7 Tips to Teaching Adults...& Keeping Them Enrolled

For some instructors, teaching an Adult class is considered to be easy and a no-brainer as compared to the other classes.  Usually, the Adult class is comprised of beginners, so there is not a lot of preparation needed to give the class.  Adult students aren't usually concerned with being professionals so driving technique hard isn't a factor.  The majority of Adult students are viewed as coming for some ballet fitness, or taking for the sake of their child who is dancing, etc. However, what I see becoming the trend is that Adults can be a major source of income for a studio, if the classes are being taught correctly and managed appropriately. 

In my generation and all that followed, there were hundreds and thousands of girls who took ballet and danced growing up, more so than any previous generation.  As we got older, even if we never went pro, we still consider dance to be our go-to fitness option.  These are the same people who prefer group classes at gyms because that's the type of environment we're used to working out in. And despite this large pool of potential enrollees, studios and instructors fail to see the opportunity and really seek to engage this demographic; that's why Adult programs have little to no success.   

Check out these seven tips to see if your Adult program is lacking and what to do about it:

1) Just Because Your Adults are Beginners, Doesn't Mean They're Children

One of the biggest mistakes I see instructors make when teaching Adults, is treating them like they would a beginning children's class.  Even though adult students may be brand spanking new to ballet, they still have greater motor skills than children.  There is no reason to go super slow with positioning, only the break down of steps in sequences is usually needed.  This is also where knowing correct terminology helps, because vocabulary is something adults can pick up and remember more easily.  But the biggest thing is don't treat adults like children and in patronizing ways.  Most Adults seeking ballet fitness have done things like yoga and can handle the physicality of ballet, even if they are struggling with the coordination at the beginning.  That's not a reason to "dumb" down the instruction.  I've even seen one studio give an Adult class and play Disney music during the class.  Maybe this is okay if the class is all mothers just doing it for fun, but in almost every circumstance this is a massive fail.   

2) Allow for Differing Levels

It's not uncommon, especially if there are relatively few Adult classes offered at your studio, that there will be differing levels.  Most classes I participate in have a range as extreme as buck beginners to ex-pros (like myself) and even some active pros.  So the instructor has to be savvy enough to give exercises that can be adjusted per the varied levels of the dancers.  Most advanced-to-pro dancers are equipped with adjusting exercises as needed to meet their needs.  As long as the basic exercise meets beginner needs and can be built on (i.e. add a releve, raise the legs higher, add battu, do it en pointe, etc.) this should be the aim of the instructor when preparing class.  If you have enough varying levels to meet studio minimum enrollment requirements, work to add more classes that are tailored to each level's needs.

3) Know All of the Students' Goals

With understanding the different levels in your Adult class(es), is also understanding the different goals of your adult students.  As mentioned above, some are there purely out of support for their children.  Those that are there for fitness, may have all sorts of various fitness goals (non-machine cardio, weight loss, stress management, better balance, increased flexibility, maintaining fitness, they hate gyms, they love ballet, ex dancers, etc.) Knowing what brings an Adult through the doors is important in designing how the instructor teaches the class overall.  And like catering to different levels, to keep adults enrolled and engaged, you have to accommodate their different goals.  For example, I'll stop going to a class real often if the instructor fails to notice that I am an ex-pro and still treat class the same as I did back in my prime.  Meaning if I never receive any corrections, I consider it a waste of my money.  It's absolutely okay to get detailed on technical corrections for the ex-dancer, but not necessarily the one that's there for stress relief.  If there is a mix of cardio wants and better balance wants, make sure your class includes allegro and adagio.  The point is make sure you know what your adults want to get from the class and that will help ensure their enrollment and regular attendance.  Acting like this isn't a factor because you're "giving a class" is why adult programs often fail due to low enrollment.

4) Don't Recycle Exercises

When you teach a few classes and end your day with the Adult class, it's easy to use exercises from your previous class(es), but I caution against doing this.  As an instructor and ex-pro, I can always tell when an instructor is recycling exercises, because they give it really fast with little explanation.  While sometimes I see this as a challenge (because I have been dancing my whole life and I know technique without it being explained, where heads and arms should be, etc.) and it's a matter of how quick can I pick up the exercise, on the other hand, it's a cop-out for the instructor.  I know I'm not getting the same care, even though I'm most likely paying a higher price for my classes.  For the beginner Adult students, this slack off from the instructor ultimately hurts enrollment.  If an Adult student feels like they are given things without much explanation and they feel like they never really "get it," they'll stop coming.  Put care into designing your class for your adult students.  They pay for classes and they should expect the same prep you do for your other classes.

5) Stretching

Another mistake I see with Adult classes is in the area of stretching.  Wherever you allow for stretching in the sequence of your other classes, Adult classes should be treated a little differently.  Most adults feel like they need to work out some kinks before beginning exercise.  However, an adult stretching when not warmed up can more easily pull a muscle. Some buck beginner students may not necessarily have the experience to know how to stretch themselves to prepare for center work or to feel more comfortable during grande battements, while more experienced dancers prefer the time to stretch themselves rather than follow a led stretch.  All this has to be accommodated, so I recommend incorporating the following:

• Lead a light stretch at the beginning of class. This can be things like neck rolls, ankle rolls, stretching out the back, quads, calves, etc.
• Incorporate dynamic stretching into exercises for adults so they are receiving the benefits of stretching while warming up through choreography at the barre.  This happens by having cambres, lunge stretches around the ronde jambe section of class, including leg stretching in fondues at the end, etc.
• Between barre and center work allow adult students to stretch on their own or to follow a led stretch, but give the option of either depending on the ranges of students' experience.
• Encourage adult students to conduct static stretching at the end of class, or save the last 5-10 minutes to include this as part of a cool down for your portion of teaching the class. This is the time to do more focused stretching and holding positions for 20 seconds while the body is warmed up completely to accomplish increased flexibility.

