Dancing in the Penthouse

In Back to the Studio with KNT  I described KNT Danceworks new venue in the ABC Buildings on Quay Street in Manchester and gave practical directions on how to get there, where the park and how to find the studio once inside the premises.   Though not designed as a studio the space is in many important respects superior to the rehearsal studios in the Dancehouse.

If there is sufficient demand the ABC Buildings will host the first studio Day of Dance for nearly two years on 14 Aug 2021.  It is a day on which Karen Sant hires some of the best dance professionals on stage or in the schools to train us.   Those whom she had assembled in the past include Alex Hallas, dancer and choreographer with Ballet Cymru, Harriet Mills, principal ballerina with the Karlsruhe Ballet and Joey Taylor of Birmingham Royal Ballet from the stage as well as great teachers such as Jane Tucker of Northern Ballet Academy and Martin Dutton of the Hammond School.

Next week's programme looks very inviting:

• Beginner and Pre-Intermediate Ballet Class between 10:00 and 11:30
• Beginner and Pre-Intermediate Choreograph between 11:30 and 13:00
• Intermediate and Advanced Balled Repertoire between 13:30 and 15:00
• Intermediate and Advanced Ballet Class between 15:00 and 16:30

If you want to attend this event (and why wouldn't you) you must register through the Class Manager app as soon as possible.   It will only go ahead if there are at least 15 takers for each event.   If you have not already signed up for the event do so soon.   Karen will need to make a decision at least a week ahead.  I have put my name down for the Pre-Intermediate Class and Choreography sessions.   I look forward to seeing some of you there,

Plato's Cave, Ballet, Bernstein and Blogging

As I relished the pleasure of running and jumping on a sprung floor to the instructions of our esteemed teacher in the company of my dear friends and acquaintances I was reminded of a story that I first heard at the age of 8 when my father was taking a course at the LSE and using me as a sounding board.  It came from The Republic which I read for myself a few years later at St Andrews. In my day, all arts students at the ancient Scottish universities had to take a course in moral philosophy or logic and metaphysics. I chose moral phil which was easier for me than most because all students at independent London day schools had to learn some Greek.

Plato tells the story of a group of prisoners chained to a wall of a cave.  Behind them lies a flickering fire.  Occasionally things pass between the prisoners and the fire which the prisoners see as shadows projected on the cave wall.  Eventually, one of the prisoners broke free and saw the world in all its beauty.  He urged his fellows to follow him but they couldn't because the cave wall encompassed all reality.

Well, yesterday I escaped from online Zoom classes in my kitchen and pliéd (woodenly), pirouetted (scrappily) and grand jetéd (clumsily a half-second or more behind the others in my group) across Studio 2 of Yorkshire Dance. 

 "And it was good, Brother.  And it was goddam good," (per Leonard Bernstein "God said").

I am going to stick with Bernstein rather than Plato because Plato told the story to flog his theory of form which led him to despise artists as copyists of copies of reality. What he would have made of ballet dancers I shudder to think - and amateur ballet dancers like me do not bear speculation. 

Yesterday's class was one of the happiest of my life and indeed one of the happiest days of my life. Having cleared three score years and ten some time ago I had begun to see buffers and barriers which were always there but never noticed before. Having recently lost my footing to slide down a flight of stairs on my backside which was jolly painful, I seriously wondered whether I would ever be in class again.  That saddened me and it was one of the reasons why I had stopped blogging about dance for a while.

But I can still dance for now. Yesterday I was with beautiful young friends from all over England. In the studio Joanna from London and Sarah from Brum.  On the other side of the screen, Philippa from Dartmouth, Emmeline, Gerard, Anne and Mel.  All of us enjoying the music.  All of us moving.

Well, as you can see, I have started blogging again.  And what a time to begin.  My first articles will be about Carla Fracci (one of the greatest ballerinas of all time whom I was lucky enough to see in her most famous role) and the retirement of David Nixon (Northern Ballet's longest-serving director and in many ways the architect of the company's success).  The first live ballet I will actually review will be in Manchester Cathedral and the end of July.  One thing I really must do while I can still travel is to visit Moscow and St Petersburg and as many regional companies as possible.

Online Company Classes for May 2020

Company Class 29 February 2020

© 2020 Powerhouse Ballet

A photo of our last company class in a studio.  It was held on 29 Feb 2020 in Studio 2 at The Dancehouse and Jane Tucker of Northern Ballet was our guest ballet mistress. I am particularly fond of that studio because it was there that Jane taught us Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Coppelia, Romeo and Juliet and The Nutcracker in KNT's wonderful choreographic workshops.  It is also where my pre-intermediate class with Karen used to meet.

Jane gave us our first company class in Huddersfield two years ago.  Last year she gave us a great anniversary class at Yorkshire Dance with David Plumpton at the piano.  I had booked Jane, David and the same studio on 30 of this month for another anniversary class. 

I have no idea when we shall be allowed to reassemble in a studio but from what the PM was saying last night it is unlikely to be any time soon.  Also, as I am in the most vulnerable age group I have to face the possibility that I may never take a conventional class again.

But we can still do online classes.   To make up for the classes that we missed in March and April I have booked Charlotte Ingleson at 14:00 tomorrow and Jane Tucker at 11:00 on 16 May to train us online.   Jane will still deliver our anniversary class at 11:00 on 30 May which I shall make as special as I possibly can. 

On the first Saturday after dance studios reopen, Jane and David have agreed to give you the class of your lives even if I cannot join you in person because of continuing social distancing for my age group.

So make the following notes in your diaries:

2 May 2020   14:00   Charlotte Ingleson    Online Company Class
16 May 2020 11:00   Jane Tucker              Online Company Class
30 May 2020 11:00   Jane Tucker              Anniversary Company Class

Registration is open for Maria Chugai's Online Class

By https://es.ifixit.com/User/524640/Sam+Lionheart -
https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/gFgosPJbspyCBD5P, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41473740

Last year I featured Maria Chugai of the Dutch National Ballet.  You will see from my article that she is a very special dancer.   She trained at the Vaganova Academy which produced such greats as Pavlova, Karsavina, Nureyev and Makarova.  She must have been one of its best pupils for she was cast in the lead role of The Nutcracker at the age of 17, one year before her graduation.  She first came to my attention in a performance of Giselle where she danced the Queen of the Wilis (see Mooie 10 November 2018.  She was the best Myrtha that I have ever seen in over 60 years of ballet going.

