(no subject)
Poll Ballet Class Data GatheringSome notes about me as a ballet teacher:
As some of you know (and some of you may not know) I have 25 years of experience in the dance world. I have danced with professional companies and even, on occasion, gotten paid for my performances. In high school I danced thirty hours a week at a minimum, and I spent two years dancing full-time at the Boston Ballet School and as an apprentice at Colorado Ballet. I have taught children, beginner level adult's, and advanced adults. I have experience with point work and partnering and outside of ballet I have at least a little bit of experience with just about every form of dance you can name: tap, jazz, hip-hop, African, flamenco, bits of ballroom, various stripes and schools of modern, contact improv, even a little bit of classical Indian dance. It is fair to say that I really do know my stuff.
Additional information about the class that I am imagining creating: this is the class that I would be happy to teach both men and women in. Aside from the cost of the class, you would need to lay out somewhere between $30 and $80 for appropriate attire: proper ballet slippers are a must, as is a dance belt for men. I would prefer my students to get comfortable wearing a leotard and tights, but would be happy to settle for yoga pants and fitted T-shirts if that makes people more comfortable and more likely to come. I have several recommendations for local shops where one can acquire proper dance attire, and a list of online resources online resources as well. I envision setting up an eight week session to begin, with the possibility of continuing the class in the fall if people are interested. I would ask people to pay for the entire session upfront, since I will have to cover studio rental costs no matter what: that would come out to $120 for eight weeks if class was held once a week, and $240 for eight weeks if the class was held twice a week. this is also a class where I am happy to work with complete and utter beginners: you don't have to know a thing about ballet or to have ever taken a class before to do this. We will start gently and work our way up, as befits proper pedagogy and reverence for our bodies. I can say that if you take the class you will be both stronger and more flexible by the end of it.
Aside from knowing my stuff, my strength as a teacher lies in the way that I bring a sense of play and experimentation to the studio. I am extremely good at meeting students where they are at, and at tailoring a class to a variety of needs. I bring the two interlocking worldviews to what I do in the studio. The first is an intellectual and analytic view -- I know how to break movement down into small pieces and how to clearly communicate how one brings those pieces back together in order to create a whole effect. The second is a deep and abiding respect for the studio and the work that goes on there. Ballet is like my yoga, it is my Practice and my Craft, and I admire anybody who is willing to come into that space and experiment with their body with intention and reverence. I have an excellent eye, am patient, and I can promise you a class where there will be a lot of laughing and a lot of fun.
As some of you know (and some of you may not know) I have 25 years of experience in the dance world. I have danced with professional companies and even, on occasion, gotten paid for my performances. In high school I danced thirty hours a week at a minimum, and I spent two years dancing full-time at the Boston Ballet School and as an apprentice at Colorado Ballet. I have taught children, beginner level adult's, and advanced adults. I have experience with point work and partnering and outside of ballet I have at least a little bit of experience with just about every form of dance you can name: tap, jazz, hip-hop, African, flamenco, bits of ballroom, various stripes and schools of modern, contact improv, even a little bit of classical Indian dance. It is fair to say that I really do know my stuff.
Additional information about the class that I am imagining creating: this is the class that I would be happy to teach both men and women in. Aside from the cost of the class, you would need to lay out somewhere between $30 and $80 for appropriate attire: proper ballet slippers are a must, as is a dance belt for men. I would prefer my students to get comfortable wearing a leotard and tights, but would be happy to settle for yoga pants and fitted T-shirts if that makes people more comfortable and more likely to come. I have several recommendations for local shops where one can acquire proper dance attire, and a list of online resources online resources as well. I envision setting up an eight week session to begin, with the possibility of continuing the class in the fall if people are interested. I would ask people to pay for the entire session upfront, since I will have to cover studio rental costs no matter what: that would come out to $120 for eight weeks if class was held once a week, and $240 for eight weeks if the class was held twice a week. this is also a class where I am happy to work with complete and utter beginners: you don't have to know a thing about ballet or to have ever taken a class before to do this. We will start gently and work our way up, as befits proper pedagogy and reverence for our bodies. I can say that if you take the class you will be both stronger and more flexible by the end of it.
Aside from knowing my stuff, my strength as a teacher lies in the way that I bring a sense of play and experimentation to the studio. I am extremely good at meeting students where they are at, and at tailoring a class to a variety of needs. I bring the two interlocking worldviews to what I do in the studio. The first is an intellectual and analytic view -- I know how to break movement down into small pieces and how to clearly communicate how one brings those pieces back together in order to create a whole effect. The second is a deep and abiding respect for the studio and the work that goes on there. Ballet is like my yoga, it is my Practice and my Craft, and I admire anybody who is willing to come into that space and experiment with their body with intention and reverence. I have an excellent eye, am patient, and I can promise you a class where there will be a lot of laughing and a lot of fun.