What to Expect at Your First Adult Ballet Class

Our video this week is for the adult dancer wanting to start ballet for the very first time, but is not sure what to expect in class. That fear of the unknown can sometimes hinder us completely from doing something we are interested in. Jana sat down to talk about the basics of going to adult ballet for the first time in the video below. Make sure to check it out and let us know if it helps anyone who has been a little unsure about making that "leap" to ballet...HA. ;)

W H A T  T O  W E A R

Adult ballet classes generally don't have a uniform or clothing requirement other than wearing something form fitting. This can depend on the studio where you are dancing, so make sure to inquire about that before class. If the idea of putting on pink tights and a leotard scares you, try opting for black footless tights or yoga pants. You'll want to keep your torso covered, so leotards are great, but tank tops or fitted running shirts can work as well. Discountdance.com is our favorite place to shop online for dancewear.

C L A S S  S T R U C T U R E

I won't get into the specifics of the order of combinations, but the general structure is that class starts at the barre with a series of exercises that everyone does together - once on the right side and once on the left side. There is usually some kind of stretch time at the end of barre and then the class will move to the center of the room and the combinations will start small and build up until you are doing big movements across the floor. You can watch any of our barre videos on our channel to get an idea of terminology and structure if you want to study up! :)

E T I Q U E T T E  T I P S

Ballet class has a lot of etiquette rules that you may not be aware of if you didn't grow up dancing. These rules tend to not get passed on to adult dancers ahead of time and you have to just learn as you go. Here are a few general ones to get you by your first class:

• Arrive at the studio at least 15 minutes before class starts. If you need to register for the first time, I would get there even earlier. If you're running late, you don't want to jump in in later than 5-10 minutes after class has started. This is to prevent injury since all the exercises build upon each other.
• Limit your talking amongst peers and definitely don't talk while the instructor is talking. 
• If you're confused about a combination, raise your hand and ask to have it repeated. If later on in class you are not sure about a combination when going in groups in the centre, hold off from going in the first group so you can observe others once or twice before your turn.
• Only bring water or approved beverages into the studio. 
• After class finishes, go up to your instructor to bow to them and thank them for class.
• If you had a live pianist in class, make sure to thank them after class as well.

Lastly, Abby and I want to share some words of encouragement because ballet class is not easy! And sometimes it doesn't love you back :) But if you can stick with it for 2-3 months, you will feel progress and things will get easier and it's THA BEST FEELING. It's going to be hard, but that's also what makes it fun. Best of luck, happy dancing, and let us know if this info helps you or gives you that boost to sign up for class!! Video with more chatty bits of info below :)

- Jana