6) Be Flexible

One of the first things that will make me run away from a studio as an Adult vs. a child student is if the attendance and pay structure is set up the same way.  Adults have other commitments in their life that will take priority over dance class.  Whether it's their job, their family or other things they have committed to, they can't be expected to maintain 100% attendance. So it's up to the studio to structure something that provides both equal flexibility and encourages attendance.  Most studios employ punch cards for Adult classes, and this makes the most sense.  But if you offer punch cards with a very small window of expiration, that is a turn off.  The other turn off is offering different blocks of bulk class purchases that offer little or no discounts, it's another turn off.

7) Provide Opportunities

While for some Adult students, the idea of performing is terrifying and the last thing they want to do, for many this is a selling point.  The same is true for an Adult pointe class, or the occasional partnering class opportunity.  This is again understanding what appeals to your body of Adult students and what doesn't, and doing what accommodates them.  I also recommend that even if the consensus is that no one is comfortable or excited about performing, still work on a piece of choreography for your Adults.  Continuously doing class work can get boring and working on a specific piece can bring a much needed dynamic, even if it never sees the stage.  But the other option is doing a simple showcase at the last class of the season for their children or significant others to view.  Having that goal and dare I say pressure, helps encourage consistent work and achieve all the other original goals that may be part of your Adult students' needs. Providing a good mix of opportunities is how you keep up interest and keep students engaged in your program.

Preparing For Audition Season

It's December and for many dancers, with the Nutcracker season behind them (or soon to be behind them) it's now time for Audition Season to commence.  For dancers entering audition season for the first time, it may be a daunting experience.  And even for seasoned auditioners, there may be some preparation you can do to make this season more successful.  

1) Preliminary Audition Preparation

The very first steps in getting prepared for audition season should occur months in advance, if not a full year for some things.  Ensuring that you have developed a written resume, taken both basic requested audition photographs to accompany your resume as well as additional portrait and candid shots to accompany things like your social media resume are all things to be done on an on-going basis throughout your career as a student and even well into when you have reached professional levels.  If this is not something you have done, visit my previous blogs here to get tips on how to get these things accomplished quickly.  

Next, depending on your age and level and what you're looking at auditioning for by way of Summer Intensive Programs (SIPs) and/ or if ready, professional contract positions, you will want to have variations prepared. If you are an older student (between 12-17) you should have started (if younger) and/ or have a wide, varied (if older) repertoire of different variations.  Each year (and I recommend at least 6 months to a year in advance of audition season) you'll want to have chosen a few various variations and contemporary pieces to showcase your skills and perform at auditions or to make part of your digital portfolio (in the case where you might submit videos for audition application long distance vs. coming to a physical location to audition.)  

In most cases, with repertoire work, you will want to seek out private coaching but for those that can do so financially, it is also always a good idea to get some pre-audition coaching for your classwork. One-on-one coaching for basic technique and classwork will, under most circumstances, increase your chances for a successful audition season.

2) Funds

Audition season, as with most things related to dance on a more serious level, can run into some money.  Whether it's the basic expense of audition fees (which can range anywhere from *$10-$65 per audition class) to getting resume coaches, repertoire coaching, costumes and even in some cases, travel expenses (gas, hotel, airfare, depending on how far you plan to travel for a given audition).  Whether you decide to do just a few auditions or many (and depending on what all they require), in addition to coaching, photography, repertoire prep, costumes, etc., you'll want to map all of that out with your primary goals (as discussed further below) and figure a projected cost and in some cases you may need to work with your parents on a budget plan for audition season. 

3) Make a Schedule/ Plan

I always advise students and pre-professionals to do as many auditions as possible throughout the season for three reasons: 1) you never know what company or SIP will give you acceptance and/ or in some cases, things like scholarships, or other financial aid if they want your attendance.  So cast the net as far as possible to see what you catch, don't limit yourself to just a few (if you can afford it) and go to as many as possible. 2) Auditions, especially while you are a student, are a great way to gain exposure.  We now have social media that gives more exposure than ever before to aspiring dancers but prior to that, auditions were all there was, and in some cases, still the best because it's face-to-face contact.  Don't limit yourself to two auditions if you in fact have an opportunity to attend 20+. 3) The more auditions you do, the better at them you become.  A first audition can be a very nerve-racking and even scary situation, you may be so nervous that you make more mistakes than you normally do, or the instructor's style is extremely different from what you're used to dancing and you struggle with the exercises.  But as you become more experienced at participating in auditions, the process becomes more familiar, and you're able to pick up on nuances, and even if your nerves never completely go away, you learn how to dance well through them.  

So, with the aim of attending as many auditions as possible, it becomes necessary to make a schedule for your upcoming audition season.  Most auditioners coming to an area will all go to the same 1-4 top studios, places for auditions, and therefore it's easier to schedule auditions that don't overlap. However, especially in bigger cities with many visiting auditioners in the case of SIPs, there can be overlap.  And you'll want to spot these ahead of time and decide which one(s) fall within your targets (discussed below).  There are several ways to find out who is coming where within your area (or close to your area) for auditions:

For SIPs:

1) Dance magazines - in these periodicals, companies and schools will start advertising now (or sometimes even as early as November) when they will be visiting different cities for auditions.

