Wonderful day with Michael Raynaud from The Professional Dance Experience

21st December 2016

On the 13th March we had a wonderful day with Michael Raynaud from The Professional Dance Experience Ltd.

He gave a brilliant insight into the life of a professional ballet dancer as he was with the English National Ballet  and the Paris Opera Ballet, which are among the finest companies in the world.

Michael Raynaud trained in the South of France before training at The Paris Opera Ballet at the tender age of ten. While at The Paris Opera  Michael performed in many countries, Japan, America Greece and France.

He then went to train at the National Conservatoire in Paris.  After gaining high qualifications and completing his training he joined The English National Ballet for their world  tour of Swan Lake. He then became a permanent member of the company performing many roles including Nureyev’s Romeo and Juliet.

Michael has taught ballet classes to students of all ages and also choreographs for ice skaters routines. He teaches Professional Ballet Workshops and master classes for Professional Dance Experience of which I had booked for the students on the Sunday 13th March. We had two groups firstly were the small children who were enthralled with the class. He gave a fun warm up which got them jumping at different times and very excited they were when they were taught the dance of the mice and King Rat from The Nutcracker.

Each child gave their best and appeared animated and engaged throughout. They also followed very well.  Later the older group had a more challenging class, as they were of mixed ability and some had not been dancing for very long. They also danced a showcase of which, much to the delight of the parents, they were allowed in to watch at the end of the class when all the choreography was finished and ready to show.

Michael then gave a talk on life in a touring ballet company, and presented photos of the shows.  He then sold t shirts which the children loved.     Then it was time for parents to ask questions about training or anything they felt they wanted to ask.

W e will certainly be booking  more events with this company as it was  a truly brilliant afternoon.