Ballet teaches movement enjoyment

Ruapehu Bulletin, 13 August 1991, Page 16

Ballet teaches movement enjoyment

BY

JO

HOWffi

Sixteen ballet students sat their ballet exams in Marton last Saturday. These exams cover the pre- primary grades to grade four. The youngest students are five and the oldest sixteen. Teacher Diane Devane has 25 students, and they come from Mataroa, Waiouru and Raetihi. Diane travels to Waiouru on Saturdays to teach ballet, but the week before the exams she was travelling up every day for extra tuition.There are 15 girls and one boy sitting graded exams. Diane has had a full career in ballet as a child and, as a teacher, has taught for six years. She is a farmer's wife from Mataroa and has four sons, so she enjoys the femininity ballet offers. She has taught jazz ballet but finds classical more rewarding, enjoying the technique, discipline and the line and

movement in classical ballet. After Saturday's exams Diane hopes to start a new syllabus which the Royal Ballet Academy

has devised. "The new syllabus is still strong in technique, but allows more freedom of movement," Diane said. "This suits

the child who goes to ballet once a week as opposed to the child who goes three times a week as they do in larger academies".

"Ballet is a great pastime. It's good for deportment and discipline, and teaches children to enjoy movement," said Diane.