2) Check with the top five studios/ companies in your area, and/ or in the largest city close to you, and have them send you information about visiting auditioners to their location for the season.

3) Most auditioners (and locations) will post on their websites where they will be holding auditions and which auditioners are coming to their location.  

For contract positions: 

Most often, companies select auditionees from SIPs and/ their own schools, but they also post when they are looking for contract dancers.  Again this can sometimes be found in dance magazines, but these days it's usually more available on-line, at the company's website.  Many have an audition period in which they either hold specific auditions, or accept digital portfolio submissions for application.  This again, is simply a matter of doing the research for where you want to work, and seeing what the options are to submit for application.  In some cases it may require a phone call or visit to the office manager (don't let them rattle you if they're not very friendly about it) to find out what the protocol is for auditioning.

Map out your plan with the projected expenses involved and what you need to be prepared at the audition (i.e. resume, filled out application, photos, videos, repertoire, etc) and make a calendar and (in some cases) a to do list, and this will help you to be organized and prepared for audition season.

4) Have A, B & C Targets

Although we want to cast that wide net and hit as many auditions as possible, you do want

to make a Plan A, B and C for your goals, whether that be a preferred SIP you want to attend or the desired company to dance with for contract.  Most every dancer knows their ideal (Plan A) but you'll want to always have back up plans should that not work out for whatever reason.  Maybe you're not accepted, maybe the timing is bad, maybe the money is an issue (either to attend an SIP or the contract offered is not enough to live on, etc.)  Whatever the case, make specific targets and back ups to those targets.  And even if your most desired SIP or company is a long shot for whatever reason, never let that detour you from auditioning.  Again if nothing else but for exposure, and let them see you and find out who you are and let them know you want nothing more than to dance with them, even if it's down the road sometime.

5) Prep Audition & Focus Audition

Back when I did auditions, and I had my various targets laid out, I would also sometimes (if the cost was within my budget) use an audition for an SIP I didn't necessarily care about to prepare for the one I did care about and wanted to attend. This is also a common practice with interviewing for jobs in business.  You use an interview you don't necessarily care if you get or not, as a practice, or rather dress rehearsal, to work out the kinks of your nerves, presentation and performance.  And whether it's in business or in dance, I think this is a valid practice and a good thing; again if it is within your budget to do so.

6) Long Distance/ Not Present Auditioning

For some us, we may live in smaller cities or more rural areas, in which case long distance auditioning is our best friend.  Sometimes, it may be a timing or scheduling issue that lends itself to the option of long distance auditioning.  In either case, you'll want to always be sure to follow whatever specific guidelines the auditioner has given in order to submit a digital portfolio as an audition.  I have also seen it happen many times, that dancers I've given resume and social media coaching to, get offered positions at companies and/ or SIPs because someone came across their social media and on-line postings of their dancing, technique and digital portfolio without it being necessarily through normal audition or submission protocols.  Therefore, always be sure that you are working and keeping your social media up to date with your projects, repertoire ambitions, recent photography, etc. as well as be sure to carefully follow long distance submission guidelines.

*Many top level companies and Summer Intensive Programs consider their audition to be a Master Class, so be sure to treat it as such and include prestigious instructors as part of your resume to make that investment worth the entire fee

"I'm So Tired..!" 5 Tips to Stay on Track & On Your Game

We are now at the time of year when a ballet student/ pre-professional dancer can really be testing their physical limits.  Between possibly taking on a higher demand and count of classes in a given week from the previous year (because you have come up a level) to integrating pointe work and/ or variations work into your repertoire or practice schedule, including prepping for audition season (whether that be working on your resume, your variations, your technique in private coaching, etc.) and also many are packing in Nutcracker rehearsals and performances, all while still managing regular school work...! It's a tough time of year and it's what I consider to be the busiest and most physically demanding time of year for dancers, even over summer intensives.

It becomes easy for dancers to get physically exhausted, not due to lack of motivation but from a real concern of running on empty.  But there really is nothing you can back off from, so it then it becomes a risk of injury, which will really put a dancer in a bad situation.  Use these five tips to help make it through this busy time of year:

1) Diet, Sleep and Overall Well-Being

This is probably a given but at the same time, it's very easy to slip into unhealthy habits when schedules get crazy and/ or stress builds up.  But the more you disrupt your normal habits, the more your body will strain under all your commitments, plus the changes.  So maintaining a proper diet, even in the midst of 12-14 hour days, is crucial to overall performance level.  This means skip the convenience of picking up fast food and pizza, and you may need to make sure you and your parents are on the same page with this.  Because your schedule weighs heavily on their abilities to get everything done as well. (Discussed in more detail below). 

It's also important to get plenty of sleep.  Most teens require between 8-10 hours of sleep a night to manage stress well and sleep debt can hinder an athlete's ability to perform at peak levels.  However, it is as equally important to go to bed at the same time each night.  So if it's Saturday night and you have no rehearsals or other obligations on Sunday morning, you shouldn't stay up until the wee hours of night and sleep all day.  This will just be harder on you and your body come Monday.

It's also important to take moments to manage stress, not only on your body but for your psychological well-being as well.  This can be as time consuming as soaking in a bath for 30 minutes or simply taking 5 minutes to lay still on your back with your eyes closed, listening to relaxing music and breathing deep.  Whatever you can fit in, make sure you do something each day.

