Sneak Peek of Season 2 - Is it too late for me to learn ballet?

Today, I’ll be giving you a sneak peek of season 2 of Broche Banter. Season 2 will be a little different format, and I’ll be directly addressing fears, anxieties, questions, and concerns that we heard from dancers in season 1. 

We’ll be focusing in on the question:

How good can you really get when you started ballet late? Can you learn pointe? Pirouettes? Get more flexible? Get your extensions? Perform? Learn ballets? Partner?

Is it too late for me to dance?

I receive messages daily that go like this.

I’ve dreamed of ballet my whole life but couldn’t dance when I was young. Is it too late for me? 

I am not flexible and have bad feet. I danced when I was young and haven’t been back for 20 years. Is it too late for me?

I have been taking in my adult open program for years now, but I still can’t do pirouettes or remember combinations or get my legs high, and I’m not sure the point of continuing. Is this because I’m too old? 

And every time, my heart breaks, not necessarily for these people who I can help now that they’ve gotten in touch, but for the people who haven’t yet had the thought to reach out to get started, but who hold these beliefs.

I’m here to tell you it’s not too late and you’re not too old. Yes, it might be too late to be a principal at NYCB. But that’s only available to a very small percentage of the population in the first place. A very high level of skill in ballet, including performing, or making ballet a huge part of your life, though, is achievable at any age, and any background.

There are a lot of people talking about this. But, in this season of Broche Banter, we’ll peel back the curtain on the big lingering and unanswered question for adults: “how to do it”

And I’ll give you a hint: it isn’t attending the same open level beginner ballet class for 10 years. 

It depends on:

  • -> Your goals

  • -> How you train

  • -> Your mindset

  • -> How much you want it and what you’re willing to do to get it

As a beginner, it is difficult to know what to look for, what to ask for, and what you should seek out. Because often what feels advanced is actually not advanced. And what feels “beginner” is not often beginner. How to get your legs high starts with your legs low. And how to turn starts with not turning.

So, we’ll break it down — if you’re at A, how do you get to Z? And, what do you even want Z to look like for you? 

Do you need to do the splits? If you can’t jump, can you still dance? If you’re dreaming of pointe, can you get there? If your local studio doesn’t offer these things, what can you look for and/or ask for to get them?

I’ll give you the lay of the land, break down the facets of ballet, and help you see which pieces of the puzzle that you need to collect for any given facet. 

Each week, we’ll dive into a different facet of ballet, from turns, to flexibility, to pointe, to artistry and musicality, turnout, extensions, and more. 

And for now, enjoy this compilation of why our season 1 guests love ballet. 

Julie GillComment