Caro

Yes, Silvy I agree completely, the cavalier attitude, and consideration for his partner are both very important. What drives me crazy, and what I always notice is when the men do a menage of jetes and they are not flexible enough to reach the splits in mid-air. It makes me mad !! It spoils both the sense of ballon and the line as you see the back leg hanging in the jete rather than in a flat split. If the girls jete in a split why can't the boys? So that is a picky thing that I like in a male dancer, for them to be able to do jetes around the room reaching full splits on every leap.

Hi, Im a South African, born and bred, and lived all my life in beautiful Cape Town!

Hi Grace Thanks for the info. Well, about myself.... I am currently living in South Africa, and am busy studying a degree in dance at the University of Cape Town. I am also about to simultaneously start studying a journalism degree. My passion in life is dancing, but I know very little about the ongoings of the dance world outside South Africa. My dream is to become a proffessional dancer, but I am very aware that dancing is a short lived career as it is, and if one sustains an injury you can be out of a dancing career at an early age. Therefor Im am trying to equip myself now with the tools I need, to go into a dance related field other than proffessional dancing. Thus I am exploring all the options. Benesh notation was just one of those options, although after your advice I don't think Im so keen! Other areas I am looking at are becoming a dance critic - it is for this reason that I am about to begin a journalism degree along with my dance degree - Are these the right qualifications for a dance critic? And what is your opinion on this as a career? I also love choreography and hope to make it one of my 4th year majors, although I know that a career in choreography depends entirely on the standard and appeal of the works you produce. I would love to run a company, but I am very aware that is usually the ex-principal dancers that end up with these roles. Have you any suggestions of dance related careers? I am not that keen to teach although I am preparing to do my associate exam in Cecchetti. Any suggestions and advice is welcome .Whats out there dance-wise in the rest of the world?

My ideal female dancer, is one which has all the technical attributes and a lean frame, but far more important than anything else is their stage presence. She should make the audience hold their breath as she enters the stage, and keep every member completely captivated throughout the entire ballet. Hundreds of eyes should see only her as she glides across the stage, hundreds of hearts should burst with the feeling of her every emotion, and thousands of spines should tingle, and hairs stand on end - awestruck by such a presence.

Hi Grace No Im not in London, Im actually in South Africa at the moment and am studying Benesh notation through my university course, lectured by Edward Greyling. If, howerver I want to become a qualified notator I have to go and live in London and study there as the final year can not be done through correspondance. You don't sound very keen on London though!- any particular reasons? As far as I know this is the only way I can complete the qualifications to become a notator- or is there another way?

Hi there. I am currently studying Benesh notation, and am interested to hear from any present or past students of the Benesh Institute. How did you find the course? Is it easy to find work as a dance notator?

Could anybody possibly tell me exactly how long it took Adam to write the score for Giselle? Every source I look at has a differing answer to this question.