From our Readers
05/10/98

Too old to start dancing?
HELLO. I’m an spanish girl who is learning ballet. I’m 16 years old and I started to dance last november. Do you think i’m too old? What is the most important things I need? It's very important to me to know it. Thanks very much.

Spanish Girl

Spanish Girl,

Most dancers start younger than that but it doesn't necessarily mean you are beginning too late. At your age it will depend on the quality of instruction, how many hours per day you train, and most importantly, your commitment to succeed.

Anthony

Advanced jazz-tap dancers clueless to ballet technique...
Hi! This summer I will begin teaching ballet to students at a primarily jazz-tap, "competition-oriented" studio. I have a unique problem in that they are very advanced dancers(quadruple pirouettes,leaps over your head,etc.) but clueless when it comes to ballet technique! The studio owners are trying, beginning with this summer, to place more emphasis on ballet in their studio but it is a difficult transition. Previous ballet teachers have had a hard time maintaining discipline, dress code, etc. These are generally good kids who enjoy dancing and are pretty talented, but I need some advice on what to focus on this summer and in the fall. My students will range in age from 9-17, with the older girls the ones who have had the least ballet! I want them to improve their technique without feeling like they're in a "baby" class. Also important is that an appreciation of ballet is learned-right now all they respect is a "fierce" jazz/tap/lyrical jazz dancer. They don't connect ballet with that. Another problem is that they only have technique classes once a week-jazz, tap, ballet,etc. They are not diehard dancers but I still want them to learn and improve, and so do they. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Narnia417

Narnia417,

The best way to attract dancers from one dance discipline to another is to match their enthusiasm. You can begin by explaining to them that you will begin with a ballet barre but the floor work will be designed to improve their skills in their chosen form of dance. The best way to do this is to take a number of steps that they enjoy doing in another dance form and incorporating it into your floor work in ballet... after all, all other dance forms owe their vocabularily to ballet, as ballet owes its basics to character (folk) dancing.

Anthony

Email Anthony at coach@danceart.com