What the difference between Adult Ballet Class and Children class?

Natalie: What the difference between Adult Ballet Class and Children class?
Are they the same? I am 13 and Singaporean and wish to take up Ballet lesson. However, my parents are against it. I wish to tell them more about Ballet and its wonderful things, but what Ballet is all about. What is so wonderful about Ballet.
I wish to start Ballet as soon as possible. But I don’t think they will let me join classes this year… Maybe next time, I guess…
So why do you love Ballet? Is it fun?
Well, how do I convine my parents. They think I am too old for Ballet. Tell me!
Actually, I don’t even dare to start this conversation as I have already have my piano lesson and Guzheng as CCA after I urged them for weeks and they thought I am too greedy and want to learn everything.
Well, I have two CCAs, Chinese Dance and Guzheng and there are practise a total of 7h 30min a week+my piano lesson, 30min a week. Do you think I can cope? I think I can but my parents think it is too busy…
But I love Ballet! I keep thinking of it! How can I urge?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Tess
The difference between a childern’s ballet class and an adult’s—they teach the children terminology and in adult classes, they just assume you know it. You do seen really busy, but schedule dance around the other things you’re doing. I have been doing ballet FOREVER, and it’s totally worth it. No one is too old for ballet.

Answer by Amelie
Tell your parents how good ballet is for you: It makes you physically fitter and stronger, and more endurance means that you’ll have more energy to do other things like school work well. It teaches you discipline and concentration. It develops new paths in your brain.

I believe that if a child badly wants to do something it’s because she has the talent for it, so tell them this too. They’ll never know if they denied a future prima ballerina the opportunity if they don’t let you do it for at least a trial period. Do remember, though, that ballet is fun, but also darn hard work. You have to be prepared to sweat a bit.

But you might have to sacrifice something else if you want to do ballet. It takes up a lot of time, so you might need to stop doing one of your other extra-curricular activities.

It’s better to start earlier, but if you’re already doing another form of dance and are talented, it might not be too late to start now.

Answer by Sandra
it depends on the age the school and the teacher… what should be the same in all are the levels beginer thru advanced….

beginer ballet class covers the basic main steps with some simple adagio work and alegro choreography that DEVELOPES strength flexibility and how to exicute these properly. Many of these same steps are used for intermidiate and advanced students but the intermediate students will learn turns and complex beats to prepare for advanced class where it all comes together and you feel TRULY free and things become Effortless for you.
If you purchace a book … your parents will agree and i’m sure they wont refuse you a book! get one on balanchines terminology of ballet! it has beatiful pictures and actually tells you what you are supposed to learn at what stage… the basics are the best even professionals take the basics the more you do the better it will look an easier it will be for you… practice with the book on your own even! you will learn terminology and proper alignment if you have a good eye for line! your library may have free rentals of ballet class too! check it out! …
good luck
PS:gung ho fat choi! you know what i mean! 😉

Answer by janine_rs
Maria, I’ve been following every single one of your questions, even when you were confusing us about your age. Now we must address a new issue: about where you live.

Do you live in Singapore? Most of us who are answering you live in the US, where our approach to education is based on a philosophy of equal opportunity, which also includes ballet lessons. This is why everyone keeps encouraging you to start ballet lessons no matter what your age.

I can tell you that I personally know a dance student at Juilliard (a world-renown school for dance, music and theater) who started ballet at your age. She is very talented and can easily become a professional ballet dancer here in the US. So at least in terms of students in the US becoming professional ballet dancers in our country, IT IS POSSIBLE to start ballet at 13, 14…maybe 15… absolute tops at 16. After that age, only men really have a chance of becoming professional ballet dancers even if they start late.

Unfortunately, I don’t know what the employment prospects are for ballet dancers in Singapore. In Europe, I believe that ballet dancers must start training when they are very young. But even if you can’t dance professionally in ballet, there are many other contemporary styles of dance where you can start your training later. Meanwhile, you mentioned that you do Chinese Dance, which should give you a bit of a head start. Also your piano lessons are good for training you to feel the music, a trait in dancers called “musicality.”

I don’t understand what “Guzheng” is or “CCA,” but if you are willing to give something up to show your parents how serious you are about learning ballet, you need to tell them that it is NOT too late for you to learn. It may be a bit too late to start this school year, but you need to convince them that you need to start taking ballet classes as soon as possible.

It doesn’t help much to keep posting your problem over and over to us. Call a ballet school near you and talk to the director. Or have your parents talk to the director for more information. Tell your parents that it can’t hurt to just get information.

Good luck.

Answer by pocketbook queen
Adult ballet and a children’s ballet class for someone about 12-16 years of age are about the same. In the adult class, they kind of assume you know the terminoligy, but they cater to your needs more than in the children’s class, where you basically have to know the terminoligy. For you, it sounds like you have a busy enough schedule. Maybe you can do one or two classes, but I wouldn’t do too much. If you care at all about you’re grades, dancing may keep you up late at night trying to finish your homework. But it all depends on scheduling. If a dance studio is reasonably close to your house and has a schedule that compliments your other schedules, then I’d ask you’re parents about this.