Earlier today she offered Powerhouse Ballet an online class over Zoom on Tuesday, 21 April at 18:00.  Needless to say, I accepted with alacrity.  Anyone who wants to attend should register through Eventbrite immediately.   Those tickets are unlikely to remain for very long,

To attend this class you will need to download at least the free version of Zoom.   We shall have a rehearsal on Monday at 18:00. An hour before the rehearsal I shall send those who register a link and invite them to join the meeting.   Should there be any problems our chambers IT guru will be on hand to sort them out.

If you wish to join the class, here is the link to Eventbrite.   If you find you can't make it let me know as soon as possible.

Sophie Rebecca's Adult Ballet Class Map

Adult ballet students everywhere owe a great debt of gratitude to Sophie Rebecca for compiling this map of adult dance classes around Britain. We move heaven and earth each week to attend our usual class but sometimes work gets in the way or we go on holiday or maybe the teacher has flu.  If we had to miss a class for any of those or other reasons there was very little we could do about it until now. Disappointing because a day without ballet is like a day without sunshine.

Now, thanks to Sophie, if we miss a class or find ourselves away from home maybe there is something we can do about it.  Perhaps we can find another class elsewhere.  Experiencing another studio, meeting new people, observing how another teacher works, picking up a useful tip, perhaps even having a previously undiagnosed fault pointed out and corrected is always worthwhile.

Sophie's map shows just how popular adult ballet has become.  There is hardly a town of any size without a thriving class.  But there are sure to be many that we have missed and that is where you can help.  If you are a teacher, school proprietor or student drop Sophie or me a line. If you contact me I shall make sure she gets the message. Also, if you have attended any of those classes and are willing to write a short review I should be very glad to publish it. Especially if you could tell us stuff that will not be on the teacher's website such as the nearest parking, bus stop, tube or railway station, whether there is a pianist, where you can change and how much the classes costs.

There are great swathes of the country such as the whole of the south coast where I know there are plenty of classes but I don't know where. And I can't believe there are no classes in Northern Ireland or the East of Scotland. So lets help Sophie complete the map.

Changing the subject every so slightly, one of the things I love about about ballet is its universality. Tp show you what I mean, there is a school in Moscow called Dance Secret. Why it has an English name I really don't know but it has an adult ballet class as you can see from this YouTube video. This film appears to be an exhibition by the members of the Beginners Class.  They are performing to their kids, husbands and boyfriends. They must have been full of nerves before the show.  Look at their satisfaction with a job well done. I have never met those women but I do what they do and it makes me feel so proud of them.

Returning to the map, so long as Sophie allows me to do so I will always link to it. You can access it by clicking the "Adult Ballet Classes" button.

Birmingham Royal Ballet reaches out to Birmingham's LGBT Community

Sarah Lambert (no relation as far as I am aware but one never knows) has drawn my attention to a very generous offer by the Birmingham Royal Ballet to Birmingham's LGBT community.  She writes:

"For a while now I've been working informally with BRB on extending participation in ballet and to this end they work with various community groups. The latest initiative is an amazing offer to the LGBTQI community. They are putting on a taster workshop in one of their wonderful studios and led by one of their Principal dancers. Anyone attending will also get a free ticket to a matinee theatre performance of Coppelia on the same day immediately after the workshop. SO far we have twelve people signed up, but we can go up to 20."

 Particulars of the offer have been posted on Birmingham LGBT's website by Ros Gammie who is the charity's administrator and sports activator who will allegedly answer correspondence in Latin and Runes as well as English.

The taster and matinee take place on 15 June 2017 and the timetable is as follows:

• 10 am, arrival at Birmingham Royal Ballet Reception (next to Hippodrome Stage Door), Thorp Street B5 4AU
• 10.30 am, 90-minute Ballet taster session
• 12.30 pm, tour of Birmingham Royal Ballet building
• 1 pm, hour lunch break
• 2 pm, performance of Coppélia at Birmingham Hippodrome.

Sarah adds that she worked with both Ros Gamey of the Birmingham LGBT Centre and Kasia Krause of Birmingham Royal Ballet to make this happen. She posted the following announcement on a Facebook ballet group:

"We can now take up to 20 people for the workshop and free ticket to Coppelia, so if you haven't signed up, you still have a chance. The class will be led by one of BRB's principal dancers, so how cool is that? The chance to dance in one of Birmingham Royal Ballet's wonderful studios in a class led by one of their principal dancers... And then seeing a performance of Coppelia, all for free. It doesn't get any better than that!
If you're unsure because you're a total beginner and you're nervous, remember this is a totally safe space for all trans and LGBQI people, and how often can you say that of a beginner ballet class? Also I will be there, and believe me, there's no-one more of a novice than I am!"

I think Sarah may be a bit modest there. I have never met her but we are connected on Facebook and she tells me that she attends classes at Elmhurst and the DanceXchange in Birmingham which sounds pretty high powered to me.

Sarah has also offered the following invitation to her friends in the Facebook Group who are members of the LGBT community in Birmingham:

"We could all meet up in Izzi and Jess's board gaming cafe in the LGBT Centre for tea and cake; it's going to be amazing!  http://cakesandladderscafe.co.uk/"

I saw Birmingham Royal Ballet's Coppelia when it visited the Lowry in 2015 with Tyrone Singleton and Celine Gittens in the lead roles. Their performance was sensational, hence the title of my review of 6 March 2016. I hope to see the ballet again on Saturday, 17 June 2017.

I congratulate both the Birmingham Royal Ballet and Birmingham LGBT on this initiative. I hope that the visitors to the company will enjoy their visit, perhaps consider adult ballet or other dance classes and support the company with donations and patronage. I hope that the company will continue to reach out to all communities of the third city of this nation.

KNT's Le Corsaire Workshop and Evening Class Show

Standard YouTube Licence

I have been coming to KNT Danceworks's evening classes at the Dancehouse Theatre in Manchester ever since the 28 Aug 2014 (see So Proud of Manchester - KNT Danceworks Complete Beginners Class 29 Aug 2014). I am very glad to have found KNT as it is now very much a home from home. I have met some delightful people there, both teachers and students, and learned a lot over the last three years.

