Hello, I'm new. I have mostly been lurking around trying to read as much as I can.

I danced as a little kid (ballet, tap, and jazz) before taking up gymnastics, and then taekwondo. I'm 21 now, no longer have much desire to kick people in the head, and want to take up ballet again (hopefully I won't accidentally kick anyone ).

I know this is a very general question, but what should I look for in a school? I know I'll only be a beginner, but I want to be sure that I'm learning proper technique. What should the facilities and building be like? What should the instructors be like?

I looked at the registration form from one school and they wanted to know EVERYTHING! My nationality, both of my parents' occupations, my height, weight, etc. Do all schools ask for that?

Lastly, has anyone here ever heard of Goh Ballet Academy in Vancouver?

I really appreciate any advice/help/suggestions you all can give me. Thanks!

Hello, antares, and welcome! To answer your last question first, the Goh Ballet Academy is a well-known and respected school. Its former students perform in many excellent companies. Just off the top of my head, there's Chan Hon Goh, the daughter of the school's founders, who is a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, and Frances Chung, a popular young dancer with the San Francisco Ballet.

Click here to get to the Academy's website. Click on Academy, then Programs, to see descriptions of possible courses of study. You would most likely be directed to adult ballet classes, at least at first. I have no knowledge of the quality of teaching in that level; I only know that the quality of dancers coming from the professional track is very high.

<small>[ 16 September 2004, 12:54 AM: Message edited by: djb ]</small>