PROFESSIONAL BALLET TRAINING AS AN ADULT - My Year at the Conservatoire Q&A | natalie danza

MY YEAR IN THE CONSERVATOIRE AS AN ADULT BALLET DANCER! Thank you for your questions everyone, I hope you enjoy hearing about my time in professional ballet training as an adult!
CONSERVATOIRE WEBSITE
(Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Fortea):
danzafortea.es

[@Lily_Autumn]

This was so interesting! Thanks for taking the time to make such an indepth video about it. I’ve recently returned to adult ballet classes after a four or five year break after moving from where I took adult classes before (I also did ballet into my teens) and it’s been so fun getting back into it, but also frustrating as we definitely don’t do all the exercises. And they aren’t clearly defined exercises for each movement like pliés, tendus, frappes, etc. My teacher is great and trained at the Royal Ballet School, but the class is only 45mins and there just isn’t enough time to fit everything in. It’s also very basic and whilst it’s really fun I think I need to find one a little more advanced if I want to progress.

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Thank you Lily! I understand, 45 minutes isn't really long enough for a ballet class. Maybe you could find one more class a week which is longer so you can get the advantages of your RAD teacher but also feel like you get the chance to do a full class too! :)

[@sewitseams5632]

I got back into ballet at age 36 at my local academy, and I can relate to everything you said about the pains returning! I would be so exhausted dancing 5 days/ week from having a long absence from ballet. My lower back was the worst, it was agonizing to see such a low arabesque and how excruciating it was to hold it! 😂 I love hearing your stories about your ballet life, thank you for sharing. I look forward to all your videos and posts on Instagram. Keep it up! ❤️

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Thank you so much Annelise :)

[@larissaswayze]

I’m going through my own professional ballet training as an adult - dancing with 14-16 year olds. Everything you said I was like “yup,” “yup.” I probably agree the most with you saying that when you’re an adult you have such a different perspective. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged, but knowing how amazing an experience it is makes you remember every day that it’s worth it. Thanks for sharing!

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Thank you Larissa and best of luck with your training! :)

[@breezter]

I'm super jealous, hahaha. Don't get me wrong, I've found a good ballet school for adult beginners, but I wish I could train professionally. I want my goal of en pointe to be taken seriously. I'm 21 and, if I can't dance professionally, then by darn I'll at least get pointe shoes.

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

It's great that you're so determined! Good luck with your ballet, I'm sure you'll be on pointe soon! :)

[@breezter]

@@NatalieDanzaBallet Aww, thank you, and thank you for replying! You are a beautiful dancer, and I can't wait to dance like you!

[@TinaMartinez97]

Haha I feel you. I was never able to dance ballet as a child and I feel like now getting started in my 20s I am too old to still become professional but yes at least point shoes would be great.

[@breezter]

@@TinaMartinez97 girl go for it! I’ve been dancing for three years and it’s so much fun. No pointe shoes yet, but my teacher let me take a pre-pointe class last year and told me she’d continue to watch my progress in class to see when I’m ready. But she believes I can do it!

[@TinaMartinez97]

@@breezter thats awesome! I believe you can do it too!! As soon as dance studios open up again I am want to take classes again, for now I have to do it at home 😜

[@jessieborrell1856]

This was really interesting! Thank you for sharing. You are totally right about adult ballet classes missing some exercises at barre and center. My class rarely does any grand allegro and it's a bit frustrating cause then I feel like I can't go to other adult ballet classes because I worry i wont know the steps if I go into an intermediate level class. It bugs me a bit that more adult ballet classes aren't more structured but I realize there's time constraints and so on. But especially as someone who didn't take ballet as a child, I want to always be learning new things and it's hard when your training is a bit scattered and you're just getting bits and pieces and certain steps. I would very much like to start in a very simple class with younger students and work my way up so that I can really improve and learn, but at the moment, it's a matter of having the time and making it work with my schedule. Hopefully someday! The school my daughter goes to is very open to letting adults learn, it's just a matter of finding childcare for the time that I would be taking class there.

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

You're so right Jessie! I hope you manage to include a more structured and disciplined class into your ballet week! Thanks so much for your comment :)

[@WolfMoon]

That was very interesting! I find it very impressive you went through with it. Honestly, I could listen to you talking about this for another hour. I started taking ballet classes at 31, so I so understand about the difference between young bodies and older bodies 😅 but I love dancing and I just take it slow.

