Ballet?Modern dance?

Question:

Ballet?Modern dance?

I did ballet for 5 to 6 years and i stopped for 3 years. Right now i am in ballet again. i really want to do pointe shoes obviously i am not ready and i know that i am very patient. However i am in ballet for girls that are about 12-13 (i am a little bit older 2 years) so probably intermidiate. how many years will it take to do pointe?

Also does contemporary dance or modern complement ballet? is it good for me to do it as well so i can improve?

what type of shoes do you wear for contemporary? barefoot or dance paws?

Finally any more tips on balance (arabesque) and pirouettes?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I used to do both ballet and modern dance and they complemented each other very well whilst being totally different.

I learned to use my body in different ways for each. I used to wear what they called jazz shoes (kind of like non-pointe ballet shoes but with a definite hard sole and a very slight flat heel). We also used to go barefoot from time to time. I would say it's a good thing to train your body for other dance moves than just ballet.

Re balance: my teacher always used to tell us to fix our eyes on a point on the wall and concentrate on it. That way you don't concentrate on whether you are managing to balance or not and it becomes easier.

I would discuss with your teacher how long it is likely to be before you go on pointe, as he/she is the only one who knows what stage you are at and when you will be ready. It's not a question of getting to a certain stage in a class, it's a question of when you as an individual are ready. In my class we all went on pointe at different times.

Good luck and keep on dancing!