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My 7-year-old niece is about to have her first ballet class, and her parents asked me if I had any suggestions on what she needs to bring/wear. And honestly I have no idea.

I do ballet as an adult, but my routine is basically: sports top, shorts, ballet slippers, tie my hair back securely, grab my duffle bag, and go. My bag usually has a water bottle, clean clothes, a separate pocket for dirty clothes, a small towel, lip balm, hand cream, some extra hair ties and hair pins, and I think that's basically all.

But I have a feeling kids' ballet classes might be a bit different, cause kids might want to showing up looking like a tiny ballerina or little princess? Not just "just another workout session", not this horrible after work vibe LOL.

So parents of young ballet dancers: what do you usually prepare for your child's ballet class? Are there things super handy that you wish you had bought them sooner, or things you bought that turned out to be completely unnecessary? What do you usually put in their ballet bag?

Welcome to r/BalletForAll! 👋

We'd love to learn more about our community. Whether you're just starting ballet, dancing recreationally, taking ballet for fitness, supporting a young dancer, or simply love watching ballet, you're in the right place.

Vote below and feel free to introduce yourself in the comments! Tell us what brought you to ballet and what you'd like to see in this community.

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My little niece just started ballet last month as her new summer activities, and wow I was so surprised yesterday after having dinner with her and her parents, I can tell she def has some ballerina princess aura rn LOL. She made sure her tutu skirt and bow headband remain pretty, and talking in super super cute and gentle way. Wow previously she was a little tornado around the house lol. I didn't expect that personality/behavior change at all. I am actually the one that suggest the ballet class cause I know a lot of little girls are doing that, but I didn't expect that change at all! I wonder if yours kids surprise you after starting ballet, like What was the biggest change you noticed after their first class?

First, if possible I recommend to go to an actual ballet class to receive instruction and correction from an actual ballet teacher, cause no matter how great the online tutorial is, if your posture is off, no one can correct you. But if for some reasons you can't go to an offline ballet classes, or if you want to learn more/ahead of your current class schedule, or just simply want to practice/exercise at home, here are some great channels and videos.

1. Ballet Misfit: https://www.youtube.com/@BalletMisfit

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Amazing channel for absolute beginner, detailed tutorial for all the essential positions. Highly recommended if you are an absolute beginner. She also has different tutorial playlist for different levels of beginners.

2. Nationale Opera & Ballet: https://www.youtube.com/@DutchNatOperaBallet

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Have super helpful playlist like "Ballet for Beginners" and "Practice Ballet at Home"

3. Royal Ballet and Opera: https://www.youtube.com/@RoyalBalletAndOpera

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A lot of content about ballet performance and opera, not for ballet beginner at all. But if you scroll down to their World Ballet Days playlist, you can find a lot of videos of how they practice at the studio, each year at World Ballet Day they shoot a Royal Ballet company class in full (around 1h12min). Those videos are def not for beginners, but def great to check it out!

4. Kathryn Morgan: https://www.youtube.com/@kathryn_morgan

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Previous NYC Ballet dancer. 20 years on professional stage. Have beginner to intermediate to advanced ballet class in her channel, somer requires barre some don't. And a lot of workout/conditioning videos that are great for helping dancers with strength and flexibility.

5. Lazy Dancer Tips: https://www.youtube.com/@lazydancertips

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The channel of former professional ballet dancer Alessia Lugoboni. Great for technique tips for beginner, practice flexibility, turnout, posture, and weekly strengthening exercises. It can be a good supplement for regular ballet classes.

6. BodyKinect by Kendall: https://www.youtube.com/@trainwithkendall

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This is a channel for all dancers, not only ballet dancers. Focuses more on conditioning and body mechanics than traditional ballet tutorial. Great for improving turnout, flexibility, alignment, ankle strength, and more.

7. Kamila Abreu | Ballet: https://www.youtube.com/@kamilabreuu

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Not a big Youtuber but I think she's a hidden gem, I love her video aesthetics! It's pretty enjoyable to watch her videos and practice with her. She provides a lot of barre, no-equipment, flexibility exercises, also some helpful ballet correction videos.

8. Everyday Ballet: https://www.youtube.com/@everydayballet

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A channel basically for adult beginners, with clear and accessible instruction. Highly recommend their ballet basics, technique tutorials for learning fundamentals step by step.

