Ballet

[Bluestar07]

First adult ballet class in 1/2 an hour

Does ballet make your thighs bigger because you work the muscles so much? My thighs are already big as it is and I don't want them to get any bigger.

 

[indie]

bluestar07, I think they make muscles bit leaner and so.

We had ballet show tonight, it went quite well. My group (5 ppl) were dancing solos. I was happy frog The story was based on the "golden egg" stuff written by some russian. We have another one tomorrow too.

I'm sooo tired.

// shouldn't this thread belong in the hair, skin bodycare section?

 

[Bluestar07]

^ that's fantastic!!!! I asked my ballet teacher and she said it gets bigger if u work the wrong muscles. I don't want my quads to get any bigger.

 

[barbiedoitbetter]

yay a ballet thread!!

 

[toria]

I this thread. I REALLY want to sign up for a ballet class, just for fun. It's something I wanted to do when I was little but I never had the money to. My friend takes ballet and jazz, so I guess I'll ask her about where to go...

 

[barbiedoitbetter]

tonight i have my first performance!! i mean i've already done before but this year is
more difficult and on pointe shoes. arghh

 

[Bluestar07]

I this thread. I REALLY want to sign up for a ballet class, just for fun. It's something I wanted to do when I was little but I never had the money to. My friend takes ballet and jazz, so I guess I'll ask her about where to go...

You should! It's really fun

My toes hurt a bit after doing ballet in my new shoes today. Is that normal? Does it mean my shoes are too small or should I give them time to stretch out?

 

[primaballerina]

You're talking about pointe shoes right? Don't worry about a little ache sweetie. New pointe shoes always hurt a bit b/c they are fresh from the manufacturer and still hard. In time they will soften up.

But if you are looking for some fast ways to make them more comfortable, try some of the following options:

• • wear the toe pads with gel on the inside and mesh on the outside, they are about $10 from "BunHeads" and you can buy them almost anywhere. These pads provide a little more cushion
  • pour a small amount of water on the sides of your shoes, but never the front where the box is! Just wet your shoes (where the side of your big toe and little toe starts, usually where you get bunions) and wait a few minutes for the shoe to soften up. Then take your hands and massage that area of the shoe to see if you can start to mold it. The shoe should go from feeling like hard wood to feeling like moldable clay
  • (do this only if you are really strong, or get a guy to do it) take your shoe in your hands and squeeze the side area until you feel it start to break/mold. you should be applying pressure to the sides of the box (like where you get bunions), never the tip

Other things to alleviate pain are taking Tylenol/Ibuprofuen, rubbing "OraGel" (the stuff for tooth aches) on the area that hurts, of applying a cream called "TigerBalm" (it's incredibly powerful & smells like peppermint, but if you're in a lot of pain this is the stuff to use!)

If you try all these rememdies and your feet still hurt, talk to your dance instructor about maybe getting different shoes. You may need to find a different brand that better supports your feet, or you may need a different size/strength/width (missizing at dance stores is the most common mistake). When you first start dancing on pointe your feet will be somewhat tender, but you should never be in real pain for long times. If you are, something isn't right

You should! It's really fun

My toes hurt a bit after doing ballet in my new shoes today. Is that normal? Does it mean my shoes are too small or should I give them time to stretch out?

 

[Bluestar07]

^ so sweet of you to reply but no, I just started adult ballet so it's ballet slippers, not pointe shoes (although how I wish it was true)

Is it normal for my calves to hurt at the first couple of classes? I'm just afraid that I'm using the wrong muscles. We did quite a bit of relevés...

 

[primaballerina]

oh sweetie, sorry I was confused on the kind of shoes you were referring to. well think of it this way, if you ever wear pointe shoes you now know everything there is to know about how to care for your feet! hahaha

i don't know why your flat ballet slippers would be hurting you, the only thing I could think of is that perhaps they are the wrong size?

and don't worry too much about the calves-hurting thing, when you first start dancing it is a whole new way of using your muscles so it takes them a while to adjust. But in about 2-3 weeks your body should begin to feel quite natural dancing. If you are still feeling considerable strain in your calves, or anywhere for that matter, talk to your dance teacher b/c you may have a slightly pulled muscle or some other injury. but for now I wouldn't worry too much about the aches

^ so sweet of you to reply but no, I just started adult ballet so it's ballet slippers, not pointe shoes (although how I wish it was true)

Is it normal for my calves to hurt at the first couple of classes? I'm just afraid that I'm using the wrong muscles. We did quite a bit of relevés...