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Thank you so much for watching! Best of luck with your ballet :)

[@rebekahnewman7085]

Awesome talk! Thank you so much for continuing to share your experience and knowledge!! And thanks for answering my question, too 😍❤️

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Thank you lovely! :)

[@AriRHen]

I wish I could find something that is similar to the conservatoire but maybe not as tough. I am really frustrated by the adult ballet training on offer where I live. It is either aimed at very beginner students or pushes beginners too far too fast. For example, to start doing fouette turns in centre without doing a prep to build up muscle memory. Ive learnt such bad habits. I emailed some schools in my area but they seem put off by my 30 years haha. I wish they could see how committed I am.

[@natalie8457]

AriRHen hi, I experienced frustration when starting ballet again at 34, with adult class being just once a week I felt progress was just too slow. Eventually I built up the courage to ask my teacher if I could take more classes and join some of the younger students, i was very nervous and awkward at first but it was worth it - I now take 6 classes a week and am on pointe which has always been a dream for me and something I didn't get to do growing up. If you are passionate don't give up

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

I totally understand and as I said in the video, I felt that in some of my adult ballet classes before I went to the conservatoire, I was doing movements which were beyond the level of my technique. I feel like that's quite common in adult ballet classes so it's sometimes difficult to find the balance. On the other hand, beginners classes although ver useful can sometimes feel like you're not learning as much as you want to. That's why now I take beginners classes (I do the class en pointe) which are great for building strength and cleaning technique and more advanced classes where I can 'dance' and I've found its a good balance. I hope you can find something similar where you live)

[@davidg858]

This was an astonishing story! Incredible that you took up the life of a young trainee as an adult. Part of the result is your great channel. Your sissone video is the first clear instruction I've seen on that difficult and even more difficult to combine move.

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Thank you so much for your lovely comment David :)

[@Cherry_sew_sweet]

I’m 19 and this gives me so much hope with joining a company one day ❤️

[@filizmely]

This sounds so amazing! I wish I'd have the opportunity to do that but there's nothing like the Conservatoire where I live Thanks for sharing :)

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Thanks! Yes, conservatoires tend to be in big cities :)

[@JordanJSparks]

Omg I had no idea you trained in an adult Conservatoire! I didn't even know those existed Edit: ooo It was a regular conservatoire , very cool that you were able to study there!

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Yes it was just a normal conservatoire and I was lucky they accepted older students :)

[@zaakhard]

Love it 😍

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Thank you! :)

[@JordanJSparks]

Yaasss! I taught the character dance to my Grade 2 RADS. so cute. lol

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

awww I bet they are so cute in their little shoes and skirts! :)

[@happygamer732]

Hi! I know it’s been a while since you posted this, but how much dance experience did you have before getting in? Like how many years you had danced and how frequently? Did you go straight from the adult ballet class to that? Thanks a lot for posting this, it really motivates me to get just as far, and I am so so proud of you!!

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Thank you for your lovely comment! Here is my dance story video which answers your questions kzbin.info/www/bejne/qomkgn1voKqsl7s 🤗

[@happygamer732]

@@NatalieDanzaBallet ok, thanks!

[@kirstymackintosh8206]

This has honestly given me such faith as a 22 year old! How much were you training prior to your application to the conservatoire?

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Thanks so much Kirsty! My Dance Story video is on my other channel, here's the link to the video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pqqZn6emqLKYeNU

[@Ilustraandy]

Loved it

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Thank you Andressa :)

[@tangoingthekitchen]

I starting dancing in my early 20s, I started with Jazz dance two years later I am enjoying my first Ballet class, it was an Adult Summer intensive and I been taking ballet on and off since then, last time was on 2019, was planning to go back in 2020 again, but we all know what happen however Ballet is not the only dance that I had tried to learn I been dancing Argentine Tango since 2015. When I started taking dancing class, I was my early 20 and everyone else was still in High School or finishing Middle School lol, but I don't think that nobody noticed because I don't looked my age, I am in my 30s and people think that I am in my 20s and some still think that I am still in High School lol, I am not sure if looking young is advantage or a curse lol PS: I also took some classes in contemporary, Modern and ballet class in College

[@susanbrown7937]

Hi, I missed whether you passed your RAD exam, did you? And what level was it?

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Yes, I got a distinction in my RAD Intermediate exam :)

[@samuelblondin6488]

Hello Nathalie, I would very much like to follow this training, but I am 35 years old, it's not too late, because everyone is making fun of me, but I would like once and for all to become a professional dancer despite my age and shown that it is possible if we hang on. How should I apply? I'm from France. Thank you so much !

[@adamlevenson963]

Any advice for finding professional training for a 28 year old male who has three years ballet experience and 8 years latin dance experience? Do I just apply despite seeing age restrictions?

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

My advice would be to ask first if they are open to it. You don’t want to waste your time applying if they already have a strict age policy in place 🤗

[@starmelodyelizabethb7380]

I love character dancing

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

It has a special beauty to it, I agree! :)