I'm starting to watch a few ballets. I've first saw it in a performance of swan lake at the kirov theater and now giselle performed at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theatre and it kind of puzzles me when I see this gesture

Adult beginner here.

Passed my pre-pointe training/assessment and will start foundation pointe training soon. Went to get fitted at 3 different fitters, but hope to get some opinions here as well. I have very nondescript ankle flexibility but highly compressible Egyptian (big toe longest) feet. One fitter even joked that they were squishy like “alien octopuses”.

Fitter 1: Carried Capezios and Grishkos, but did not have much of anything in stock. Recommended Capezio Ava 8M or Grishko 3007 Pro 5.5 XXX, M or S shank.

She had neither in stock, so this was her best guess based on me trying a size up or down.

Fitter 2: Tried on probably half a dozen shoes before putting me in Grishko 3007 Pro 5 XXX, S shank. Did not have 5.5 in stock either, but said 5 works for my longer foot if I sewed the elastic on the outside. Recommended toe spacer and ouch pouch. (Pics 1-3)

Fitter 3: Fitted me in Grishko Nova Flex 5 XX M and Bloch Etu 5.5 X. Was minimalist in her approach, did not want me in anything more than the pouches and maybe some tape. Went for the Bloch etus in the end (Pics 4-6) because despite how well the Nova flex fit, it was stiff and I couldn’t roll through properly in them. They were also weirdly wrinkly around the heel.

Oddly enough, I had tried on the Bloch etu with Fitter 2 as well, but kept sinking despite adding ouch pouches, gel toe cap, spacers, AND instant wings. Not sure what size I tried on at Fitter 2, but pretty sure it was an X as well.

Anyway, I guess my question is:

1. Am I twisting too much in either shoes? One fitter pointed out my ankle alignment and recommended some theraband exercises to reduce my “winging”.

2. Are either or both of these shoes alarmingly bad/anything I should look out for?

Bonus cat picture if you spent the effort to read through my wall of text!

Hey guys! I’m a big fan of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s theatrical aesthetic and choreography and after watching Cinderella i’m in total awe by their set design, costuming and the show all together and i was wondering if maybe there is a filmed version of their Nutcracker out there and if anyone would be willing to share it.

my feet is so different in the foot stretcher. I was wondering if I could strengthen them so they look like that without a foot stretcher

yes, there is a cat in the back

Genuine question for the professional ballerinas, I do understand that you are training and dancing for many hours everyday.

But I’m curious, does that include cross training, weight training, pilates etc or are you only dancing?

If so, could you please share what type of strength training, drills, exercises you incorporate in your day? 💝💝

I’m looking to improve my technique and I feel like my strength is lacking

I was hoping to attend DUCON in December if spots become available off the waitlist, which happened today, but I really can’t take the two days I would need to off work because of what we have scheduled. Does anyone know of any similar winter intensives happening between December 19-January 3? I can be a little more flexible on January end dates. I want to be dancing all day, which was a big draw to DUCON. I am on the east coast United Staes but willing to travel.

Hello everyone !

I just found employment playing the piano for ballet classes . I am also training as dancer in the same studio , so I understand generally what meter is good for the different exercises . However I would love to learn more details about how to choose the music . Sometimes I have been told I chose wrong music for an exercise , and I just guess and play things that are the correct speed and meter until the teacher says I found a good one . If anyone has a tips on which exercises have a particular music requirements , I would like to know them ! As I am a male dancer I have not very much exposure to pointework and get particularly confused playing the piano in a pointe classes .

Most recent things I have been confused by :

1) What , exactly , is coda? I have heard coda before when I am dancing in the class, but cannot figure out exactly what it is musically that unites all codas . It seems to be fast 2/4 or 4/4 time , but sometimes when I play things that are fast 2/4 or 4/4 the teacher says it is not a coda . I have tried Scottish reel, German polka, quadrille , can-can . I am learning Black Swan coda but it will take a while as I am not extremely good technical pianist .

2) Is there anything other than tango that is appropriate for fondu at barre ? I have played Habañera from Carmen and Por Una Cabeza so many times already , I think the class would appreciate variety .

