New Perspectives

I am beginning to realise that the odds are quite heavily stacked against me getting into a ballet company. And although that will not deter me from striving for my dream (as anyone who knows me knows: I am about as stubborn as it is possible to be when I am determined to achieve something, and do not give up, ever!!), I am beginning to discover a slightly different dream, which has easily fallen into my hands- if I cannot dance, I shall teach ballet.

I realised, three years ago, that I would never get a place at The Royal Ballet School. Wrong physique, wrong feet, not enough musicality/artistry/co-ordination/poise- perhaps I did not meet one of their criteria, or perhaps I met all but one; I shall never know.

Nonetheless, I recently realised that even if I am of no value to the Royal as a dancer, looking from the slightly different perspective of a teacher in training, I am welcomed. I attended, in October, the first of six "Inspire" seminars, in Edinburgh. It was an excellent day, with a myriad of information, I learnt so much; valuable exercises to refine the basics of posture and alignment, but was also encouraged to consider a variety of factors such as "What makes a good teacher?" "Why does a child come to ballet classes?"

Recently, the Royal Ballet School advertised "Discover Dance", a day aimed at primary school children with no prior experience of ballet, with the option for dance teachers to observe the day, and participate in a creative masterclass.

The day began with a workshop for the children, which was fascinating to observe. Firstly, the sense of focus and concentration was phenomenal; I was in awe of the teacher, for keeping the attention span of such young children captivated for so long!! Also, it was wonderful to see the sense of joyful expression that each child exuded- despite having little to no ballet experience, they were all eager to learn, and incredibly enthusiastic!

I was curious as to how The Royal Ballet School would go about introducing ballet to young children- having fruitlessly tried to help a grade 1 class capture the positions of the arms accurately, I was fascinated by how simply yet effectively the teacher taught the positions; "stretch your arms out straight in front of you! Now curve your elbows so your hands are facing inwards towards your tummy!" First position, simple as that!!!

After lunch, we had a tour of the School- the facilities are second to none, with five gorgeous studios, adorned with photographs from ballets. Also, we got to walk across the iconic Bridge of Aspiration- which is certainly something I've wanted to do for a very long time!!!

The afternoon commenced with a demonstration class, from 4 Junior Associate students, and 2 Upper School students. They danced a set class appropriate to their own ability levels side by side, which was truly captivating to watch; a snapshot of the Royal Ballet School's training system, from the young yet impeccably poised 9 year olds, to the 18 year olds' pristine technique and refined artistry. 

The final part of the day consisted of a creative workshop for dance teachers, led by the 'PrimarySteps' co-ordinator, Pippa Cobbing. The workshop- designed for primary school age students- focused upon the concept of stretching, the use of the kinosphere, and mirroring techniques with a partner. It was certainly useful to think from the perspective of a young child, which also aided our development as teachers- the fabulous resources gave a clear idea of how to replicate and adapt the workshop for our own students.

The day certainly helped me to learn a lot, both as a teacher but also as a dancer- the highlight for me was definitely watching the demonstration class, as I was able to compare my own technique to that of the upper school students, but also, observing the Junior Associates was a brilliant way for me to gain inspiration for when I am teaching!