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Has anyone started ballet as a total beginner?

15 replies

MushroomTree · 18/05/2019 18:02

I'm considering starting ballet because it's something I've always wanted to do but I've got no previous dance experience, I'm 27, and had DD two years ago.

Will I be awful? Confused Will it help me get some much needed core strength back? Is there something else that would be better?

OP posts:
TheFurryMenace · 22/05/2019 21:50

Hi OP, go for it, you'll love it and it will be great for your core. I returned to ballet in my thirties to recover from I'll health, I hadn't done ballet since I was 16. I met a friend who was in your exact same position, we both ended up becoming qualified ballet teachers!

SmarmyMrMime · 23/05/2019 10:21

Go for it! I love ballet but have no great talent for it. I did adult lessons for a few years and loved them. Mental note to self, resume after the mum-taxi days have passed!

The classes had a mixed crowd of experienced, there were people with talent, people like me with some experience but not much talent and those filling in a gap where they felt they missed out in youth. Adult classes are unlikely to be serious in the way that children's training is, but there is that disciplined, calm atmosphere of working through the exercises.

I love the feeling of ballet!

Upzadaizy · 24/05/2019 19:36

Do it, do it, do it!

There is a growing community of adult ballet students, and in some cities , a really good provision of classes. In my small regional town I get 2 to 3 well-taught classes each week. I've always danced, but lots of people start in their 20s.

Without outing yourself, are you able to get to central London, or central Manchester, or Bristol, Newcastle, or Leeds, or Oxford. I can suggest really good professionally taught classes in proper studios in all those places - and others (avoiding the Dolly Dinkle schools in church halls).

To get more information about adult ballet classes in the UK, have a look at this messageboard:

www.balletcoforum.com/forum/9-doing-dance/

Lots of us adult ballet students there just avoid the endless egotistical thread called "Simply Adult Ballet" it's mostly just about one slightly delusional adult student

A more US based site, but with excellent advice, is here, called "Ballet Talk for Dancers"
dancers.invisionzone.com/

Don't bother with these new-fangled "Barre" classes. They're not ballet - a waste of your time & money if you want to learn actual ballet.

Learning ballet will feel hard for the first few weeks, but if you take it slowly, enjoy the beautiful music, and really listen to your teacher's corrections, you'll gradually get a feel for it. A good teacher should be giving hands on corrections & guidance, but not roughly. They shouldn't require you to have your feet in 180 degree turnout, and they should never encourage you to wear pointe shoes until you've done about 3 years of consistent classes.

A good teacher should correct you - and you shouldn't take it personally - they'll tell you what you're doing wrong so you learn to do it correctly. In fact, I consider I've really bombed a class if I don't get a correction - it means the teacher hasn't been looking at me! I go to pieces if I get praised ...

Anyway, you don't need any special equipment - just wear form-fitting clothes - leggings and a close fitting tshirt or best top. You can wear socks instead of ballet shoes at the start (in fact I prefer to do the barre in socks as I can feel the floor better). And canvas ballet shoes only cost between £10-£15 from an online dance sgop such as Dance Direct.

To be honest, you really won't look like Darcey Bussell, probably ever. But you will learn to do amazing stuff with your body (like pirouettes across the floor), move gracefully, get aligned & supple, and move to beautiful music. And meet other lovely dancers - we're all a bit besotted with the art ...

Nesssie · 28/05/2019 16:30

I started a ballet class at 25 years old. Loved it! My flexibility improved massively and I found it very relaxing and fun.

Nesssie · 28/05/2019 16:31

^ And I was not graceful or good but no one cared and I enjoyed it

ineedtobuyafan · 01/06/2019 06:31

Upzadaizy
Can you recommend a class in Oxford?

Upzadaizy · 01/06/2019 11:38

Have a google for Susie Crow, and her website "Ballet in Small Spaces." There's a list of a range of classes, which I know from personal experience are well-taught, and safe for your body. Ms Crowe is interested in the skills of "older" dancers (ie not the bendy 14 year olds).

The Oxford University Ballet Society offers classes during term time - however, I really wouldn't recommend the teacher of those for beginners.

Some other info here (downloads as a pdf). I'd recommend classes taught by Susie Crowe, Karen Sellick, or Paula Natrass.I wouldn't recommend Ms Kodama for beginners - she's better for advanced dancers.

Oxford adult dance classes

Parker231 · 01/06/2019 11:46

www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/best-barre-ballet-classes-london

I recommend ballet barre classes - ballet moves but a great all round exercise class and lots of fun. Our class has beginners and professional dancers but the class works for all levels.

Upzadaizy · 01/06/2019 13:03

They're not ballet and some of exercises are nothing like ballet. I don't see the point - may as well do a proper gym class or a proper ballet class.

justilou1 · 01/06/2019 13:07

I am so tempted as I am as coordinated and graceful as a drunken eater buffalo. My core strength is good despite carrying twins, because I used to be an opera singer, but my upper body is cactus. I’m thinking of starting with barre fitness.

pearldeodorant · 01/06/2019 13:08

I agree with being careful with barre classes. I was so excited when my gym started them and after the first session I was left bitterly disappointed. Teachers with no dance experience teaching ballet moves with no idea of how to look after joints and move safely - it really put me off

musicmum75 · 01/06/2019 13:10

I started ballet at the age of 26. I had never taken any classes before but have now been doing it for about 18 years!

Before I had kids I took three classes a week and absolutely loved it. Now I just do one class a week and I'm not as good as I was but I like to keep my hand in.

My experience is that adult ballet classes are really varied in terms of age and experience and all my teachers have been lovely. They know that someone in their 40s won't be as bendy as someone in their teens.

You will probably never be as flexible as someone who started at the age of 3 but there's no reason you can't enjoy it within the limits of what your body can do. It's not very aerobic so you might not lose much weight but it certainly helps with core strength and toning your legs. Squats in gym classes are a breeze for me. Wink

Also because you have to concentrate so much on how you hold your body, I find it great for stress relief as you really can't think about much else while you are in class!

Upzadaizy · 01/06/2019 13:19

Teachers with no dance experience teaching ballet moves with no idea of how to look after joints and move safely - it really put me off

Exactly!

Please don't don't ballet barre classes as a "preparation" for ballet - some of the exercises are so opposite to correct ballet alignment & movement principles that you'll be learning the wrong things for ballet, and develop unsafe dance habits that can lead to injury.

The best way to prepare for learning ballet is ... to learn ballet.

PantsyMcPantsface · 01/06/2019 13:30

avoiding the Dolly Dinkle schools in church halls

The best dance teacher I've come across is one who now just teaches in church halls for the sheer enjoyment of passing on learning to dance to people (from the little kids in a cloud of pink tutu dress through to the elderly with dementia). She is absolutely amazing - does what she does now as she's done all the high pressure competition and examination and studio owning stuff and now simply wants people to enjoy what she has a passion for herself.

As opposed to our local dance studios who run adult classes... all full of the competition dance mums who go along for an added arsekissing to the owner opportunity in the hope of a bit of an extra leg up for their children in the grand pecking order.

As for bendiness - I've never managed even in my bendiest teenage years to be able to get a leg as high as my kids' 60+ year old ballet teacher grandmother of a lot can do!

If it's what you fancy doing OP - what the hell have you go to lose from giving it a go - every place around here does a free taster session.

Parker231 · 01/06/2019 13:35

@Upzdaizy - barre classes are an excellent form of exercise and great prep for ballet. Our teacher is a former Royal Ballet teacher and some of her students attend the class. It’s like any class, there are good and bad.

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