• Ballet

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copyright 2008

For male dancers, the first rule of taking ballet: Do not to tell people you are taking ballet. Taking ballet can be intimidating, but ballet is the foundation of dance. I wanted to learn the basics of ballet to become a better dancer, so I enrolled in the Absolute Beginner Ballet Workshop at Broadway Dance Center. My teacher for the workshop was Dorit Koppel. My tips for taking ballet for the absolute beginner male dancer. I would recommend wearing sweat pants or shorts, not tights, and black slippers. For the beginner, the best position is to be in the back and in the center. (I don't think wearing tights is the best attire for the male ballet dancer. Too much of stigma, better off with normal sweat pants or shorts.) The ends of the bars are traps. I think looking in the mirror can be weird. I am not much of vain person. But do try to spot someone in the class who is better than you. This is why I recommend being in the back, and in the center. This is another way to learn from someone who has better technique than you, and using the mirror also. At the end of the barre, I felt very self-conscientious.

 

 

 

I like the stretches and learning about balance and technique. The French vocabulary can be overwhelming. The class is easy at the beginning, and then it becomes difficult because you are constantly building on basic steps, much like putting on Lego brick on top of another. I would not recommend taking back-to-back classes of hip hop and ballet.

- Ballet - Hip Hop - Modern -

The technique is completely different than ballet, and your will be a little mixed up before getting into Ballet mode. There are a lot of positive aspects to this class, and there a few negative aspects to point out. I did not like the performance part of class. I felt like I was put on the spot in the performance part of class

Once the bars are cleared out, the class goes into performance mode. I found this part of class to be the most difficult. I like having the bar in front of me. The bar is sort of having your training wheels on your bike when you are little kid. The performance part is scary, especially for me. I would highly recommend taking a class wih Dorit Koppel. Dorit Koppel is a very gifted instructor. Her teaching style is very effective. I like how she uses storytelling and humor to get ideas across. The class starts very easy, and becomes difficult. I would recommend practicing, and learning from other students who are also taking the class.