All About Ballet

[Poonie]

Hi Calmart

You did ballet for many years at SBA. Did you by any chance learn piano too? Were you given a choice back then? If yes why did you choose ballet over piano or a musical instrument? On hind sight would you have chosen piano or any musical instrument instead? I am just having a hard time deciding between dance and musical instrument for my daughters. Would appreciate your advice.

[CalMat]

Hi Poonie,


Hee... yah when I was a kid, my mum let me learn piano too.
Did my grade 1 exam..

But I really disliked my piano teacher.

Even as a kid, I could sense that he was very insincere. Whenever it was pay-day, he would be very nice to me during lesson and then smile and be very kind when my mum comes in to pay him. But the very next lesson, he would be mean and sarcastic again. Then the last straw came when he hit me very hard on my hand one day. (Hee... maybe I'm a spoilt brat lah... never been hit before... but my mum was so fierce, she need not hit us, glare and scold only we will submit to her. I remember thinking to myself... \"Even my mum doesn't hit me... how can you!?\" Sorry.. lah.. I small spoilt girl... 7 years old.)

So, after that hitting incident, I told my mum \"Ma... it's very tiring to learn both ballet and piano. Can I just pick ballet?\" (Maybe should have just complained about my piano teacher and change teacher....cos I did enjoy music). And my mum just let me continue with Ballet lor!

But I suggested SBA cos I started learning ballet with some private teacher, she rented places, I guess... so at 1 point I was learning at the old NAFA campus, then shift here and there.. and then ended up having lessons at her condo's squash court!

Mum finally brought my sis and I to SBA when heard about it from other people. At the assessment at SBA, they actually 'downgraded' us from Grade 3 level to Grade 2, cos they felt our foundation was very weak. However, they pushed my sis up to Grade 4, cos if I recall correctly, there's a age limit for taking the ballet exams. (Till now my sis still sometimes lament that if we had started off with the right school, then she might have gone further in ballet...but cos foundation weak, she struggled a lot in the Grade 4 class...so subsequently stopped. But also cos of school lah)
I stayed with SBA till start of Sec 3, then cannot liao... too much school work and 'O' levels coming up. It was like Mon, wed, fri - ECA. Tue, Thurs -Ballet. And it didn't help that school in AMK, home in Marine Parade, SBA, back then, at Kiliney.
But also, cos by then, I realised as much as I love ballet, I'm not gonna excel in it. No natural talent lah... and classes were getting very expensive.

Asked my mum recently how come she so clever, knew about SBA. She just said... \"aiyoh.. how I know, just follow people lah!\" Hee hee...

But I really loved my ballet lessons, and I learnt so much! Not just dance, but also music appreciation, appreciation for the arts, good posture (no, you don't stick your butt out, like what comedians do when they make fun of ballet) good sense of balance...

As an adult, I picked piano again a 4 years back... and my friend taught my hubby and I. So funny... she accelerated us to Grade 5 theory and came exam time, we were the 2 old foggies struggling with the exam papers, surrounded by kids. Quite malu. But great fun. But practical, I was doing Grade 1 lah... hubby learnt jazz piano instead. But after baby arrived... had to stop. : (

If die die must choose btw ballet and piano....
1 - up to your kid's interest
2 - easier to learn ballet as kid (I think)

So, on hind sight, my choice would still be ballet over any musical instrument... (But...Man.. I so wanted to learn cello in Sec 1... but cos the requirement given by the ECA in school, was minimum Grade 3 theory... so I blamed the bad piano teacher again! Hee hee...)

[Poonie]

Calmart


Thanks for your advice. Seems like I might have to let them go back to ballet at SBA (since they have been bugging me to do so) and at the same time give them a second chance at piano by getting them a more inspiring piano teacher.

[corneyAmber]

Anyone has experience with Cheng Ballet or Sylvia McCully School?

[sugarsprite]

Try Dance Theatre Arts I am extremely happy We found them and my girls love it.


The teachers are extremely professional and up to date with dance around the world. Exams are offered but not made an emphasis. They train using a different approach where the children progress much faster. They also have a wholistic program for different range of interest.

I tried SBA and Sylvia McCully, and Crestar Marine Parade and Thomson my daughter 8 and 11 years old are very interested but at these schools they didn't seem to be improving. It felt a waste of my money. But since coming to Dance Theatre Arts they have not only improved in dancing but are also developing confidence in themselves.

They train for overseas festivals. I do not hesitate to affirm that the advance students of Dance Theatre Arts Company can match up to the standard of dance that I observe internationally on my travels. They are able to dance so many different dance styles.

It is definitely a practical and alternative path to the School of the Arts, and I dare say the standard of their 10-12 year olds are higher than SOTA graduating students. It's really amazing what the teachers help the students to achieve. The environment is so warm and supportive.
Their website is http://www.dancetheatrearts.net

[amylqf]

Actually, I think the cc ballet class is good enough unless the child is really good @ballet and need higher standard. Also sometimes depends on teacher.


my girl attend cc ballet. she got the good marks @grade 1 exam too. the teacher teach in cc also teach in crestar, but the price is much cheaper @cc.

[jordanmommy]

Any comments from anybody w.r.t. The Ballet & Music Company at united square...


I would like to send my 3 yr old girl for ballet class, and since her brother has enrichment class at goldhill, it will be convenient for me....

Thanks in advance!

[monalisa]

dingdang:

Hi,


You may want to consider Dance Castle at Bukit Merah Central.
http://www.dancecastle.com/

I'm totally impressed with their Ballet teacher, Miss Nicole. She may be young but she really teaches the kids with heart. She's always caring and has her way to pacify the kids or get the shy ones to participates in the dance class.

'branded' dance school may not be the best. My girl is shy by nature, and she tried a few 'branded' ballet schools but none of the teachers are able to let my girl overcome her fear and shyness in 1st few lessons.

The cost fee is quite reasonable too. You may call n enquire.

Yes..Ms Nicole is very good with children. She teaches in Woodlands Crestar too. The boss (Ms Shireen) at dancecastle however, not so tactful in handling parents. Super calculative.

[toffee]

Hihi,


any one with children learning ballet at Attitude Arts at Bukit Timah Plaza? Would appreciate any feedback pls

Cheers!

[eager_beaver]

hi sugarsprite - i think its not fair to drag SOTA into comparison & anyway no one has graduated from SOTA as yet. Anyone who is interested in their level of dance can catch them during heir annual dance showcase.


personally, i feel i is not the ballet school but the teacher itself that matters & i knew of my daughters’ friends who ‘followed’ the teacher when their teacher moves to another school.

my daughters started ballet at 3.5 years at crestar & though they made good progress under dedicated teachers, they switched to SBA at about 5. Unlike crestar which also offer other art forms, SBA only offers strictly ballet & no other dance form. this probably inculcate a very strong ballet culture within the school & its one of the few that offers training up to vocational level. SBA boasts quite an impressive alumni.

SBA offers the RAD syllabus & hold exams for qualified students every other year & hold a concert in between usually at the victoria theatre. during the concert year, the student skip to the next grade without taking exams. unlike the vocational grades, skipping exam at the lower grades is ‘acceptable’ so don’t worry too much if your daughter (or son) has missed them.

the main difference between crestar & SBA to me is that crestar tends to be too commercialized. SBA tends to concentrate on the ballet side of thing & its quite common to see the older girls hanging around the premises & taking multiple classes.

i suppose SBA is a good place to cultivate your child’s love for ballet & if she/he has the passion, it also a good place to pursue it. having said that, i’m quite sure that there are other school that are just as conducive.