Other Helpful Videos

[Absolute Beginners, Start From Zero]

1. How to Do the 5 Positions of Ballet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wc8GLKGSQY
2. Basic Ballet Positions | Feet & Arms Explained (Vaganova Method): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIURPMfXEDg
3. BALLET 101 | Basic Positions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vHLx8tbLbQ

[Beginner Classes After Understanding Basic Positions: No-Barre, No-Equipment]

1. Beginner Ballet Barre Workout (50 Min Follow Along Class): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziT4ERqtS04
2. Ballet Class for Beginners | How to Do Simple Ballet Moves in 10 min: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vJ-Y0o7Z-0

[Beginner Classes After Understanding Basic Positions: With Barre]

1. Absolute Beginner BALLET CLASS for Adults: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcfqA6O1w2A
2. 21 Levels of Ballet: Easy to Complex | WIRED: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr13tU8Nqsc

[Strength, Conditioning & Flexibility]

1. Beginner Ballet Class (Simple Ballet Exercises): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIEnoj6gPXw
2. Simple But HARD Ballet Class | Build Strength & Control 🩵 35 Min Ballet Class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydZjzCjZNcs&t=2s

Hey everyone! I'm u/WeeklyNectarine7725, a founding moderator of r/BalletForAll.

I created this community is because I believe ballet is for everyone, not just professional dancers or dancers who are seeking a professional career path. And I believe age is not important, you can start learning ballet whenever you want. Here, whether you're:

- Taking your first ballet class

- Dancing recreationally for fitness and wellness

- A parent supporting your little ballerina

- Or simply someone who loves ballet...

You've found your community!

What to Post
Post anything that you think the community would find interesting, helpful, or inspiring. Feel free to share your experience, thoughts, photos, or questions. Including:

• Questions from beginners
• Progress, milestones, and personal wins
• Ballet class experiences
• Tips for adult beginners or ballet parents
• Dancewear, shoes, and gear recommendations
• Stretching, flexibility, and ballet fitness
• Recitals, performances, and studio life
• Encouragement, advice, and inspiration

Don't be shy to ask or share, we are all here to learn and support each other.

Community Vibe
We're all about being friendly, constructive, and inclusive. This is a judgement-free place, please be respectful to other people. Let's build a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and connecting.

How to Get Started

1. Introduce yourself in the comments below.
2. Post something today! Even a simple question can spark a great conversation.
3. If you know someone who would love this community, invite them to join.
4. Interested in helping out? We're always looking for new moderators, so feel free to reach out to me to apply.

Thanks for being part of the very first wave. Together, let's make r/BalletForAll amazing.

Just started birding recently, and noticed Hayward Regional Shoreline is way more empty than previously, looks like a lot of waterbirds and shorebirds have migrate to north. Is there any location recommendations for summer? And what kinds of birds should I look for during summer time if a lot of shorebirds are gone?

I'm still learning using Merlin app and training my ears to find birds in trees, the birds that are easy to spot for me are def shorebirds and waterbirds. But I'm open to learn more and explore more types of birds!

Share the photos I took yesterday:

Black-necked stilt

A flock of red-winged blackbirds

Female Mallard

Forster's tern

I used to think birding was something you had to prepare for. A serious hobby. The kind that begins with research, gear, maybe a long drive before sunrise. A good camera, a long lens, binoculars hanging around your neck. Time, money, commitment.

So I never started.

I’ve always loved nature. I’ve watched countless documentaries, amazed by birds with impossible colors and songs that feel almost unreal. But in my own life, it felt… ordinary. Just sparrows, pigeons, crows, ravens, Canada geese, ducks. Background characters. Nothing like the magic on screen.

Even when I saw a Great Blue Heron or a Great Egret on a hike, I admired them, yes, but the feeling passed quickly. It never stayed long enough to change anything.

Until this winter. I was sitting outside a Taco Bell Cantina in Pacifica, eating a burrito in the cold wind. One hand holding food, the other buried in my pocket for warmth. I didn’t feel like taking out my phone. I didn’t feel like doing anything, really.

So I just… watched. A small black bird landed on the chair at the table next to me. Nothing special at first glance. Just a black bird. Almost like a sparrow, maybe.

But then it shifted. He lifted its wing slightly—and underneath, a flash of color appeared. Red.

