Ballet is a well-rounded, positive activity for children and adults alike. It offers a wide range of mental and physical benefits, including improving strength and flexibility, reducing stress, and improving confidence.

Why is Ballet Good for You? 10 Reasons.

Below are 10 of the top reasons ballet is mentally and physically good for you.

1. Provides Whole Body Workout

Ballet is a full-body workout, engaging all the muscles in your body from your core and legs to back, shoulders, and arms. In addition to being great for strength training, it is also an aerobic activity. This makes ballet a good full-body workout for both children and adults.

2. Offers Stress Relief

Exercises, such as ballet, releases endorphins. These feel-good hormones boost your mood and decrease stress, making ballet an excellent way to decompress. In addition to releasing endorphins, dancing also offers an outlet for expression and communication, which can provide individuals a happier, more positive mindset when faced with adversity.

3. Improves Flexibility

Perhaps one of the most popular reasons ballet is good for you is that it improves flexibility. We’ve all heard of the ballet barre, which is the wooden bar that supports ballerinas as they navigate through a series of stretches and strength training exercises. There are some workouts that are centered entirely around the barre. This portion of a ballet class helps improve flexibility, increasing your range of motion, thus decreasing your likelihood of injury.

4. Increases Discipline

Ballet includes a strict code of discipline. This is true not only in technique, but also uniform—usually down to hairstyle—attitude, and posture. When you dance ballet, you are practicing discipline that will help strengthen this skill in other aspects of life.

5. Improves Balance

Ballet is a great way to improve your balance. Ballet increases core strength and muscle stabilizers, helping the body increase its ability to balance. This can help growing children overcome some of the natural gawkiness that comes with lengthening limbs and growing bodies. For adults taking ballet classes, it can help after body-changing experiences such as childbirth or general aging to help regain balance and grace.

6. Improves Posture

Ballet is also a good way to improve posture. Ballet focuses on lines, angles, strength, and flexibility, all of which contribute to good posture. By exercising these parts of your body and practicing the long, lean lines of ballet, you’ll naturally begin finding yourself sitting and standing with better posture.

7. Provides Social Opportunities

Most people don’t think of ballet as a group sport, but it is! That means ballet offers the same type of socializing opportunities found in many team sports. Dancers engage with other like-minded individuals while strengthening their relationships with each other through trust, communication, shared interest, and teamwork.

8. Increases Energy

Ballet also helps to increase energy. This is because it helps to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues by getting your blood pumping every time you dance. Because it is an aerobic activity, it also helps your cardiovascular and pulmonary systems work more effectively. This helps you increase endurance, giving you more energy throughout the day.

9. Improves Endurance

Like we discussed above, ballet can improve your endurance because of its aerobic benefits. This is also true for the strength-training aspects of ballet. When you dance ballet, you are strengthening your body in multiple ways that help daily tasks and chores come more easily to you, improving your energy and endurance.

10. Nurtures Confidence

Finally, ballet is a great way to nurture your confidence. Because it improves balance, grace, posture, health, and fitness, ballet can not only improve your mental health but also improve your confidence.

What do you love most about ballet?

What do you love most about ballet? Tell us in the comments below!

About the Author

Jennie Creer-King

Owner & Artistic Director

Jennie Creer-King is the owner and artistic director of Central Utah Ballet Academy. She is an award-winning dancer, instructor, and choreographer. Among her awards include “Best School Award” by the Youth American Grand Prix, “Best of State” in Choreography and Youth Performing Group, and the Presidential Scholar’s Teacher Recognition Award. Jennie has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance with an emphasis in Ballet Performance and a Master's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance emphasis in teaching pedagogy and choreography.

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A pre-professional ballet program is a ballet program that helps prepare aspiring ballerinas for semi-professional ballet opportunities. This includes auditioning for scholarships or college/university dance programs as well as professional dance companies.

A pre-professional ballet program helps dancers master and polish their ballet technique and augment their ballet skills with additional styles of dance, health and fitness, and professional skills such as writing resumes or having a successful audition.

What do Dancers Do in Pre-Professional Ballet Programs?

A pre-professional ballet program typically includes dance instruction, supplemental skills, and company dance.

Ballet Technique

For a pre-professional ballet company, ballet technique will be a large part of what you learn and master. You will most likely study classical ballet and advanced skills, including pointe, and master all the advanced techniques you will need to know for a professional or university company.

Supplemental Dance

Many pre-professional ballet programs also include supplemental dance instruction. This is important because it helps strengthen knowledge, fitness, and capabilities. It makes dancers more well-rounded. It also helps them to be able to draw from other ballet techniques that may inspire some choreographers, such as modern or flamenco.

