Ballet

[Dulcisima]

I've got a question...I know this may seem a bit dumb of me to ask...but is it too late to start ballet? When I was a 6 years old I did ballet for 4 years then stopped due to an injury..I am 24 now and would like to do some ballet...but i was told that its not an intense work out and results wont be noticeable...it would be more noticeable when your younger...ie. the posture, the toned body etc...any ballet dancers here started at an older age ? any tips? good ballet videos? etc..please share

 

[stersita]

i don't know hardly anything about ballet but i may suggest you asking odette. she'll know

 

[Dulcisima]

i don't know hardly anything about ballet but i may suggest you asking odette. she'll know

Gracias who is odette? is she a TFS member?

 

[stersita]

yeah she is she does ballet so i think she will be able to answer your questions

 

[Odette]

I just wrote a PM,hope it makes it a bit more clear!

 

[samo22]

I would like to know the answers to her questions as well! I started a teen ballet class in September and I really like it, but I don't think I'll be able to find a class more advanced that it once I get better.

 

[stl]

when I was 6 years old, I was submitted to Bolshoi's ballet class in Russia. I guess that's because I'm naturally thin. But I wasn't permanent resident there, so gave up. But as far as I know, it's a real hard work and it's better you start it this early. OKay, just my two cents, it was such a long time ago.

 

[nextnewface]

Well, I started ballet last year (at 16) but I mean, I know I'm never going to make a career out of it (or I'd end up in the streets, dirt poor without a job ) but I really enjoy it so I think that if you'd like to pursue ballet for fun and to tone your muscles and gain some flexibility, etc, you should go ahead and do it! I'm taking adult classes (I'm the youngest one , there are women who are like.. 50!? in my group!!!) and it's pretty much beginner/intermediate classes but it keeps me more active than not and I get to learn how to dance So I'm kind of biased because I love ballet, but I would say go ahead and take some classes, you don't have a lot to lose!

 

[Luna]

Ballet would be great for flexibility and a calm workout, I would think.

I took ballet every since I was 4 all the way until 20... I miss it. :'(

 

[Dulcisima]

Ballet would be great for flexibility and a calm workout, I would think.

I took ballet every since I was 4 all the way until 20... I miss it. :'(

Awwww Luna thats a shame...cant you go back and do ballet? 16 years of ballet wow...i bet you've got an amazing figure

So those who did ballet , would recommend dvd ballet? The classes that they conduct are for 8year olds..and i would look quite odd...besides I was thinking of doing ballet during the morning before i go to work..any tips?

 

[Dulcisima]

Oddette pmed with the answers of my questions...I will share them with you all, so that she doesnt have to repeat the same thing...below is a copy and paste from the pm..
Originally Posted by Dulcisima
Hi there...I posted a thread recently about Ballet http://www.thefashionspot.com/forums...let-34457.html. One of the TFS members suggested that I ask you about ballet since you have an abundant of knowlegde about ballet.

The thing I would like to do some ballet dancing through a dvd video as a work out..I heard from some that its good workout and results are visible...and some others said to me results take a long time to be visible plus you would have had to start at at an earlier age. I am 24 now, and i was wondering would ballet impact my body shape and if so, is there any dvd that you recommend for me to follow?
Many thanks



Hi!
Well I now quite a lot cause I've don 12 years of ballet if France and Spain. So you are trying to learn from a DVD isn't it? Well, I don't know about it cause I want to an academy but I know quite a few good DVD's that could help you

1)Ballet Class for Beginners with David Howard VHS
2)New York City Ballet Workout 2 VHS.
3)The New York City Ballet Workout (2000)
4)The New York City Ballet Workout, Vol. 2 (2003)


Since I don't know much about your ballet experince, are you a newbie or re-starting again? You do point work too? Understand the basics concepts? Know some of our vocab like pas de chat...

U're 24, well let's face it, it's a bit late to be the star of the NY city ballet! But of course,is not late to start it as hobbie, as something you like.

Effect on your body? Yes, you'll how to stand properly, control your respiration,feet are going to suffer if you do point work and if you do it right, you be all toned. But it's hard, I promise. Some days you will so tired...people think ballet is just jumping around but I can tell is not. It's difficult plus you need to understand why we do the things we do in that way and what the aim of ballet is.

