Thread: Ballet?

On a lighter note, I found a studio up the street that teached ballet for adults friday nights for 2 hours. I am thinking about seriously going. Who out there has taken ballet? and has it helped improve your dance? is there anything else out there that may help, maybe another dance or a certian move in ballet? Is this class worth me shelling out about $200 for?

Just my two cents, but I took one 8-week ballet session thinking it might help my dance and didn't get much out of it. I know, how much could you expect, right? I decided it wasn't worth continuing.

I am sure if you have a ballet background you have an advantage on dance posture & movement, but I'm not so sure it works the other way around.

I'll be curious to see what others have experienced.

I come from a ballet background so my opinion is from this background....
If you are to take ballet (or another dance form for that matter) to help your dance it will take years not weeks of study! Just as in our dance form you can not expect it to help after a short time!
It will help with arms (big time!), foot work, and turns! Expect posture help as well as overall body awareness.
Nothing is an 8 week session "Oh that helped!" when you are learning another dance form. If you are serious about something helping give it a try, it sure isn't going to hurt! I for one would tell the ballet teacher at some point why you are there and what you hope to do.
I have to admit that a beginning ballet class is very slow and you may not feel as if you are getting any place. However, as in our dance form you can't expect to learn a whole new movement vocabulary in just a few weeks so you would need to commit to it for the long term to gain the benifits.

I was thinking every friday for 2 hour for the next 2 years.....

depends on your style. if you love reda, hassan, yes. if you are are baladi, am cab, turkish, other, no. tina

Originally Posted by tattood1

depends on your style. if you love reda, hassan, yes. if you are are baladi, am cab, turkish, other, no. tina

I think it can only help no matter what style you do. Of course, it depends how seriously you take the classes and the expertise of the instructor.

Yes... no matter what your "style". An adults beginner ballet class won't make you look like a ballerina but it will increase your strength, control and over all body awareness. Ballet is an entire body work out, including dance stamina and you will very quickly learn what your weaknesses are... a regular ballet class will do you nothing but good.

The teachers are a male female duo....thewoman is supposto be a world famous dancer but i dont know her name,of course they are local japaneese so i wont understanda word but I thinkI may give it a try

I started taking ballet classes in June, at first only once a week but later 2 times a week (2,5 hrs in total)
I started noticing an improvement in strength and coordination since the last few weeks now. My arm movements are getting better as well. Posture: still working on it, but its better on the day of the class.

Best wishes,
Khalida

Originally Posted by lisamandin

Just my two cents, but I took one 8-week ballet session thinking it might help my dance and didn't get much out of it. I know, how much could you expect, right? I decided it wasn't worth continuing.

I am sure if you have a ballet background you have an advantage on dance posture & movement, but I'm not so sure it works the other way around.

I'll be curious to see what others have experienced.

I agree. It totally conflicts with a lot of the movements,, though if you have a ballet background this seems to help with poise, arms, gracefulness. Adult ballet is extremely hard. I did both, as a child, teenager,, then years later as an adult. It will help with arms and strength, but a lot of the rigid postural parameters clash with ME training.

many bd traveling moves are western if anything it might teach you to spin properly.

i would loove to take an adult bd class. tina

ballet will vastly improve arms, carriage and body awareness, not to mention spins.

I took a semester of ballet in college, and while it wasn't necessarily a long time, I feel it helped with my dancing. It helped me with posture, arms, lift and extension. I think it's worthwhile...

I took ballet as a child, but most recently took an adult modern dance class. You might consider checking that out. I want to go back and learn more, but I feel like the small bit I had did help me somewhat, or at least those few months helped me see how it could help me if I keep at it. I think a lot of the traveling movements would help bellydance.

It especially helped me be more aware of how I moved across the stage when I bellydance, how I placed my feet, etc. I definitely didn't perfect it, but I feel like I have a new avenue to improve my bellydance when I want to go back to it.

I started taking ballet and modern in august. I feel it's helping with my posture, strength, and body awareness. I point my toe alot prettier now when I do like a hip drop kick or something. I also feel I am listening to music different now. I'm attracted to the melody in middle eastern music, so I am drawn to expressing the sound of the flute, violin, or mizmar. Now I'm grasping counting, and dancing to counts, which is useful for choreographing. I'm also learning alot about space and pressence. The only thing is strange is the dance majors, the other students. I'm not a dance major, I'm Pre-Vet. I'm used to the bellydance community, which has for most of the time, felt sisterly and supportive. I feel alot of snobbery coming from a majority of the dance majors ( I am always amazed when someone doesn't return a smile...). It's a very unfamilar atmosphere, kind of like a competitive whiff in the air. Anyhow, I enjoy what I'm learning, and I'm gaining alot of knowledge, which in the end is the most important quality of the class.
Good Luck!