2) Get Organized & Time Management Skills

Being a pre-teen or teenager, you may not necessarily be an organized type, and really have no issue with your room being a disaster area and your dance bag being a black hole of so many things you couldn't find what you're looking for at any given moment.  But here's the problem with that: dancers are organized.  You have to be when you're managing everything (especially while touring) and there's nothing more pathetic than someone who is running around because they can't find their hair piece or a glove or other easily misplaced item when 1 or more disorganized individuals share a dressing room or hotel room.  These are skills you want to start developing now if it's not already your natural tendencies.  So here's a quick checklist of things to do to get yourself organized:

• Clean and organize your room, your dance bag and your car (if you're driving your own car)
• Make sure your dance bag (or other bags, like make-up bags) have the essentials you need for rehearsals, performances, auditions; extra ribbon and elastic, toe wrappings, hair supplies, meals & snacks, etc.
• If you are managing your own costumes, label your costume bags, hangars, etc. Label each of your shoes and any accessories (if you can't label accessories, put them in gallon zip lock bags and label the bag).
  
• Prepare your meals and snacks for the week ahead of time.  Many athletes utilize the practice of meal prepping as a means to handle heavy training schedules and maintain healthy diets.  Dancers are no exception. Work with your parent(s) to prepare food ahead of time, as this helps to alleviate the stress of cooking for the week for them as well (at least as far as the dancer(s) in the family is concerned).
  
  
• Manage your downtime in a smart way.  This means that if you have a break or down time during a rehearsal, it's not always the best time management to watch your colleagues.  While under normal circumstances this can be a great learning tool, if you're in a time crunch for a few months, it may make better sense to place a higher priority on doing your homework, or studying for a test, or working on your own variation(s) for audition season, sewing or breaking in a new pair of pointe shoes, or resting.  And most certainly, this is not a time to be gossiping or surfing the internet on your phone, etc.
• Deliberately schedule everything that needs to get done.  This means that it's easy to follow the schedule of your classes, rehearsals and private lessons because those are set by your instructors and directors.  But you also need to set aside deliberate time to work on resume photos or self-rehearsal of variations or studying for regular school work.  Working under the mind-set of "I'll fit it in wherever I can" works somewhat but it shouldn't be your main plan, because 9 times out of 10, something won't get done.  Whether that results in a missed opportunity or a failing grade on a test, either way make a planned schedule that includes everything that needs to be done.  Be sure to enlist your parents, instructors, photographers and resume coaches to help you achieve your complete schedule.

3) Negotiate

Although this is not always going to work nor necessarily be appropriate to do (use your best judgement and discuss with your parents beforehand) there are times that it makes the most sense.  If your rehearsal schedule has large gaps of downtime between your dance time, talk to the director or choreographer running the rehearsal and see if there is any way to re-organize.  This not only keeps you (and probably others at your level) from having tons of down time but it's also about managing injury risk, because if you're sitting around for an hour or more, you'll have to spend time all over again to warm up.  Granted, making a rehearsal schedule that pleases everyone is impossible (so don't expect that from your director) but if you see an opportunity that makes sense, humbly bring it up to the director in private.  Never ask them to change it in front of others and never request a change without proposing a solution that makes sense.

Another non-conventional way to manage your time is with your physical education class if you're attending a regular school.  Request a meeting with the P.E. teacher (and possibly a vice principal or principal) with you and your parent and provide a detailed list of all your dance classes and rehearsals and see if (at least during the busy time if not for the whole school year) if you can be exempted out from P.E. requirements.  If this is granted, it can provide an additional study hour if your P.E. is in the middle of your school day or if you can make your schedule where it's at the end of the day, then perhaps you can get in a private lesson or additional rehearsal hour.

4) Cross-training

While I personally find very little value in regular school systems' Physical Education programs, before opting out if you can as described above, I do very much believe in cross-training for dancers, and your P.E. class may be the place to do this.  Many professional dancers do cross-training, whether it be Pilates, yoga, weight and resistance training and swimming.  These are all low-impact forms of exercise that can help train muscles that either you are not getting from your ballet classes and rehearsals and/ or it provides muscle training that can enhance and work muscles you are working in new ways so that there is not repetitive training and muscle fatigue (leading to injuries) occurring.  This counter-balance to all your ballet training helps to keep the body in check as well as provides your body a "break" from ballet without being static.

5) Let it Go (from time to time)

When you are feeling chronic fatigue, or you seem to be doing a lot of mis-steps that almost caused an injury, it's time to back off.  I was very fortunate in the fact that I never sustained a serious injury throughout my entire dance career, and while yes, I did all of the above and always gave 200%, I attribute my zero injury factor to one thing only: I took time off when I really needed it.  The simple fact of the matter is, your body is your tool.  And you should be in tune with your body enough to understand the difference between normal tiredness due to missing a few hours sleep or a few hours extra rehearsal versus compensating safe dancing and technique because you're trying so hard to carry yourself through various physical demands and the reality is, you just have nothing left.  Which is dangerous.  Even though you may feel like every single day (maybe even hour) is a critical time for which to not let up on your practice and discipline, if you cause yourself a severe injury, that will be far worse than just taking a day or two off, in the short and long run.

If you are constantly feeling new smaller injuries, mis-stepping in pointe work (where you roll your ankles easily or land jumps badly) or noticing that you are treating and trying to prevent injuries (ice & heat packs, PT and other medical type visits) on a regular basis, chances are good you are headed for a severe injury.  When these practices are becoming common place, let it go and take a day (or in some cases more) off.  Don't even do class, just allow your body time to rest and recuperate.  You will come back dancing without the high risk of injury and in most cases that I've seen, dancing improves.  Character portrayal improves and management of stress overall is improved.  I am one of the hardest pushing coaches I've ever met, and even I subscribe to this practice.  