Result, you can be years think you are not doing any work and not getting any results, but one day you reliase you can do 62 changement de pieds without getting all tired and breathless. Plus, you'll se your elasticy increases and you control your body better...

Ballet is just great!

 

[SophieKawaii]

I started ballet at age 3 and did it for 15 years.. though i still can't skip a day without dancing.
I think restart ballet at age 24 is fine until you don't think about being professional. ^^"

 

[Dulcisima]

I started ballet at age 3 and did it for 15 years.. though i still can't skip a day without dancing.
I think restart ballet at age 24 is fine until you don't think about being professional. ^^"

i dont want to take it as a profession just a work out

 

[urd]

i dont want to take it as a profession just a work out

well do what ever you want then. of course you can start now. I used to do ballet between ages of 5-19 and I was never seriously thinking I could be a pro. but it is still fun, gives you great posture and is like the best work out ever!

 

[Dulcisima]

well do what ever you want then. of course you can start now. I used to do ballet between ages of 5-19 and I was never seriously thinking I could be a pro. but it is still fun, gives you great posture and is like the best work out ever!

I would love to have a great posture ( thats what i am suffering from now, a bad posture ) but would i have a good posture if i practised ballet as a work out? i heard that i ought to be quite young to build such posture..

 

[SiennaInLondon]

Absolutely do it! I took excellent classes with Karen Stringer this summer in Cambridge... you won't be professional but aim to be good.

Igor Youskevitch started when he was 22... of course he was a gymnast before that!!!!

 

[SiennaInLondon]

Oh I don't like workout ballet classes -they aren't as aspirational! Try finding an adult class where they will enter you in exams and in which you will actually progress... don't forget yoga is good too

 

[Odette]

Hate those classes in which they have to test you and you have to pass an exam. So dumb, ballet is much more than a simple exam.Hate,hate,hate them, I remembered me and my teacher talked and talked about and how we hated those exams, trust me, there were 2 girls who had all their "exams" with good "grades" and had a "good" level and they weren't good at all, my teacher believes that ballet is an art and arts can never be tested or graded.

 

[Dulcisima]

Hate those classes in which they have to test you and you have to pass an exam. So dumb, ballet is much more than a simple exam.Hate,hate,hate them, I remembered me and my teacher talked and talked about and how we hated those exams, trust me, there were 2 girls who had all their "exams" with good "grades" and had a "good" level and they weren't good at all, my teacher believes that ballet is an art and arts can never be tested or graded.

SiennainLondon...I am not looking to enroll in ballet classes were i would be tested...its pretty diffcuilt for me to that now because of my time constraint...thats why i prefer dvds..however my fear is that i may not master the exact move how will i know that i am doing it correctly..

Odette...how can i thank you? your generous tips are so great....i feel like wanting to start from now...I wanted to ask you do ballet dancers go on a specific diet...i mean to be a ballet dancer you have to be light right, so i am assuming that you have a certain form of dos and not dos when it comes to eatting..can you let us to the secerts?
Thanks again and karama

 

[Odette]

I don't think it's a matter of being "light or ultra slim".The thing is that ballet dancers aim to "transform" their bodies into something greater and get to that point when we can understand and know every muscle of our body.Of course to do that, you need to work hard and long hours which helps to toned up. The amazing thing about ballet is that it is such an exact science and it's so well studied that you end up having a great body because you worked it properly. It's not like this football players or gym's addict(not offense!)it's a complete different body.That kid of body is supposed to make things easier and help you work when doing ballet.
As for diet, there are some natural skinny guys that and all toned and some others that need to go on a diet if they want. Please, forget about that thing of ballet teachers encouraging to loose weight, is not true!
I did go on a diet for a few months and then stopped, eat healthy food and that's ll be it(I live in Europe,so I take a healthy diet, it's my culture). As long as you look/are healthy looking. You are doing ballet because you want to,don't add that preassure on going on a diet from the very beginning.

Dos/Don'ts
1.Before going to stage don't drink or eat(I mean don'tdo it if you are to start dancing in 5 mins, insane)
3.Fruits&Water
4.Carbs are necessary too.