Point(e)s on adult ballet

Posted on 29 February, 2016

Recently, Kristen Henry wrote about her passion for dance.

It’s a passion that I share; dancing has taught me patience, persistence and helped me build a solid work ethic. At 26, ballet remains a staple in my weekly schedule; I still attend class 2-3 times a week and get as much of a kick out of it now as I did at age six.

Unless you’re a company dancer or teacher, ballet class isn’t usually associated with adults. When I tell people that I regularly participate in ballet classes, a common question is, “So, do you dance with teenagers?” I laugh every time.

Not that I have anything against taking class with teenagers, or teenagers in general for that matter (I was one too, once upon a time). I find this question humorous because for some of the adults I dance with, their weekly ballet class is their ‘me time’ and they would balk at the idea of taking class with their children (or grandchildren)!

Yes, you heard correctly, there are adult ballet classes in Canberra. And they’re more accessible than you think.

At Canberra Dance Theatre (a community not-for-profit organisation), on most days of the week during the school term, a group of adults will gather at the studio to partake in a ballet class. There are different levels available, from Basics (for those who are just starting out) right through to Advanced (for those who have been dancing for quite some time). It’s a fun, safe, adult community where we adults literally get to have some play time.

If you’re thinking of taking up ballet – whether you’re completely new, experienced or looking to pick it up again – here are five reasons why you should go for it.

Improves posture and carriage

Hands up if your day job involves sitting a desk for long periods at a time and you feel a bit like the hunchback from Notre Dame when you stand up? Ballet builds awareness of your posture and alignment.

After a while, you’ll find yourself naturally standing straight and tall; don’t be surprised if your co-workers remark on how you’re holding yourself differently as you float gracefully around the office.

Exercise – physical and mental!

With ballet, you’ll discover and tone muscles you didn’t even know existed. It’s an art that uses your entire body and gives that cardiovascular system a great workout. Your brain will receive ample stimulation too; coordinating your body’s movements, keeping time with the music and learning the exercises (on both the right and left side, and occasionally you get the devilish teacher who will ask you redo the exercise in reverse).

You get to dance to BEAUTIFUL music

This one is fairly obvious, but I feel it shouldn’t be underestimated. It is incredible fun to pretend there is an entire symphony orchestra playing for you as you prance around the studio.

Meet people from all walks of life

Every week, I get to talk and laugh with a scientist, paralegal, mathematician, pilates instructor, social worker and waitress. You can connect with an amazing array of people who all share an interest in ballet.

But I can almost guarantee that the most inspiring person you will meet in a ballet class is your teacher. Those teachers who teach adult ballet recognise that, just because you are an adult and do not have a dance career in front of you, does not mean that you cannot learn an art and have fun while you’re at it. For them, teaching adult ballet is about investing in you.

You never stop learning

Ever. Ballet has been around for about 550 years – that’s a lot to learn! It is challenging, stimulating and oh, so exciting when you nail that move. Many experienced dancers will tell you they have much more learning ahead of them.

But you don’t just learn about ballet. You can learn so much about yourself, and even pick up on a few life lessons on the way. It’s through ballet that I realised the best way for me to understand new ideas was to break them down and build them back up. And it’s through ballet that I have learnt about the rewards of persistence and hard work. There is a bit of a cliché ring to it, but learning an art can change your perspective on life.

Have I convinced you yet? If not, it might help to know that Canberra Dance Theatre classes run on a casual basis, so you can drop into a class at any time. I highly encourage anyone to give ballet a try, regardless of whether or not you think you’re a dancer. You never know, you just might surprise yourself.

the essentials

What: Ballet (or you can check out other classes that are on offer)
Where: Canberra Dance Theatre, corner of Kingsley Street and Barry Drive, in Canberra City
When: Check out their timetable
Website: www.canberradancetheatre.org

Image of ‘silhouette of ballerina…‘ by Anna Jurkovska via Shutterstock