Ballet in adulthood?

Ballet in adulthood can help keep you supple, your joints in good condition, is a great cardio workout and also combines stretching and toning exercises.
'Many people associate ballet with something you briefly engage in when you’re around five, and believe it just involves lots of spinning around and acting like a fairy. However, when taken on as a serious activity, ballet is a sport that requires strength, stamina and core stability, improving posture, flexibility and helping to achieve that toned flat stomach.

So what fitness benefits will you get from going back to ballet as an adult?

• Strength: Ballet works all the muscle groups from your feet upwards. While strengthening your muscles, it also tones your legs, tummy, back and arms.
• Stamina: Use ballet to increase your cardio stamina. Exercises involving jumps, leaps and runs at a fast pace will get your heart pumping and increase your fitness.
• Core Stability: This is essential for maintaining balance in ballet. Working these core muscles will also help you on your way to a flat tummy.
• Posture: Performing ballet moves requires a pulled-up core, long back, and shoulders held with the lateral muscles engaged: a great foundation for good posture.
• Flexibility: Stretches including pliés, arabesques and grand battements will all help increase your flexibility in a safe environment.

In addition to these physical benefits, ballet also helps stimulate your brain. You'll be learning new techniques, new dances or exercises, testing your memory and concentration to help keep your brain active, and healthy.

More than anything, returning to ballet is fun - a real endorphin-booster to boost your self-confidence and happiness levels to give you a glow of health.

Taking the plunge

So I've gone for it, I've finally had the guts to hand in my notice in my nice safe little job to just teach full time. 

I'm excited. And terrified. But really, it had to be done. I've spend the past 2/3 years working full time as an Account Manager in one county, and rushing over to the other side of another county most evenings and every weekend to teach dance. It's fair to say I'm pretty knackered and the opportunity has arisen for me to give up the guaranteed (but very boring and dull) income and job, and take the plunge into the world of full time dance teaching.

I can't wait, it's all I've ever wanted to do and dance really is my life - it's very rare that a day goes by that I am not either teaching dance classes, attending dance classes or rehearsals so why not make it my primary occupation?

I've spent the last few months building up to this, arranging new classes, speaking with schools, care homes, theatres and gyms to put in place an exciting variety of classes to keep me on my toes and trust me....things are going to be very interesting!

I have 12 and 1/2 working days left in the office, and BOY AM I COUNTING THOSE DOWN! It seems the closer I get the more excited I get. 

The best bit? I've arranged things so I get a huge lie in on Monday mornings. Bliss.

Wish me luck!!

Why should kids dance?

Why should kids dance?

Dance offers many more benefits than you might realise, both when you’re an adult and when you’re a child. As a toddler, dance can begin to introduce you to all sorts of important parts of your development, from your motor skills, co-ordination and balance, to learning to communicate, use your imagination and react to music and rhythms. Learning to move different parts of the body independently in a dance class is hugely beneficial to a child’s physical development and will help their concentration. The most fun part of a dance class as a young child is developing their use of imagination; where else do you have the opportunity to chase butterflies, be a princess, march like a soldier and stomp around like a Gruffalo other than in a dance class? Teaching children to use their imagination and own creativity as a source of inspiration for their activities is precious in a world where technology and video games prevail! 

As Children get a bit older, the classes become a little more structured and energetic. It’s great for them to continue developing the skills they learnt in their ‘baby’ classes and also to increase their physical fitness and learning to listen to the teacher, take instructions and work with other children. They will continue to use their imagination, with even more exciting scenarios and work with props and in larger groups.

The availability of dance classes is abundant and there are all sorts of different types of classes. So the important question is –which class do I chose for my child? It’s a tough call, but consider their other interests and activities. I’d recommend speaking to the teacher to see what these classes entail, get a feel for the person who will be teaching them and find out what kind of learning outcomes the teacher is focussing on to ensure you and your son or daughter are getting the most out of having fun and dancing!

