dance class - 2007/01/01 21:38okay, i take jazz, tap & ballet at a studio that isnt very good. really. my friend who dances has literally learned this stuff when he was 9. but teachers do stretch and streagthen us, but only for 10 minutes, when i think i need a whole different class time to do that to focus on us individually. maybe this is because my studio is run by only 2 people (with PhDs and dance training) , and it's small and always having problems. right now, i'm in a teen class, but if i excel any higher, it will just get easier because older people ( old graying) are in those classes. and my teacher wants me to take pointe, but i don't know if i should, because: 1.) if i dont become a proffesional dancer, i would have injured my feet for no reason 2.) pointe shoes are EXPENSIVE! im kind of in debt right now.. 3.) i dont think i'm trained well enough right now because of my studio's flaws. i have talked with my parents about going to a new studio, and the only good place ( where my friend goes) is very expensive, and i know it will probably be hard for me because i'm so used to easy breezy stuff at my current studio. other kids from my school go there who dont like me, and i don't want to be in a beginner's class with kids (i have issues with kids LOL) i dont know what i'm going to do now and in my future with dance. any advice? (another question to dancers: if i do end up with pointe, do the shoes really hurt?)*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•´ Annie
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Starlet_Actress21
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Re:dance class - 2007/01/01 21:49Well, in additon to being to two self-proclaimed worst tap dancers in the world, we have similar dance situations. Last year, I went to a horrible dance studio. I really wanted to go there because instead ofa recital at the end of the year, this studio did a musical. I was ecstatic and quickly signed up for jazz and musical theatre. I tried all year to be optimistic, but the glaring fact was that the studio, well, sucked. The teacher would cancel classes to fit his schedule and he even cacelled rehearsals before the "musical". So we started looking around for other one. There was one near my house, but everyone in my town went there, and besides my firiends, I'm not a big fan of my fellow town residents. But it seemed to be the only option, so we tried it. I'm now taking three dance classes there and I really like it. Do any dance studios near you offer adult beginner classes? I'm in one for tap and it's lots of fun- there's a girl two years younger than me and a few middle-aged women and we have a great time. I don't know what to say about pointe- I don't take ballet- so I can't offer anything about that.Auditioning for: Brigadoon, theatre season, American Music Theatre, Into the Woods, Sound of Music, and AMDA.
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mrmistofolees19
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Re:dance class - 2007/01/01 22:11thanks. the studio i was talking about probably does have adult beginner classes, but they will probably be easy, like i said. it would be really great if i went to that studio, but it's like $500 for only a few classes. my current studio is very cheap, which is why my parents make me go there. i dont know if i should train to be proffesional, or if i shouldnt, because that will take me away from singing and acting. can't i be somewhere in between without a sucky studio? hmm....*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•´ Annie
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triplethreat
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Re:dance class - 2007/01/01 22:12Personally I would rather take fewer classes if they are of higher quality._____________ Kris MTA Admin
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katoru
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Re:dance class - 2007/01/01 22:47If you don't feel you're ready and you are worried about the quality of instruction, don't take pointe. I can't speak from experience, but my instructor at school used to dance with the New York City Ballet and he hasn't said anything good about pointe. He's never done pointe either (though there are a few men who do, for some reason), but he mentioned something about messing up your feet.
I think the most risk would be if you were given poor instruction in it.
Frankly, if you're very serious about dance, you shouldn't worry about if people who don't like you are there. You're not there for them, you're there for yourself and your need to learn should out-weigh whether or not people like you. If others don't like you for whatever reason, that is their problem. And who knows, if said people learn more about you outside of school, they may grow to like you, too.
As for being with kids, as others have said, there are probably adult-beginner classes offered there.Kathleen Sera Current Shows: Aloha Pinafore - Volga Upcoming Auditions: Crazy For You - Irene Roth
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Juliet
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Re:dance class - 2007/01/01 23:46I've been dancing en pointe for 5 years...I started when I was 11 years old. One thing our teacher did to test if our feet were strong enough is she would take her palm and push against the toes of our pointed feet and if she couldn't bend them backward, we were ready. She wouldn't use fingers, just her palm, with her fingers faced slanting down. Make sure when you point your foot that none of your toes are curled; they should all be straight when they are pointed.
There are videos and exercise bands for strengthening feet, but they are also expensive.
When you go to a dance store and are fitted, shoes can cost $60. Mine have lasted from one week to six months; it depends on how much pointe you do (I was SO FURIOUS when mine broke in one week; it was during Nutcracker rehearsals, but that's a bit unusual and i have a stronger arch than some). Once you find the shoe that suits you, you can order it from a catalog for 40-50 dollars. Toepads cost 20-30 dollars but those can last 3 years.
For a beginner, I'd recommend Capezio Contempora.
