MRR Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 I found this forum during ABT's Met season last year and have enjoyed it greatly--there are so many great discussions and posters here. I lurked for awhile but am now posting more. I am from Houston, TX, and have studied ballet for 12 years. I will be attending Indiana University as a ballet major in the fall and cannot wait! Quote Link to comment
GianninaM Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Welcome to Ballet Talk, MRR; we're glad to have you with us and glad you have delurked. As a ballet student you will interested in our sister site, Ballet Talk for Dancers. While this site is for ballet fans, Ballet Talk for Dancers is designed for students. You can access it at the upper right hand corner of this page. If you register there we'd like you to use your same name so that we can recognize you. Giannina Quote Link to comment
Birdsall Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 I am new too! Welcome! I know that Indiana University has a great opera program, but I am new to the world of ballet, but I imagine they have a good ballet program too! Quote Link to comment
Helene Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 The great Violette Verdy is on the ballet faculty of Indiana University: http://www.indiana.edu/~alldrp/members/verdy.html Ballet and opera are usually the opposite in terms of career trajectory. Ballet training is so specialized, that it usually begins as a preteen, and by college age, some dancers are in their final year of a pre-professional dance program, while most are apprentices or members of a corps. It is rare for a college student to dance professionally in a mid-size or major company; by 22, graduation age, many ballet dancers have already finished their career in the corps. In opera, college and even graduate school students are learning the technique, languages, acting, stagecraft, music theory, sight reading, etc. skills that will support a future career as they wait for their voices to strengthen and mature. That doesn't mean there aren't wonderful dancers in college programs, but it's not the standard career path. Quote Link to comment
Birdsall Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 The great Violette Verdy is on the ballet faculty of Indiana University: http://www.indiana.edu/~alldrp/members/verdy.html Ballet and opera are usually the opposite in terms of career trajectory. Ballet training is so specialized, that it usually begins as a preteen, and by college age, some dancers are in their final year of a pre-professional dance program, while most are apprentices or members of a corps. It is rare for a college student to dance professionally in a mid-size or major company; by 22, graduation age, many ballet dancers have already finished their career in the corps. In opera, college and even graduate school students are learning the technique, languages, acting, stagecraft, music theory, sight reading, etc. skills that will support a future career as they wait for their voices to strengthen and mature. That doesn't mean there aren't wonderful dancers in college programs, but it's not the standard career path. Why do people go to dance school at universities then? I mean this as honesty curiosity, b/c I did not know what you wrote and find it fascinating. It makes sense from the documentaries I watched (Etoiles and Ballerina). I just wonder what a dance program at a university does then. What do the students do when they finish their program? Quote Link to comment
MRR Posted July 29, 2011 Author Share Posted July 29, 2011 Bart, the reason I chose to go to university is because I'm not at a level to really be auditioning for companies yet. I am also not sure if a professional career in ballet is what I want, but I would certainly like to have a chance at one. I have always wanted to go to school, and by going to IU I can do that and still dance frequently. At IU I will be pursuing a Bachelors of Science with an Outside Field (BSOF) in ballet with my outside field being psychology. The outside field sort of acts as a second major so I can fall back on that if ballet is not what I want to do. I had actually contemplated quitting dance after high school but had a change of heart my senior year (well before getting into IU, actually) and felt that dancing at IU would be an opportunity not worth passing up. Quote Link to comment
Birdsall Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 That sounds like a good thing to do! I didn't mean to be nosey or pry into your personal decisions. I was prompted to wonder about it in general b/c of what Helene said, so I meant in general why people choose the university direction as opposed to the traditional route that Helene mentioned. But your route sounds interesting. I also knew a woman who eventually used her dance training at a university to become an owner of a Pilates studio. She was really good at anatomy and body movement, so she enjoyed teaching Pilates and opening up a Pilates studio. So that is something that would be another direction too that dancers can go into. I used to do Pilates at least 3 times a week and yoga 2-3 times a week, but I fell off the wagon when I got a puppy almost 3 years ago. I wanted time to spend with the dog and after work I just felt guilty running off to yoga class, etc. I miss doing yoga and Pilates regularly! I still work out and do cardio, but I want to get back into more fulfilling exercise. Quote Link to comment
cubanmiamiboy Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 ... I fell off the wagon when I got a puppy almost 3 years ago. Quote Link to comment
Birdsall Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 ... I fell off the wagon when I got a puppy almost 3 years ago. What does that mean? You did the same thing? LOL Quote Link to comment
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