 

[sugarfreegum]

I miss ballet

I began dance very late--I was almost ten--but I loved it, and I continued until I was about 20. I considered going to school for choreography... sometimes I wish I had stuck with it.

^ so sweet of you to reply but no, I just started adult ballet so it's ballet slippers, not pointe shoes (although how I wish it was true)

Is it normal for my calves to hurt at the first couple of classes? I'm just afraid that I'm using the wrong muscles. We did quite a bit of relevés...

Make sure that your toenails aren't too long. Cut them as short as you can, while still allowing them to be comfortable and avoiding ingrown nails.

I wouldn't be surprised if you hurt all over for the first few weeks! You are using different muscles that you've never used in this way. Once you become stronger and accustomed to the movements, everything will become easier and you'll feel less strain. You won't "bulk up" in a few weeks, so don't worry about that. With proper form, you shouldn't "bulk up" much at all!

Yay dance!

 

[coffeeandasmoke]

I'm also starting ballet again after years of not dancing.

I'm so excited!

 

[VainJane]

Oh yay! This thread is so much fun!

I danced for a bit when I was a young child but my mom took me out of classes because the instructor was mean (I was also a bit of a trouble-maker ).

Anyway, I've always dreamed of getting back into it! Now I feel very inspired by this thread! Yay!!!

Also, thank you Odette for the info and the DVD references!

 

[musegirl]

argh this thread makes me wish i was still doing ballet.

 

[samo22]

^ so sweet of you to reply but no, I just started adult ballet so it's ballet slippers, not pointe shoes (although how I wish it was true)

You probably are wearing the wrong size...

 

[LilHoney]

i was in ballet for 4 years i was in hip hop, jazz, ballet, and tap i loved it! I was also a figure skater for 11 years i loved that to but nowi have a bad foot soit got really hard! Alot of pain from skating 6 hr a day and 5 days a week! I wish i could still do the tings i did when i was younger

 

[Bluestar07]

Thanks for all the replies you guys! I'll check with my teacher regarding the size of my shoes at the next class.

 

[Browneyes]

I danced ballet on-and-off from the age of 6 until I was 19... Now at 22, I still want to get back into it, I'm just waiting to move back in a couple of months to where I used to live, so that I can register for the same class/teacher, who I was with lastly before I moved.
There were alot of adults dancing in this class, and it was a great atmosphere like that, because everyone knew that this was just for fun and for the (sometimes excruciating ) excercise, and not too competitive.
We also did performances, and I had a little solo once, which was really fun

I once had a horrible ballet teacher though, who treated me really badly. - I think it might have been because she could see that I might have had the potential (in terms of style and body), but I was underdeveloped in terms of technique and strength at the time when I was with her (I was 17 then). In any case, I never meant to take it too seriously, but she wanted me to do better, but instead of encouraging in a nice way, she was rather horrible, and would say and do things to embarass me in front of the other girls. So I quit her class. Had I wanted to become a "real" ballerina, I probably would have - and I would have worked toward that from a much younger age. She definately didn't do much to develop my love for ballet.

But luckily I found it again! And it's also my favourite theatre experience

Here are some pictures from www.ballerinagallery.com
They are from two performances that I loved, Manon and a modern dance one (I forgot the name though). I'm not usually into modern, but this blew me away! Both pictures are with the Danish ballerina Silja Schandorff who is really good.

 

[Browneyes]

Woops, the internet was being wierd and I did kind of a double post. Sorry, if one of the mod's want to delete the first one, that would be great

 

[teakrist]

havnt noticed this thread!! Im training to be a ballerina, Im a freshman at highs school of perfofming arts! Ive danced for 15 years, and still do it 2 hours a day, 6 hours on thursdays, 4 on mondays. Im not your "typical" ballerina tho, not as skinny as the other girls in my class... my teacher says I have to work on that, and I do... lol
Any other turn-out tips, other than the frog?? Im only 168 degrees, and need some work... anyone??

hugs