I felt like my studio was horrible for a while, until I took a step back and really watched the students. The people who REALLY care about dancing can keep improving, so a lot of it is about willpower, but I've created bad habits that I've had to stop also. Whoa, wrote a novel there. Sorry. :0)Current Show: Coppelia (Swanhilda's friend) Shows in the Last Year: The Nutcracker(Spanish Chocolate, The Prissy Doll) Little Shop of Horrors (Ronnette), Ragtime (Evelyn Nesbit), Urinetown (Little Sally), Schoolhouse Rock Live (Dori),
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Juliet
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Re:dance class - 2007/01/01 23:48By the way, if you use good toepads(I use gellows) and pointe correctly(the way I explained, not curled toes), you have a good chance of not messing up your feet or injuring them. The most I or anyone in my company gets is blisters, and sometimes a strain or a sprain if a foot rolls.Current Show: Coppelia (Swanhilda's friend) Shows in the Last Year: The Nutcracker(Spanish Chocolate, The Prissy Doll) Little Shop of Horrors (Ronnette), Ragtime (Evelyn Nesbit), Urinetown (Little Sally), Schoolhouse Rock Live (Dori),
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mrmistofolees19
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Re:dance class - 2007/01/02 21:58thanks guys . i guess if i do go to the really good place, i'll probably just have to drop tap (sorry Starlet_Actress21!!), i just don't think i'm coordinated enough lol and i'll get too frustrated! but some of their classes dont have pointe ballet (but thanks for the pointe advice.) and i will probably use jazz because it's used more often in musical theatre. i'd probably need to take stretch & strengthen to catch up. which would equal to about: $1,290 if i took each class for an hour. yikes!!
gosh, if it wasnt so expensive. my parents said they would pay for it if it is what i really want, but i dont want us deep in debt just because i wanted to be better at dancing. this is just a bit too confusing. i'll probably have to ask my friend who dances there for advice....*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•´ Annie
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ronarayas
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Re:dance class - 2007/01/03 12:02A danced for a while when I was younger (I'm almost 20 now), and I was getting ready to move into pointe when I had to choose between dance and theatre. I chose theatre, obviously, but I don't think I regret not moving on to pointe.
My recommendation to you, as a fellow dancer, is to take into consideration how doing pointe is going to benefit you. If you're planning on dancing for years and years to come, then I think it's a wise investment. On the other hand, if you're just taking dance to have a little experience for auditions and the like, I think your money would be better spent elsewhere. From a most practical standpoint, you shouldn't be paying all of that money for something you might not use. I'd suggest taking a different type of dance, like modern, and sticking with the jazz, as opposed to taking the pointe class in addition to everything else. I think the cons far outweigh the pros on this one.
Hope I helped! sweet Alyssa!
Current Role - Chris Gorman in Rumors
Upcoming Auditions - Chicago
Past Roles: Ensemble in Anything goes Clelia Waldgave in The Nerd
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mrmistofolees19
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Re:dance class - 2007/01/04 19:13thanks. again, lol. i've decided that i prbably wont do pointe, i like my little feet. and i probably have to find a different studio, but i doubt i'll find one very decent here besides the bilion dollar studio. googling, but nothing seems to be right. i've got until june or so, so maybe i could start a summer class.*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•´ Annie
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minesayrejoice
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Re:dance class - 2007/01/13 20:57You know, just because your instuctor reccomended you take pointe doesn't mean they think you're ready. I took pointe for a year before I was allowed to but shoes. Just being in the class lets you learn the steps and strengthen your feet as needed for pointe, before you actually go on pointe.Maddy, aka minesayrejoice, GreenGirl, GavrocheGrrl, EriksWife (Erik'swife), and jewelkat.
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mrmistofolees19
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Re:dance class - 2007/01/22 22:29Okay, while were on the subject of dancing, I have that summer program audition coming this saturday. The're asking us to be prepared to dance for them if they see on our resume that we dance. I still remember the choreography that we auditioned with for Oliver! in the song Consider Yourself, but I dont have a CD, (or iPod) and the steps are a little too easy. Then I thought I could do Victoria's Solo from Cats (the little white cat), because I have that CD and the movie. But I thought I might freak out the directors if I did the stuff she does on the floor at the end. Which one should I do??*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•´ Annie
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triplethreat
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Re:dance class - 2007/01/22 22:42Neither of those really sound like a good choice for a dance audition. Saying you have dance experience and then using a routine you've copied from a movie? I don't know, it just doesn't seem right to me. Don't you have any routines from the classes you've taken?_____________ Kris MTA Admin
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mrmistofolees19
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Re:dance class - 2007/01/22 23:25Yeah, I thought those two wouldnt really work after a while.
The ballet & jazz routines I do at my studio are more like easy choreography than real dancing, which definitley doesnt show my best ability. I can only think of one song, but its tap, and i'm not puting on my resume that I take tap, because I struggled to make that dance look acceptible, and if they enroll me in a tap routine in the program, I know I'll just get frustrated and get behind. I'm sorry this isn't much help.*´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•´ Annie
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triplethreat
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Re:dance class - 2007/01/22 23:33It looks like this is a REALLY good reason to change dance schools...
Have you read my article on prepared dance pieces?_____________ Kris MTA Admin
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. i guess if i do go to the really good place, i'll probably just have to drop tap (sorry Starlet_Actress21!!), i just don't think i'm coordinated enough lol and i'll get too frustrated! but some of their classes dont have pointe ballet (but thanks for the pointe advice.) and i will probably use jazz because it's used more often in musical theatre. i'd probably need to take stretch & strengthen to catch up. which would equal to about: $1,290 if i took each class for an hour. yikes!! 