In addition to regular classes in most types of dance on almost every day of the week, KNT holds special events that I particularly enjoy. These are repertoire intensives with Jane Tucker of Northern Ballet and shows for the evening class students in the auditorium of The Dancehouse.

The latest intensive was Le Corsaire which I mentioned in Le Corsaire Intensive on 2 April 2017. It took place on 15 April 2017. I was unable to attend the workshop but I did see most of the end of workshop show which impressed me greatly.  The above video is just one clip from it. I think you will agree that everyone in the film danced well. Their performance is particularly impressive when one considers that they had only one day to learn the choreography.

The next show will take place on 13 May and I will take part in it. I will appear in the Pre-Intermediate Class performance which will be one of several contributions in many dance styles ranging from African to tap. Our instructor, Karen Sant, has created a lovely piece for us. Students in other classes will present shows too. The Chinese dance is a particular favourite of mine. There is a wonderful atmosphere in the theatre both in the auditorium and behind the scenes on show night. We have a splendid compère who is herself a dancer. To get a flavour of the evening, see Pride of 23 Oct 2016 which also contain links to reviews of other performances.

If any of my readers happens to be in Manchester on 13 May with nothing better to do that day, it would be great to see you. The show has yet to be advertised but it usually starts at 19:00 and costs about £5, The Dancehouse is almost next door to Oxford Road station and a few hundred yards from St Peter's Square Metrolink tram stop. There is a multi-storey car park in the same block as The Dancehouse in Chester Street and there is usually plenty of unrestricted street parking in the vicinity after 18:30.

Move in Manchester

Manchester's Northern Quarter

Author Michael Ashton
Source Wikipedia
Creative Commons Licence

For reasons that I am sure that my readers don't want to hear I have not been able to attend many ballet classes lately.  All but one of my classes in Leeds take place during the day which is just when I need to be available to my clients. My classes in Manchester take place at 18:30 but as extensive roadworks are taking place in Oxford Road the only way I can be sure of reaching The Dancehouse on time is by train and that requires me to leave home at 16:15 which is just when solicitors and patent and trade mark agents are most likely to want to talk to their barrister. True, there are such things as mobile 'phones but I don't like to give legal advice at the top of my voice in a crowded carriage as the "Pacer" train lumbers through the Standedge tunnel.

However, yesterday was my birthday and, as a treat to myself, I resolved to slope off early and attend Karen Sant's class at KNT. I set off in good time and caught the train to Huddersfield which arrived 25 minutes before my Manchester connection. And then I got distracted by a text on my mobile 'phone.  I put down my ballet bag which contained my shoes.  I was so engrossed in the message that I mounted the train without the bag.

In the middle of said Standedge tunnel I realized what I had done. I was devastated.  I had been looking forward to that class so much.  It was to be the highlight of my day.  The thought of catching the next train back without a class appalled me.  And then I had a brainwave.  I googled "ballet" and "shops" and "Manchester". Google regurgitated many but they were all in Manchester, New Hampshire. I also appealed to my friends on Facebook for suggestions. Ryan Davies, whom I had met in Greenock on Sunday, replied with a link to Move's website. So, too, did Google, eventually, when I re-entered the search terms with the addition of "UK". I called Move's number and, to my great delight, my call was answered. The lady who answered the 'phone told me that the store closed at 18:00 sharp and gave me directions from Piccadilly station.

The train shuddered into Piccadilly station at 17:48.  I was in the rearmost carriage and I shot out of the train like a bat out of hell. I darted along the platform.  The ticket collector conscientiously scrutinized every aspect of my return ticket before allowing me on my way.  I sprinted down the ramp onto London Road, sped first along Ducie Street, then Dale Street and eventually found Port Street. At number 58 I found Move Dancewear opposite what seemed to be a rather interesting pub. My native city is full of such ancient watering holes. To my great relief they were open, but would they stock my size?

I have exceptionally large feet that would not disgrace a penguin.  Freeds can usually fit me out but I have had to order shoes at other stores. The assistant produced a pair that fitted my flippers like a glove.  The only problem was that the elastic straps were loose. She advised me to tie them for class which I did.

I made another dash to Oxford Road and reached the Dancehouse just a few minutes before we were called up to the studio. All my classes in Leeds start with a run.  I think it is part of the Ichino method.  If that is the case I had the perfect warm up. I met our instructor, Karen, who wished me happy birthday with a great hug, and a fair number of my classmates who greeted me similarly cordially.

It was a lovely class from warm up to reverence. We started with foot exercises facing the barre and continued through pliés, tendus, glissés, ronds de jambe and grands battements.  I was a bit stiff but was pleased to find that I could raise both legs to the top rail of the barre for stretching exercises.  After a short break, we started glissés in the centre which I guess is intended to improve our balance and coordination. Jane starts her centre work with a similar exercise too.  We proceeded to pirouettes which seemed to go better than usual this time. I think one of my pirouettes actually worked yesterday and the others were sort of half-way there.   We followed with an enchainment and finally jumps which are my favourite part of the class. Yesterday, Tyson Collins managed a wonderful assemblé with real elevation winning Karen's commendation and our applause. We finished with a joyous temps levé, one of my favourites, from stage left and stage right. Then, far too soon, cool down and curtsies.

I caught my usual chugger back to Huddersfield which arrived just before 9 pm. While waiting for my branch line I checked the lost property office and, to my great surprise and delight, my little red ballet bag was there. Not only that but my trusty Freeds and copy of Alexander McCall Smith's Espresso Tales were inside. Quite restored my faith in human nature.

I am so grateful to Move Dancewear. They saved my evening.  I would have been close to tears had I missed that class as I don't know when I will get to Manchester again.  I will return to 58 Port Street anon to have a proper look at their stock for I have promised them a write-up in this blog soon.

