Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27176 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-06-07
• Rating: Exempt
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 63 minutes

Synopsis
A tutorial in ballet, aimed at the beginner. Individual steps demonstrated by Deborah Sims.

From the Back Cover
If you have always wanted to try ballet, but have never had the courage to give it a go, this class will prove to you that not only can ballet be easy to follow and learn, but that it is an amazing form of physical exercise, toning the muscles, and helping you find balance, strength and stamina. Using a wide range of musical styles, teacher Deborah Sims clearly demonstrates each individual step. Attention to detail is paramount while keeping the steps easy to follow. First you will participate in barre exercises to warm up and stretch the muscles and to balance you before moving into the central floor area. Then you will be introduced to feet and arm positions, basic steps and movements and all the finishing touches such as the correct head movements and class etiquette. You will find that you are able to execute all the steps shown with elegance and grace by the end of the class. Advice from Deborah "One of the most important things to remember when starting exercise of any kind is that no two bodies are identical - your body is unique. The aerobic content of an adult beginners ballet class should be taken at a very gentle pace and with great respect for your body and its limitations. You should never feel pain in a joint. You can wear anything as long as you can move freely and feel comfortable. And put on some socks to prevent cold ankles! When looking for a suitable class, go along and watch. See how careful the teacher is being with the pupils. Then ask yourself "Am I going to enjoy this?" Don't forget, ballet is hard work, you might as well have some fun into the bargain!"

Customer Reviews

Entertaining...
In my opinion far to much time is taken up with Deborah talking. She does not correct obvious mistakes such incorrect posture, arms/feet not turned out etc. However it is useful as a introduction to ballet, but the lesson should have been more structured, e.g introduction to the five basic positions, plies , bra bas etc. I would only get this DVD if you have abosolutely no knowledge of ballet at all.

disappointing
a rather unstructured lesson with a self congratulatory teacher.

bad views, half the time you can't see their feet/bodies at the same time
doesn't go through classical ballet movements

i feel cheated!

This is an excellent resource
This is one of the best resources ive come across for adults new or returning to ballet. Most of the other instructional videos are aimed to children or teenagers. There is little explanation of how or why you do a particular exercise. Deborah Sim's resource is the exact opposite. Deborah notes that adults are easier to teach than children because adults want to learn and have come to class by choice. She also notes that anyone can learn to dance if they have self-belief. This is where the confidence to learn new things comes from. She notes that learners must be patient and have realistic expectations of themselves. Learners must consider their age and health before throwing themselves into hard exercises. Mastering steps and increasing skills comes from repetition and practice. This class features a group of adults of various ages, experience and sizes (yes, its pretty clear that overweight adults and older men can do ballet!). There are heaps of clear explanations of each exercise. Best of all - you get to meet the learners. You hear about their reasons for enroling in an adult ballet class, what they get out of it and how they feel at the end of the class. Yes, it is a resource for beginners and yes, there is a lot of talking - but thats ok.
I recommend this video to dance teachers wanting to learn how to teach adults and to adults starting out in ballet or wanting to know more about why they do what they do in class. Its not a hard core, 50 minute master class for prima ballerinas. This resource gets 5 stars from me! Buy it and be suprised - don't let the negative reviews put you off.