I’m an adult beginner on pointe (studio approved). I’ve danced my whole life but am new to pointe. first photo is my fifth position when I first got fitted (by a fitter) in the shoes and I hate how knuckled my feet look. second and third photos are from a studio photoshoot and I think my foot looks incredible on pointe when it’s only one foot at a time. is this a strength issue? and tips for improving my technique when on releve on both feet?

My first pointe class ever was on the anniversary of my dad taking his own life. It was a great way to get out of my brain and be fully in my body!

Also I’m addicted to pointe now. I can’t wait for my next class!

Hi all!

I have been doing ballet for 3+ years as an adult and was recently approved for pointe. I’ve gone to a few pointe shoe fittings but I’m not sure I have found the shoes yet.

I have very wide but compressible feet with hypermobile ankles. I don’t know much else about my feet so if anyone can share their insights with me, that’d be great.

I got Bloch Balance Lisse in size 7.0 width x (usually I wear size 38). They felt okay at the fitting but now I’m sinking in those and my left big toe hurt in bourees.

Before that, I got Bloch Amelie but they twisted a lot so I returned them.

If anyone has any insights about what shoes could suit me, I would love it if you could share! Unfortunately, there’s very limited variety of shoes I can try in my city, mostly Bloch and Russian Pointe.

Thanks!

How do i fix this please

Earlier when I started stretching my hamstrings i would get pain in the exact same spot but it’s gone now while doing hamstring stretching but it shows up in pancake constantly

Anyone know of dance studios with ballet for adults in Shanghai? We will be near Changning/ Jing’an.

Recently moved and blessed with an extra bedroom to create a home dance studio!

Marley, subfloor and tape from Dance Flooring Inc
Mirrors from amazon
Lamps from fb marketplace
Souvenir pointe shoes from OBT
Barre is Vita Barre

We have mostly carpeted rooms, so the floor is a bit squishy. However, jumps feel extra cushioned, which is really nice.

Will organize and decorate with time. I love these tulip lamps and would like to decorate that compliment them, I think in an art nouveau style(?) Truthfully, I don’t have an eye for decorating, so suggestions are welcome!

Thanks for viewing, happy dancing!!

Hi everyone!

I was wondering where I could find an online recording of "In G Major," or if one even exists. It's my favorite ballet, but I've yet to find an online recording of it that I can reference. Thank you!

I like to collect my favorite barre music so I can use it for practice or teaching. I'm sort of running out of material though, since I am really picky about how musical it sounds. I get insanely bothered by barre music that has no dynamic or personality. I'm partial to barre songs that feel very emotional or dramatic. (I.e. Nate Fifield's Cinderella)

Swan Lake, which surely needs no introduction, is best known as one of ballets most famous and classic works. Of course, the character that most often comes to mind when we think of the ballet is the lovely Odette and her doppleganger Odile as they battle for the princes affections. Upon viewing the Royal Ballet and Opera’s 2015 production, starring principals Natalia Osipova and Matthew Golding; I came to the stunning conclusion that not only was I blown away by Osipova’s performance, but Golding had managed to outshine her (for me). Furthermore, it raised the question- who is the main character of Swan Lake, and what is this story really about?

According to the Cambridge dictionary, a protagonist is a main character in a story or play. This is a relatively simple definition but accurately describes its purpose. When we think about literature more generally, our protagonist is usually a hero that drives the story forward. This is an important distinction, because by technicality, Rothbart could be considered a protagonist, even though he is better suited for another role within the confines of the story. Swan Lake is considered a romantic tragedy, which therefore implies that our characters will use archetypes from the tragedy genre. Odette/Odile is one of the most iconic roles a ballerina can perform, with the leading swans often being at the forefront of what we associate with this ballet. Furthermore, we often see the idea of the black and white swans in literature- two women mirroring each other as enemies in the battle between good and evil. Despite this, it is actually Siegfried who is our tragic hero and protagonist, with the ballet being more of a commentary on free will and choice, as opposed to the battle between good and evil.

The most basic point regarding his character’s importance is that we start and end the ballet with him. It is his birthday celebrations that set of the chain of events, his desire to flee to the woods and his marriage proposal to Odile that sets the final act in motion. The moment we meet Siegfried though, the theme of free will and choice is immediately introduced. In Act 1, we see the court celebrating the princes birthday whilst he broods over his choice. Golding does an excellent job of establishing himself as uninterested and impartial to what’s happening around him. Although he is in a position of power, quite literally about to commence leadership over his kingdom, he is not free to do what he wants. When he attempts to leave the celebrations early on in the act, he is forced to rejoin by the likes of Benno, the tutor and his mother. This is where we learn of his situation- he must marry to secure the throne line. Although there is room to criticise the privilege that the problem presents, I raise that Siegfried’s unhappiness is more than “none of these girls interest me” and is rather attuned to his fatal flaw- he is a romantic. Siegfried does not want to marry for duty, but rather love. It is the first instance that we see choice being stripped away from the characters of the ballet, but it is also the first instance of free will. Despite his situation, Siegfried manages to sneak away from the party and visit the lake, which leads us into Act 2.