The Ballet Retreat

According to its website The Ballet Retreat is a joint venture between David Paul Kierce and Hannah Bateman to produce "two and three day, adult ballet courses, held at world class professional studios for dance enthusiasts, facilitated by industry experts." The first of those courses took place in Leeds last bank holiday weekend (27 to 29 Aug 2016) and was attended by Mary Howard who is a regular member of my adult ballet classes at Northern Ballet Academy in Leeds. I asked Mary to write about her experience and this is what she sent me:

"THE BALLET RETREAT AUGUST 27th 2016
Led by
Hannah Bateman and David Kierce

​There is a buzz of anticipation in the beautiful glass reception area of Northern Ballet's home in St Peters Square Leeds. It's the first day of our Ballet Retreat and everyone is anxious about how the day will progress. Hannah is calm and smiling behind her desk where we all sign in to accept our name badge and T-shirt. David is bouncing with energy and greets everyone with enthusiasm. ​I look around to determine how many other dancers are in my age group (over 60) there are a few which is good. There are also some male participants which is very good because they are a rare and welcome species.

Whilst we all mingle and chat over coffee, I start to feel much more relaxed. At 10:00 O'clock we watch the Northern Ballet Company at their training class in the main Burton theatre. This is amazing and very inspirational. At 11:45 we warm up with Hannah for half an hour. Beautiful relaxing exercises mostly on our Yoga mats. Now it's time for a Ballet Class in technique with David. This is very different to my usual  "0ver  55" class, and I love it. We have a wonderful pianist but David's voice carries well above the music so instructions are clear. He is very entertaining whilst also being firm in his requirements of our dancing. He misses nothing and occasionally stops to correct an arm position or foot that may be straying. After this we all welcome the delicious and plentiful buffet lunch laid on by the catering team.

After lunch there is a further one hour ballet class involving exercises carried out in the centre of the studio. Following this one hour of Classical Repertoire, Hannah joins us and we begin to learn the Aurora Variation from The Sleeping Beauty. This is the culmination of a fabulous day, the music and steps of the Variation are light and so expressive of a young girl who is presented for the first time at an adult ball. After cooling down and relaxation I float down to the station in a thunderstorm of hail but also an imaginary fluffy cloud.

Over the next two days the curriculum follows a similar pattern, except on Sunday afternoon there is a Surprise Taster Class of traditional Indian dancing which involves moves that are totally alien to classical ballet: no pointed toes and much stamping of the feet. In the Classical class's we progress the Aurora Variation to it's finale. This is very rewarding and I begin to feel the exhilaration of a performer!

On Monday afternoon David extends the seating area of the theatre and whilst most of the group are seated, five people at a time perform the Variation to thunderous applause from the "audience". I must say that our six male dancers who tackled a very energetic routine from Swan Lake received not only applause but whistles and shouts of extreme enthusiasm. They were magnificent.

We exited the theatre and after a delicious afternoon tea it was time to bid farewell to our new friends, many hugs, kisses and selfies were taken. Sadly the three days were over too quickly and how I would have loved to carry on for much longer. Maybe I will see you in a future Retreat?"

I am very grateful to Mary for this report. As I would have expected, the weekend seems to have been great fun. I have seen Hannah on stage many times and I admire her dancing very much indeed. She is one of my favourite dancers with Northern Ballet - indeed with any company. Having seen Akram Khan's remake of Giselle for English National Ballet last Tuesday I for one should like to learn more about Indian dance.

Hannah and David have announced two more retreats. One at Rambert's studios in London between the 19 and 20 Nov 2016 and the other at Northern Ballet's studios in Leeds between the 14 and 15 Jan 2017. The London retreat costs £199 and the Leeds retreat £279. Places may be booked through David and Hannah's website.

Another Great Teacher

One of my very first and most popular posts was about the Kenyan dance teacher, Mike Wamaya, who gave ballet classes to kids from one of the roughest neighbourhoods of Nairobi and raised their aspirations not just in dance but in everything they do (see What can be achieved by a good teacher 3 March 2013). I revisited Mike's dance class in Back to Africa 7 Jan 2015 and Revisiting Kenya with Obama 25 July 2015).

I have now come across another remarkable teacher called Tuany Nascimento who does very similar work in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro (see Taylor Barnes How a Ballet School in the Slums of Brazil Is Changing Girls' Lives 27 April 2016 Marie Claire and Sarah Grossman Ballet Class For Girls In Rio Slum Is Free With Good Report Cards 10 June 2016 Huffington Post reported by Network Dance). A film has been made of her by Nownesss entitled Dancing for the Future 25 May 2016 which is also on Vimeo and she has a website called Na Punto Dos Pés or On Pointe.

Dance has made an enormous difference to my life. I took my first ballercise lesson when I was at my lowest ebb one month after losing my late spouse to motor neurone disease and just a few months after literally life changing surgery of my own during which time I had to run down my practice. Ballercise led to ballet which I took up at the grand old age of 64. My classes gave me something to which I could look forward and gradually restored my confidence and hope. The discipline for class is a discipline for life which can be applied to anything. I used it to restore my practice and rebuild my life.

I have been exceptionally privileged having been educated at the same secondary school as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the same university as the heir to the throne and one of America's greatest research universities. If dance can do so much for me imagine what it can do for Mike Wamaya's kids in Nairobi or Tuany Nascimento's in Rio.

Want a class tomorrow?

Danceworks

Most dance teachers and students will take the day off tomorrow but Danceworks and Pineapple will be open.

You will find Danceworks's schedule here and Pineapple's here.

If you are a beginner or, like me, a show learner, I can strongly recommend Adam Pudney's class at Danceworks between 16:00 and 17:30. He has high standards and although he also has abundant patience he will expect the best from you and squeeze it out of you.   I have taken two of his classes (see Pineapple 20 Nov 2013 and Another Slice of Pineapple 12 July 2015) and enjoyed them both tremendously.

If you go to either studio you will need to buy at least temporary membership which entitles you to enter the building and then pay the instructor for his or her class. Fees vary but most seem to be about £8.

Why I Still Go to Class - Despite Everything

LAMDA Poem - Stage Three - Ballet Lesson Wildcats Academy (Wildcats Theatre School)

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"Aren't you a bit too old for this ballet malarkey?" ask my chums from time to time. After seeing an overweight, lumbering hippo in black trying to do temps levés and balancé turns at least half a second behind everyone else in the Romeo and Juliet intensive (see Romeo and Juliet Intensive - the awful proof as the camera does not lie 21 April 2016) I could understand their point.  For a few days I was absolutely pole axed by those pictures. I chickened out at the last moment of two classes that I normally attend out of pure embarrassment.

