OK things are coming along bit by bit. I'm a bit on the edge my seat telling you this. It's nerve-wracking because it's a big project. But it's one that will definitely benefit you in your busy life and, in your sometimes hard-to-fulfil-goal of becoming a ballet dancer!. Guys, I'm going to be building an app. For adult ballet dancers LIKE YOU. It's NOT going to be like Dance Masterclass or any of the other ones where you subscribe to a programme or do a pre-recorded class. It's going to be more personalised, sort of like a ballet-focussed, personal assistant that fits into your day more like DuoLingo does, the language app where you can learn whichever language interests you, but at your own pace. You decide how much practise you want to do each day, and it's customised to the level you're at. Adult ballet dancers have multiple responsibilities, and finding an hour or two (or three, depending what the transport situation is in your town) to go and do a whole class is often a really big hill to climb! And then, the problem is, finding a teacher who's actually going to correct you, not talk down to you, and give you the meaty instruction you want and NOT JUST FLUFFY 'here's a ballet-type experience' that I've heard a lot of adults get sick of. If you tell me your needs, you can LITERALLY be in on this from the word go. I've got a name in mind, and timeline in mind, and plenty of ideas for how it should work, but I REALLY want to hear from you, what works, or DOESN'T work, for you, in online training models?

Hello friends! I am recovered well from the surgery and am getting my dance strength back slowly. I'm teaching without issues now. Just not as fit as I'd like to be. This space is going to evolve. I'm planning some new things. I'll be starting to discuss them really soon and I'd LOVE you all on board! So if you've been away for a while then pop your head up and say hi!

Hey everyone, I’m moving things into a new phase under the name ReBallet. It’s built for former dancers who want to come back to ballet—not as beginners, but as people returning to something that was already part of them. Return to your dancer self. That’s the core idea. ReBallet is a private space for rebuilding that connection through simple, structured practice. No performance pressure. No comparison. Just a way to start moving again and reconnect with something you used to do seriously. If you’re thinking “I used to dance… and I kind of miss that version of me,” then you’re exactly who this is for. If you’re thinking “I once attempted a pirouette in a kitchen and nearly died,” you’re also spiritually included, but I can’t promise medical coverage. More coming soon as I build it out, but I wanted to share where things are heading.

It's 12 days out from surgery but I am pleased to say I'm doing better. I can walk pretty reliably, get up and down from chairs and bed, and last night I actually slept pretty well. So today I'm feeling almost human, if slightly slow. I'm still swollen and bloated but the incisions are healing well. (It was a laparoscopy, they did 3 incisions). I'm not supposed to drive til Friday which is a pain, but honestly, until today I didn't feel mentally up to it anyway. I think the biggest shock of this whole situation has been how long it's taken for the anaesthetic to work its way out of my system. I wasn't able to think through things properly, it was very frustrating, I felt quite stupid. Each day I've attempted small things - a shower, a load of washing, having a visitor. Yesterday I did my nails and Mum and Dad came over which was lovely. Today I've been able to do a few things! That feels better. Convalescence is a bitch! It's not my favourite thing at all! I'd never had surgery til I had babies, and then, you have all the happy hormones in your body and the complete immersion of new motherhood. Oh, this has been something ELSE and I don't recommend. Soon will start the slowwww rehab journey back to dance fitness. I will not be able to dance in the Fringe this year, it starts in a month! Hypermobility and Fibromyalgia means that it takes me 4x longer than 'regular' people to build muscle so i'm going to have to take my time and be patient. I'm thinking of doing some Youtube videos about the process. What do you think? (pic: my pretty nailzzzzzz)

Hello lovely Ballet Alchemy family, I've had a very eventful New Year during which I had a bad case of appendicitis and a resultant appendectomy. It was not my favourite way to see the New Year in! And without going into too much personal detail, this situation will have some drawn out impact on my overall health situation which means I can't continue to run Ballet Alchemy classes for a little while. I have cancelled all subscriptions and refunded any recent payments. I am extremely sorry for the inconvenience this is going to cause current students but I'm leaving all the material online in case you'd like to revisit any of it. I plan to restart everything mid-year. In the meanwhile I will leave this group open, and I am here for you if you need any ballet-related help at all! I really hope your New Year is going swimmingly and that you have a great January and all following it. Please let me know if you have any questions! Cheers Nicola