Fitness & Health

Some pre-professional dance programs also include fitness and health instruction. This usually consists of workshops that bring in experts to talk about things like a healthy diet, conditioning, or stress management to maintain health during a ballet career.

Conditioning

In addition to dance, many pre-professional programs include conditioning classes, which focus on overall fitness. Conditioning classes include aerobic and strength workouts that help the body prepare for and withstand training and rehearsals.

 Choreography 

Many pre-professional ballet programs also include training in choreography. This is where dancers learn how to choreograph and stage solo and group productions. While many dancers may not go on to choreograph professional pieces, the knowledge learned during this training can help strengthen the ability to learn and understand choreography and strengthen solo pieces.

Professional Skills

In addition to training and technique, dancers also often have workshops for professional skills such as auditioning and writing a resume. They may fake headshots, polish their bios or resumes, and practice interviews to help them in their career or educational pursuits.

Company Dance

A pre-professional program is typically part of a dance company. These dancers work together through training and workshops while also applying their skills in group pieces and performances. This helps ballerinas have real-life dance company experience and performance opportunities to apply their skills and further build their resume.

Why Participate in a Pre-Professional Ballet Program?

One of the main reasons to participate in a pre-professional ballet program is to master essential technical dance skills. Professional and academic ballet programs are high competition, taking the best dancers from around the world.

A pre-professional program allows ballerinas to polish and master dance technique to increase their ability to achieve these opportunities.

These programs are specifically designed by professionals in the ballet industry who have “been there, done that.” Not only are they an excellent source of essential training for future ballet careers, but they are also a great place to network and make professional connections.

Many professional companies or university programs have connections with pre-professional ballet programs or instructors and view these programs as “incubators” for more advanced programs and companies.

In addition to essential professional connections, dancers benefit from accessing a wide variety of dance experts from a number of different companies and programs. This means insights into which program the dancer may want to pursue as well as information about what types of skills or experience that program may look for.

About Central Utah Ballet’s Pre-Professional Program

Central Utah Ballet has created a pre-professional ballet program to simulate a college and professional ballet experience. Each student will train in classical ballet technique, contemporary, modern, flamenco, character, classical ballet repertoire, learn vintage re-staged classical ballets, experience the creative process of diverse choreographers, and perform in live performances.

About the Author

Jennie Creer-King

Owner & Artistic Director

Jennie Creer-King is the owner and artistic director of Central Utah Ballet Academy. She is an award-winning dancer, instructor, and choreographer. Among her awards include “Best School Award” by the Youth American Grand Prix, “Best of State” in Choreography and Youth Performing Group, and the Presidential Scholar’s Teacher Recognition Award. Jennie has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance with an emphasis in Ballet Performance and a Master's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance emphasis in teaching pedagogy and choreography.

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Before her work at the Barbara-Barrington-Jones Ballet West Academy in Lehi, Jennie owned and operated another ballet school, also located in Utah, called Classical Ballet Academy. This school was the recipient of many awards and notoriety, including the Youth American Ballet Competition “Best School Award” and Utah’s “Best of State” in Choreography and Youth Performing Group.

Utah is a Mecca for Dance

For as small as Utah is, it’s often surprising to outsiders that we have such a rich culture of dance here. Not only do we have a top-tier ballet company, but we also have the nation’s first repertory dance company, the first school of ballet at an American University, and the world’s largest ballroom dance program. It’s Utah’s history of love and appreciation for the arts that contributes to these milestones.

We Love the Commitment of the Dancers

One of the reasons we love teaching ballet classes in Utah is because of the amazing dancers. Utah ballet dancers are no stranger to hard work and commitment. We know that when ballet dancers in Utah join our classes—especially our company ballet classes—they will be committed to coming to class and practicing and performing their very best.

There’s a Higher Level is Competition in Utah Ballet Schools

Let’s face it—ballet classes in Utah are offered everywhere. With dance studios on virtually every corner, home studios, online classes, and more, practically anyone and everyone has the option to dance ballet—if they want to. That means the environment in Utah for dancers and studios alike is competitive.

Studios have to offer the best quality of dance instructors, curriculum, choreography, and mentorship to succeed in Utah’s competitive environment. Conversely, ballet dancers have to work harder to stand out and prove themselves in competitive recreational, competitive, scholastic, and collegiate programs.

There are Lots of Opportunities to Dance

Another reason we love teaching ballet in Utah is because there are so many dance opportunities here. From scholarships at prestigious University ballet programs to opportunities to dance with Ballet West, our amazing Utah-based ballet company, Utah is alive with opportunities to further a ballet career.