It did not take long to realize that there is no need to be embarrassed in class because everyone is too preoccupied with their own exercises to have time or energy to take an interest in anybody else's. However, that is a reason for not avoiding class rather than a positive reason for going to class.

I think I go to class for four reasons even though it can be tiring, sometimes painful and always takes up a lot of time. 

The main reason is that  I have learned more about ballet from the classes that I have taken over the last three years than I had picked up in a lifetime of watching performances from the stalls. I am far too old and far too fat and feeble ever to learn pointe and I cannot do most of the turns and jumps but I can do at least some of the steps and know how it feels to do them. More importantly I have - albeit fleetingly and imperfectly - felt the music flow through my body and to express the music which is an experience I think every dancer must know. It is a glorious sensation which makes all the pain and effort worthwhile.

Closely related to that is the excitement one gets just before a show as one finds one's position on stage in the dark. Then the music strikes up and the dancers go. It is actually very like the feeling I get when I go into court. I wrote about it the first time I did a show in The Time of My Life 28 June 2014. Strange though it may seem, I like advocacy too.

That leads me into my third reason which is that it helps me to do my job. Advocacy like dancing is a young person's game. It requires enormous explosions of energy in a very short time. It requires mastery of a lot of facts. It requires anticipation of what is to come. Exactly the qualities needed for ballet. That point arose when I met Sir Peter Wright in Budapest two weeks ago (see My Trip to Hungary 21 April 2016).

"Ballet keeps you mentally alert as well as physically fit" observed Sir Peter.

"I know" I replied. "I can speak from experience. It helps me do my job better."

"Oh!" exclaimed Sir Peter looking bemused. "And what kind of job might that be?"

"I'm a barrister. I have to be as nimble in my thoughts as you in your body and I have found the two go together."

The look of bemusement disappeared. He knew exactly what I meant.

So when my clerk remonstrates out of exasperation: "Nobody pays you to be a ballerina, do they miss" that will be my reply in future.

Finally, I have found a great esprit de corps in every ballet class I have done. Through class I have met some really nice people and made some very good friends, particularly in my Over 55 class. There are some splendid women who have led very impressive lives in that class.  After we have pivoted precariously and thumped about doing sautes I like nothing better than sitting down with them in Café 164 or the tables by the lift at Quarry Hill to listen to their stories as well as their opinions - always interesting and original, occasionally provocative and sometimes brilliant - on just about everything.

So although ballet takes up a lot of time - although I am like Mma Ramotswe of "traditional build" - I shall still turn up in Manchester, Leeds or Huddersfield a couple of times a  week and, occasionally, Danceworks or Pineapple or, indeed, even Budapest for my fix however ridiculous I may look.

Celebrating our wonderful pianist

In Realizing a Dream 12 Sept 2013 I described my first ballet class with Northern Ballet Academy. It was a very special day and one of the reasons why it was special was that we had an excellent pianist. Pianists are special as I explained in The Miracle that's wrought by tickling the Ivories of the Old Joanna 27 Jan 2016.

I wrote:

"Because last week's class at KNT was so good (see So what was so great about it exactly?" 20 Jan 2016) I feared tonight's would be something of an anticlimax. In fact it was even better and one of the reasons why it was even better is that we had a pianist. There are some lovely recordings for ballet classes on the market but there is nothing like a live pianist especially when he or she plays something from a well loved ballet. I remember being transfixed by strains of Mendelssohn's Dream from the next door studio at Quarry Hill and fighting back tears as memories of Sibley and Dowell flooded back.
Although we have pianists for most of our classes at Northern Ballet we are taught to honour them. We curtsy to them in the reverence. One instructor, Elizabeth Rae, taught us to curtsy with our hands over our hearts. "You've always got to show respect to the maestro" she explained. A classmate who had studied at one of the best ballet schools in London corroborated her. "They have real power" she warned. She told me a story about a pianist from her student days,

"If you got on the right side of the pianist he would play 'I feel pretty' for your turn. If you upset him he would serve up 'Nellie the Elephant'".

Consequently, I always make a point of thanking the pianist as well as the instructor though I would probably do that anyway."

The pianist at my first ballet class with Northern Ballet Academy was Ms. Alena Panasenka who appears in the YouTube video above. Alena has composed the short work that you can hear in the film called Truth. She has entered Truth in a competition to win a Clavinova digital piano. Now there are some lovely pieces in this competition and I wish I could vote for all of them but my favourite by a country mile is Truth. If you agree with me you can vote for that work here.

I wish all the competitors well in their musical careers and an in particular, our wonderful pianist, Alena Panasenka.

Did I read this correctly?

Roberta Marquez and Steven McRae
You Tube Licence


In the January newsletter from Danceworks I read the following section:

"New Classical Ballet classes
Three fantastic new drop-in Ballet classes for 2016 for advanced dancers with extraordinary dance stars: Antonia Franceschi, (Mondays 11.30am from 4th), Zdenek Konvalina, (Tuesdays 10am from 11th), and Roberta Marquez (Wednesdays 10am from 6th)."

Now Roberta Marquez is one of the greatest ballerinas of her generation and which dancer of sufficient aptitude would not give an eye tooth for a class from her? Surely it is a misprint or another Roberta Marquez?

It seems not.  Marquez's class for advanced/professionals takes place between 10:00 and 11:30 on Wednesday at a cost of £8.  If I were good enough to take her class I would camp all night outside 16 Balderton Street to be first in the queue.

Never attend a Ballet Class the Morning after the Night Before

While I was in Edinburgh I bought these very special cards for my very special ballet friends.  They show Bethany Kingsley-Garnet who danced Cinderella on Saturday and that is the costume she wore in the ballet. It was a lovely production as you can see from my review (see Scottish Ballet's Cinderella 20 Dec 2015). You may remember that Cinders had been warned to leave the ball before the end of the drivers' shift at Murine Motors otherwise they would take their Pumpkin stretched limo back to the garage and she would have to find her way home on the night bus. Cinders could have walked home when her mum was alive because the family lived in the New Town. She and her dad had to move to Craigmillar after he had taken to the bottle to relieve the stress that he suffered in a disastrous second marriage.

