. Obviously, many dancers, especially in the West, do not meet the certain criteria. Yet, they jump in with both feet and find themselves unsatisfied when their hard work does not match what they receive in return because those who are in charge, even though they may recognize these individuals’ hard work, are mainly concerned about perfection and what sells. Or, better said what most people want to see in their ballerina, which comes back to the idea of popular culture. A7) It varies. It depends on what part of their career they are in. When they are training, the biggest challenge is mastering the technique or, rather, overcoming it. The next challenge is to do something with it, that is, to bring something new with your presence and your whole entire being, which takes some doing because you have to dig deep within yourself and try to find out who you are. Depending on the answer, it will either make your career or end it right there. The next challenge is to be at the right place at the right time. Of course, one should not forget the importance of finding the right training; that is the biggest challenge. A8) It is the beginning of becoming obsessed with how one looks from all directions. One becomes concerned about hitting the pose correctly or the movement beautifully from all sides, which one could take into their daily life after decades of living in this manner. One is always concerned about being watched by others--a habit that is difficult in letting go. Maggie Black, a ballet instructor who was very popular in New York in the late 70’s and early 80’s, was the only teacher that I know of who did not use mirrors in her class. Humanity has a tendency to want to improve upon him/herself--an improvement that is most often dictated by society. As such, they will see whatever does not match the desired feature as negative and, therefore, seeing it in the mirror continuously will exasperate the situation since certain improvement can never be made or if it is, it is done very slowly and not visible to the eye who sees it everyday. Dancers, then, tend to become preoccupied with making change and not with what they are there for, which is dancing. A9) It keeps you sane. I am in firm belief that happiness can be introduced to the physical world in two ways: 1) through thought and 2) through the physical body. Happy thoughts relax the body and allow for movement to come easily. I think “acting happy” would also have this effect. The mind does not know why the physical body is happy, but since it wishes to be, because of the joy that comes from it, more often than not, it cooperates. I know from my own personal experience, dancing happy, joyous pieces came with certain fluidity within me where character pieces that dealt with pain, human agony and death had the adverse effect, which is an inherent part of communication without words. The ease of movement speaks of joy and moving more sluggish and with more difficulty speaks of pain and sorrow. A10) As I have said before, most of these questions have been answered one way or another in the Q. & A. section of the website and the newsletters. I would be very interested to see your final work. Reply e-mail: "Thank you for answering my questions. You were very imformative and I will be able to use it. I just have one last question. Maggie Black interests me. Why didn't she use mirrors? Is she still around?" Answer: In the late 70's and the early 80's, Maggie Black, who was not a good dancer matter-of-fact, became famous among dancers in New York. Many dancers from the American Ballet Theatre, current director of the American Ballet Theatre included, visited her studio regularly. Yours truly invested much time there as well. Most studios were renovated buildings from the turn of the century, most often used for factories. Very often, they had poles in the middle of the room to support the ceiling. When you have hundreds of people visiting the class before having to go to a rehearsal, having to look at themselves, as Maggie Black thought, was not helpful. She was generous and would make the round and stop occasionally to make corrections. So, her eyes and her corrections sufficed. Her requirement was that you had to trust her and, hence, no need for mirrors. Back then, and even today, a dancer's need for attention has a tendency to create a cult. A famous one is Martha Graham. ----------------------------- Question 120: "Hi. I'm 12 and I've been taking ballet since I was 3. I have flexible flat feet, so when I stand I have to hold my arches up or my feet go flat to the ground. I try to hold them up all through ballet class, but I'm practically unable to hold them up through adage. Although lots of girls in my ballet class, previous ballet teachers, and my mom who used to practice ballet for many years say that I am definately one of the best dancers in my class, I have been held back in level 4. I think my flexible flat feet have alot to do with it. I also have trouble spotting because none of my teachers really ever put any stress on spotting. Could you please help me? Thanks ALOT." Answer: In regards to flat feet and pirouettes, I have answered both questions already in the Q. & A. section of the website. I will just make this one point here in regards to pirouettes: you must stop thinking about a pirouette as something