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"The Conversation Hour" Interview

On 16th September 2008 Dianne Harrison was interviewed on “The Conversation Hour”, ABC radio 774. Click here to listen to the interview.

 

Articles:

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Dance Informa Magazine, “Moving Through Life” Click here to read the online article

Judy, 68, relives the joy of ballet - or click here for the pdf version

Mont Albert surgeon keen pupil of dance - or click here for the pdf version

The Ballet-Dancing Surgeon - or click here for the pdf version

So you think you can Dance - or click here for the pdf version

“Moving Through Life” - By Paul Ransom. Dance Informa Magazine - 1/10/2010 Click here to read the online article Hey kids, clear the dancefloor; the older dancers aren't ready to sit down yet. It's like that old disco song: I haven't stopped dancin' yet … Dance, like sport, is reckoned to be a young person's pursuit. And like sport, if you haven't cracked the elite level by the time you hit twenty you are most likely to ‘retire'. Trained dancers move into teaching or other careers and recreational shakers give up clubbing and settle into more sedate pursuits. How often do you hear someone say: ‘ oh, I used to love dancing' ? And who ever heard of dancers over forty? Luckily, those of us no longer in the first flush of youth don't have to be Margot Fonteyn in order to keep dancing. Indeed, there is evidence of a groundswell of ‘mature movement', of people wanting to age with a little more … well, grace. Sherry Zunker, founder and CEO of BeMoved Dance, a Chicago based ‘school' for the older mover, is just one of those pushing the dance envelope for adults. “So many aspects of your well being are improved,” she states emphatically. “Physically, you gain more strength, more flexibility and more coordination. You will be challenged mentally, having to use parts of your brain to learn and remember new movements. Emotionally, you will feel better and relieve stress. You will also realise how much you can still learn and do.” On the other side of the world in Melbourne, Australia Dianne Harrison heads up the Elance Adult Ballet School. Forced to abandon her own professional dance career at a young age, (“my body was not perfectly designed for ballet”), she drifted outside the scene for many years until she chanced upon an adult class above a suburban video store. Six months later she had started her own school and now has students as old as seventy getting to grips with the technique and discipline of ballet. “We are not attempting to turn people into professional dancers; we are looking to help them be the best dancers that they can be with the body that they have right now,” she declares. In addition to a steady stream of ‘returning' dancers, Harrison also takes on novices. “From a teaching perspective, I cannot tell you how rewarding it is to see someone who has stepped into the studio never having done ballet before grow to become what I would confidently describe as a competent dancer. That is just magnificent to see.”  Apart from the obvious body benefits, there is the undeniable ‘high' and massive self esteem boost you get from good dancing. “There is also a sense of camaraderie and community that develops between the class participants, regardless of their past dance experience,” adds Sherry Zunker.		Whereas you might expect novices to love the buzz of new skills and new friends, for former professionals and other trained dancers the rewards take on a slightly different complexion. Perhaps this is what drove a group of ‘Broadway gypsies' in the mid-90s to create Dancers Over 40, a group that has now spread well beyond its NYC origins and boasts members in the UK, Europe and Australia. As DO40's president John Sefakis notes, “There's a saying we love to use: ‘once a dancer, always a dancer'. You never stop being a dancer because your extension or your turns are not what they used to be. They still call a doctor a doctor no matter if they're 28 or 88.  Why should being a dancer be any different?” With a membership made up entirely of former working dancers, DO40 actively celebrate and promote the experience and skill base of mature artists. With their YouTube channels and Facebook pages blaring at full volume, they work tirelessly to create job opportunities, produce shows and put on social events. “At DO40 we are very conscious of our responsibility to continue recording the history, legacy and lives of mature dancers; and to reach out to those dancers about to begin their journey,” Sefakis explains. The idea that dance is a lifelong odyssey, whether for artistic, social or fitness reasons is enshrined in the core philosophy of Move Through Life, a dance company based in Adelaide, Australia. Since its inception in 2004, the company has mounted five full productions and branched out into public classes and a choreographic programme called Expand ; and all by engaging dancers from beyond the narrow professional mainstream.  Says Artistic Director Jo McDonald, “I don't think it's too much to say that dance has a profound emotional impact on the dancer. It's liberating in a way that's maybe hard to put into words but very easy to understand through movement; and I can't think of a single reason other than serious injury to ever retire.” Back in the USA, Sherry Zunker picks up this thread. Of the returning dancers who attend BeMoved sessions she observes, “they get a part of their core identity back. It can truly feel like returning to your homeland tribe; and as they experience it again they can't believe they've robbed themselves of dance for so long. They get to redefine their relationship with dance and go back to just loving the feeling of it without self criticism.” After all, if aging rock bands are allowed to get away with it, surely dancers should be applauded for keeping the pointes pointy, the tutus terrific and moves bustin'. Think I'm gonna dance now …  www.danceinforma.com/magazine/?p4561
Judy, 68, relives the joy of ballet BY KIRSTEN LEIMINGER - 21/07/2008 OAKLEIGH ballerina Judy Milson is dancing towards her late 60s. Ms Milson will be one of many older women celebrated during this Saturday's National Nanna's Night for the incredible example she has set for others. Ms Milson has kept on the go throughout her life and, at 68, finds that age is no barrier to enjoying life and remaining active. She began dancing at the age of 5. "My first love was ballet and I've always followed it, the Australian ballet in particular.'' During her teens, Ms Milson had to give up her passion for ballet to focus on her studies. "I would like to have gone on with it, but my parents decided maybe I ought to focus on my studies. So dancing kind of fell by the wayside, which has always been a regret of mine. I went on to become a musician, but I always wanted to be a ballerina.'' Ms Milson rediscovered her passion three years ago through the Elance Adult Ballet School in Oakleigh. "I didn't think they would accept me. I wasn't even sure if I could make it through the beginners' class, but they did accept me. I made it through the first class and now I go twice a week.''		Back to Top   And a new world has opened up for her. "I get the most marvellous aesthetic enjoyment out of learning to do elegant and lovely movements to beautiful classical music and, because I am a musician, the music means a lot to me. "Ballet is music made visual and it's a very special experience for me to be able to do this again after such a big gap.'' Ms Milson worked as an accompanist and harpist before she retired. "I still play the grand piano every day, mainly classical music. I just think if I've got all this energy then why not use it.'' Ms Milson's previous dancing experience has helped her in her current lessons. However, Elance Adult Ballet School is developing classes for elderly beginners who may have less experience. Founder and principal Dianne Harrison said Elance provided an environment that focused on the artistic joys of classical ballet while helping students to develop grace, flexibility and fitness. Details: www.adultballet.com.au