Cinders managed to change out of her party dress and even had time for a brief lift by the prince just before the Pumpkin drove off. That was more than I was able to do when I attended our chambers party on Wednesday. It was a seriously good party which was still going strong as I left for King's Cross to catch my train back to Leeds at 06:30. The reason I had to be on that train was that I had a ballet class at 11:00, cocktails at The Alchemist after class and an invitation to see one of Phoenix Dance Theatre's  new pieces at 17:00.

Leeds is 200 miles from London and the journey takes just over 2 hours. For the whole of that journey I felt I was doing pirouettes if not more fouettés than Legnani had ever accomplished in her life. As I say, it had been a very, very good party. I regained my composure on the walk to Quarry Hill and changed out of my party dress into my leotard.

The first exercise was pliés which are usually a doddle but when I tried to relevé in 5th at the end of the exercise my feet and ankles wobbled like a jelly. It was even worse when we tried tendus because we had to remember to stretch our inside leg after the exercise on our outside leg and then attempt to stretch outside leg and insider leg alternately en croix. Glissés were even worse because they required a pas de cheval st various stages. To say I was hopelessly confused is putting it mildly. After the usual ronds de jambe. grands battements and so forth and then it was time for centre work when my troubles really began. Even though my brain had been doing pirouettes all the way from King's Cross to Leeds could my body pull one off when it needed to do so. No way don Jose. It was hard enough to remember the preparation. We had a lovely port de bras which I just managed to struggle through. Then jumps which is the bit I usually like best. Finally, chassés, balancés, a complex exercise consisting of curtsey, arabesque,  pas de bourrés and balancé turns which is hard enough when I have had a good night's sleep and have been stone cold sober the night before. For once in my life cool down and reverence could not come soon enough.

Mel had been following  my tweets from Budapest. "How was class?" she asked solicitously. "I didn't injure myself or anyone else or even fall over" I replied "but that was about all the credit I could claim." We met for cocktails as arranged. Michelle Richer, one of the most prolific contributors to BalletcoForum, managed to join us from Lincolnshire.  She was accompanied by Adrian whom she had mentioned in the forum from time to time. In fact we met  on the train to Leeds. Although I stuck to mineral water my classmaters' cocktails were amazing. One of them ordered something that erupted with the violence of Vesuvius. Another produced dry ice like the wilis emerging from their tombs.

My over 55 ballet class was almost as gregarious as my chambers. We found a table on the terrace outside the cocktail lounge where we could observe le tout Leeds and there my fellows consumed the barman's concoctions until dusk. I stayed in Leeds for the new work for Phoenix by Kate Flatt called Undivided Loves which will be premièred at West Yorkshire Playhouse on 17 Feb 2016. We had a talk from the choreographer and another from Adriano Adewale, the composer, and finally a run through by Prentice Whitlow, Marie-Astrid Mence and Jack Thomson. As the work is still in progress I have promised to say nothing about it except that it is enchanting and I would urge my readers to see it.

I had forgotten to mention what I did between cocktails and the performance. I spent an interesting time at the British Art Show at Leeds Art Gallery. It is not everybody's cup of tea. Maybe not even Marcel Duchamp's but it is good to know what artists in other mediums are creating. I was attracted to Charlotte Prodger's "Northern Dancer"  but found out that it was all about a horse.

A Different Kind of Ballet Class - Emily Talks at Hype

Sheffield

Author Tpxpress

Source Wikipedia

Every ballet class that I have ever done, whether in Huddersfield, Leeds, London. Manchester, Sheffield or (half a century ago) St. Andrews, has followed a pattern. Usually there is a warm followed by 20 to 30 minutes barre consisting of pliés, tendus, glissés, ronds de jambe, fondus, cloches and either grands battements or développés, then a port de bras which is my favourite part of the class, followed sometimes by pirouettes (which still defeat me), sautés, grands jetés  or temps levés and cool down. We did most of that yesterday as well as several steps that were quite new to me - but in a different way - and it was a lot of fun.

The class took place at Hype in Sheffield which I mentioned in More than just Hype - Beginners and Improvers Classes in Sheffield 14 May 2014. Our teacher was Emily Talks who has been on maternity leave over the last year. Mel had spoken very highly of Emily and I can quite see why. Emily and I had met briefly in August when Mel did her grands battements and we have been friends on Facebook for a while but this was the first time I had taken one of Emily's classes.

It was not a big class. Less than 10 of us. All women except for Ian (the gent I introduced in my review of Hype's Frightnight contribution (seewas Out of this World 3 Nov 2014)). Emily's warm up consisted of getting us to walk in random directions, then backwards trying not to turn round which resulted in my barging into Mel with great velocity, then walking forwards curtseying or bowing to each other as we passed.

Instead of pliés and tendus at the barre Emily called us into the centre and taught us a delightful enchainement consisting of pliés. rises, arms in open 5th, glissé, piqué, point, several steps forward and finally a port de bras all carried off with a smile. She drilled us several times at this exercise until we got it more or less right.

She sent us back to the barre briefly to practise glissés (3 in front followed by a plié, 3 to the side followed by another plié, 3 to the back followed by yet another plié, 3 more to the side followed by a snappy relevé). We did that in both directions a couple of times.

Next we tried fondus in the centre bending our left leg and raising our tight, then our tight raising our left, bending our left and stretching our right, bending once more and balancing on left in relevé running a few steps and balancing on our right legs in third arabesque. We marked it once without music and then with music. We divided into groups and had a go at the exercise several times. We then tried the exercise on the opposite feet. I have had trouble with my right foot for over a year and just can't hold demi-pointe for more than a millisecond which can't have impressed Emily. On the other hand I could make a much better stab at third arabesque balancing on my left leg. Emily drilled us in that exercise several times and I do think I improved slightly. Seeing my struggles Mel slapped me on my back by way of encouragement.

Our last enchainement was a weight shifting exercise for which we were given props. There was a big bag of toys and other goodies on one of the racks from which Emily selected some coloured wands with streamers for each of the women and a Union flag for Ian. My wand had green and white stripes with a green ribbon. The exercise consisted of waving our wands (or flag) in the air from left to right and back again as we shifted our weight from one side to the other pointing our unengaged toe a couple of rapid soutenus waving our wands (or flag) below our tummies, pliés, rising in the air, running (and then for me the new bit) jumping a  rassemblé changing step and direction and ending with our rights arms and wands in the air and our left arms forming a continuous line. Or at least that was the idea. I don't think I ever got there but I did my best. Again, we tried that exercise in groups several times.