Good luck to everyone pushing through another winter season and take care of your bodies!

Building Your Personal Repertoire [Student]

As a student in ballet looking to become a pre-professional, it is important to include, within your skill level and abilities, your own personal repertoire.  Your repertoire is the collection of dances, variations, solos, etc. you have accumulated (and hopefully acquired exceptional skill at!) during your tenure as a student ballerina.  There are very specific areas to which a pre-professional dancer should take care to include in his/ her repertoire; whether it be for the resume, the social media resume, competition, audition or other submissions to a professional company and contract for dance.  While this post centers on the ballet pre-professional repertoire, many of the same principals can be applied to any dancer, in any genre.

Age & Level Appropriateness
The first factors to look at when developing your personal repertoire all have to do with age and level.  After all, the last thing you want to do as an 11 year old in the first year or so of your pointe work is to try out Black Swan.  Therefore, you want to look at what is appropriate for your age and level of strength with your pointe work.  I would say that in many cases, if not most, that you wouldn't want to even attempt variations and building a repertoire until at least your second year en pointe, and even then, you'll want to seek the advice and direction from your main ballet instructor as to whether or not you can safely begin variation work.  This, of course. is not to say that an aspiring young dancer can't begin variations study on demi-pointe/ flat, but variations are meant to be done on pointe, so even a demi-pointe study should be geared to what you will eventually do en pointe.

It should also be noted that while many instructors say that beginner students (on flat) or a new pointe student (again, I would say at least two years en pointe in most cases, the exception is a dancer that is taking multiple technique and pointe classes in a given week and has the feet/ ankle strength) there are many young dancers, as young as ten years old who want to compete in national ballet competitions.  Although the dancer should yield to the instructor's advice on whether they are strong enough, it's also a coach's responsibility to adjust variation choreography to fit the dancer's ability while still maintaining the original elements, hence the title of a variation.

Available at the end of this post is a rough guide for levels and the types of variations that would serve a dancer well to be working on as well as include on their social media resume, and their competitive submissions.

Variety of Character & Emotion

One of the biggest considerations is developing a range of characters within the variations you choose, as well as the range of emotion and depth said characters and variations portray.  For example, if you choose to study Giselle, Act I variation, and Aurora Act I variation and La Fille Mal Gardee, there won't be much of a difference in the acting factor of the performance.  Of course they are different characters with very different story lines but the dynamic is simply not there to demonstrate a wide range of character depth and emotion.  So the objective becomes picking a wide range of characters and "emotional situations" that provide a comprehensive portfolio to your dancing skill beyond technical proficiency.

The expressions of joy and happiness, such as with a peasant or princess type role who has found her true love, is something that is socially acceptable for the younger dancer in most cases.  Or fanciful characters like birds and other animals.  Many instructors and coaches will hold the position that within many of the ballet/ Broadway stories, a young dancer does't have the maturity and life experience to portray certain roles.  I, personally, disagree with this way of thinking. I believe this to be a lazy out for coaches.  It's absolutely true that a young person doesn't necessarily have these personal life experiences to draw upon, however, a coach does.  A coach should be able to not only explain and articulate some of these experiences (again, keeping in mind age and level appropriateness), but also mentor the dancer in how to mimic and design the lines and facial expressions needed to portray a given character.

It has to be understood, even very early on, that a dancer checks herself at the door upon entry of the studio.  Whether that is part of the appeal of dance to begin with or if it has to be a deliberate action and decision for the dancer, this transformation must take place.  Whether it be real or, imagined.  And honestly, the entire world of the stage is imagined with the assistance of sets, music, costumes, etc. so why would anyone limit a dancer's access to a character simply because she may have never actually fallen in love yet?  (Like any of us knew right from left if we ever had actually fallen in love...) Or the feeling of betrayal? Rage? Jealousy? Confinement? Hope?  It is usually naive to believe that a teenager doesn't or hasn't felt these things on some level and in some great measures for them to be able to draw into their own character portrayals.  

So it is by no means that a certain age, around 14 or older can probably take on most roles.  How they portray it and if their lines and facial expressions are properly performed is cultivated by the coach or instructor.

And when seeking that dynamic, the student should be seeking a wide range of joy, anger, loss, betrayal, jealousy, revenge, justice, liberty, generosity, majesty, love found, love lost, coquettish-ness, arrogance, etc. when they are examining the roles and variations to build their repertoire.

Dynamic of Classical and Contemporary

Ballet and all dance, really is rooted in tradition and what has become generally accepted as the classics.  It is important for students/ pre-professionals to master the classics because it demonstrates a palate from which almost everyone can identify with on technical, performance and presence overall to your acumen at achieving a well-known character and conveying that story line to the audience. 

Equally as important, however, is being able to convey this translation with a completely new work, hence most contemporary works.  Contemporary pieces are typically wide open for the dancer and choreographer.  It can be a deeply emotional piece, or completely abstract; it may or may not tell a story; if it doesn't have a story, it may focus solely on designing shapes with the body; music tends to have more modern beats, instruments and sounds, etc. Contemporary pieces may be more liberating from an artistic stand point but it is equally difficult to perform if given the right coaching and direction.  In some cases it requires a deeper level of discipline because so many of us are focused on classics from very early on and throughout our dance training.

