r/adultballetdancers

I just started my first day of class today and it was extremelyyy difficult. The class already started on Monday (mondays & wednesdays) so i was completely lost today

I assume the teacher might have taught the positions on Monday, so today we jumped into practicing with music. I was SOO confused and had no idea what was going on so i was watching other students while trying to follow along.

I kept messing up, would stop many times, was very clumsy/rigid, was confused on how to position my feet, would do the wrong moves, and couldnt understand the fast paced directions at ALL.

Meanwhile most of the other beginner students were able to keep up and were able to follow the simple directions. I genuinely felt super dumb compared to them cause i really didn’t understand the terms and i have the most terrible memory ever so i forget them instantly.

I have never danced and im extremely awkward so i feel 100x awful compared to everyone else. I did enjoy it a lot actually, but im scared ill be too dumb to keep up with the class

I struggle to keep my head from collapsing back when doing a cambre and I’m wondering if there are any exercises that might help with it, just google searching around I only find videos on strengthening my back muscles but not my neck. Does/did anyone have the same problems and what could be done about it?

Hello! Im taking a ballet class for beginners at my local community college starting tomorrow and im extremely excited. The class already started on Monday (its every Monday & Wednesday) so i am nervous. I have no clue what to bring or if theres a specific outfit etiquette. What should i bring? What should i expect?

I have absolutely nothing right now and no proper outfit

So last week I came here discussing body image issues I’ve been dealing with. I’ve done a lot of reflecting and journaling about my body image issues with ballet. I almost threw in the towel out of fear that ballet would make things worse for me, but I didn’t. I decided to continue with ballet, because I remembered how happy I felt during class practicing at home. I realized it wasn’t worth throwing it all away because I had a difficult moment in my life.

My biggest insecurity lately has been my legs, and I realize it came from consuming lots of dance related content online where I was seeing people who I wish I looked like. My legs aren’t thin, I have thick thighs. Out of everyone in my class I’m one of the curvier ones. I do have strong legs which I now see can be beneficial for my dancing. I do wish my legs were more muscular at times.

I never really was super athletic or into sports. I did dance, jazz and modern for a few years as a kid and eventually got bored of it. In my younger years I felt like physical activity wouldn’t even be possible for me because of how my body is built. I do see how these moments really shaped how I see myself as a dancer. But I realize now none of that is true.

I deserve to be kinder to myself, and everyone here deserves the same as well. Starting ballet as an adult is HARD. There’s a lot of stigma in the dance world starting as an adult, part of being that we don’t have the “right bodies”. In my class there are people of all walks of life that do amazing! It’s tempting to want to follow what the mainstream says, but you really have to experience things first before even coming to conclusions.

Thank you all for the help! This was eye opening.

So I haven't started classes yet but plan to do so within the next few months but I have been looking at my alignment and probably becoming hyper aware of my knees etc...(mostly because I'm super excited to start dance) and Im already a little discouraged 😔.

I have flexible flat feet and slight knock knees and some tibia torsion (I think it's called but I'd have to do more research on this one) and really long legs and femurs in comparison to my shins so basically parallel squats tend to be an issue (I have to have like a really wide stance and have foot placement exactly right or I get a knee twinge) and my knees seem, sensitive?

I get some knee clicks and I went to PT for my flat feet and she mentioned it might by early arthritis but I have to get actual imaging done. I'm 32.

Have any adult starters dealt with similar alignment/joint concerns?

I feel like I'm going to have quit before I begin 😢

I danced my entire childhood - ballet, tap, jazz, and modern/contemporary later on - but stopped at 18 and took an 11 year break before starting again at 29. I’ve been practicing again for 2 years now and actually started teaching ballet at that same studio just a few months ago to pre-teens.

I had been feeling very confident in my dancing lately, so started to take hip hop (my biggest fear as a predominately ballet dancer) to do some immersion therapy, lol.

The studio I teach at just held a jazz funk master class with a very well known choreographer, which was open to everyone 13+, including adults. It was from 3-5 today, after I had taught two classes back to back before at 1-3.

Needless to say, I was WRECKED towards the end after 4 hours of dancing. It was very humbling to be dancing along side the amazing competition-level teens at the studio. I held my own for the first part and felt confident, but as my stamina declined, I got sloppier and more exhausted. Still a great experience, but it highlighted to me how different I feel in my body now as a 31 year old versus when I was a teen.

How are you all increasing your stamina as adults? are you doing any specific training outside of ballet/dance? What has been most effective? Appreciate any insights

Edit: had some typos I cleaned up

Hello everyone, I’m in my twenties and only started dancing a couple of years ago but really been loving it. I’m now considering devoting half a year after finishing uni to just dance.
Can you recommend any programs of that sort preferably in Europe? I’m certain I would not pass an audition for pre professional levels so application should be attainable for intermediate dancers
- something like 4-7 months
- preferably main focus on classical ballet and high quality technique classes
- additional jazz/contemp or similar classes would be lovely
Thanks a lot!

Hi everyone! Apologies in advance if there's an old thread I've missed on this.

I am starting ballet for the first time ever at the ripe age of 43! I'm loving looking at ballet clothes but I'm trying to be sensible for now. What are the bare essentials I should be looking at? I am assuming slippers, tights, leotard and a bra/vest.

