How to Buy Portable Ballet Barres

If you are an aspiring dancer, or the parent of one, you may be considering setting up a dance practice space within your home. Or perhaps you are an artistic director of a touring company, or a studio owner with overfilled classes. In any cases, one of the most important things you can do is buy a portable ballet barre.

Instructions

1. Determine how you are really going to use the portable ballet barre that you are buying. Needs for an in-home practice area are very different from the needs of a professional touring company. Make sure you have a clear understanding of how the equipment will be used.

2. Decide which features are most important to you and which ones you can live without if they cost too much. Things to consider are the ages and heights of the dancers who will be using it. If people of different sizes will be using it, then it is important to get an adjustable height model. Know how slippery the floor on which the barre will be placed is, how easily it assembles and disassembles if you will be traveling with it frequently, whether it comes with a carrying case and how sturdy it needs to be for your uses.

3. Establish a budget before you begin looking. This will keep you from overspending on "just one more" feature that you really don't need and/or cannot truly afford. Ask yourself if you really need a double barre as opposed to a single, or an 8-foot instead of a 4-foot length, for instance.

4. Start looking for your portable ballet barre. See the Resources section, below, for some online retailers that sell ballet barres. It would also be wise to ask a dance instructor you respect or a studio owner for their opinion. This is especially good advice for a student, since your teacher will know exactly what you need to excel in your particular program.

5. Take the leap and buy the barre that fits your needs the best. A portable ballet barre can give you incredible freedom, so enjoy your purchase.

Resources

• Mats, Mats, Mats
• Norberts