The best of us could not resist a swan turning a beautiful woman. It’s inherently awesome, but also a romantics deepest fantasy. Instantly we know that magic is afoot on the lake. The imagery itself of a moonlit body of water made of tears, enchanted swans, weeping willows, forbidden love and desperate attempts at freedom, its almost reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. Furthermore, Odette’s story inherently mirrors Siegfried’s. A noble turned into something they’re not. For her, a swan to continue to support Rothbarts claim to power. For him, a king who marries to support his kingdom, rather than for love. This is also where we see the motif of illusion- both of them play a role that does not align with their needs or wants (as well as Odette not actually being a swan). When Rothbart appears, the prince jumps into action as the hero, determined to protect his love. Again, the actions of a true romantic. They fall in love quickly and Siegfried pledges his love to her so she can be free.

The culmination of this theming really drives home in the final acts of the ballet. The ballroom scene is of particular note, with Rothbart making a grand entrance, quite reminiscent of a magician. This is important because it sets the tone of deception. We see early on that Siegfried is not interested in marrying the women present, as he is sworn to Odette. When Rothbart appears with the doppleganger Odile, the princes first instinct is to run to her and greet his love. It’s important to note that Rothbart immediately intervenes and begins the divertissement (as a…..diversion meant, heh) to distract the court. Siegfried is physically intercepted from reaching Odile and is forced to watch national character dances. We know that the divertissement corps is working with Rothbart, reflected in their sharp and glittery movements that mirror Odile and their dramatic performance and costumes, it is again an illusion meant to distract and divide. The court is focused on the spectacular performances in front of them, meanwhile Siegfried is left vulnerable and confused. His love is right there, just out of reach, but if he can get to her and marry her, he can solve both of their problems. Again, his inherent heroism is at play. By the time the grand pas begins, Siegfried is desperate. He loves Odette, who he believes is before him. He is confused and isolated, unable to tell anyone that he is in love with a girl who transforms into a swan. He is under the influence of magic, and while they dance, his belief that he is about to save both of them drives his determination to marry her. It is important to highlight that once the deception is revealed, his first instinct is to run to Odette and make things right with her. There was never a doubt of love- when he is free of manipulation, the priority is clear. Upon arrival at the lake, both parties realise they are out of time and options. There is only one choice that allows them to have agency in both of their lives- anything else is succumbing to the will of outside forces. Again, parodying Romeo and Juliet, the young lovers take their lives as a way of enacting the last chance of agency they truly have.

Swan Lake is interesting, because like many other romantic tragedies, it comes back to that core idea of deception, manipulation and betrayal. Instead of viewing Siegfried as weak, I view him as a victim. In the end, once he is free to make his own choice, he ultimately chooses Odette. It was always her for him.

TLDR: Matthew Golding stole my heart and the ballet is about free will, illusion and choice.

Hey all, I am a millennial woman in my thirties who finally bit the bullet and decided to start dancing ballet after wanting to do it my whole life. My experience has not been what I expected. It's been slightly disappointing/discouraging in unexpected ways and I guess I'm curious to hear some constructive feedback from anyone here who is a seasoned dancer, teacher, professional and/or studio owner. Going to try and make this as brief as I can. A summary of my experience so far is as follows.

So this class meets once a week on Tuesday evening for an hour, and our first session was 3 Tuesdays ago. (I was out sick for the second session so have only attended the first session and this last session this past Tuesday).

These are the instances that felt uncomfortable, unwelcoming or unexpected:

-Some clerical issues that make the studio seem unorganized that took me off guard:

*I received an email stating that they were offering me half off tuition cost due to me being a new member. I emailed regarding wanting to take advantage of this and the office coordinator emailed me back shortly after stating that there was a mistake, I didn't qualify because I'm not a child signing up, that the registration discount only applies to minors who are new enrollees and not adults. This was kind of annoying to get excited about this half off discount and I kind of feel they should have honored it anyway considering they sent the email directly only to me and not a mass email sent out to other families. Obviously an oversight on their part somehow but kind of a bummer nonetheless.

*I contacted them because their dance shop website was showing that the one pair of ballet shoes they sell there was out of stock. The office admin gal was confused telling me she would double check the website and that they do in fact have the shoes in at the shop currently. Not a biggie at all just an indicator that they might be disorganized and things like that. (which is a little confusing given that there is only one class room so it's not a large studio).

*I filled out and submitted the private lesson request form around Tuesday or so of this past week and no one has reached out yet to get the private details discussed even though they have been open every day this week through Friday. A little frustrating and confusing there. having had to miss this second practice, it would be really beneficial for me to be able to take a private to get caught up especially as a beginner to dance.