 

Mont Albert surgeon keen pupil of dance By Elise Kinsella - 28/05/2008 EYE surgeon Peter Chau admits some people probably think it's a bit "odd" that he has taken up ballet. The 55-year-old Mont Albert surgeon took up the dance after helping with one of his daughter's ballet concerts two years ago. "It was their yearly production with 250 dancers at the Melbourne Town Hall ," Dr Chau said. "I just had to wheel a fruit cart on, but I found it all very inspiring and it made me want to do ballet." Dr Chau said that after raising two children and running his own medical practice it was finally the right time of his life to pursue dancing. "My kids are now grown up and I have been working for decades and felt that I needed something like this to keep fit and to challenge me," he said. Even though ballet is very different to Dr Chau's medical profession, it is the same commitment he uses in both.

Back to Top   "I started with one hour a week but it felt like I wasn't giving it a proper go," he said. "I now do a pilates class once a week to work on my core strength and usually four hours a week of dancing." And Dr Chau is not the only adult taking up dancing. At his dance school, Elance Adult Ballet School in Oakleigh, there are 237 adult students aged between 18 and 69. When principal Dianne Harrison started her school six years ago she had just two students. Dr Chau put the popularity of dance down to its fitness benefits and enjoyment. "I find it boring to sit on a stationary bike and just pedal," he said. "With dance you get fit but you are also learning new things and challenging yourself."

 

The Ballet-Dancing Surgeon Two years ago, Mont Albert eye surgeon Peter Chau, 55, decided to embrace a long-harboured secret desire to dance. Swamped by the demands of running his own practice and raising two teenage children, he'd kept his creative passions on the back burner. Then he played a Capulet extra in his teenage daughter's dance school production of Romeo and Juliet - and fell in love with ballet. "There was only a tiny bit of dancing in it - it was more miming - but the experience of rehearsing and performing made me want to learn ballet straight away," he says. "I loved the theatre of it. The body awareness and grace of ballet was such a contrast from medicine." At first, Chau wondered if his body was up to the demands of the form. "I found it intimidating trying to learn the movements at first and I wondered if I had any hope of learning this at my age." But he's satisfied with his gradual improvement: "Now I feel physically fitter, stronger and more confident than I have in years."

Back to Top Shrugging off potential embarrassment, Chau enrolled at the Elance Adult Ballet School , where students are taught classical ballet as prescribed by the Royal Academy of Dance, with all its strict traditions of poise, elegance, flexibility and strength. When principal Dianne Harrison started her school for adults six years ago, she had just two students and one studio. Now she has three studios and 237 students aged 18 to 69 - including 60 who signed up in January. Many students danced as children - but just as many have no ballet background at all, says Harrison . "A lot of my students had always wanted to do ballet, but, for some reason, never got the chance," Harrison says. "Now, they can afford it and they realise you don't have to be the size of a swizzle stick to do it. We make it fun and we have a philosophy that the body you have now is all you need."

 

So you think you can Dance It has forever been a part of our culture, but the recent popularity of shows like ‘Dancing with the stars' and ‘So you think you can dance' have put dancing back in the spotlight and generated a renewed interest in a wide variety of styles. But did you know that dancing is also a great way to stay fit? Dancing has great health benefits, from improved cardiovascular fitness and weight loss to stronger and more defined muscles. It can also strengthen your bones, reducing the risk of osteoporosis, and increase endurance, flexibility and balance. And if that's not enough, it's a lot more fun than a gym workout. You won't even feel like you're exercising as you shimmy and shake your way across the dance floor, learning new steps and increasing your physical confidence. Dancing is a fun and sociable way to stay fit for people of all ages, and with classes offered during the day or night, there is sure to be something to suit your taste and schedule. Ballet If you think ballet is only for little girls in pink tutus, think again. It has hit the mainstream as an adult workout with several schools now offering classes for adults who have never danced before, or those who may have learnt as a child and want to pick it up again.

Back to Top No experience is required as classes begin with the basics and there are no exams or performances. As the adult body has finished developing, there may be some restriction in flexibility but there is always room for improvement. Classes of 90 minutes consist of barre and centre work. During barre work, exercises are performed with the support of a handrail. In centre work, which also includes the allegro or jumping section, dancers rely on their own strength and balance to perform the same movements. This focus on core strength should improve your posture, balance, flexibility and endurance. You will also increase your muscle strength, particularly in the lower body, and will achieve a more streamlined look due to the lengthening of your muscles. So if you've always wanted to move with the grace and elegance of a ballerina, grab a pair of ballet shoes (pointes) and book yourself a class. For more information: Elance Adult Ballet School ( Melbourne ) 1300 739 483 adultballet.com.au

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