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There are currently three ballet classes offered at Studio Maestro from 4 pm to 5:30 pm on Fridays. These include Noriko Hara's Level 3 ballet class, Nadege Hottier's Level 6 ballet class and Deborah Wingert's Level 7 ballet class. All three classes, while at different levels of skill and focussing on different elements, consist of guided repetition. At times the class excercises start to feel like choreography. The teachers give a balance of praise and criticism. I have heard stories of ballet teachers who are withering and harsh, but Studio Maestro's teachers were honest, constructive and supportive: the kind of teachers with whom I would want to take a class. The higher level classes were accompanied by live piano. Here are a few nuggets of specific advice that I thought represented the teachers' attention to detail. Push up your heel to get your knees to bend - you have to learn how to move the body as a system, not just as isolated parts.
Pet the floor - how you think about your movement can affect how it looks.
Know where your knee cap is without looking at it - the head is the heaviest part of the body and can throw off your balance if you are not paying attention to it.
Practice working from your center so that your whole body is dancing.
Don't give up.
Viewing Ms. Hottier's class made me think "Who is dance's Coach Carter?" Coach Carter believed that basketball players needed to be in top condition before learning the principles of their game. Ms. Hottier's students were getting a real workout. What might a dance oriented conditioning class look like? This could be a studio offering that could appeal to people studying a variety of styles of dance, and could thus bring people together who otherwise might not have contact with each other.
As can be seen from the photos, Studio Maestro's students look graceful whether on the floor, at the barre or in the air.
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