A NEW PIROUETTE IN TOWN: GEELONG ADULT BALLET STUDIO OPENS

International dancer, choreographer and producer Helen Duncan is opening Adult Ballet Studio (ABSG) in Geelong, where adults can renew or spark a love of ballet.

ABSG will offer classes for the absolute beginner dancer, those who have not danced since their teen years, and those who know exactly what they are doing and want to meet and train with likeminded folk from February 4.

Term one will run for 10 weeks, with a maximum of 16 dancers per class with classes by Ms Duncan or one of her qualified team of professionals.

“At Adult Ballet Geelong we take care to provide classes that can cater for a range of experience and of physical capabilities,” Ms Duncan said.

“We aim to create a space free from judgement and to offer classes delivered with knowledgeable and safe dance teaching practices delivered by experienced quality teachers.”

Ms Duncan attended her first ballet class in her early twenties and said with many of her professional peers starting their training as children, she had a lot of catching up to do.

“I took my first ballet class when I was 22 years old and I fell in love with dance instantly. Up to that point in my life I’d always felt like something was missing, like a part of me felt empty,” she said.

“From the moment the class began, that emptiness just disappeared, I felt as though I’d found my calling.”

Ms Duncan said in the beginning of her ballet journey there were limited classes available for non-professional adults within Australia, so she took classes with children.

“There were not really any dance classes for non-professional adults available in Australia back then, so I did most of my initial training in the company of nine-year-olds.

“I remember standing double their height at the barre and struggling to keep up with all the new information.”

Ms Duncan graduated from the prestigious Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (the likes of Hugh Jackman, Tim Minchin, Lisa McCune and Frances O’Connor having trained there).

The studio is built on Ms Duncan’s experiences as a dancer both beginner and professional, and knowledge of the performance and arts industry both in Australia and overseas.

Ms Duncan said she’s enjoyed a busy and exciting career both within Australia and abroad and is thrilled to be beginning the next chapter in Geelong.