I teach Baby Ballet, Ballet, Disco Babies and Street Dance for a great variety of classes, if you’re interested in finding out more about my classes in Northamptonshire visit www.amieballet.co.uk

Lets put on a show!

I've been generously given the task of creating a full length show for the ballet school that I work at, Diana Miller School of Dance. 

Daunting much?

This would be fine...if I had any experience of putting on a full length show single handedly before, had choreographed over 1hr of ballet material before and didn't work full time as well as teach and rehearse with my dance company. 

'It'll be fine, the children will be so enthusiastic - you will have at least 20 children per show class.' Oh no - enthusiasm is all well and good so long as it's directed at working hard, learning choreography and concentrating. However, I fear from experience it will be directed more at lots of talking, jumping around and being generally hyper. 


I've decided on a show at least. Cinderella - the kids will love it, everyone knows the story line....and most importantly, can get away with only two major scene changes (hurrah!) And it only involves a handful of main roles I can give to senior students who I might have a chance of getting them to concentrate!

But if I am completely honest, I'm pretty excited by the whole thing. A free reign on my creativity, costume, set, choreography, music - I can't wait for the challenge.....just remind me I said this in 3 months time!!

My Dance nutrition.....

As a ballet teacher, dancer and someone who does alot of running and swimming, it's really important that I get decent nutrition into my body. And nutrition interests me greatly, so I wanted to share with you a typical daily menu for me! You'll be pleased to know, it's not all saintly!

In the morning I usually start off the day with an early morning gym or swimming session, so when I get back I get a protein packed breakfast in. Usually 2 eggs whisked into an omelet with ham and low fat cheese (my favourite is Cathedral City Lighter - still tastes like cheese even though its low-fat). This breakfast contains not only protein, but vitamins A, B, D, E and many more from the eggs, essential fatty acids, calcium from the cheese and more B vitamins and minerals from the ham.

Now about 10:30am I get a bit peckish, and I usually try to be good and have some dried cranberries and nuts - cashews, almonds and brazil Nuts. These are all full of essential fatty acids (the good fats!), vitamins and fibre which are all good for healthy hearts, bones, nails, skin and hair. The dried cranberries are full of vitamin C and natural sugars. 

Recently I've had a spree of making my own home made soups - minestrone, Parsnip, Butternut squash, Tomato and pepper, vegetable etc. They're great for filling you up and are packed with yet more vitamins! If it's home made, you know exactly what has gone in there are you know there's no nasty preservatives. But if you haven't got time to make your own soup -try the Skinny Soup Company for some tasty flavours. I then tend to have some rye bread to go with this as a good source of complex carbs to keep hunger at bay for a few more hours. 

Now...like every other woman I have to confess that come about 4pm, there's that lull in the day where I need a little pick me up. I try to be good and have a yoghurt or a low-sugar cereal bar most of the time. But fairly often a KitKat sneaks into my handbag and I'll have my little indulgence then!

My dinners usually consist of chicken and vegetables in various forms - stir fry, marinated chicken with veg, sweet and sour chicken etc, or lean mince in the form of chilli or Spaghetti bolognaise (always with whole-grain pasta for those complex carbs). It's important dinner contains protein and carbohydrates to keep you full and your body topped up with good things for the repairing it will be doing over night after all that teaching and dancing!

All in all, I try to have a good balance with plenty of protein, calcium, essential fats and complex carbs. Then of course, there's the odd treat in the form of some chocolate, or a bag of sweets because no one can be good all of the time! 

Whats in my Dance bag?

My dance bag is often a big expanse of space filled with various bits of wonderful fabric, shoes, ribbons, snacks, CD’s, hair pins and goodness knows what else. In fact…I really ought to clear it out more regularly – I’m sure there’s a KitKat in the bottom that went off in 2005…! 

