Ballet & Pointe
Franziska is founder of Holistic Ballet® and creator of the Holistic Ballet DVD series.
Born in Berlin, former East Germany, Franziska graduated at the top of her class from the State Ballet School Berlin. She danced with the German State Opera Berlin (today’s Staatsballet Berlin) where she performed soloist and principal roles, and with the Peter Schaufuss Ballet in Denmark.
In 1998, Franziska moved to London as a freelance artist and gradually transitioned from being an active dancer to being a ballet teacher whilst also training as a Gyrotonic®, Pilates, and yoga instructor.
She followed invitations to guest-teach in India and European dance companies like Random Dance, Richard Alston, Ballet Prejlocaj, and others. She assisted James D’Silva in the making of Trudi Styler’s fitness DVDs.
Today, Franziska teaches at Pineapple Dance Studios and from her studio in East-London.
Watch her many ballet tutorials on her YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HolisticBallet
Follow Franziska at www.holisticballet.com
Instagram: @holistic_ballet
Facebook: @HolisticBallet
Holistic Ballet Class Description
Holistic Ballet® keeps ballet technique in its purest form and uses principles derived from yoga, Pilates, and functional anatomy to create a safe and effective training method.
Thus, it enables professional dancers and students who do not possess the ideal physical attributes needed for conventional ballet training to progress and advance whilst minimising the risk of injury (+12yrs).
Beginner
You learn the fundamentals of ballet technique (posture, alignment, foot and arm positions). The exercises are kept simple and taught mainly at the barre, for you to concentrate on the correct execution of the movements.
Intermediate/Advanced
More strength and coordination are needed to follow movements and combinations with increased complexity.
The pace is faster and although the barre work is still a major part of the class, more time is spent in the centre. Challenging movements are explained in detail and you always have the opportunity to ask questions for clarification.
Pointe
This pointe work class is for beginner and intermediate level pointe students who have a good foundation of ballet training with at least one year of regular classes.
The class is taught at different levels. After the warm-up at the barre, the beginner students continue to practise at the barre whilst the more advanced students progress to the centre.
The main focus is on:
- correct technique
- strength
- confidence
To start pointe work, you should be able to do grand plié and relevé in the centre with control and be able to hold a balance on one leg for two seconds. If you are unsure, you can also try this class wearing regular ballet shoes.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with Franziska at franziska@holisticballet.com.