How to Sign up for Ballet Lessons

Ballet is an art form steeped in emotion, athleticism and nuance. Many people are drawn to the challenge of achieving all those things with the body, and all dancers start with lessons. In the 1600s, ballet was systematized into positions and steps whose combinations are limitless in artistic scope. Teachable technique plus the opportunity for dancers to express their own style make ballet a fascinating method to study.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dance clothing, such as leotard and tights
• Access to a dance studio or other space for lessons

Satisfy Your Curiosity

1. Learn about the history of the dance in order to understand its stylized movements. The book "The Joffrey Ballet School's Ballet-Fit" by Allison Leopold at Amazon is an introduction to ballet and ballet work-out classes (see Resources below).

2. Determine whether you are mentally and physically up to the rigors of ballet. This dance method relies on a position called "turnout," in which the legs are rotated out from the hip and the feet are rotated out from the legs. This demanding posture is difficult on the knees and other joints.

3. Test-drive a couple of lessons at home. Learn the five basic feet positions and get the feel of a real class in the DVD "Ballet 101" at Amazon (see Resources below).

Sign up for Lessons

4. Scout out lesson opportunities. Check a phone book, community newspaper or make a list of dance studios or community centers that offer ballet instruction while driving around town.

5. Visit several studios. Call first to see a class in progress and talk to the instructor.

6. Sign up for the class that promises to fulfill your needs, whether the environment is comfortable, sociable, academic or challenging.

Tips & Warnings

• Sign up with a studio that offers a range of difficulty, so you can progress as you learn.
• Most ballet dancers never "graduate" from class. Learning and keeping in shape go hand in hand.
• Studio time can get expensive. Make a personal commitment to show up to class and stick with it.
• Boys and girls under 8 years of age may be negatively affected by the strenuous physical effort of ballet practice.

Resources

• Ground-floor technique on DVD
• For beginners 17 to 70
• Established dance network and links at Cyberdance