I thought you’d be interested to see (a slightly edited, minus the moldy KitKat) exactly what it is a dancer and dance teacher really keeps in her Dance bag…

I never rely on having one leotard with me – you never know what disasters can happen (teaching primaries in a halter-neck leotard that pinged undone once) So in my bag I tend to have one or two camisole leotards – here there are two Capezio camisole leotards in navy and black (for variety!) which are great for going under teaching wear or for practice and a Capezio Meryl camisole dress in glacier which is perfect when you’re dancing and want something that bit more special that a leotard.

 Now the weather is getting chillier it’s important to have something to cover my arms with – especially if I’m teaching as I’m not moving around as much as when I’m in class, so the Harmonie shrug is perfect, it’s warm and comfortable but also looks very stylish. And of course, no dance bag would be complete without a pair of convertible tights! 

My ballet shoes are rather battered – they’re worn constantly, and sometimes I am dancing so much at home that they act really as a second pair of slippers (oppps!). The drawstring shoes are very comfortable – and come with the elastic already stitched on so saves you having to get out your sewing kit when you’re very busy! I also keep a foot roller in my bag for long days of teaching when a quick foot massage can definitely help! 

It’s important to keep hydrated and your blood sugars level when dancing a lot, so I always keep water in my bag with some healthy snacks – whether that’s fruit, or nuts, cereal bar or rice cakes.

And finally – a teachers, dancers and choreographers life saver…a small iPod and headphones! Usually attached to my leotard so I can dance and choreograph anywhere!

Of course, among these afore mentioned items –I must confess there is a random mess of hair pins, hair ties, old foundation and scraps of paper and pens where I’ve scribbled down ideas – but I have saved you the sore sights of these!

Frustrated Performer...

When you start ballet as a child, your only ambition is to be a ballerina. and naturally...now you attend ballet classes once a week at your local school you will become a world class ballerina and perform at the Royal Opera House. It's all so linear and obvious. 

Then gradually as you get older, perhaps teens, you start to realize that perhaps things aren't as linear as originally perceived. So maybe you better head off to Dance school in London and this will put things straight. Convincing the parents in an obstacle - Dance school isn't cheap, London isn't close and I was one of 6 siblings. Hmmm. No mind....I'll go to University and do dance! THEN I'll become a performer of course!

Well once the degree has been awarded, you've smiled for your graduation photos and the world is you oyster. Except you've hit this world with a big, realistic bang. You need to get a job. To pay bills. There's council tax, untilities, insurance etc. No matter...get an office job for a while then worry about performing. Except this office job turns from a short-term thing into a, well.......4 year thing. And now you're used to regular income and enjoying money, and London's pretty far away and other than some ballet classes you prehaps haven't kept your hand in the dance world as much as you should have - and suddenly all those dreams you had as a child are totally out of reach. 

What to do? Well...I could teach to get myself back into the Dance world. Excellent plan. Get accepted onto the Royal Academy of Dance's Certificate in Ballet Teaching studies and teach with my old ballet teacher. 2 years later, I receive that wonderful email to tell me I've passed and qualified as a ballet teacher. I've also been in touch with some old dancing friends, and we're starting up our own Dance company, we're going to perform locally a mixture of contemporary and jazz.

So now at the rather grand age for starting theses things, of 26...I'm taking the plunge. I've got a date in mind. The desk job is going by the by. The Dance is coming together. Ballet teaching and performing with Launch dance Company to start. Keeping eyes and ears on social networking and the theatre scene open for other opportunities.  Because in all honesty, London is where it's at - and where I'm not. Touring is a daunting prospect, I love my house, my boyfriend and my settled life. 

So while my 5-year-old dreams of playing the Sugar Plum Fairy on the stage at Covent Garden are a distant fantasy of my young naive self, at least I've not given up. I'm making dance my life - I can't give it up. It's all I think and do. 

Still, it doesn't stop me being hugely envious of any professional dancer I see at the theatre or on TV. But I'll accept my lot.

For now....