The introductory week for the new term was a great taster for what lies ahead for me and over the coming months I can’t wait to share it with you. One of the reasons that I chose to study here at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is that they allow you to follow your own creative pathway. Dance and music have always been so closely intertwined in my life, though opera is my true passion I was delighted that as part of my final year I got the opportunity to audition for an own choice module which if I was accepted would enable me to take RAD advanced 1 ballet classes.
I always found that dance was a great way to keep fit and it really helped me with my movement when on stage. It was fantastic fun to get back to practising, with my tights and leotard on. (Even though in the travel from the changing room to class I kinda wanted a pair of gym shorts).
In the audition we had to wear pinned numbers so that the three teacher panel could make notes on our technique and abilities. It has been over three years since I last participated in regular ballet classes so the audition was quite nerve racking. As we went through each element in turn it reminded me of Latin and Ballroom dance exams that my brothers and I took part in when we younger.
When the audition was finally over you could tell that it had been a while since my last regular lessons, exercises that I used to do so easily had really taken their toll but inside I felt fabulous.
I’m really excited to tell you that I have been accepted and I will participate in my first class on Monday 28th September. Ballet has many attributes, optimum fitness, deportment, core strength and stamina all of which I can apply to my own performances on stage.
I can’t wait to get back into my ballet, it really is a joy and a challenge, but one that I know will complement the work that I do in movement classes. You know me I will give 100% and work hard to try keep up with the ballerinas, (but perhaps not with my legs so high!), they are all lovely and very friendly so I’m looking forward to the classroom atmosphere.