grandiose and begin to think about it as nothing more than a battement tendu. They are equal in value, literally and rhythmically. The reason you choose one over the other is because you are instructed to do so, whether by your teacher in certain combinations or whether in a performance. Excitement about certain combinations or steps does not belong to the performer; it belongs to the audience. You can choose to be artistic by giving certain accent or values to certain steps, but in training they are one and the same. If you understand this, you are ready for the next level. ----------------------------- Question 121: "Hello, my daughter is 11 1/2 years old and has been dancing since she was 3. She currently takes a ballet class, a tap class , and a jazz class. She dances for fun and her school is pretty low key - it is not a school that trains dancers for a professional career. My daughter was diagnosed with sciliosis last year. Her ballet class this year will be a pointe ballet class. Is this type of dance recommended for someone with sciliosis? Thank you." Answer: You have already emphasized that she is taking classes for fun. That means that you recognize limitation. When there is a limitation put on humans, they like to break the barrier. It doesn’t happen very often, but I know a few dancers, some even at a high standing in the dance community, who were faced with this condition and had to find their own way since certain instructions in regards to alignment does not really apply to them. Obviously, they are unique individuals. In any case, I hope your daughter will be one as well. ----------------------------- Question 122: 1st e-mail: "Dear Shahab-I have been taking dance since the age of 3. I found out that I wanted to be a professional at age 10. I am now 13. I audition for summer intensives... such as Abt, Kirov, The Rock, Sab... and I have made them all.I am wondering if i should do more to get to my goal. I take about 10 classes a week 3 pointe classes. Do you have anymore ideas to help me get to my goal. Thanks a lot." 2nd e-mail: "Hello, I am in many classes at my studio. I seem to be liked by my teacher because they tell me that i can be a professional someday. But whenever it comes to partnering in the dances (we only have one boy our age in level) my friend who is 5' and weighs 87pds always gets picked. I am 5'3 and weigh 98pds and i have heigher extension and have more strength. Is it because the boy is not strong enough or is it for other reasons. Thanks." Answer: In a visual art, doubt is the enemy. When you start doubting yourself, you are doubting your best friend; most often, the only friend. You have to put aside all these ideas, trying to analyze what other people do, and focus on yourself. You seem to be working hard enough and you have set your goal. Although I am puzzled by the number of boys in class, which suggests a certain weakness on the part of the administration of your school, which is not promoting the subject. It is good to audition and be accepted by the prominent schools, but you have to remember that they also have their own agenda and their agenda is to have as many students as they can possibly have, especially paying students. So, that can’t really be a measure of success, unless you have been offered full scholarship for the duration of training. When you begin to question and compare, sometimes it’s not a bad idea to get a second opinion from a prominent individual in the dance community, separate from your instructors and/or people who you audition for, in order to get a bearing on your ability and your potential. One more thing you have to be concerned about is in educating yourself in regards to the history of dance and which style of dance is becoming more accepted by the companies which one day will hire you. Logically, the most prominent style should then be studied. For example, if you are in Russia, you don’t want to study the Danish style because those who are going to hire you are going to be using the Russian style. ----------------------------- Question 123: "I'm 16, I have a medium sized (or normal sized) arch, and I was wondering, is that ideal enough for a professional ballet career? Exactly how much emphasis is placed on the arch, and is it really possible to improve it through exercises? I have heard both yes and no - some people say that the muscles can be toned to form a higher, stronger arch, but I've heard others say that you're stuck with what you have, so forget classical ballet all together. I'd really love to hear your opinion." Answer: A dancer or an artist is not his/her arch. You must start looking at the world more holistically. Instructors set a tone to start a pupil, based on the instructor’s experience. That is, based on their experience, they can recommend or suggest who can or cannot become successful in the future. This way, a student can make a decision whether they want to engage in such endeavor. But, by all means, it is not written in stone. If you had written to me and stated that “I have a violin string made by ‘so & so’ company, which is an average and not a high-quality string, could you tell me how is my violin?” I could not answer you. I cannot answer you because the same string on a Stradivarius will produce a different sound than a violin that is made by someone else. The totality