Young Writers Society

Hello. I'd ordinarily research this myself, but I've researched until my brain was sore and figured that I'd best give up and ask for help.

What I'd like to know about ballet:

1. What would a ballet warm-up be like? What types of stretches? Would ballet students do a split during warm-up?

2. What is life like for a male ballet dancer? What moves are male ballet dancers known for?

3. What is a reasonable level of skill for a fourteen-year-old boy who has been dancing ballet since about age six? How about a sixteen-year-old boy?

I realize that there's more than one question per number, but they kind of go together in my mind. Humor me, please. Thanks.

I started ballet when I was about four and stopped when I was sixteen because I wasn't able to get to the classes for the next grade because of my sister's orchestra D: We did the Royal Academy of Dance.

1. A ballet warm-up is pretty much the same as the warm-ups you'd do for most other activities, leg stretches were an important one, as were arms, and they were pretty much regular plain old stretched similar to ones we did in PE at school. We never did splits becuase not everyone can and because they can often be damaging. You'd stretch your legs out as far as you could but whilst sat down and the like; but never splits. If you're doing pointe work you need to concentrate a lot on the ankles because they can snap if they're too weak and you try to go on pointe (happened to a girl I know .___.;; )

2. In general male and female ballet steps are the same. Some set dances differ although I was never in a class with a guy so I never saw one do any. There were a few on practice tapes we had but that was about it.

3. We had lessons once a week because it was more of a hobby thing for us. We did the graded syllabut and did start a bit of one of the vocational ones before I had to leave. If someone was taking it more proffesionally they'd probably be at a higher leve, practice more, and do the more vocational syllabus which involves pointe work and none of the character dance. We never did any competitions either; our teacher was never too keen on them.

I hope that made sense >___> if you have any other questions you'd me to try and answer, just let me know