Berlin Ballet Retreat with Holistic Ballet:
Symphony in C: First Movement
Date: 4th-8th August 2025
Time: 10:00 - 15:00 (25 hours in total)
Level: minimum 2-years regular ballet training to intermediate/advanced
Address: Dock 11, Kastanienallee 79, 10435 Berlin
Cost: £480
You can now register your interest to receive priority notification before the official booking opens.
When the booking opens, I am going to send you an invoice. Once I have received your payment, your place will be confirmed. You will receive the pre-study video once it is available and you paid in full. We can discuss payment plans if needed.
Before making your payment, please read the terms and conditions.
Programme*:
10-11:50 class | 11:55-12:30 pointe | 12:30-13:30 break | 13:30-15:00 rehearsal with some short breaks
On one or two days we may include a pilates or a stretching session. On the last days, there will be time for taking pictures.
*this is a very approximate schedule
After our amazing experiences in 2019, 2023, and 2024, I am looking forward to running our next Holistic Ballet Berlin retreat in August 2025.
Read the account of one of the students who attended the ballet retreat here.
Symphony in C: First Movement
We are returning to dancing Balanchine this summer with the wonderful first movement of Symphony in C (also called Le Palais de Cristal) to music by Bizet. Watch the New York City Ballet 1973's performance here>>
The five days retreat is going to be very intense and fun. Holding the retreat in Berlin, my birth town, where I grew up, went to ballet school and danced for the first three years of my professional dance career, is very special to me and I believe that shows in the atmosphere we will create together.
The retreat is suitable for amateur dancers, pre-professionals, as well as dancers/teachers that are interested in working within the Holistic Ballet training framework.
Berlin Ballet Retreat 2023
What to expect
The ballet retreat is going to be an intense 5-days programme. I understand that not everyone can train for up to 5 hours daily. Some will thrive whilst others will have to pace themselves a bit more and there will be room for each person.
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warm-up & class
A typical day will begin with a warm-up followed by an extended class where we can take much more time with difficult movements than in a regular 60 or 90 minutes class. After the regular class, I will teach a short pointe class for everyone interested.
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rehearsal
After lunch break to recharge, we are going to work on the chosen ballet piece.
There may be modifications (simplifications!) for our levels and abilities. Closer to the time and once I receive your payment, I am going to provide a video tutorial so you can familiarise yourself with the steps ahead of time. The more you familiarise yourself with the steps, the more you will enjoy the workshop.
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Pilates and deep stretching
Depending on time, we may include a pilates or a stretching session to help you understand and apply bodywork to your ballet training and to release tension from your body and mind.
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free time
The afternoons and evenings are free for you to rest and explore Berlin's street life and culture. If there is interest, I am happy to organise activities or help you to create your own itinerary.
Once you booked, I will add you to a Berlin Retreat WhatsApp group, unless you tell me you do not want to be added.
We will organise a small get-together one afternoon after the workshop for everyone interested to join.
As places on this retreat are limited, each participant will receive individual attention so that you are going to leave not only with great memories but also with the feeling of having progressed in your technique and with tools for further improvement.
Please also note that pictures and videos will be taken during the retreat that will be published online and on social media.
an amazing group of participants, 2019
Is This Retreat Suitable For Me?
Although the retreat is open to advanced beginner to advanced intermediate students, you should have a certain level of understanding. The points made below may help you decide.
You do not need to master the movements but you should be able to follow.
At the barre:
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battement tendu with demi-ronds
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dégagé accent in
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temps lié
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battement fondu
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battement frappé single & double
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circle port de bras
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lunge & penché
In the centre:
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développé & promenade
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tombé-pas de bourrée with pirouettes en dehors & en dedans
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glissade-assemblé & jeté
You can check out my YouTube tutorials to get familiar with most of the steps in the list.
Dock 11, Saal 1/ studio 1
Location
The classes will be held at Dock 11, a restored old factory building that now houses two dance studios, a theatre and a café.
It is located in Kastanienallee (Chestnut Avenue), a street buzzing with cafés, restaurants and shops in Prenzlauer Berg, one of the nicest neighbourhoods in former East-Berlin. It is also easily reached by public transport.
Accommodation
There are plenty of options for hotels and apartments near the studio. I am happy to coordinate if there are several of you who would like to share a rental apartment.
Perhaps check out http://hotel-die-schule.de/en/the-hotel, a former school building next to Dock 11, where in fact my mother used to teach and I often accompanied her.
Getting there
The main airport is Berlin-Brandenburg, served by British Airways, Ryanair and EasyJet.
In my experience, British Airways can sometimes be the same price or even less expensive than Ryanair and EasyJet after you add all the extras, so it is worth checking.
There is a direct train that takes about 30 minutes to the city centre.
end of the ballet retreat 2019, emotional goodbyes