What You Should Work On vs. What You Should Perform
A common mistake I see both students and coaches making is having a student perform or compete with a variation that is technically above their level before they are ready.  This is not to say that a particular variation isn't good for the student to work on to increase their technical proficiency, but if they are still struggling with the steps, they should not compete with it.  For example, if you have a dancer who is not a good grande allegro jumper, Gamzatti variation may be a great piece to work on, but not necessarily to compete with, unless the dancer has put about a year or more into working on the piece.  

Once you are around 14/ 15 years old and are ready (potentially) to start working on the more advanced variations, be sure you have realistic expectations of the timeline.  Most pre-professionals should expect to work on an advanced level variation for about a year prior to competing with it.  In this case, this is how your repertoire is steadily built, because you have what you will be working with for that year and what you will be working on in the coming year as well as whatever you did in the past.  And of course no one expects perfection from a pre-professional and to perform something that you haven't put that time into may be okay and probably encouraged so you have performance experience with the piece. But as a coach, I recommend a minimum of 6-8 months under your variation belt with a piece before seeking to compete with it.  And once you have performed or competed with a piece, it doesn't mean you stop working on it.  Anything that you pull into your repertoire, should be kept fresh and something you could easily perform at a moment's notice.

Example Repertoires

Beginner                                                
Bluebird/ Canary                                                        
Cupid                                                                             
Doll  
La Esmeralda
La Fille Mal Gardee   
Intermediate Variations on demi-pointe                                                                              

Intermediate
Beginner Variations
Kitri Act III                                                                          
Lilac Fairy                                                                   
Aurora Act I   
Contemporary pieces                                                                  

Advanced
Intermediate Variations
Odile/ Black Swan                                                           
Giselle Act I 
Firebird
Mad Scene (Giselle)/ Death Scene (Juliet/ Odette)                                                                  
Sugarplum Fairy        
Contemporary pieces                                                      

3 Pointers for Your First Pointe Shoes

It’s been requested that I share in a post my classroom pointers when introducing students to pointe shoes and pointe work for the first time.  These are tips that were either imparted to me by my instructors “back in the day” but also some that I have figured out for myself along the way.  Some may be helpful to readers, but others may not apply.  

Once you have been authorized to go on pointe, and I discuss this more thoroughly in Pointer #1, the main advice I give is do what feels right for you.  This is important to gain a sense of as quickly as possible because there is nothing “comfortable” about the first pair of pointe shoes.  Understanding what works for you though will help with fittings, proper shoe selection and avoiding injuries.  I do have to provide a disclaimer that my information is based on my personal 20+ years of dancing en pointe and working with students, but I am not a certified pointe shoes fitter or manufacturer, I am not a medical professional and I am in no way endorsing any brand of pointe shoe nor opposing a recommendation for any pointe shoe.

Pointer #1 Going on Pointe and Selecting the Shoe:

Determining the right time to go on pointe is the first crucial factor to get right.  Unfortunately, I have seen in several studios, mostly non-professional studios, that this is often times considered by the age of the dance student.  While some debate this is due to ensuring the muscles of the feet have been fully developed from a growth perspective, this is an inaccurate measurement of readiness in my opinion.  Readiness for pointe used to be determined by strength and technique of the student’s feet/ footwork.  As a basic guideline, if the student is not participating in at least two 90-minute ballet technique classes per week, they should not go on pointe, and I personally wouldn’t allow someone to go up unless they were taking three classes per week in addition to having the extra basic pointe work as a separate class.  

Some parents and studio owners may disagree, or feel that is too much to expect from a time and tuition perspective, but this is why I feel so many dance students are put on pointe prematurely and usually sustain some sort of injury/ injuries. 

It’s also easy for students and studios to go to the local dance clothing and supply shop to obtain their first pair of toe shoes, however, if your local dance store(s) are basically boutiques, carrying a wide variety of dance wear, jazz and tap shoes, maybe even some ballroom and hair accessories, etc., this would not be my recommendation for finding a first pair of pointe shoes.  You can go there to get a pair to “test” but I always recommend finding a true pointe shoe distributor who works directly with manufacturers if at all possible for you.  Usually the pointe shoe is all they specialize in.  As a student in a small town, there was a selection of three types of pointe shoes for me to try when I was approved for pointe class.  They were all awful, but I was so excited to get shoes, I didn’t want to wait.  However, our next family vacation, we road-tripped two states away to Texas, and my mother and I took an entire day to visit the largest pointe shoe distributor.  I spent 6 hours trying on every single type of pointe shoe the distributor carried, and it was time well spent.  By the time I was back in the studio, my dancing was much easier because I had a more comfortable shoe that fit properly with the width of my foot and had the flexibility in the shank for my arch.  

Although the distributor I went to back then was extremely knowledgeable on trying on pointe shoes, they also encouraged trying on as many as I wanted.  This spoke volumes to me back then and to this day, because they were not “pushing” any one type of shoe or inventory at me and were concerned that I got the proper shoes for me.  I am not convinced that all dance stores follow this principle, as I have witnessed several sales pitches to a particular type of shoe I knew did not work for me, even just through verbal explanation or sharing what my shoe preference type was and I’ve seen it in students that come into a class with ill-fitting shoes, saying that the fitter really pushed that shoe on them even though they preferred a different one.  So it’s important that you do not crumble to a sales pitch, or believe everything the fitter tells you as far as “this is what all the students are wearing” or ‘this is the latest and greatest” shoe on the market.  

