Eric Bourman Adult Ballet

My first ballet class was many years ago at the age of sixteen. I took it very seriously, pouring over every aspect of ballet and keeping binders full of my notes on technique, corrections, dance anatomy, ballet history and repertoire, and so on. Sadly, I was disappointed in every teacher I tried beyond my first ballet teacher...until I found Eric. It took fifteen years, five teachers, three cities, and four ballet schools to find him, but it was worth the wait. When I moved here I had not danced for over six years because I was so uninspired from my searching. I was prepared to try many teachers in the area, but I stopped looking around after taking just one class from Eric. Eric's classes are positive and energetic, with just the right amount of humor woven into the hard work. He offers practical theory to help us understand the mechanics behind a step, breaks them down into simpler movements, explains which muscles are used and why, and gives real-life examples or mental imagery to help things click. This multi-layered aspect to Eric's teaching helps new dancers feel less overwhelmed, and helps experienced dancers reach new levels of execution or artistry. I think Eric is the only ballet teacher I have come across that I would unconditionally recommend to beginners through professionals of every age, and every dancer in between. His approach to teaching is perfect for both the serious dancer and those who want to dip their toe into the water to try ballet for the first time. He is accessible, knowledgable, experienced, kind, and patient. He has a great way of making new students and new dancers feel at ease while adding in extra challenges for experienced dancers to improve their strength and technique. His classes are hard work, but oh so rewarding and fun. more

I started taking ballet classes as an adult. I began by taking classes from a few different teachers, but as soon as I took a class from Eric, I felt incredibly fortunate. He is the best teacher I have ever come across, in all aspects of teaching and personality. Ballet is not easy, but he makes each class a joyful experience. When you walk into his class, you can feel the energy and optimism radiating from him, which immediately helps put you at ease and sets the tone for the class. On top of this, he has the knowledge, ability, and patience to clearly explain technique. He not only teaches exceptionally well, but he also cares about the level of understanding of each student. It is clear that he wants to help every student get what he or she wants to get out of the class, whether that is getting a bit of exercise or learning the most minute technical details of the art of ballet. If you don't understand something, he will keep coming up with new ways to explain until it finally "clicks" for you. Ballet classes are repetitive by design, but he is able to keep the classes fresh and interesting by continually coming up with new ways to approach the material. The time he spends in class with any student who has a question helps everyone understand more about the technique and art of ballet. He will never talk down to anyone or treat you like your question is stupid. He understands how out-of-place and overwhelming it can feel to come into a ballet class for the first time and he works hard to make sure that you have fun and hopefully learn something. It is not possible to mention all of the qualities and benefits of Eric's classes here and those mentioned above only scratch the surface. I have so enjoyed every class that I have taken from him and I highly recommend that you experience it for yourself! more