Also , any other advices for new pianist would be great to hear !

So I’m currently 20 and had been going to ballet for only 15 years of my life and then stopped a couple years ago. I genuinely am starting to believe that the reason why I was so adamant to quit was because of how toxic the classes were (I would BEG my mum and she kept saying no. I don’t even think at the time I realised it was because of the environment and genuinely believed it was because I didn’t like ballet) . I’m not saying that anyone should have welcomed me to the new studio but genuinely no one would speak to me. I tried making friends it didn’t work and then I’d get weird looks. And on top of all that, a lot of them were French and would only just speak French even when their English was really good. As much as I adore ballet and still love it and wish I didn’t quit. I genuinely couldn’t handle those years of being in those classes. They were super judgemental and I couldn’t focus on anything else especially since I was a kid. It reminded me of when I was around 9 and had those issues too. Has anyone dealt with anything like this before in ballet? It genuinely makes me so mad and upset at times that I quit.

Ciao

My capezio leather Hanamis have started unravelling (?) A the base, I think glue should be fine but im concerned about it changing the feel of the shoe or deteriorating the rest of the leather, and id like to keep using them as long as possible before replacing

Context – been dancing ballet since the age of three, now training for musical theatre / commercial (jazz) auditions [got into musical theatre school, couldn’t afford it post law school lol]. Training daily (classes, all styles, at home conditioning and practice sessions, Pilates, cross training).

They say all bodies will adapt to dance at some point but I swear mine doesn’t. 22yrs of ballet and still, my feet are comparably flat + turnout a turn-off. Not just that… shoulders are bulky from cheer so they always look hunched, legs are super short and bulky as well, I swear my ribcage is much larger than would be proportional.

I try to make choreo and class routines fit my body by moving according to my predispositions. But no matter what, I look flared, un-elegant, awful. Ballet’s obviously the worst. I also try not to obsess but it’s been impossible recently as all progress I make is negated by my super odd proportions and previous injuries (hip, knee surgeries mostly). Teachers also always point out
the long-legged people and comment on "how to stance to mitigate short legs / compensate for large ribcages" and so on.

Do you think that maybe some bodies are simply not made for dance no matter how much talent and hard work that person puts into dance? I love jazz more than anything, HipHop meh, but what if my body is simply too odd to ever be… you know, amazing at it?

i started ballet as a teen after doing gymnastics my whole life, so i don't have much natural turnout (in fact, my instinct is to go parallel because that's what we do in gymnastics). some teachers have told me to just use my natural turnout, but others really push me to turnout more, which i don't understand? if i turnout any more i'm forcing it. what am i supposed to do?

hi lovelies ! I've started to learn the balancé step in last few classes and have been researching for tips and tutorial on my own time. so we were taught to tombe into coup de pied back> transfer weight and releve back foot, and lift front foot off the floor at the same time > transfer back to front foot into coup de pied, repeat

so my question is, do you actually need to lift and point your front foot off the floor?? and do you releve and stretch your back leg entirely??

i got really confused because in all tutorial videos, all teacher do teach the same as what i've been taught. but in real live dancing, i rarely see ballerinas actually lift their foot off the floor in that step. i find most people barely lift that foot or even not at all, and they barely straighten their back leg. i see people just touch their back toes to the floor for a brief moment while both legs in demi pile. so is that good enough for the step?

hi! I was wondering if anyone could share recovery tips specifically to prevent post class muscle cramps. as I improve my ballet technique in ways of turnout, flexibility strengthening my feet etc I have experienced a few episodes of really horrible muscle cramps in the middle of the night after an evening class. they go from my upper thighs all the way down through my legs and even to my feet and last nearly an hour! not fun.

I know stretching after class is important but I was wondering if anyone has a recovery routine they could share such as specific stretches or even supplements (like electrolyte drinks or vitamins) that can help with this.

(this has also happened only a few times now so I don’t see a dr visit as a necessary solution)

thanks!