not only includes your physical being, but also your attitude towards the world, your opinion of yourself and how you can be effective in it. In other words, what you bring to the table as a whole is much more important than a part. ----------------------------- Question 124: "I have been taking semi-private ballet lessons 4 times a weeks for 7 months with an excellent Russian teacher in Montreal. I'm having a really hard time center because of my arms, I can't seem to figure out which arm should go in which position during the movements, turns and pirouettes and by the time I figure it out, the exercise is over. My partner does not have this problem and my teacher does not understand what my problem is and is losing patience. I was wondering if it had anything to do with the fact that I was left-handed. I cannot easily tell my left from my right but I normally figure it out after a while, and I seem to have more problems with figuring out rotations. I do not have this problem with my legs. I would hate to drop ballet as it helps me in another dance form I practice. Is there information on the topic and is there anything you could recommend?" Answer: Sometimes the problem arises when the pupil changes from one style to another, for example, going from Russian to French or from Russian to Danish or vice versa. Occasionally, they have different names for arm positions. Familiarizing yourself with proper names in the Russian style can be much helpful. When a combination is given, try to name the position of the arm and for the first couple of times that you practice the combination, out loud or in your head, name it. This should engrain in you the proper arm position. Russian style incorporates arms into the movement much more frequently than other styles and if you are coming from a different style of dance, for a short while, it can be confusing. Reading technical manuals can also be quite helpful. ----------------------------- Question 125: "Hello, I'm 14 years old and have been taking ballet lessons since I was 5, I do the RAD syllabus and exams. As I aspire to a career in dance, I am seriously considering auditioning for a full-time ballet school when I am 16 (I want to complete my GCSEs first). I am aware it is very demanding at a full-time school, but I am prepared to work hard, as I feel that a full-time dance education is what I need to become a professional ballet dancer. I have heard it is not necessary to succeed as a dancer without full-time training, but by going to ballet school I feel I will be able to fufill my potential. Am I right? Is it possible to become an accomplished dancer without going to ballet school? For those who do not gain a place at ballet school, or who do not feel it is right for them, what root could they take to become a dancer? Would you recommend studying at a university that teaches dance? Would universities have the dance expertise as a full-time ballet school does? Finally, would you recommend dance schools, in England, that focus on ballet? I have been investigating the Royal Ballet School, English National Ballet School, The Arts Ed School Tring and the Central School of Ballet (this is my preferred school from what I have found out about it). My ballet teacher went to Tring and recommends I go there. Should I take her advice? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you!" Answer: Universities do not train people to become professional dancers. If a dancer is in a university, on an average, it means that the person is in their mid-20’s. The career of a dancer sometimes ends in the mid-20’s and 30’s. So, very often dancers begin their career in their teens in order for them to rise in the ranks. One could join a private dance school; sometimes they can be quite good, where there is only one instructor teaching several levels of ballet class and even though they cannot polish the dancers to their optimum, they can achieve very good results. Much of the dancers in the United States are produced this way. But, very often the students join a recognized dance school in hopes of joining the mother company, adapting their technique to the company’s style. Each school has their own curriculum and take students at different stages for different reasons. Many of the Royal Ballet dancers are homegrown. My advice is that you familiarize yourself with what is immediately available to you, what you can afford and what rules and regulations prohibits you from attending certain schools. At that point, a few schools will become available to you, based on elimination. And then a short conversation with your teacher should help you in making your final decision. A successful ballet school is not just important for proper training but also you are exposed to your future colleagues. You are exposed to the variety of combinations that will become second nature to you. They may have a certain style that you must acquire to match others. In addition, you will also find out what type of people they take, whether you would like to work with such people, whether the style comes naturally to you and whether the combination interests you. This is not for just doing one performance; hopefully you will have a long career. -------------------------- Do you have a question for me? E-mail me now. Want to receive our Newsletter? Enter our Community!