Tell us about yourself

Hello Ballet Fanatics! I love ballet, period. I have a short history of ballet company performance (I was in the corps, and not a featured dancer for about 3 seasons) and teaching ballet (three years) in 1970s, but then had to join "the real world", get a degree and earn a living. I am trying to get back into ballet physically again, but it has been a long time, and progress is slow and only very hard won. Currently, I am using David Howard's videos, both the intermediate and the intermediate-advanced. I am still in soft shoes, not pointe. I am looking forward to reading posts and participating in the forum if I have anything intelligent to add.

Hello! I used to dance as a child/teenager and I am now getting back into it in recreational classes. I started back on pointe about a year ago, but I forgot how much it hurts!

I am also an avid ballet fan and spend way too much time watching youtube clips! I am also an avid reader of dancer biographies and books on the history of ballet.

Thank you for setting up this forum, and I'm sorry if I hijacked your blog with too many posts!

Hello.
I am a professionally trained dancer, however, injuries (weak ankles ) and reaching roughly the height of an amazon prevented me from pursuing it further career-wise. I'm still working in the arts, however, and often play the music from an orchestra pit for the local ballet company.
Nice to have this kind of forum!

Pleased to meet you all! I'm a MALE Engineering Professional (there, got that off my chest) who, about a year ago, suddenly developed an interest in Ballet.

I have been a music lover all my life, actively support my local Symphony orchestra and also donate on a yearly basis enough to our local Opera Company so that my name is listed in the donor section in every performance libretto. The reason for mentioning this is NOT to try and impress anyone, but HOPEFULLY pre-empt the "Raised Eyebrow" response that I usually get from friends when I list Ballet among with my other interests and hobbies (I just love Music!). I'd rather not say what responses I get from my colleagues in the Engineering world - AFTER the shocked silence that is. I guess I have become a bit sensitive about it! (and am I the only Male on this forum?)

I have always thought of Ballet as the "Step-child" of the three musical Performing Art disciplines, until about a year ago when at my local library I found a DVD with the Royal Ballet's performance of "Sylvia" (the Darcey Bussel / Roberto Bolle performance of course), and took it home with me as I haven't ever listened to the music before - and I was thinking, Well I may as well hear Delibes' composition in it's "natural state" so to speak. Suffice to say that I was completely astounded by the performance! I have since been looking into and attempting to study & explore at least some of the various aspects of Ballet, and have come to the conclusion that in its own way, Ballet & Dance is every bit as rich and diverse as the world of Classical Music (loose term used here) and Opera.

I should also add that my eldest daughter studied and did ballet INTENSELY until she was 18 (I think Professional - level certification), at which point she suddenly lost interest, went to university and did 2 degrees, all the while keeping herself fit by continuing with drop-in classes at various ballet studios. She then attempted at the rich old age of 25 to get into Ballet professionally and managed to get herself hired, but as she herself admit, failed miserably as a Pro and is now very happily working in the field she studied.

I do hope to be able to discuss aspects of Ballet with other members on this board, and hear their opinions - as mentioned before, in my professional world I can discuss Sports and "Geek Stuff" to my heart's content, but sadly, Ballet is still pretty much a Taboo Subject among the Male Gender!

-- Jannie