Is Decathlon good enough for ballet clothing? I'm surprised by their huge selection and good prices.

Thanks all ♥️ I think you can tell how exciting I am!

I just picked up my first pair of point shoes. They are Gaynor Mindon size 11. I don’t know why I didn’t notice this at the fitting but on the left one, my big toe is scrunched in there. My right foot fits perfectly. Maybe I was overwhelmed with so many choices? Granted my left foot is larger than my right foot so she took that into consideration. She sewed the ribbons and the elastics so I don’t think there’s any returning them, and I don’t know what to do. The right one is fantastic. I’m so happy with it. Should I just order the size 12 myself off the Internet and use that for my left foot? What does anyone do with this circumstance? I have no idea.

Did you get to one? Did you go to a lot? How did you feel going in and did you learn anything new?

I'm in the middle of my local one right now. We're currently learning a variation and my instructor not so subtly hinted that she wanted me to try the variation on pointe.

Also I'm so glad my somewhat brutal open class schedule paid off. I feel much better and stronger than last year because my muscle fatigue is much less.

Greetings!

I am attending my very first Adult Summer Intensive this week, and wow. It sure is INTENSE!

I've been taking beginner adult ballet classes 2x per week for about a year now. I'm feeling discouraged during the intensive because there aren't really any "beginner friendly" options for jumps, turns, combinations, etc..

We are also learning some very advanced (for me) choreography, and I feel so silly trying to keep up!

I really don't want to quit because I love ballet and paid $$$ for this, but I'm feeling so anxious about it.

Any advice or encouragement is appreciated 💖🩰💖

Hi everyone! I’m a 21 year old theatre major who is using up some credits to take a couple of dance classes. I signed up for my first ballet class which will take place at the major ballet company in my city. I also signed up for modern dance so that’ll be way different. Ballet is M/W 11 am - 12:30 pm. Modern is W/F 1 pm - 2:30 pm. I am applying for a musical theatre conservatory soon so this isn’t the end for me.

Some background, I am not a dancer (I think.) But I have danced. I was a co-captain for my high schools HBCU Style Majorette team which combined hip hop with marching, step cheer, and minor acrobatics/cheer. I’m experienced with some basic Salsa, Huapango, and I also have been recently learning to Waltz. I’ve been learning tap at home via youtube but I have full plans to take classes. I recently completed a performance intensive where I also had to learn 3 choreographed dance numbers. 2 included singing, and 1 was for juries. I would say it was contemporary, modern, and a more syncopated jazz. I think it’s fair to say I’m far from trained but I’m also not terrible. I am a trained musician so I do have a good sense of musicality and value my own physical fitness as well.

Recently I have began to purchase more equipment I need as a performer, including more athletic wear, and shoes. These things get pricy, but I want to know that I can wear them to practice before I commit to the more expensive things. I have purchased these items in preparation but I plan to also buy more when needed.

- Capezio Long Sleeve Leo in Black
- Capezio Transition Tights in Mocha
- Capezio Daisy Ballet Shoes in Black
- Bloch Performa Slippers in Cocoa
- Generic Transitional Tights 3 pack in Black

For reference I am a black woman. I recognize that the world of dance is still a while behind. I looked for advice online but I resolved to realizing that not everything is made for me. So I purchased both black and brown slippers and tights just in case. I wanted to allow my form to still be seen while elongating my legs and allowing for unity without breaking up the visual.

Questions:

1. What should I do in preparation for the ballet class? Anything in specific I should buy? Any workout or stretch routines that could prove useful?

2. How can I be a good member and maintain proper etiquette without being too shy? What’s the proper way to ask for feedback? Is it common to take notes? I rely on my notes for everyday life.

3. What to pack in my bag?

4. What to wear? Is what I have the right things? Warmups? Makeup? Hair?

5. How to practice/train/condition daily? Any routines to build strength and muscle control? What are some of your favorite stretch routines? How to practice outside of class in a way that leaves me feeling good? What does active recovery look like?

Thank you to anyone who reads this and has advice to share! I look forward to reading it! 🖤

I’ve been at ballet for a month and I really love it. I posted in this sub last month with concerns that I may not be able to dance due to my body type. Well, I’ve learned that stuff is wrong because I am picking it up quick and I’m also practicing a lot at home which helps. But also, I just feel exhausted with a lot of the body image stuff which I’m trying to work through. My studio is also very inclusive which is a huge plus for me, so I could be doing a whole lot worse.

But I need boundaries surrounding ballet. With my body dysmorphia I sometimes do worry that maybe I won’t be able to do harder stuff because of my body type. I’ve lost weight too recently. Social media really doesn’t make things better so I’m aggressively curating my feed so I see as little ballet content as possible.

Problem is, I just don’t know HOW to set the boundaries aside from the social media stuff. I’m hoping someone here might understand because starting as an adult can be hard. There is a lot of stigma attached to it too which is quite unnecessary! I really don’t want ballet to be one of those things I have to leave because it’s mentally taxing. I’d really hate to do it because I love it, and I don’t want my teacher or the studio owner to think they did something wrong because they didn’t. In fact I’m always very happy in class, but at home I’m a mess.

I used to take class every day, through college, but stopped once the pandemic hit. I’m sure that happened to a lot of people. I wanna go back to class but I’ll need beginners for sure. Anyone had this experience?