Learning Ballet as an Adult
It is never too late to start learning new skills or developing new hobbies. You can always pick up whatever interests you at the moment and start cultivating your knowledge and skills on it. There is a studio that offers a ballet class or two in your Singapore neighbourhood.
Older people who pick up ballet as a hobby are uncommon but not impossible to find. Some people learn ballet to be a kind of workout. It can be strenuous and take a little longer, but progress, though slow, is still progress. You can say the same for ballet. Ballet is for everyone, regardless of age or abilities.
Learning this dance form is indeed arduous and can be more taxing for adults. However, as adults who want to learn ballet, you can be more motivated and dedicated than those kids that attend the same classes as you. It is not always too bad starting something later in life. Only your determination and dedication to anything you aim for can be the difference.
Ballet as an Exercise
Ballet is known as one of the most graceful, complex and physically demanding art forms in the world. Each movement you execute requires strength, coordination and control. It needs years of proper training alongside constant flexibility and cardio exercises. A professional ballet dancer would often do their workout by supplementing intensive fitness classes and flexibility training in their routine through pilates and yoga.
Ballet is a perfect form of exercise to practice because of these aspects. You can work on your cardio and your flexibility as you execute every move correctly. You will need exceptional coordination for the various complex movements you learn, making it a mentally and physically tiring workout.
You do not have to be passionate about this dance form to learn. Some people take ballet classes because they want a toner body. Other people take up ballet because they want to be more flexible, more limb and lithe. Ballet is also great to train your core since the movements are heavily dependent on balance.
Terms to Remember
Entering the Lioness den might make you feel overwhelmed and intimidated. You can be swamped with intense movements that need flexibility and coordination to pull off. Besides, you also have to learn a plethora of terms that are in French.
It does not matter if you are a beginner or a principal dancer. Even a professional ballet dancer uses these for their workout. Here are a few moves in ballet that you can use as an exercise:
- Adage/Adagio - Refers to the series of fluid motions and focused exercises that can improve a dancer’s balance, strength and lines. Adage/adagio can also refer to the opening sequence for two people.
- Allegro - Associated with jumps, this term means fast, brisk and energetic movements,
- Arabesque - refers to the position where the dancer stands on one leg while the other is extended behind the body.
- Barre - This is the wooden bar attached to the walls that serve as support for ballet dancers.
- Battement Tendu - Teachers call it tendu. It is a move where your leg and feet fluidly step across the floor.
- Changements - Changements happen when the dancers perform a jump and switch the position of their feet while in the air.
- En Pointe - Dancing on the very tips of your toes is called En Pointe. It can also refer to times where you use your pointe shoes while dancing.
- Pirouette - Doing a 360-degree spin on one-foot en pointe is called Pirouette. This move requires strong core alignment and balance.
- Plié - Plié translates to“bent” or “bending”. It is when one or both knees are bent while legs and feet remain turned out.
- Relevé - It means “to rise”. Relevé is when your heels are lifted off the floor with or without springing action.
- Révérence - You will end every class with a révérence, either with a bow or curtsy.
- Ronde de Jambe - It directly translates to “round leg”. This dance move is when a dancer rests on one leg and makes a circular movement with the other leg.
- Sauté - Sauté is frequently used in combination with other movements. It translates to “jump”.
Conclusion
Knowing the basic movements and correctly executing the moves is enough to work your body, becoming limber and more flexible. It is nothing to be ashamed of if you are not flexible enough at the start. Constant training will stretch and strengthen your body, making it easier to do the movements with each session or class you attend.
You can start by looking up studios that offer ballet classes in Singapore. They most often offer classes, in varying difficulties, from beginner classes to more advanced prima ballerina-type of training. Ballet studios, like BalletBody, also offer pilates workout classes that you might enjoy as well. Taking both classes can increase your flexibility, so why not just try both?
