Ballet Basics for Adults
fulfil your dream of learning ballet
What if you could find a simple way to learn ballet as an adult?
Would you give it a go?
Did you dream of learning ballet as a child, but didn’t get the chance?
Have you been inspired by ballet as an adult and don’t know where to get started?
Do you worry it’s too late or that it’s a silly idea?
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Let me tell you the good news... it's never too late!
The idea that you have to start as a child is a myth. While a performance career might require a youthful start, doing ballet purely for the love of it has no expiry date.
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Having worked with adult dancers for 16 years, I’ve seen people of all ages start ballet for the first time, from those in their 20s up to those in their 70s.
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Ballet doesn’t have to be about throwing your legs above your head, dancing en pointe, or having the perfect physique.
There is SO much more to ballet than that.
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Ballet is about elegance and grace and these aren’t limited by age. It’s a wonderful feeling you get inside when you’ve mastered a step, you get caught up in the music, let go of your worries, and feel peaceful focused and centred.
Perhaps you’re already convinced and you’re ready to start or you just haven’t started yet
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Here are some of the reasons many adults take a long time to find the courage to take a ballet class.
‘What if’ worries:
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what if I’m the only person there who doesn’t know what they’re doing?
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what if I’m the only person there who doesn’t have a ballerina body?
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what if I make a fool of myself?
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what if people laugh at me for doing ballet (at my age and/or with this body)?
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Time and guilt issues
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I am so busy that I can’t justify taking the time to start ballet
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it’s selfish of me to put my interests before my family
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I’ll get around to it one day
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I can’t find a class at a time and place that works for me
Can you relate to any of these?
Meet Jo
I started ballet late. Well, at age 13, but that is considered late, and I had to join in classes with 8 year olds, which was pretty confronting.
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I did enter a tertiary course to become a professional dancer, but realised it wasn’t really the path for me. I then had a break for a few years, and found it really hard to return to, as most classes were for teenagers, and by then I was in my mid twenties. I was lucky though. I found a school that had a few people my age, and was able to finish my modern and ballet exams, and start teacher training. And finally, I enrolled in university and completed a Graduate Diploma of Creative Industries (Dance Teaching).
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But I never forgot that feeling that the door had closed on my opportunity to dance, and so I am committed to:
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opening that door for beginner adults
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re-opening the door for those who had had a break, and
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keeping it open for those who just don’t want to stop.
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I have dedicated myself to creating opportunities for adults to dance, whether they are starting, returning to, or continuing dance. I’d love to see a world where learning ballet, or any kind of dance, is considered something that adults do for their own health, wellbeing, and enjoyment, just like they do with things like yoga.
Why a beginner course for adults?
I want to be able to help as many adults learn ballet as possible. It is such a beautiful and joyful discipline, that I wanted to find a way to share it with adults who can’t get to a class in the studio with me, regardless of where they live or what their schedule is like.
An online foundation course means I can help more adults get started.
Unlike an in-studio course, with an online course, you can:
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start whenever you’re ready (you don’t need to wait for a course to start)
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join the course no matter where you live (provided you have internet access and a device)
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do lessons when and where it suits you
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progress at your own pace
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go over lessons as many times as you like
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wear whatever you like (sometimes when I do ballet at home, I just wear a crop top and shorts, something I’d never be confident enough to do in the studio)
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no need to worry about anyone judging you
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learn the French terminology more easily (the videos have captions so you can see how the words are spelt, which is often quite different to how they sound, so it’s easier to see the similarity to English)
I’d like to invite you to take the course, and experience its transformative effects.
It’s a self paced, on demand course that can easily be completed in 8 weeks.
I’ll be teaching you all the tips to develop beautiful technique, and show you how to avoid common mistakes and errors.