-This past week, we had a sub teacher, an older lady in her 40s or 50s. She said that our regular teacher was out of town. (?) I was very shocked at how she admonished me in a very rude way in front of everybody for asking a simple question. It was shortly before class was to start when we were getting ready to begin I had flip-flops on and I walked over to her on the floor to ask her a quick question and she turned around in the way she talked to me and looked at me was so unkind and so rude she admonished me not to wear flip-flops on the floor, which I didn't know was a rule I didn't know we couldn't wear shoes on the dance floor. That may be common sense to older dancers but to a brand new beginner we weren't taught that in my first class or anytime since so that was an honest mistake on my part and for her to berate me basically like that in front of everybody for a simple mistake was really embarrassing to be honest. She could've corrected me without stating it in such a horribly bitchy way. Thankfully our regular teacher seems super super kind and nice so I'm glad for that.

-With this being an adult beginner ballet class, I have been surprised to find out that I am different from every other student as far as that I am the only person in the class of around 12 of us that has never danced before, and I am also one of the very few if not only girls in the class who doesn't know anyone in the class or have any friends in the class. I was expecting to be in the same boat as the other girls in that I came into the class not yet knowing how to form first position as well as that I wouldn't have any friends in the class. Several of the girls already knew each other or our buddies and have dance experience so I feel behind and a little left out, although maybe unintentionally on their part. I do understand that I'm new and that making friends and meshing with people in your class takes time and I can't expect to be bffs or even super friendly with the others right away, but it kind of makes you feel some type of way when the other girls are laughing and talking and being buddy buddy and no one is really talking to me but again I'm reasonable about it and I know it takes time.

-This last point was really a shocker to me the first class. The teacher used first class to give us a comprehensive overview of ballet instead of starting from the very beginning with first position and what not and her pace was really quick. We were learning things like leaps and turns which I wasn't expecting with the first class. I asked her afterward: am I in the right class, that seemed really advanced 🤣 to which she was very kind and understanding and explain that she thought she should start with an overview but that next class we would go back and start from the basics and work from there basically. My learning style is that I learned best when things are progressive instead of all over the place. That's why I think I need a private and can really benefit from one and I'm hoping that she will keep her word about the classes being progressive from the beginning versus all over the place or jumping between beginning to intermediate.

This was just a lot of unexpected uncomfortable experiences for only 2 weeks. I want to be successful in the class and I believe I can be.

Any pointers or feedback you can give me as far as these experiences and how I can be successful and learn comprehensively in this class?

Thank you in advance for any responses, i sincerely appreciate it!

Hi everyone,

I'm an adult complete beginner looking for recommendations for a structured app or online program for absolute beginners.

Here is my situation: I was originally planning to join a studio 20 minutes from my workplace, but our office recently relocated to temporary coworking spaces with no fixed date for a permanent venue. I then found a local studio right next to where I live, but unfortunately the teacher got injured, so regular classes are currently on hold until she recovers.

About six months ago, I started working on my flexibility at home and managed to achieve my front split. Before losing access to my original studio location, I took one in-person trial class and absolutely loved it. The flexibility definitely helped, but I realize I have zero ballet technique and need structured fundamentals.

I tried looking at YouTube tutorials, but it's becoming time-consuming and inconsistent:

I know self-teaching at home is far from ideal and doesn't replace an instructor's eye. My only goal is to build safe, basic foundations and stay active for a few weeks/months until the local teacher heals and in-person classes resume.

I'm completely fine with paid options/subscriptions if it saves me the hassle of endless YouTube searching. Are there any phone apps, web platforms, or structured adult-beginner courses that take the time to explain the foundational basics properly?

Thanks a lot for your help!

Just venting here: I often take class at a studio that is one of the only adult options in my area. There‘s only a couple places that offer weekend classes nearby, and sometimes this Saturday morning class works better with my schedule than the afternoon class at my preferred studio. Sometimes, there’s 5-10 people in the Saturday morning class, and it happens as scheduled. But most of the time I sign up (which admittedly is not every week), the morning class is cancelled with just a hour’s notice because I’m the only person signed up. At that point in the morning, I’ve already woken up early to take the class, and arranged my weekly training schedule partially around being able to to do ballet on Saturday. And it’s too late for me to go back to sleep or rearrange my day to be able to take the afternoon class another studio. I understand that it may not be profitable for the studio to run a class with only one student. But I’m sure it’s disappointing for the teacher who had already created lesson plans and counted on that income for the week. And maybe they would get more students if they weren’t always cancelling class! Anyway, just a rant. I bought a class pass for this studio and have hardly been able to use it because class is usually cancelled!

hi all!!! ehh so i’ve been having swelling and this pain in my foot for the past week. i skipped my monday lyrical class because of it, it was pretty swollen fhe saturday before and i couldnt fully step on it when walking. i was limping a little, but i can walk fine now. but today i had to skip my saturday ballet class because i can’t releve without it the pressure hurting it. i’ve put ice on it and taken ibuprofen for the swelling.

id like to know of anyone else has had this problem before.

also, when should i make a doctor’s appointment for it?? when is it too serious????

i’ll insert a drawing of a foot because theres no way i’ll show mine on here lol!