Make sure you take full advantage to try everything on you can, and don’t feel like you have to buy something if none of them feel right and have an option to go and try some shoes elsewhere.  Your ballet instructor should provide you fitting tips with regards to *pointe shoe fittings such as length, width, shank strength and position, vamp length, etc. and the person conducting the fitting should also be up to speed on properly fitting shoes, but I still recommend to students (even my own) to do your own research.  With the Internet, students have a wealth of knowledge and resources available to them that previously could only be passed down from instructor to student.  Even if the information seems redundant, both parent and student should research this on-line to gain a sense of what they should be looking for and feeling for at the fitting to make a more informed decision and be able to identify if the fitter is fitting you properly or by sales pitch.

Pointer #2 Preparing Shoes and Feet:

*Preparing shoes takes some time and experience to find out what works best for you.  For me, I wet down the box with water before class and hammer out the box to soften by about 30% from the original mold hardness.  I do this to make sure I have flexibility in my demi-pointe work and fluidity of footwork to rise up to en pointe.  If the pointe shoes are strictly for practice and classroom, I will only sew on elastic, similarly to ballet flats.  If it’s a performance shoe, I will only sew on the ribbons and no elastic.  I also bend the shank repeatedly, I don’t exactly break it, but this also provides better fluidity with the shoes.  

I do all of this but I have a high arch and very strong feet and ankles, so I require less support.  A beginner student would not want to mess too much with the shank until they gain some experience with the feel of pointe shoes, but I do recommend working the shank on some pointe shoes for dancers who have a lesser arch or even flat feet.  Again, this needs to be determined on what feels right to the dancer.  Seek out advice from your instructor or more seasoned dancers, but ultimately this has to be evaluated by trial and error over time.

My preparation of feet for pointe work, I know will be contrary to a lot of what dancers do today, but I personally don’t believe in a lot of stuff in my shoes.  I believe in good old *toe wrapping and maybe a little lamb’s wool, but today I see a lot of students putting so much padding and toe flows in their shoes, I have to wonder if they can feel the floor at all.  And some of the newer manufacturers of shoes have built in padding!  This may alleviate the first pain of the experience of toe shoes, but I also believe if you never mold the shoes to your feet and feel what you’re doing and go through the rites of bloody blisters or losing toenails, you may be dancing numb, which may hinder your progress or even inspire injuries.  I also have to wonder again if the use and recommendation of all these “extras” is part of the sales pitch to get students to rely on having to spend this additional money since their feet will rarely get the calluses needed to go without all the padding.  One may also need to consider, after researching all your fitting guidelines of the shoes, is all that padding throwing off a proper fitting? 

To wrap your toes, it’s easy and cost effective to use some medical adhesive tape (this is recommended because it will stay on well even if your feet are sweating) and a little cotton to make a “dance band-aid”) and apply this wrap to your more blister prone areas, i.e. pinky toes, large toes.  If you have a long rehearsal ahead of you or a performance and you are struggling with the pain of some blisters, I recommend using some baby teeth numbing gel/ cream on your toes.  It doesn’t completely numb the toes, but it will make getting through the rehearsal, class or performance bearable.  Last, when your toes ache or you sustain blisters, suck it up.  It is a recipe for injury to “limp” around on pointe.  Either dance through the pain and focus on your dancing or take the shoes off and try to recover.  Blisters are part of the “thrill of your newfound pointe status,” if you don’t dance through it, pointe work will always be painful (calluses have to be developed).  Many of us felt it was also a rite of passage if we were able to dance through our bloody blisters and even be able to show the blood soaked through on the shoe.  It was our equivalent to being tough and our “macho” contest, rather than wimping out.  I realize some may not be that competitive but if you aren’t, that’s where it’s best to just take off the shoes to avoid stepping or rising incorrectly because of the pain and possibly sustaining an injury.  Soaking your feet in Epsom Salt will help to draw out the soreness when you begin dancing on pointe in the beginning.

There are probably many different methods to *tying shoes, but this is my recommendation:  1) Criss-cross the ribbons in the front of your ankle 2) Wrap the ankle about 1.5-2 times so that both lengths of ribbon meet in the inside of the ankle (Note: one ribbon length will be longer than the other) 3) Tie a square knot and place the ribbons in tandem to one another with the longest ribbon length on top 4) Tuck them in to form a square.  I burn the ends of my ribbons to ensure they don’t fray.  Never use safety pins to attached pointe shoes, always sew them.  It’s also a huge peeve for almost every instructor to see ribbons hanging out or tied in bows, it looks awful and it’s unprofessional.

Pointer #3 Extending the Life of Pointe Shoes

Serious ballet students and dancers quickly learn that pointe shoes are a major expense for your career.  Some dancers need 20 pairs a month, others only 20 pair every few months, a more beginner dancer may think 20 pair a year seems like a lot.  In either case, we want to try and make pointe shoes last as long as possible.  Depending on the wear you put your shoes through; it’s possible to get another performance out of a shoe and/ or another month or so out of shoe, by *‘cooking’ the shoes.   If you take some floor wax, and apply it to the box of the pointe shoes, both inside and outside (be careful on the outside if you are trying to use for a performance and some floor wax brands will change the color of the satin, making it darker, but usually this can also be covered with pancake make-up or paint), place the shoes on a baking sheet (I always remove the ribbons and re-sew them on after baking, but I’ll leave elastic on) and baking them in an oven this will temporarily re-harden the shoe.   Ovens can vary so you will need to watch carefully and develop it over some tries, but I would recommend starting with 250* and baking for approximately 10-15 minutes.  You should always check this every five minutes until you get your “recipe” just right.

I will also take a “dead” pair of performance shoes and completely hammer out the box and de-shank the shoes.  Remove the ribbons and sew on elastic, and voila!  I have a very good pair of ballet flats that also work my feet a little harder in technique class.