You’ll learn
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the fundamental movements that form the foundation of all ballet movements
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the French terminology used in ballet (including how the words are written and pronounced, and what they mean)
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basic rhythm and musicality
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fundamentals of safe dance practice
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how to put all the movements together into a 2-minute dance
You’ll get:
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8 lessons, each of which includes several video tutorials, that will teach you everything from how to stand for ballet, walk like a ballet dancer, positions of the arms and feet, and much more
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Each lesson includes developments of the movements you’ve learnt in previous lessons, as well as new movements
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Each lesson will also include a ‘class video’ which puts together the steps taught in the tutorials so you can practice the steps taught in that week and previous weeks
Frequently asked questions
How much time do you need to commit?
You will need to commit at least 30 minutes each week, although I’d recommend 30-60 minutes daily or every second or third day
The video tutorials in each lesson total around 30 minutes. The practice video will be 30-60 minutes, and you can do that as much or little as you like (but you could make it a daily practice if you really want to get the most out of the course. The weekly Q&A is optional of course, but I expect that will go for about an hour a week. If you can’t make it to the live Q&A, you can watch the recording later, and you can submit questions in advance.
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Where do I access the course?
The course is hosted on a platform called Namastream. Once you sign up, you will gain access to the course in Namastream, but you’ll only have access to lesson 1 initially. Each week, I’ll send an email to let you know that the next lesson is available.
You can bookmark the page in your browser to return to when you need it, or click on the link in the email confirming your enrolment. You can also access Namastream on mobile, but it is through the web browser on your phone, not a mobile app.
The weekly Q&A will be run on Zoom, but you will access it through the course in Namastream. The recording of the Q&A will also be available.
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What can I do at the end of the course?
If there is a ballet class for adults near you, you’ll be ready to go to an ongoing beginner class. I’m based in Adelaide, so if you live there, you could come and join one of my level 2 ballet classes (level 1 lasts 12 weeks, or 8 in the online version). At this stage I don’t have an online course for the next level, but I do have an On Demand Video Content Library which has classes, workouts, tutorials, choreography and class exercises, so you could try out some of those.
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Why is the instudio course 12 weeks long, and the online version only 8 weeks?
Because with the instudio version, there is a whole week between classes for students, so we go through more revision each week. With the online version, you have access to the videos to practice and go over them at any time. You can also spread it out to take 12 weeks if you think that is more suitable for you.
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What will I need at home to do the course?
A space big enough that you can at least take two large steps in any direction.
It is ideal if you have a floor that has plenty of give (like a timber floor). Concrete floors and carpeted surfaces are not ideal, but can be managed.You can use a chair or bench as a barre.You will need something to view the videos on. It’s great if you can use a HDMI cord to connect your laptop to your TV, or something like Chromecast to watch the video from your phone to your Smart TV. You can also view it directly on a laptop, tablet, or smart phone.
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What will I need to wear?
Something that is stretchy enough that you can move in it comfortably (a tshirt or singlet top, leggings or tracksuit pants are fine). If you have ballet shoes you can wear them, but socks are fine as well (I recommend ones with some cotton in them as purely synthetic socks can be too slippery). Bare feet are acceptable, but not ideal as they tend to stick to the floor, whereas you’ll need to glide your feet across the floor for some movements.
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How will I access the Intro to Ballet Facebook group?
When you sign up, you’ll receive an email with a direct link, and you can send a join request.
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What is your experience as a teacher?
I hold a Graduate Diploma in Creative Industries (Dance Teaching) from the Queensland University of Technology. I also have several other relevant qualifications, including a Bachelor of Science, Honours Psychology, Certificate IV in Commercial Music (performance), grade 7 piano in the AMEB (Australian Music Education Board), Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment. I have been teaching ballet (and other dance styles) for over 20 years, and have been dancing for 45 years. I have specialised in working with adult dancers since 2004, and have developed a ballet syllabus for adults that I use in classes at Move Through Life. I was Artistic Director of Move Through Life Dance Company for 11 years from 2004-2016 (when we wound up the company to focus purely on classes), and also danced and choreographed for the Company. I’ve also completed advanced exams in ballet and modern theatre dance with the ISTD (Imperial Society for Teachers of Dance).