As children, we may have wanted to take ballet and the resources were not in the town we grew up in. Or your parents may not have had the money. There are always those of us who may have been told we “don't have the right body for ballet.” In my mother's case, she was in the middle of ten children, ballet was afforded to her older sisters, but not herself.

Posture is such an essential element of ballet. The way dancers stand and carry themselves is an important element to ballet technique. When you start taking ballet classes, one of the first things you will learn as a dancer is the correct posture for basic ballet positions. This essential foundation will not only help you progress quicker in your dance technique but will help your body feel better in your everyday life as well! Let’s take a deeper look into the specifics and techniques of ballet posture!

As dancers, we are always learning. Ballet is a timeless art form, constantly on the strive for perfection. It takes a lot of work to see progression in your dancing. Many of us often find ourselves working on the same movement or concept for weeks! Although this can be frustrating, the reward is in finally conquering that step or concept, showing yourself that hard work pays off. The benefits of learning ballet are many! Let’s talk about some of them.

If you have wanted to take a ballet class but felt it would be too intimidating, you are not alone. Trying new things can be a daunting task. However, everyone has to start somewhere, and your instructors are there for you to help you learn the basics. Learning ballet is a long and never-ending journey. There is always room for improvement. So, when you’re starting ballet for the first time, taking it slow is okay! Pacing yourself is a vital part of the process so you can be confident, safe, and strong in your foundation.

Turnout is one of the most important and popular concepts in ballet. The entire discipline of ballet is grounded by turnout, making it one of the biggest corrections a ballet dancer often receives. Like everything in ballet, however, it is not as easy as it appears! Join us as we get into the nitty and gritty of turnout, how it works, how to do it safely, and how to improve it.

The notorious pirouette turn! Many of us have watched in awe as a professional ballerina whips out so many turns we lose count! Love them or not, pirouettes are one of the most popular turns in ballet. Used in multiple variations and combinations, pirouettes are very technically challenging turns to perfect.

Have you ever heard a dancer compliment another dancer’s feet? These compliments are often directed towards high arches, long, articulated toes, or controlled articulation. As dancers, we all try and strive to obtain what are considered to be the perfect “ballet” feet.

Grande allegro is typically the last series of combinations done in a ballet class. Although these series of big jumps are very technically challenging, once mastered, grande allegro can make you feel like you are flying across the stage! New to grande allegro or want to grow more comfortable with big jumps? We are here to help!

The arabesque is one of the most beautiful lines in ballet. There are multiple variations of it including first, second, and third arabesque. In addition to the move itself, arabesques are often used in jumps, balances, and turns. Let’s take a deeper look into the technique of how to make this step look gorgeous!

Ballet is all about turnout! Use these 5 exercises, stretches, and tips to help you achieve greater turnout in a safe and sustainable way.

Sometimes as dancers, we get excited to start dancing and immediately dive into exercises that our bodies are not always ready or warm enough for. This is often where a lot of injuries happen. Warming up before taking a class, and stretching afterwards are two very important habits for a dancer to have. Not only will it keep your body healthy and safe, it will make you a better dancer in the long run.

Balancé is a beautiful, basic ballet step that is used in many ballet combinations. Unlike the traditional 8 count tempo, this step is danced to a 1,2,3 tempo. The Nutcracker Ballet’s “Waltz of the Flowers” has many lovely variations of this step that is fun and so pretty to watch! Whether you are new to this step or want to refine your technique with it, we are here to help!

Transition steps like pas de bourrée in ballet are super important. They are what help us move safely and smoothly from one major step to another. Pas de bourree is one of the most common steps that you will use and see in ballet combinations. Let’s look at some variations of this basic transition step!

Petite Allegro can be a complicated part of center for many dancers. The quick, small footwork often has tricky weight-shifting and transition steps. We are here to help break down some of these complicated steps!

If you are dancing en pointe, you know that dancing in your pointe shoes is a completely different experience than dancing in your ballet flats! Due to the nature of the pointe shoe, there is a lot more foot and ankle strength involved, making steps way harder in your pointe shoes! Let’s talk about how to do them.

Adagio is an essential part of center in a ballet class. They are beautiful to watch, and display very graceful movement qualities. In an adagio combination, the dancer is required to move their body slowly and controlled. Let’s take a look at some of the different components and techniques that make up an adagio.

Learning the basic ballet positions is key to learning all of the other steps there are to learn. Whether you are brand new to ballet or have been taking class for a while, revisiting the basics is one of the best things a dancer can do! All of the beautiful, intricate and advanced steps we do in ballet are built upon the basics, so it’s very important that we fully understand them to progress in our technique.

Feet. All ballet dancers dream about having beautiful pointed feet and high arches. Although some of us may not naturally have flexible feet, there are many stretches and exercises you can do to help improve your range of motion and build up strength in your feet!

As adult ballet dancers, we don’t always have the time to come to class. Our lives often fill up with various demands and conflicts, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still get your ballet in! Join us here for some online class videos that you can easily follow along with from the comfort of your home!

Adagio is beautifully slow, graceful, controlled, and gravity-defying. So why is it so hard to actually do (AND make it look easy)?! It requires balance, stability, mental focus, and stamina — all things that we train at the barre and need to learn how to apply without our dear dancing partner.