Finally. we did some conventional jumping - sautés and changements ending with some temps levés. Again we tried each of those exercises several times.

Then it was all over.

Emily's cool down consisted of some stretches on the floor followed by some stretches on out feet.  We curtseyed to Emily, then to each other and we were on our way.

I don't think a class has ever gone so quickly. I have to think back to my first class with Annemarie to recall one that has been as much fun. The hour was more like a rehearsal than a class. By combining the exercises into enchainements we were able to understand the exercises in the context of a performance. By repeating them more than once each of us we improved a little - or at least (in my case) I thought I did. We were all bouncing and chatting as we exited the studio.

I shall certainly try to return to Sheffield for another of Emily's classes. Unfortunately, I don't know when. Emily's class clashes with meetings of the London Ballet Circle. Ernst Meisner was the guest last week, Marcelo Gomes the week before that and Li Cunxin is coming next week. There is no way I would miss the opportunity to listen to and afterwards shake hands with them.  Moreover Sheffield is not a city I visit often. Traffic is terrible. Public transport is no better.  Trains from  Brockholes take forever and the tram does not go anywhere near Hype's studio. Off-street parking is outrageous and the council has the cheek to charge £1 for parking outside the Lord Nelson after 18:30. The only reason I was able to take yesterday's class was that I had a business meeting in the city followed by an invitation to the Wong Ting. Nevertheless, I have an incentive to return and return I will just as soon as I can.

London Amateur Ballet Gala

Bloomsbury Theatre

Photo Frankie Roberto
Source Wikipedia

If I wasn't dancing in Northern Ballet Academy's end of year show at the Stanley and Audrey Burton Theatre in Leeds that day I would be in London for the Annual LAB Gala 2015 at the Bloomsbury Theatre. According to the Theatre's website:

"The UK's leading adult amateur ballet company, London Amateur Ballet is proud to present The LAB Gala 2015. This magical annual event will leave you spellbound by the achievements of this dedicated company of amateur dancers. The highlights in 2015 include LAB's very first specially commissioned new work from choreographer Jamie Thomson, along with a diverse programme of excerpts from ballets... and as if that wasn't fabulous enough... we'll even have a few guest stars from the UK's leading ballet companies to inspire us all!"

The London Amateur Ballet's website says that the company was founded in 2012 by Tom Linecar-Boulton. He is its artistic director and he is assisted by an impressive group of dancers and teachers. The company organizes classes, coaching sessions and intensive courses as well as performances. It has an on-line store for clothing, ballet bags and other branded merchandise.

I have got to know something about the company because one of its members dances occasionally in my Over 55 class in Leeds. She lives in Lincolnshire and travels considerable distances to attend class with us (see The Time of My Life 28 June 2014). Last year she was in our end of year show and I don't think she missed a single rehearsal. She must travel even further to attend class and the other activities offered by London Amateur Ballet. She is one of the main contributors (if not the main contributor) to BalletcoForum and has written very interesting posts about very long days that started early with trips to Leeds and continued with trains to London and lots more work with the LAB and a late train home. It is hard not to admire such dedication and marvel at such stamina, particularly as her travels sometimes take her to Argyll to study with Ballet West (see Taynuilt - where better to create ballet 31 Aug 2013).

I wish everybody in LAB's gala chookas and/or toi-toi for their show. As I seem to be spending more and more time in London I hope to attend one of their shows. Their classes and course seem far too demanding for the likes of me but I think the company is a great idea and I hope to support it in other ways.

If you expect to be in London on 4 July here is a link to the Bloomsbury's box office. Ticket prices are between £18.50 and £22.50 (£15.00 for children) which is not an unreasonable amount of money when you consider that there will be pros from the English National Ballet and other major companies appearing with the amateurs on stage. If anyone attending the show would like to review it for Terpsichore I should be glad to publish such a contribution.

Caledonian Cousins

Yesterday my monthly newsletter from Scottish Ballet featured Scottish Ballet Elders Company whose members look a lot like the members of my Over 55 class at Northern Ballet. They are described as "Scottish Ballet's first performance company of elder community dancers".  We are not a company but we do put on shows, glimpses of which appear in the YouTube clip. I performed in one last year and had the time of my life (see The Time of My Life 28 June 2014) and we are rehearsing for another on 4 July 2015 (see Not just Americans who will celebrate the 4th July this year 23 April 2015).

According to Scottish Ballet's website the Elders Company will now begin to work with choreographer Winifred Jamieson towards the creation of a new piece to be performed at Dance Base, the national centre for dance at Edinburgh, during the Festival as part of the Fringe. The Company will then tour alongside Prime, the elder dance company from Dance Base to 4 venues in Scotland in October.

I am sure I speak for everyone in my Over 55 class (indeed on behalf of all my readers) in wishing both companies well and a cheery chookas for their forthcoming shows. Since the Yorkshire Post featured us in their colour supp (see "We're in the Paper" 15 April 2015) we have been joined by several new dancers and Northern Ballet is laying on extra classes to cope with demand.

On 30 May 2015 I reported on Danceworks's Over 50s class in London which offers a taster class on 14 July 2015. One of my colleagues from Northern Ballet has already put her name down for that class and I shall try to make it when I am in Town.  I have also heard of Rambert's Mercury Movers for the Over 60s who seem to have a very select audience at one of their classes.

Of course there is nothing to stop dancers of my age or even older from attending mixed aged groups. I have been made very welcome by Team Hud in Huddersfield, Hype in Sheffield and KNT Danceworks in Manchester and Pineapple in London, Yesterday Gita and I attended a one off class by Chris Hinton-Lewis at Northern Ballet and enjoyed it tremendously. But it is fun to dance with one's own age group and then natter for an hour or so at a nearby cafe. If anyone knows of any other dance class or company for the over 50s in any other British town or city (or indeed abroad) do let me know and I'll publicize it as widely as possible.

