Ballet for Adults

Beginning Ballet Fully Explained in Four 40-45 Minute Lessons

For adults who have never taken a ballet class before…

You NEED to take this course first, BEFORE you go to your first class. HERE’S WHY:

Photo: Insight Foto Inc; Dancers: Teresa Reichlen & Russell Janzen

“All You Need To Know Before You Begin Ballet Class”

Walking into the typical adult beginner level ballet class can be a bit like visiting a foreign country where you do not speak the language.  This is because unless you are enrolled in an absolute beginner class where EVERY student has never taken a ballet class before, it is extremely unlikely that the teacher will have the time to explain the basic information that you need to know.  

As a teacher and a retired professional ballet dancer, I still attend ballet class regularly.  I take beginner ballet classes, despite having been professional, because of my age.  Whether I am teaching beginning ballet, or attending beginner ballet class, I see the same problem recur over and over again.

A beginning student with no prior experience walks in, takes class, is overwhelmed, and never returns to ballet class again.  This is a true shame, because, while beginning studies in ballet can be initially overwhelming, once you understand the basics it becomes ENORMOUSLY rewarding, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally, as well. 

“All You Need to Know Before You Begin Ballet Class” is designed to provide you with all of the basic information that you need to be prepared BEFORE you go to your first ballet class, so that you can enjoy the experience and you can organize both your body AND YOUR MIND to make the most of your studies. 

In four 40-45 minute lessons, this course covers everything from the practical issues of what to wear to class and how to hold the barre, to the essentials of basic ballet, to the structure and routine of class, to how to approach ballet class mentally.

Ballet is a practice, and it promotes not only physical wellness, it promotes emotional wellness, too.  There is also something else about ballet that you might not know, and that is that ballet is not only great for your body, but it is FANTASTIC for your brain!  Ballet is is a bit like doing crosswords with your body.  The central activity of ballet class is to learn patterns and reverse patterns, using both sides of your brain. 

So, if you are interested in beginning ballet but have no prior experience, do not go into your first class unprepared!  

Rent Part I: Preliminaries & Plies

Rent Part II: Battement Tendu, Degage, & Ronde de Jambe

Rent Part III: Frappe, Fondu, Grand Battement, & Epaulement

Rent Part IV: The Basics of Center Work

 

This Sample Beginner Ballet Class for Adults will help prepare you for what to expect when you first walk into the ballet studio. In the comfort and privacy of your own home, you can begin to accustom yourself to the flow, the structure, and the practice of a typical beginning level ballet class. 

Designed as a supplement to “All You Need to Know Before You Begin Ballet Class,” this sample class is an excellent followup lesson to that course and will give you a clear sense of what you will experience when you attend your very first ballet class. This class also serves as practice for ballet at home, where the beginning student can work on mastering the sequences, the musicality, and the corrections that are given.  

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