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Adult Ballet for Beginners

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  1. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by wahansa:
    Hi there,
    Actually I go there myself and they offer various packages. I buy the $800 package for 8 classes to be used within 1 month. That amounts to $100 per class. You can also choose $960 for 8 classes to be used over two months and that's $120 per class. Their rate is much lower than most other studios. They do take walk-in students so you can go any time and try it out.
    Cheers!
    You mean for Gravity Ballet? Yes their prices are reasonable, Jean M. Wong School of Ballet charges HK$890 per month for 1 lesson per week... Which is quite expensive compared to other dance schools.
    Last edited by Sweeneykill; 29-05-2016 at 02:42 AM.

  2. #12

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    Why has noone mentioned Ecole de Jeune Ballet? EJB L'ecole de Jeune Ballet (EJB)

    1. They have Professional ballet dancer programme (not relevant to the OP but in reply to the comment about lack of professional ballet training in HK).
    2. They are run by former HK Ballet soloists. Classes are taught by ballerinas who actually danced on stage for many years, and are still dancing. (Unlike Jean Wong School of Ballet... taught by teachers who passed RAD exams but may have never been on stage)
    3. They teach technique and dance, they don't teach you to pass the exam - unlike most of the schools focused on RAD.

    It amases me as always how much Hong Kong is about passing exams and making grades than about making and enjoying art.

    Last edited by Khema; 29-05-2016 at 08:03 AM.
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  3. #13

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    Original Post Deleted
    What can be more classic than Vaganova system? "Super-classical ballet" is a training system to be started at a young age with a right body for it. Vaganova system does just that. RAD has found popularity in Hong Kong bc of its focus on grades and almost guaranteed progression if you do what the teacher/school tells you to do. Which is, in everything that concerns human bodies, is not always the case. I find RAD boring, restricting creativity of the teacher and a student and shifting the focus from DANCE to exercises and grades.

  4. #14

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    Sorry to hear about your experience. I used to dance in that studio. I think probably because there weren't enough absolute beginners in the class you went to, the teacher adapted to the more advanced students who, like you said, probably stayed over to take a double class. Yes, "brutal" is the word, LOL! For basics, I really recommend you to try another school. There are many besides Gravity, but having been around the adult ballet scene in Hong Kong for almost 10 years, and tried many schools myself, I can highly recommend it.

    Quote Originally Posted by Sweeneykill:
    So what ballet style should a beginner actually be aiming for? I had a trial class of the Russian Vaganova method, but it wasn't a beginner's class for adults. The other two adults had danced ballet for many years (possibly their entire life)... so I was literally just thrown in. I think what happened was they had the advance adult class the hour earlier, and then they simply stayed for the beginner class in order to get a double class... So it became a non-beginner class. I guess they weren't expecting me....
    It was brutal to say the least. I don't think I've ever been that sore. But I wasn't really taught the basics... and nothing was explained to me. The teacher just asked two or three times if I've taken ballet before... while continuously saying out positions I had no idea how to do..... I don't even think the teacher actually showed me what the positions were, or how they OUGHT to look... It was a very confusing and frustrating 60 minutes. That's not to say the teacher was bad though, I think it was more of a language barrier.

    I am not aiming to be a professional dancer any day, but it would be nice to get the proper basics. If I'm going to start ballet lessons, I'm going to commit and do it properly.

  5. #15

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    It is very expensive and having taken classes at Jean Wong's, I can tell the school itself isn't really serious about adults. Don't get me wrong, they have good teachers and facilities. But the whole set-up puts a lot more emphasis on the children and rightly so, but adults may not feel they can reach their full potential and have performance opportunities like in some other schools. The classes are only one hour (not sure if they have changed it).

    Quote Originally Posted by Sweeneykill:
    You mean for Gravity Ballet? Yes their prices are reasonable, Jean M. Wong School of Ballet charges HK$890 per month for 1 lesson per week... Which is quite expensive compared to other dance schools.

