At Hollis we run ballet classes for babies through to adult.
Learning the ropes: Babies learn the basic technique for example how to stand in first position, how to run on tip toe, how to skip, how to curtsy and most important how to stand still and listen.
Once moved out of the baby class the children then move on to graded work, at the moment classes are held in preparatory to grade 4 under the BTDA (British Theatre Dance Association) syllabus.
Special ballet classes: We also run invite classes these are extra ballet classes for those children who show promise in ballet. In these classes the children learn the ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance) syllabus. At the moment classes are held in grade 1 to grade 3.
What is ballet? ………. Ballet is the base of all dance, it gives you the correct posture and strength to be a good dancer. Although when you are young ballet is fun, it still gives you the concentration and discipline needed for everyday life.
Ballet is the hardest form of dance as it is a very strict discipline although the real pressure of this doesn’t come into affect till grade 3 and above where the work in the syllabuses becomes harder. The perfect ballerina is very rare to find but doing ballet for fun and to keep fit is great for children to learn even if it is just to help with confidence.
Children doing ballet classes get very excited when moving into grade 1 as they get to have ribbons instead of elastics on their ballet shoes; this is a big step towards being a ballerina. The next step when they get excited is when they are told they can go on Pointe.