Dear Martina,
You will be surprised at the number of Adult Ballet Schools in our major cities. I know of about 6 schools here in Melbourne that only teach adults. To find them in your area, Google ‘adult ballet class’.

Learning to dance is a lot of fun. Because of parental objections to the then common misconception of dance being only for girls, I started at twenty years of age. Incidentally, I was already a ballroom dancer (which was acceptable to them) and you should consider this as an option if you would also like to have a fun social life.

Here at The Australian Ballet studios in Southbank I am giving a beginner’s ballet class on Sunday 17 June, which allows people like you to experience the joys of dance in a non-threatening atmosphere.  To find out more about the ‘Chance to Dance’ class visit our website at australianballet.com.au/education

For me, and I am sure you will also experience it, ballet is not just an artistic pursuit but a very pleasant way to keep fit and flexible. You will need no special preparation. The school you contact will tell you of their dress code and even give you some suggestions where best to purchase it.

Remember all great journeys begin with a single step so take that step now. You will never regret it.
Colin

You can email your ballet questions to Colin at hello@behindballet.com

Our 2012 Education program is on sale today. To view the entire program or book one or more of our fun and informative events, click here.

Would you say that my dreams of being in a ballet company are crushed and I should just forget about it? If there’s a chance, could you tell me what would be necessary to be part of a company?
Thanks,
Kat

Dear Kat,
In 1962, when I first started dancing in a classical ballet company our tallest female dancer was around 5’5” and I think the tallest male dancer was 5’11” – our ballerinas Kathleen Gorham and Lucette Aldous barely reached 5’0”! But times have changed. Nutrition has improved and our lifestyles are much healthier. So these days our smallest female dancer is 5’2” and our tallest is 5’9½”! Incidentally our tallest male dancer is 6’5” tall and quite a few male students in the graduating class at The Australian Ballet School already equal him in height.

This is good news for you, Kat. Your height should not be a problem for you attaining your dream of becoming a professional dancer. Of course it is wise to realise that being very small or very tall means that you also have to be very good. So keep concentrating on your technique.

As further encouragement, you should know that there are some dance companies in the world that actually prefer their dancers to be tall. The New York City Ballet and Pacific North West Ballet in Seattle spring to mind.

Best wishes,
Colin

You can email your ballet questions to Colin at hello@behindballet.com

Dear Kira,
The dance subjects covered by The Australian Ballet School should give you an idea of what The Australian Ballet believes are important to the development of a professional dancer. During the final years ( levels 6, 7 and 8 ) students take the following subjects. In brackets are the average weekly hours for each subject:

• classical ballet (9 hours)
• pointework/variations (5 hours)
• pas de deux (3 to 5+ hours)
• character dance (1 hour)
• contemporary dance (3 hours)

Other dance-based subjects included in the course are: repertoire, dance mime, and body conditioning/male strength training.

So Kira, although hip hop is not on our list, a professional dancer is expected to have a fairly wide range of dance skills. It is good to remember that the more styles of dance you know the more chances you have of gaining employment in the wide variety of dance companies now working in Australia.

Best wishes,
Colin

You can email your ballet questions to Colin at hello@behindballet.com

Dear Marianne,
The costumes for Romeo and Juliet are some of the most beautiful and the most complicated that the Production Department of The Australian Ballet have ever made. They are the work of the famous fashion designer, Akira Isogawa who uses material sourced from all over the world for his creations.

The materials he uses are subjected to multiple dyeing techniques to give them a multi-layered look. This means that the ball gowns you mention are actually quite lightweight and as you also saw very flowing. All the girls’ bodices are boned because they need to be tight fitting around the waist and instead of using flesh elastic shoulder straps to hold them up, the company now uses a stretch flesh-coloured net (for light and dark skin shades) that has the brand name of ‘Whalleys’.

Part of the ‘magic’ of theatre!

Best wishes,
Colin

You can email your ballet questions to Colin at hello@behindballet.com

Dear Cindy,
Yes, this is a problem. Although dancers look very self-confident onstage they are really very shy off it. So you will rarely find a dancer who will approach someone and ask “Would you like my autograph,” as they feel this makes them look pushy and conceited. However, they are all very good-mannered, and when asked would be delighted that you have chosen them to autograph your program or autograph book. Not a good solution for fans who are also shy but fortunately I have never seen a dancer ignore a request. Incidentally there is no age limit on fans, so I suggest you do the asking and let your daughter collect the autographs.

Happy autograph collecting,
Colin

You can email your ballet questions to Colin at hello@behindballet.com

Do you have any tips you can give me? And do you believe I have any chance of being a ballerina? I believe ballet and dance in general speaks the words the mouth cannot.

Any advice would be truly grateful.
Thanks, Olivia

Dear Olivia,
Congratulations for finally being able to follow your dream! I can understand that after such a wait you are eager to master the art, but ballet cannot be rushed. Every dance student has to re-learn simple things like correct alignment and how to move efficiently. This takes time. The Australian Ballet School believes it takes eight years. So Olivia, after only five weeks you still have quite a way to go.

This is the time you should spend on your technique. Carefully building correct movement patterns and discovering your centre. You will find that as you continue with your lessons you will gain greater strength which in turn makes flexibility easier to attain.

I am always amazed when I discuss with our dancers, their backgrounds. There is no ‘typical’ way to become a professional dancer. To become professional, a dancer requires a sound technique, a pleasing shape, good musicality and the secret ingredient – passion. Olivia, you already have the passion now is the time to gain the other qualities.

Good Luck,
Colin

If you’re thinking about a career in dance, whatever age you are, register for our free Dance as a Career forum at the Sydney Opera House this Saturday, November 19 from 5pm to 6pm.