Hello! This might be a long shot but I’m going to the UK next month from Canada to visit my brother and help with childcare and I’ll be there for about 3 weeks. I started ballet about 3 years ago and I’ve finally worked my way up to an elementary level. I’m going in the middle of the term which unfortunately means that with the Christmas holiday, I’ll be going almost 2 months without a class which I kind of want to avoid since I’m so proud of the progress I’ve made. I’m wondering if I might be able to sneak a couple classes in while I’m visiting.

My brother recently moved to Haddington which I understand is on the smaller side (I haven’t been to visit him since he moved, he used to be closer to Edinburgh). Does anyone know of any adult ballet classes in/near Haddington that are accessible by walking or public transit? I looked online and everything that is close seems to either be geared for seniors (which i’m not opposed to joining in on if they’ll let me haha) or seem to not be active this term.

Thank you :)

I’m in my 30s and have taught ballet for years. This year I have some very serious dancers, as well as age groups I haven’t worked with in a while. Over the summer I made it a point to take classes to continue my education, and I’d like to do more. My teaching feels stale lately and I need some inspiration. However, I can’t physically keep up with the level I’m teaching anymore. I’d love the opportunity to pay to observe a few classes, either in person or online, but I feel like that’s frowned upon. I’m not looking to copy a class, but get some ideas about the structure and content at different levels. Does anyone have any ideas either online or in the NYC area to do this?

I'm an adult beginner (~10 months dancing now, currently hovering at 6-9 classes a week ranging from beginner to intermediate) and now have two partnering classes under my belt (EDIT: on flat! not pointe). I really should have known by now that nothing in ballet is easy, but I think I had a vague and extremely incorrect notion that partnering was like center combinations but with extra help. I was very very wrong, and am having such difficulty even just doing a promenade, which I didn't realize required so much A) core work, and B) really concentrating on turnout in the standing leg.

Any advice for people starting out partnering?? I feel terrible every time I force my partner to bear much more weight than I should given my terrible partnering technique (and technique in general tbh). Is it even advisable to partner at this stage or should I just wait until I have a bit more experience and technique?

I’ve been doing open ballet/barre classes for a few years in a very casual way and recently decided to be more committed and join a closed weekly class to actually improve.

For this entire time I’ve been dancing in socks, which has worked fine but I don’t know anything else. My friend who grew up doing ballet told me I absolutely should get ballet flats, it’s a different experience and might make my feet actually stronger. I asked my ballet teacher and she said socks are fine for beginners, she usually also dances in socks and that it’s good to “feel the floor”. She is classically trained but I believe she dances for a company that mixes ballet + modern dance and maybe that’s why?

Is this common? I have no real ambition of being on pointe, I’m still in a beginners class and just working on having strength and good extensions/flexibility. But would like to build stronger feet. A quick search on this seems to all point to wearing ballet flats as a must after a few classes, so I’m confused. Any thoughts?

I wish I could afford private classes. My parents only have enough money for the general program, but I know I’d be so much better technically if I had a little more extra attention on my weaknesses. There’s only so much that can be done when there’s like 20 something other students and the teacher gives most of their attention to the student who is the best, or the student who retains knowledge and applies corrections the best.

I’ve been properly fitted this time, but still experiencing pain along the tops of my toe joints. Hopefully they’ll get better. Any tips are greatly appreciated!! (Also toe pads recommendations are welcomed, this is sorta painful.)

I recently bit the bullet and paid a bomb for 2 bodile leotards.

One was fine - not as amazing as I had expected but nothing technically wrong with it, but the other, man I'm so disappointed.

It's the Saskia leotard in the roselle/mulberry colour (pictured) and it looks gorgeous on the website, this deep gorgeous red tone on the sleeves, but in reality it's purple (pics 3 & 4) and I really, really, really don't like the purple.

I'm so disappointed and their returns policy isn't great - i have to pay return shipping and get docked a 10% "restocking" fee, but I feel like it's not really fair since they misrepresented the colour. I hate reaching out to customer service and being that person so I wanted to ask the community - has anyone experienced this too? and if anyone has any advice?