Skip to main content

 Ballet4Lifer of the Month- December!!!




Artwork courtesy of Charlotte Fawley

We celebrate the joys of Ballet and Dance this month with hard-working, devoted, and talented dancer Claudine Mann. What a lovely way to start the festive season. Thank you, Claudine.


Claudine in Ballet4life's Saturday Int/Adv class with Beatrice. Image courtesy of Ballet4life.



BALLET4LIFER OF THE MONTH

QUERIES

When did you start dancing?  I started dancing when I was 10 after badgering my parents for classes for over a year.  They eventually gave in!

 


Claudine as a Baby Ballerina- photo courtesy of her family.

What makes dancing so special to you?   Watching a highly skilled dancer offers an experience unlike anything else.   Its not just about great technique.  The combination of music, décor/costumes and lack of speech means that feelings/emotions are conveyed in a completely different way.  When the music comes together with an experienced performer there is nothing quite like it.    

 

When did you start with Ballet4Life?  Approximately 10 years ago or thereabouts on and off.

 

What makes B4l so special for you?  Everyone who attends B4l classes clearly loves to dance.  There is no ageism or snobbery, unlike other dance studios I have attended.

 

Do you get to see dance performances regularly? If yes, any favourite companies, dancers, performances you have seen recently? 

Pre Covid I used to try and see around 3 live performances a year.  That has sadly not resumed. There are too many amazing dancers and companies to name so I tend to go by productions. The Royal Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet and Swan Lake, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet, Russell Maliphant when he collaborated on Push with Sylvie Guillem…... 

 

What do your ballet classes do for you?  Obviously, they keep me fit and hopefully mentally agile, but for me they are a vital part of my wellbeing.  I feel totally free when I dance.  There’s something about the music and instinctively feeling the combinations/steps while you move that is unlike any other form of exercise. 

Do you have a favourite Ballet4Life class?  Bea’s Intermediate/advanced class


Claudine leaping at Beatrice's Saturday morning Int/Adv Ballet4Life class
Image courtesy of Claudine

Is there any dance style you wish to study but we do not offer presently?  No but if Bea were to do another class during the week I’d be there like a shot!


Claudine in Beatrice's Ballet4Life class, learning the enchainement. Image courtesy of Ballet4life.

What do/did you do for your “day job?” and/or what were you educated/trained to do as a profession?  I work for an Academies Trust in Ealing as a PA.

 

Do you have any tips for someone wishing to start dance training as an adult?

You need to enjoy your class rather than enduring it so pick the right level and class for your abilities and body.  Even if you danced previously, it’s always a good idea to start with the basics to ensure a good foundation before moving on up.  Also pick a teacher that has lots of experience in teaching adults.  I’ve taken classes with some teachers that quite clearly don’t want to teach adults (obviously none of the lovely B4Life bunch!)




Training in open class in town and posing with Principal Dancer of the Royal Ballet, Anna Rose O'Sullivan 
Images courtesy of Claudine


 

Do you have a favourite part of class/ ballet step you love?  I love travelling combinations in the centre.  Développé, relevé or grand jeté  makes me feel alive!  They don’t always come off but when I nail a double pirouette in time with the music – it’s also a great feeling.

 


In Ballet4life's Int/Adv class- leaping away!
Image courtesy of Claudine

How has Covid-19 changed the way you have dance in your life?

It’s made me appreciate my time in the studio far more and to never take it for granted!!

 

 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

   Because you asked for this! LOL! Donna Schoenherr - Founder of www.ballet4life.com® and of charity Move into Wellbeing®   Happy March 2021 all! The days are getting longer and Spring is not far off! Here we are nearly one year since the whole COVID-19 Pandemic hit our lives in London and also changed the world. This selfie below, I took the last day of our in-person classes on 19 March, 2020. I will never forget that day.    This past year, many of you have asked me to share more details about my life and my career. I am not someone who likes to blow one’s own horn , so I thought best to share a long version of my biography created for me but with my own satirical quips interspersed, and then just be open to conversations. I finally found and edited the long version of my CV/Biography. If you fancy a read (and maybe a giggle or two) please sit back with a cuppa or a glass of vino and enjoy. None of the names or facts have been changed and the craz...
2 comments
Read more
 VeRNaL eQuiNoX -  nearlY   18 March, 2024 Dear All, I just wanted to day hello and to provide some news and comments before too long! I am trying this approach versus the Mailchimp newsletter to see which is easiest. Studio Swap   We had an interesting, enriching and exciting time with the Saturday studio swap for our Spring Term! We hope you enjoyed the experience. We are now reverting to our previous set up for Summer Term which means the following: Beatrice classes return to St. Peter's Hall Int/Adv Ballet- 10.30am - 12pm Pointe Exercise 12.05- 12.20pm General Level Contemporary Dance- 12.30- 1.30pm Move into Wellbeing 1.45- 3pm Down the road at Arts Ed, Studio 210 Beginner Follow-on Ballet 10-11am Beginner Improvers Ballet 11.05- 12.15pm Tasters in Beginner Jazz Dance, Contemporary Dance, and Beginner Ballet 12.15 - 1.15pm Short Beginner Ballet Course - 12.15 -1.15pm  Johanna Von Salmuth will lead these on a rota with our newest teacher Shiri Hadad joining...
Post a Comment
Read more
Limericks, heels, dynamics, class and more! Ms Mary E is back with her next bubbly and bright blog for all ballet/ dance/theatre lovers! Hello again, thrill-seekers in tights!  I threw together a couple of limericks for you to start the week. There was an old dancer in Ealing Who had a peculiar feeling With one leg on the barre She pliéd too far And hit her head hard on the ceiling. Or: If you look up quite hard at the ceiling Of St Peter’s dance studio in Ealing There’s a tiny balloon That deflated too soon And got stuck there - it’s cute and appealing The first is clearly ridiculous (as limericks generally are) but the second is true. Have a look next time you do class at St Peter’s. Floor barre would give you the best view. Which limerick do you prefer? I need feedback from all you gorgeous dancers. In fact, I had an idea that I might open a Ballet4life themed limerick competition! Post your contributions in the comments se...
6 comments
Read more