Silver Swans Ballet Classes
Online Adult Ballet with Ellis Elliott
What are Silver Swans?
Silver Swans® classes have been specifically designed for the over-55s, but whatever your age, if you are looking for a new way to keep fit and active, our ballet classes will put a spring in your step. Whether you've never danced before or want to get back into the swing of it, our classes have something for everyone.
The Royal Academy of Dance developed Silver Swans based on research into dance practice for older learners – classes are only taught by Silver Swans licensees.
What happens in our online Silver Swans classes?
Our hour-long Silver Swans ballet class begins with a simple center warm-up before progressing into a traditional classical ballet barre, port de bras, and center-floor work. In Silver Swans classes, we don't perform pirouettes or allegro (jumps); however, in the final section of the class, we learn a beautiful piece of repertoire from a famous classical ballet.
This repertoire builds progressively throughout the term. Past repertoire has included Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Les Sylphides, Don Quixote, Coppélia, La Fille Mal Gardée, and The Nutcracker. The class concludes with a classical ballet reverence and cool down.
The content of the classes has been specially adapted to suit smaller home environments, and adaptation suggestions are given throughout the class so that everyone can take it at a pace appropriate for them.
Sign Up for Silver Swans Class Online
Wednesday
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm EST
Free - Donations Accepted
Must have an enrollment of 4 students in order to run online classes
Meet Your Dance Instructor
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Ellis Elliott
Ellis has taught ballet for over 30 years in various studios, as an adjunct faculty member at Wesleyan College in Georgia, and as founder/director of Dance Arts Iowa. She has trained in the teacher levels of the Cecchetti Method of Ballet and is a member of the Cecchetti Council of America, as well as a current licensee of Silver Swans, from the Royal Academy of Dance, England. She currently teaches ballet at Faith’s Place Center for Arts Education in the after-school program, as well as Silver Swans Adult Ballet classes online.
FAQs
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ONLINE
Tuesday, 4:00-5:00 p.m. EST -
You will need suitable floor space and something to use as a barre, like the back of a chair. Be sure to bring water.
You will also need to be able to access Zoom on your computer. If this is new for you, please contact me and I will walk you through it and we can quickly practice how to get on and off.
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Currently, classes are free and donation-based.
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Classes are 1 hour long.
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Comfortable exercise clothes you can move easily in.
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For the first class, bare feet or socks. Afterward ballet shoes are preferred. These are some I like, found on Amazon.
There are lots of brands to choose from at different prices. I recommend a canvas or leather split-sole shoe without a drawstring.
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You can reach me at ellis@bewildernesswriting.com or at 319-329-3954.
“I cannot speak highly enough about ballet class with Ellis! It’s fun, engaging, and challenges me to tune into my body in a whole new way.
Whether you’re a beginner of ballet or returning to something you haven’t done in (literal) decades, Ellis offers a supportive and worthwhile experience!
I am always looking forward to what’s next, while still focusing on the fundamentals, and cannot wait to see what Ellis has in store for future classes!”
— Cheryl Lemenager, Cincinnati, OH