  6. #16

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    I have friends who go there and are very happy with the adult classes. Yes, they do not emphasis exams for adults.
    I agree with your view on exams. I once blogged about the subject of exams. Here it is:
    https://balletomanehk.com/2014/05/14...-on-rad-exams/

    Quote Originally Posted by Khema:
    Why has noone mentioned Ecole de Jeune Ballet? EJB L'ecole de Jeune Ballet (EJB)

    1. They have Professional ballet dancer programme (not relevant to the OP but in reply to the comment about lack of professional ballet training in HK).
    2. They are run by former HK Ballet soloists. Classes are taught by ballerinas who actually danced on stage for many years, and are still dancing. (Unlike Jean Wong School of Ballet... taught by teachers who passed RAD exams but may have never been on stage)
    3. They teach technique and dance, they don't teach you to pass the exam - unlike most of the schools focused on RAD.

    It amases me as always how much Hong Kong is about passing exams and making grades than about making and enjoying art.

  7. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by Khema:
    It amases me as always how much Hong Kong is about passing exams and making grades than about making and enjoying art.
    Leave it to the British to make up a money-making examination machine out of something educational or artistic. Same for music here and it's SAD.

    Original Post Deleted
    I can also say its the APA that has a big dance school here. They also teach Chinese Dance and Contemporary. You should keep an eye on their program, as their end-of-semester program is quite nice!
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  8. #18

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    I once wrote an article comparing the Vaganova System with the RAD... it generated a heated discussion for years, LOL!
    How is the Vaganova System Different from the English RAD System?

    Quote Originally Posted by Khema:
    What can be more classic than Vaganova system? "Super-classical ballet" is a training system to be started at a young age with a right body for it. Vaganova system does just that. RAD has found popularity in Hong Kong bc of its focus on grades and almost guaranteed progression if you do what the teacher/school tells you to do. Which is, in everything that concerns human bodies, is not always the case. I find RAD boring, restricting creativity of the teacher and a student and shifting the focus from DANCE to exercises and grades.

  9. #19

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    I can't agree with you more. The exam/certification system is so ingrained into people's mindset that one doesn't enjoy art for the sake of art. There has to be some "utility" in doing so. And most children take exams because the certs are a necessary part of getting into good schools. Luckily when I was growing up in HK this was not the case, otherwise I would probably have hated whatever I was forced to learn for the sake of getting certs. I did take modern dance classes and passed exams but the certs weren't of any use to me so I just did it for the fun of it.

    APA does have beginners' classes for the hobbyists and it has a very large studio and professional facilities. Something to look into. But you have to buy the classes for an entire term.

    Quote Originally Posted by Elegiaque:
    Leave it to the British to make up a money-making examination machine out of something educational or artistic. Same for music here and it's SAD.

    Original Post Deleted
    I can also say its the APA that has a big dance school here. They also teach Chinese Dance and Contemporary. You should keep an eye on their program, as their end-of-semester program is quite nice!

  10. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by wahansa:
    I can't agree with you more. The exam/certification system is so ingrained into people's mindset that one doesn't enjoy art for the sake of art. There has to be some "utility" in doing so. And most children take exams because the certs are a necessary part of getting into good schools. Luckily when I was growing up in HK this was not the case, otherwise I would probably have hated whatever I was forced to learn for the sake of getting certs. I did take modern dance classes and passed exams but the certs weren't of any use to me so I just did it for the fun of it.

    APA does have beginners' classes for the hobbyists and it has a very large studio and professional facilities. Something to look into. But you have to buy the classes for an entire term.
    It's really sad to learn that kids have to learn certain instrument pieces because that's what the exam piece is for that year! When I was growing up and learning piano, my teacher chose specific pieces for my level and needs or to help me obtain a specific goal. Or I learned to play things because I wanted to and they were fun (piano playing was my initiative -- parents had little to do with it). Never based on some external examination system. I would never raise a kid and have them do these silly exams...

    Do you mean the HKAPA Excel courses?
    Original Post Deleted
    there might be something there, too, for your daughter this summer:

    http://excel.hkapa.edu/courses.php
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