First Day Back

Photo Wikipedia

Like a lot of people I took my first ballet class of the New Year yesterday. In balmy LA, @adultbeginner  tweeted:

Cold ballet in a cold studio grrrr brrrrr
— Adult Beginner (@adultbeginner) January 3, 2015

She also tweeted:

Beware your first ballet class of the new year in a studio that has had the heat off for the previous two weeks. #fuckinbrrr
— Adult Beginner (@adultbeginner) January 5, 2015

Well, our studio didn't have any power on the ground floor which left us with the options of changing downstairs by the light of our mobiles or  in the loo. I chose the latter. And as for cold ...... LA winters are often warmer than our summers. I know because I live in Yorkshire and went to graduate school in LA. But now I am beginning to sound like the four Yorkshiremen in the Monty Python sketch which Adult Beginner might enjoy because she has a sense of humour very like ours.

We didn't mind. There was still electricity in the smaller studio upstairs. We huddled together by the travelling barre to keep warm. Our class was taken by Fiona Noonan who is a good teacher. And it was a lot of fun.

The day before David Wilson (who is now also in California) had tweeted:

First ballet class of 2015 for many people tomorrow! What are you looking to focus and work on this year? #balletresolutions
— DaveTriesBallet (@DaveTriesBallet) January 4, 2015

Last year I experienced for the first time the thrill of dancing in public (see The Time of my Life 28 June 2014). There can never be another first time and it took a lot of effort to get to that point. In the weeks leading up to the show I was taking at least one class a day and some days two. That was beginning to take up too much of my time. Also, my passion for dance was boring the pants off my other followers and readers.  I don't think it made me a better dancer and as an economist manquée I should have anticipated that. So this year my aims are more limited. To consolidate on what I already know.

Yesterday's class was ideal for that objective because Fiona took us back to first principles. In his last post David Wilson had suggested a ballet journal (see The Dance Journal – what is it and why should I have one? 14 Dec 2014 Dave Tries Ballet). It seems a very good idea so I got myself one. I made two entries. The first is: "Push the legs back when doing pliés in 2nd and 4th, to hold the back straight and relax the ribs. Then push up from the bottom." Harder said than done but Fiona seemed to think we had all got it right. The other entry is on pirouettes. "Let the leg in retiré lead you round not the arms" and "Push catch with the arms."  I still have a lot of trouble with pirouettes and that is because I can't stay on demi point on one leg for long. Last year Elizabeth Rae got my Northern Ballet class to do tours lents and they really helped (see Elizabeth Rae  7 Oct 2014).

As usual I left the studio on a high. So, too, did other members of the class such as @melonyklein who tweeted that class felt good. Our class included three newbies all of whom said they were coming back. If you took your first class of the New Year yesterday I hope it went well for you too.

Class

Edgar Degar  Ballet Class

Photo Wikipedia

Exactly two years ago I took my first ballet with Fiona Noonan at The Base Studios in Huddersfield.  It was my first class for 45 years. It wasn't easy. Most of the other students were young. Some were still at school. All had studied ballet for years. I was so unlike them. An overweight 63 year old barrister. I didn't even have the right kit. I took my first class in jogging trousers, tee-shirt and socks. I am sure the other students wondered why I was there and I certainly did. I can't say I enjoyed that class because I could  do hardly any of the exercises. I still can't do all of them even now. And my body ached for ages afterwards.

But I came back. I took private lessons from Fiona who patiently taught me to stack my body and balance first on two legs in demi and then one leg with the other in retiré. I managed to do the barre exercises and some of the jumps. Turns are a different matter - soutenus are all right and even chaînés but I just can't stay in relevé with my non-supporting leg in retiré long enough to do a full pirouette (see A Really Useful Video on Pirouettes 22 Nov 2014). And when I tried posé turns in Leeds I fell flat on my back.  I did wonder then whether I was getting a little too old for this ballet malarkey but I got up, dusted myself down and carried on.

I'm so glad I did because I love class and I have been trying to work out why. The music is one reason. We have some lovely pianists at Northern Ballet, particularly Alena Panasenka whom you can hear in the video but even the recording that Fiona and some of my other teachers use for the adagio is beautiful.

Camaraderie is another reason. The ladies in the film speak about it and it was that video that drew me to Northern Ballet. Those ladies and I danced together last June in And The Dance Goes On in which I had the time of my life and I am glad to say that the ladies are now my friends.  I have also made friends in my other classes in Huddersfield, Sheffield and Manchester.

I have also been fortunate in having wonderful teachers.  None of them resembles the awful Miss Polly in Ballet Black's Dogs Don't Do Ballet. The bond between dancer and teacher is very special. Dame Antoinette Sibley spoke of it when she talked about her classes with Tamara Karsavina (see Le jour de gloire est arrive 3 Feb 2014) as did Elena Glurdjidze and indeed my friend Pamela Newton when remembering Olga Preobrajenska. Look at the interaction between teacher and students in the classes in Moscow and San Francisco in Adult Ballet in Moscow and San Francisco. I have experienced something like that in my own short ballet career as you may recall from my dialogue with Fiona after I told her that I had spent the afternoon listening to Clement Crisp and Antoinette Sibley:

"'Oh super jealousy' she replied.
'Don't be jealous' I responded 'You are also part of the tradition. You live it, I just see it. And you pass on your gift to others.'
'Awwwww Thanku xxxx'
'When I go to class you or Annemarie represent every dancer, choreographer and teacher who ever lived'.
'Aw Jane! I won't be able to leave the room soon'
'I am only paraphrasing Sibley. She should know. Through you I am linked to your teacher who is probably linked to someone at Ballet Russes who is linked to Petipa.'
'xxxxx wise woman!'"

And that brings me onto my final and most important reason which I only appreciated fully this month after watching the company classes of English National Ballet and Chantry Dance who do some of the same exercises that I do with my teachers. It is the sense of being part of a worldwide community with a 200 year heritage. 

That is why I push myself to class even when I feel rotten and why I am always so glad to have done so after we bow or curtsy and clap our teacher and pianist.

Further Reading

Adult Beginner   First Class Stories  Adult Beginner 

David Wilson    Just Started Ballet  Dave Tries Ballet

Greta Wright   How to choose a Ballet class  Danceworks

Jane Lambert  For Emma 28 April 2914

Jane Lambert  Realizing a Dream 12 Sep 2013