On an adult ballet course

On an adult ballet course

Venla, Service and Administration Coordinator at Helsingin aikuisopisto, tests our courses, and she decided to return to ballet classes after more than 25 years. This time, she tested the adult ballet course for beginners.

My own dance history began with ballet classes when I was six, in other words more than 25 years ago. I had begged my parents for a long time to let me go to ballet school, and finally my dream came true. However, the discipline and systematic nature of ballet did not appeal to my six- or seven-year-old self, and I gave up the hobby after only about a year. I no longer remember what I had expected from ballet, but I remember feeling impatient and bored in ballet classes, and the systematic practice of basic positions and barre work did not feel very meaningful at the time. I suppose I had dreamt of ballerinas’ tulle tutus and soaring pirouettes but had overlooked the fact that movements that look easy are the result of years of uncompromising training.

Returning to ballet by a winding route

My short experiment in the world of ballet may also have been one reason why my dancing was put on hold for almost ten years after I gave up ballet. When I started dancing again as a teenager, this time jazz and contemporary dance, dance swept me away, and I have never given it up since. Over the years, I have done countless styles, from African dance to butoh and from oriental dance to twerking, but I never got round to starting ballet again. I was more and more interested in trying it again, but the course times just never seemed to suit me. So I was really excited when I noticed that our summer course was, for once, on days that suited me.

Getting the basics right in the first class

The first class starts on the floor. Our teacher Susanna Nurminen welcomes us and we sit down on mats. We find the right posture for our backs and, in a sitting position, do turnouts of the legs, ankle extensions and upper body bends. Soon we get to try the same movements standing at the barre. Now this is starting to feel like ballet! Susanna tells us that the short summer course covers exactly the same things as the weekly adult ballet classes for beginners. No previous knowledge is required, but nobody is likely to get off too lightly.

Already in the first class, we get to know the basic positions of the feet and arms: the first, second and third positions become familiar, as do the pliés done in them. I can see focused expressions on the faces of my fellow participants, but smiles are never far away either. Susanna guides us firmly and encouragingly. There is no lack of humour in these classes either, and the atmosphere is anything but the restlessness and boredom I remember from my childhood ballet classes. In addition to ballet, Susanna also teaches the Klein Technique, which focuses on body alignment, and this is her main interest in ballet too.

It feels good to focus thoroughly on the positions of the forearms and feet and the soft lines of the limbs. The movements are done evenly on both sides of the body. After an hour and a half, I notice that I have not once thought about work or any other worries during the dance class. To my surprise, this time the discipline and systematic approach feel more like a relief and relaxing, and not at all stifling.

Ballet does not have to be serious

During the four sessions, you cannot completely avoid the basic terminology either: allongé, tendus, tendus jetés, relevé and grands pliés become familiar, at least on the surface. In addition to sequences done on the spot, we get to march and take small tripping steps across the studio. Beautiful classical music plays in the background. Alongside the ballet movements, we also take care of our bodies: we loosen the soles of our feet with massage balls, roll our shoulders and stretch our muscles. Sometimes I notice that I am concentrating so hard that my muscles feel stiff, but fortunately you can do something about the stiffness by becoming aware of it and trying to relax your muscle groups and breathe deeply even while moving. At times I also catch myself being too serious, but fortunately I remember once again that the wonderful thing about dance is precisely its joy. No need to be stiff and formal – put a smile on your face. It works perfectly well in the ballet studio too!

Finding the joy of dance

I may not have found my inner prima ballerina yet during this course, but the ballet course was a good reminder that dance really is my thing, and whatever the style, you can find lightness, joy, humour and expressive power in it. Experiencing dance through the body can be joyful and unrestrained, and the experiences of very different kinds of dance movements actually differ surprisingly little from one another. You can find common ground in the community spirit of African dance, the physical imagery exercises of Japanese butoh, the wild shaking of reggaetón, the sensitivity of Argentine tango and the flowing lines of ballet. An authentic physical experience that cannot be put into words and the sheer joy of moving are, at least for me, what set every kind of dance apart from everyday experience.

Text: Venla, Helsingin aikuisopisto

Photo: Pieter Pienaar, Unsplash