Not just red. A deep, glowing red. Like a sunset I once saw in Lombok, where the sky burns for just a few quiet minutes before disappearing into night. I can't stop staring at him.

The bird flicked its wings again, almost playfully, as if it knew I was watching. And suddenly, it wasn’t just a “normal bird” anymore. It was something hidden. Something humble but magnificent.

Later, I took a photo and submitted on ChatGPT and learned its name: a red-winged blackbird. Common, ChatGPT says. Very common in this area. But that didn’t matter. Because I had never really seen it before.

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I sent the photo to my friends. “I just saw a beautiful red-winged blackbird" I said. They replied, “That’s so cool! And you even know the name.”

And I realized something in that moment: it wasn’t just about knowing the name. It was about noticing. How many things had I walked past without ever truly seeing them?
How many small, beautiful moments had I dismissed as “ordinary”? That question stayed with me.

So I started paying attention. Not in a big, dramatic way. No expensive gear, no long trips. Just small pauses in my day. Looking up. Listening a little longer.

I began to hear music where there used to be noise. The cheerful, playful songs of house finches. The layered melodies of song sparrows. Sounds I had ignored for years suddenly felt alive, joyful, intentional.

Even the “seagulls” weren’t just seagulls anymore. They had names -- Western Gulls, California Gulls, Herring Gulls. And yes, it’s so hard to tell them apart sometimes. But that challenge became part of the fun.

One day, I brought out my old camera with me to a park nearby, just a small one, a Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III with a modest zoom (4.2x optical zoom). Not made for birds at all. And still, I had one of the best days.

I walked slowly. Sat on benches. Watched egrets standing like quiet statues. Saw sandpipers dancing along the shore. Noticed loons disappearing beneath the water like secrets being swallowed.

Most of my photos weren’t perfect. Birds are too far for my lens. Most of them too blurry to identify. But it didn’t matter. I could always figure it out later. Do research, ask someone. Learn slowly. What mattered was that I was there, watching how they moved, how they fed, how they simply existed.

And I realized… that’s already birding. Not rushing. Not collecting. Just being present.

Recently, I heard something in a birding podcast that stayed with me. They said that after a while, people start chasing numbers -- adding new species to their lists, ignoring the birds they already know. But the real joy, they said, is remembering your first bird.

That first moment of surprise. That quiet spark that made you look closer.

So here I am. Still with my three-year-old phone. Still with a small camera that can’t zoom very far.

This morning, while walking my dog, I saw a black phoebe resting on my neighbor’s balcony -- tiny, soft, and adorable. I opened Merlin Bird ID and realized there were also Song Sparrows and Orange-Crowned Warbler singing nearby. But instead of chasing them, I just stood there listening for a while. Letting my dog take his time sniffing the ground. Letting the moment stretch a little longer than usual.

I only have about twenty birds on my list so far. But I think birding was never about the number. It’s about learning to see. Learning to hear. Learning to pause in a life that rarely slows down.

You don’t need a camera. You don’t need binoculars. You just need to notice.

Hi everyone, not sure if this is the right place since I’m definitely not a serious dancer 😅 but I recently tried a ballet class at my gym, and I honestly loved it more than I expected. And I wanna keep going regularly.

I’m trying to figure out what to wear though, I have already found the slippers I want (Calpizo Luna & Hanami), but still trying to figure out the clothes. I don't need something super professional, just something comfortable, good quality, and reasonably priced for classes. I bought a leotard from Amazon to try, but the material was kinda itchy and not great to move in.

Also curious about the Nike x Skims sets… I love how they look, but the price is a bit 😭 Do you think the material/design is actually worth it, or is it more hype?

Would really appreciate any recs for beginner-friendly ballet clothes that feel nice but don’t break the bank 🙏

Hi everyone! I really want to add some greenery to my space, thinking a tree next to my cabinet and a few small plants on my table and shelves. The only problem is*...* I'm terrible with real plants 😭 I’ve fully accepted that I do not have a green thumb, so I’m leaning toward artificial plants (honestly safer for everyone involved… especially the plants lol).

Do you have any recommendations for brands or specific products that look super realistic? I’m hoping for the kind where people actually have to double check if it’s real, not the obviously plastic type.

For the tree, I’m open to both small-leaf styles (like olive or lemon trees) or larger leaves (rubber plant, palm, etc). For smaller plants, I’m open to anything cute, flowers or no flowers 🌼