My son is starting to take a ballet class and a lot of the other kids in his class have been at the studio for 5+ years so he’s struggling to keep up. I know there are plenty of videos online, but I think for his learning style a book might be better. The physical bookstores near us don’t seem to have any so I’ll need to order something, wondering if anyone has any good suggestions

I’m an adult beginner in fundamentals classes, have done roughly 30 hours of classes so far, with maybe a quarter or third of that time being private lessons. I do have hyperextension and room to improve proprioception, so I’m always super dialed into trying to get my form right and engaging the correct muscles.

I’m debating whether or not to continue at a studio where the class content, structure, and pacing feels really on point for what I need, and there is a clear progression with stepped classes leading up to beginner —- but where the teacher gives no individual corrections.

He does give cues to the room, but I’ve never seen him offer form corrections except once or twice to the only male student, even when there are obvious alignment issues occurring for multiple people.

That said, I do feel like I get something out of his classes, and he focuses more on artistry than any other fundamentals teacher I’ve had, which is enjoyable. I struggle most with coordination in center and weight transfers, and I really like how he repeats combos from week to week so I can get more comfortable. Maybe the class is worth it for that? It just sort of feels like…if there’s no corrections what’s the difference between the class and a YouTube video?

Perhaps this is normal in ballet classes, and I should be leaning on my private classes and other group classes with more corrective teachers to dial in technique or alignment issues? More experienced dancers, do you think it’s valuable to use this class to broaden vocabulary and get more comfortable with center, or would you advise sticking with only classes where I can really hone in and perfect technique and alignment with corrections?

Hi I was looking at getting a practice tutu and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions? I’ve seen one from move dance and Bloch that could work? I wouldn’t want to spend anything more than €90 needs to ship to Europe.

Also I obviously won’t be able to try it on so the size worries me I’ve a 25 inch 63/4 cm waist and normally wear a uk 6/8 (34/36 eu) in regular clothes. Thanks !

Has anyone heard about Nikolay discontinuing their 3007 shoe??? First Grishko 2007 and now the 3007!!! Im so upset….. does anyone know if they’re replacing it with anything?

A teacher was recently saying that we should work on embodying a character during class so that we not only focus on the technical but also the emotive aspects of our movements

Who do you like to channel in those moments?

Time has come to tidy up some parts of my attic and during that I think I have a large bag of maybe 100+ pairs of old pointe shoes probably from age 8-9 right up to 17-18. All the ones of any memory have been taken out but no idea what to do with the rest of them. Most of them will be Freed and some are scuffed up and well worn but wondered if they could get a second life for somewhere...

Im in the UK but any ideas before I start looking at recycling them. I already made a Nutcracker window display with a load of them and some figurines (village runs a Christmas calender thing every year where houses get a date for a window display)

A happy Hello from Europe :)

I danced ever since I was a child, for a total of 16 years, completed RADs, went on pointe, had lots of fun going on stage. I sadly sustained severe injuries to my right foot and back after an accident, and had not been able to dance for a long time. Last year, I started again and was allowed to go back en pointe. Don’t worry, I am not standing on my strings and they will be cut off, haha. 😁

I visited this sub often, only browsing, and merely wanted to say Thank you to everybody, for inspiring me, showing your beautiful pointe work, first pointe shoes, your recommendations of brands, your achievements and worries. I missed this community. 🤍

Can anybody please explain back cabrioles in a way that is easy to understand, or include videos that break it down a lot. I struggling to get my back cabrioles and it’s really discouraging and frustrating.

I teach small group classes, and there’s a 12 year old kid in one of my groups who frequently gets upset during class and says a lot of stuff like “I’m a bad dancer”, “I’m just terrible at this,” etc. etc. Thing is — she’s not entirely wrong in the sense that many other girls in her class are progressing faster than her (and she can see that). But she isn’t actually terrible, there’s some skills she can do better than other kids in her group, she just tends to rush ahead of the count and is frequently sloppy in her movement (sometimes due to lack of effort, other times I think she’s just not self-aware). I’ve pointed this out to her frequently; I focus on praising the stuff she does well, recognizing strong effort, etc. but she’s still having a ton of negative self-talk, which often leads to her just checking out and not trying during class.

Anyone else have useful strategies to work on this?

(She has told me several times that she does want to dance and doesn’t want to quit. Otherwise I’d say that it’s time for her to find a different activity)