Obsessed with Ballet!

Congratulations on finding this new passion of yours, Scentronic!

Ballet is a rigorous, disciplined and very demanding dance. I know a few older women who started to take it late in life (in their 30s and 40s) and they love it.

As to the stereotyping, that's bullsh*t. I know of many dancers, figure skaters, etc., who are so obviously not gay. What does it matter anyway? Sport that is as beautiful, artistic, demanding and rigorous as these (gymnastics, figure skating, dance to name a few), should be enjoyed and applauded rather than have the players looked down upon with disdain.

Do keep us posted on how you're doing with this.

I was in the dance company in college and two of my male friends who used to exercise with me actually joined, the teacher was thrilled because we needed more men in the group! They did really well, I hope you keep it up.

Here's a youtube clip of US Marines dancing, one of them obviously has training in ballet, so much for stereotypes!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhdBc...elated&search=

It sounds all good to me, Scentronic....keep us posted on how your new passion unfolds, as we await with bated breath!

Wow, what a promising young dancer! She could be double jointed, I noticed a tad of that in a couple of shots. Still, really incredible, I can see how she won. I'd love to watch her perform. Good luck in your lesson tomorrow and let us know how it went.

This is my favorite, scroll down to see video at the bottom of the page...

http://www.ballerinagallery.com/fonteyn.htm

I think your obsession is wonderful. I started ballet when I was 4 years old and continued for 12 years. It is the most rigorous activity you can participate in and it is incredibly technical. I think it is similar to playing the violin( which I also have done a little)...it looks effortless but every nuance makes an impact. Good luck with your lessons!

God bless you in your pursuit of Elan likeness....wow!!!!!!!!!

Scentronic, you can tell your friends that sports are gay because you're only around men, while at dance you're mostly around girls...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=d9Jz6liH6og

Check that out.

Anyways, I don't see what's wrong with it. I mean you won't do competition stuff as you have to start young for that, but it's a fun way to spend your time. I teach dance sport and ballroom and we have body type restrictions like that too, but I think most people's legs can do that.

I am so stoked for you, Scentronic. If you have talent, determination and ability, you can definitely do well at it. You don't have to start at four years old to be any good and some people who do never well be. It's in the soul and we all have our talents, we just have to figure out what they are. What's "dance sport?" Dance without the art? I never heard of it, but if you are using the exercises to keep people in shape, that's great!

This is a cool news item I just came across that you all might be interested in. Being a huge JONI MITCHELL fan, I am so excited!! If you get BRAVO! check it out on Oct 22. I just picked up her new CD, SHINE, on Amazon.

Oct 3, 2007

The Fiddle and the Drum, World Television Premiere : October 22 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT

Joni and internationally acclaimed choreographer Jean Grand-Maître of the Alberta Ballet Company collaborate to create The Fiddle and The Drum, an engaging performance spectacle combining three art forms ; music, dance and art ; which Joni calls "the best project of my career." Produced by Joe Media Group of Calgary in association with Bravo!, The Fiddle and The Drum, which premieres October 22 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT, showcases Mitchell's life-long concerns regarding environmental neglect and the warring nature of mankind.

Mitchell's provocative music served as Grand-Maître's manuscript and inspiration in choreographing a ballet that celebrates the profoundly humanistic questions and testimonies expressed so poetically in Mitchell's compositions. The performance features three new songs from Mitchell's latest album, Shine, including a remix of Big Yellow Taxi, and selections from her earlier recordings such as: For the Roses, Passion Play, Slouching Towards Bethlehem, The Beat of Black Wings, Sex Kills, The Three Great Stimulants and The Fiddle and The Drum.

As the Alberta Ballet's dancers give metaphorical life to the eternal music, Mitchell's most recent works of art are projected on a large screen on stage. These iconic images were choreographed by Mitchell to appear at pivotal moments in the ballet.

The special was filmed at the Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary, Alberta and was also produced with the financial participation of the Alberta Film Development Program, The Canadian Television Fund and CAVCO.

Bravo! is a sojourn in the television landscape where viewers make a regular appointment with the arts. A proud supporter of the Canadian independent production community, Bravo! funds approximately 100 hours of independently produced documentaries and performing arts specials a year. Bravo! is owned by CTV Limited, a division of CTVglobemedia, Canada's premier multi-media company.

I was talking about having some achievements in ballet. Of course, for fun and being decent at something is possible to most.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4ZRIkiVd3bk
that's dancesport. Basically dancesport is competitive ballroom dancing. Sorry for the language.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0cYAOskFoBY

To be able to pass any contest as a dancer in dancesport(so to be sort of a complete dancer) you must be able to dance these:
1)Cha cha
2)Samba
3)Rumba
4)Paso Doble
5)Jive
6)Waltz
7)Tango
8)Foxtrot
9)Viennese Waltz
10)East Coast Swing
11)Bolero
12)Mambo
13)Quickstep

I picked it over ballet because unlike a ballet contest, in ballroom you are allowed to express your emotions through your dance.

Everybody knows what "ballroom dancing" is! I just didn't realize that in their attempt to become an Olympic event, they changed the name. My father and his younger sister used to win ballroom dance contests at the Savoy and Madison Square Garden in the 1940's for extra money, she was one of "Killer Joe" Piro's Lindy Hop/Jitterbug partners. You might know who he is, if you are familiar with the history of ballroom dancing. (My stepdad played in Jimmy Dorsey's band and my sister-in-law's father was in Stan Kenton's and Pete Fountain's orchestras, bunch of hep cats in our family, hehe.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbaNYWkQYYA

I didn't dance in contests, I was in a University ballet and modern jazz company and because I was also a choreographer and my friends were physically fit, I was able to train them well enough in one semester to pass an audition, enough to show they could keep up with the class, anyway. They wouldn't have been admitted, otherwise. Some people are born with a natural ability and can pick things up faster than others... and it's so true, even if you don't want to dance professionally, it's fun and can keep you fit for life.

At any rate, Scentronic's "joie de vivre" is contagious and indicative of the artistry and love of life that exists within his own soul, whatever it is he wants to do. I can't imagine living life any other way and am married to someone who is the same.

These are dance trained athletes worthy of the Olympics, imo... Cirque du Soleil. I'd love to see them in person, someday, fantastique!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP6AJXprOXc

I use dancesport because it resembles to how we call it in romanian "dans sportiv".

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fusea...ideoid=9070125
Talking about choreographies. Me and my friend(she did ballet from like 4 years old and danced at the Romanian National Opera House among other stuff) tried to put a choreography together. It was a challenge considering we had like 2 hours to do it with filming included and those guys weren't the easiest people to persuade into it.

It was for a stupid tv show. lol. Funny, I'm better at soccer than they are too.