*Stay Tuned for Video Tools related to these topics - Coming Soon! 

Photo 1: Dancer Model Credit: Elliana F.

Adult Dancers: Meet the Floor

I previously wrote about Adult Dancers and the difficulty they may face while at the barre, whether it is their very first class, or they are returning to class after a long hiatus from the dance world and studio.  As much as the barre might be a challenge, stepping away from the barre to do the center and across the floor portions of class can be even scarier.  In this post, I cover some common, albeit unpleasant, surprises and how best to handle them.

Facing the Mirror

Although you may clear this hurdle while at the barre, my experience and observation has been that most Adult Dancers are not as studious at looking in the mirror while at the barre in their first classes.  Usually buck beginners are too focused on just getting the steps right (perhaps even having to watch another student in front of them) or even a seasoned dancer returning is also focused on "getting through barre," feeling their bodies vs. intensely watching in the mirror to scrutinize their technique.  And it's scary to look in the mirror.  That shock of pink tights and a leotard (even with some warm ups or a skirt on) can be jarring.  For a returning dancer its equally shocking because the last time you saw that reflection might have been when you were in your teens or early 20's and well...our bodies change as we age, or have children or simply become not as active as we once were.  Even if you skip the leotard and tights for something more 'common' such as yoga apparel or sweats, it's a different setting and different movements than what you may be accustomed to seeing in the gym mirrors or home mirrors.

The best advice I have for you is to make your peace with it sooner rather than later.  When I returned to dance after a few years off (and the majority of those years were dedicated to cheeseburgers and cupcakes) I spent a very long time wearing warm ups and junk throughout the entire class, telling myself I was doing everyone a favor to not have to see my bulges.  Never really making much progress with weight loss nor ever becoming comfortable with the image I saw.  Finally, during a summer session with an A/C on the fritz, I took the junk off.  Even though it was tough for the first few weeks to look at myself, I noticed that I automatically made more healthy choices with my eating habits and got a lot more disciplined with attending classes and doing cross training workouts, because of what I saw, as opposed to what I hid.  By the end of the summer, I had lost weight, and even though I was not a 90lbs. dancer again, I became comfortable with what I saw in leotards and tights.  Which may not be much in the studio per se, but in regular clothes I looked the best I had in years and my confidence soared.

Cinder Block Legs

While at the barre, your leg muscles may have taken on a life of their own with the shakes.  Another possibility is that barre wasn't too bad, and maybe all the rhetoric of the "big, difficult come back" was all hooey.  But somehow, for reasons no one knows or can understand, suddenly away from the barre, your legs will most likely feel like you've got cinder blocks on your feet as opposed to ballet slippers.  Center barre work typically shifts weight constantly between the feet, and when you're not used to "pulling up" and being off your heels, that weight change either becomes impossible or your muscles tense so much, simple tendus will make your legs burn.  Adagio, which once was my favorite part of class when I was a professional, quickly became the most dreaded part of class, because I no longer had the balance, extension and core muscles to maintain slow balances, slow developpes and penches.  Across the floor is also frustrating because you most likely will know what you need to do, but translating it to your legs becomes like those nightmares where you want to run but you're frozen or stuck in mud and can't move.

The best advice for this is to keep with it.  All these "blocks" are temporary and will improve with time.  It also helps to stick with the same class/ teacher.  Many teachers have a particular style that their combinations follow, so it becomes a little easier to pick up on these movements when there is that consistency in style.  The other advice is to keep pulled up, don't "sit' back in your heels.  Also, when you are battling your body and/ or learning ballet for the first time as an adult, you are constantly thinking about the step you're doing, and this sometimes makes us late for the following step. Always be thinking about the next move in the combination (to anticipate a weight shift or body position change).  And last, keep your movements small. Don't worry about getting a leg high (work at 90 degrees or lower for awhile), or doing multiple turns or traveling right away or including battu (beats) in your jumps.  

Last advice is to breathe.  This could just be a personal flaw, but many times I'm so focused on what I'm doing, I find that I'm holding my breath during the exercises which, as you can imagine, makes me feel like collapsing afterward.  Even if you aren't as extreme as that, you may still be experiencing that your wind and stamina are not up to par, so always breathe and hydrate and feel free to take a break or simplify a movement if you're not quite ready for it.

Now You Got Boobs

Some, if not most, young girls wait and hope for the day they grow breasts.  And although under almost all circumstances I am quite happy with my C cup, when it comes to allegro (especially petite allegro-small jumps) in class, those things are in the way!  It actually can be quite comical to see a well-endowed chest doing jumps; I know I have given myself a chuckle many times, if not some of my fellow dancers.  This "new addition" can also make a difference with your turns.  In my younger days as a dancer, I was a "natural turner."  Easily pulling triples and quads en pointe and the infamous 32 fouettes and piques in a circle were somewhat effortless, etc.  But, once I became "top-heavy," I basically had to re-train how to turn all over again, because I was in fact, aerodynamically different.

Re-training aside (which does take time, so be patient with yourself) recognize that this is now part of your body.  Wear a sports bra or leotard with a built in bra.  And/ or favor the dance wear that is a higher cut along the chest.  But technically speaking with regards to turns and jumps, beware not to throw your upper back backwards or compensate by letting your rear go out on your landings and plies.  These are things I naturally/ unconsciously did because of my curves to hide the impact of a landing, but they will lead to back and knee injuries at some point, so keep alignment of your body as the strictest priority even if it feels uncomfortable or looks a little off for you.