Berlin Ballet Retreat with Holistic Ballet:
Paquita
Date: 28th July - 1st August 2024
Time: 28th: 10:00-12:30 & 15:-17:30, all other days 10:00 - 15:00 (25 hours in total)
Level: minimum 1-year regular ballet training to intermediate/advanced
Address: Dock 11, Kastanienallee 79, 10435 Berlin
Cost: £475
Please apply via the 'apply' button. I will reply to your application within 3 days. Please check your spam folder if you don't find my email in your inbox.
I will send you an invoice. Once I have received your payment, your place will be confirmed. We can discuss payment plans if needed.
Before making your payment, please read the terms and conditions.
Programme*:
2 hours class | 2 hours Paquita rehearsal | 30 min stretching | short and medium breaks in between
*this is a very approximate schedule
After our amazing experiences in 2019 and 2023, I am beyond excited to be able to run our next Holistic Ballet Berlin retreat in July/ August 2024.
Read the account of one of the students that attended the ballet retreat here.
The five days retreat is going to be very intense and fun. Holding the retreat in Berlin, my birth town, where I grew up, went to ballet school and danced for the first three years of my professional dance career, is very special to me and I believe that shows in the atmosphere we will create together.
The retreat is suitable for amateur dancers, pre-professionals, as well as dancers/teachers that are interested in working within the Holistic Ballet training framework.
Berlin Ballet Retreat 2023
What to expect
This year, we will learn the Paquita Divertissement, which is a full-of-energy, traditionally classical showcase piece. However, it also includes steps and upper body lines from marzurka character dances. Watch the performance of the Mariinsky Ballet.
The ballet retreat is going to be an intense 5-days programme. I understand that not everyone can train for up to 5 hours daily. Some will thrive whilst others will have to pace themselves a bit more and there will be room for each person.
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warm-up & class
A typical day will begin with a warm-up followed by an extended class where we can take much more time with difficult movements than in a regular 60 or 90 minutes class.
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Paquita rehearsal
After a short break to recharge, we are going to work on the Paquita Divertissement.
There may be modifications (simplifications!) for our levels and abilities. Closer to the time and once I received your payment, I am going to provide a video tutorial so you can familiarise yourself with the steps ahead of time. The more you familiarise yourself with the steps, the more you will enjoy the workshop.
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deep stretching
Depending on time, the last hour may be spent with a deep stretching routine for you to unwind mentally and physically, so you can enjoy not only our workshop but also the city of Berlin.
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free time
The afternoons and evenings are free for you to rest and explore Berlin's street life and culture. If there is interest, I am happy to organise activities or help you to create your own itinerary.
Once you booked, I will add you to a Berlin Retreat WhatsApp group, unless you tell me you do not want to be added.
We will organise one meal together one afternoon after the workshop for everyone interested to join.
As places on this retreat are limited, each participant will receive individual attention so that you are going to leave not with great memories but also with the feeling of having progressed in your technique and with tools for further improvement.
Please also note that pictures and videos will be taken during the retreat that will be published online and on social media.
an amazing group of participants, 2019
Is This Retreat Suitable For Me?
Although the retreat is open to advanced beginner to advanced intermediate students, you should have a certain level of understanding. The points made below may help you decide.
You do not need to master the movements but you should be able to follow.
At the barre:
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battement tendu with demi-ronds
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dégagé accent in
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temps lié
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battement fondu
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battement frappé single & double
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circle port de bras
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lunge & penché
In the centre:
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développé & promenade
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tombé-pas de bourrée with pirouettes en dehors & en dedans
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glissade-assemblé & jeté
You can check out my YouTube tutorials to get familiar with most of the steps in the list.
Dock 11, Saal 1/ studio 1
Location
The classes will be held at Dock 11, a restored old factory building that now houses two dance studios, a theatre and a café.
It is located in Kastanienallee (Chestnut Avenue), a street buzzing with cafés, restaurants and shops in Prenzlauer Berg, one of the nicest neighbourhoods in former East-Berlin. It is also easily reached by public transport.
Accommodation
There are plenty of options for hotels and apartments near the studio. I am happy to coordinate if there are several of you who would like to share a rental apartment.
Perhaps check out http://hotel-die-schule.de/en/the-hotel, a former school building next to Dock 11, where in fact my mother used to teach and I often accompanied her.
Getting there
The main airport is Berlin-Brandenburg, served by British Airways, Ryanair and EasyJet.
In my experience, British Airways can sometimes be the same price or even less expensive than Ryanair and EasyJet after you add all the extras, so it is worth checking.
There is a direct train that takes about 30 minutes to the city centre.
end of the ballet retreat 2019, emotional goodbyes