Utah loves the arts, which means there are plentiful dancing opportunities available. Not only do students have many opportunities to dance with great ballet academies, but they also have many opportunities for performances, competitions, scholarships, and more.

Utah has Great Ballet Instructors

Because of all the reasons listed above, Utah is also rich with wonderful ballet instructors. This is where many phenomenal dancers get their start, so it’s often where they pursue their careers or return after their careers are through. We are so lucky to have highly-experienced ballerinas who have danced all over the world and are settling down in Utah to teach. It means our students are getting top-tier ballet education while also truly getting the “inner knowledge” of those dancers who have “been there, done that.”

Why do you love dancing in Utah?

We love teaching ballet classes in Utah, but why do you love dancing here? Let us know in the comments below!

About the Author

Jennie Creer-King

Owner & Artistic Director

Jennie Creer-King is the owner and artistic director of Central Utah Ballet Academy. She is an award-winning dancer, instructor, and choreographer. Among her awards include “Best School Award” by the Youth American Grand Prix, “Best of State” in Choreography and Youth Performing Group, and the Presidential Scholar’s Teacher Recognition Award. Jennie has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance with an emphasis in Ballet Performance and a Master's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance emphasis in teaching pedagogy and choreography.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LEHI, UTAH, November 2020—This November, Central Utah Ballet held its first performance since their grand opening in August. The performance included excerpts from the Nutcracker and took place at Covey Center for the Arts in Provo on November 11 and 12. The ballet was directed and choreographed by Central Utah Ballet owner and artistic director, Jennie Creer King, with instructor and renowned Utah contemporary dancer, Lindsay Folkman also participating in choreography.

Holding their inaugural performance is not what Creer-King imagined when she opened the doors to her ballet studio this fall. Still, despite uncertainty regarding the venue, the notorious ballet director and choreographer decided to move forward as planned.

They worked with the performance venue to take precautions to keep dancers and audience members safe. This included limiting ticket sales, practicing social distancing, and requiring mask-wearing.

“When we recognized that the pandemic situation wasn’t going to change, we went back to the drawing board and asked, ‘Okay, what do we need to do to make this performance happen?’”

Canceling the performance was not an option, and switching to a virtual show as many dance studios have done did not seem ideal.

“Live performances are so important to our dancer’s ballet education experience. Without the live audience, they are missing out on many of the learning experiences of live ballet–the stagefright, feedback from the audience, stage lights and sound systems, perfecting timing and costume changes… Our responsibility to our students is to provide them with the best opportunities to pursue ballet at universities or professionally, and live performances are a part of that.

Central Utah Ballet’s next performance, Act 2 of Swan Lake, will take place February 16, 2021.

About Central Utah Ballet

Central Utah Ballet is a fully comprehensive, classically-based ballet program for youth seeking to learn classical ballet and contemporary dance. The ballet studio provides preschool and toddler ballet, children’s ballet technique classes, pre-professional ballet training programs, junior and senior ballet companies, adult dance classes, and live stage performance opportunities.

Central Utah Ballet focuses on training students with a proper syllabus appropriate to the emotional and physical development of each student. Parents find that the young children’s creative ballet programs are fun and engaging while introducing techniques, children’s ballet classes teach a progression of classical technique and discipline, and the pre-professional/company ballet programs prepare young adults for college or professional auditions.

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For more information on this topic, please contact:

Mikelle Despain
mikelle@six21studio.com
801-369-5338
https://centralutahballet.com

About the Author

Jennie Creer-King

Owner & Artistic Director

Jennie Creer-King is the owner and artistic director of Central Utah Ballet Academy. She is an award-winning dancer, instructor, and choreographer. Among her awards include “Best School Award” by the Youth American Grand Prix, “Best of State” in Choreography and Youth Performing Group, and the Presidential Scholar’s Teacher Recognition Award. Jennie has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance with an emphasis in Ballet Performance and a Master's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance emphasis in teaching pedagogy and choreography.

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Guide to Choosing a Ballet School in Utah

Because there are so many ballet schools to choose from in Utah, it can sometimes feel overwhelming to know when to start. If your child is just starting out in dance, it can be tempting to choose the ballet school that is near your home and has the most convenient class time. However, not all ballet programs are created equally. Below are some considerations for choosing the best ballet school for your child.

1 . What type of program are you looking for?

There are many different types of ballet programs available. Some programs, such as the pre-professional trainee program at Central Utah Ballet are meticulous in their training. These are a good fit for students looking to build their resume and technique for scholarships or career opportunities. Other ballet schools in Utah may have programs that are “just for fun.”

Tip: If your child is just starting out and you’re not sure where their interest may lead, it is often worth it to go with a higher quality beginning ballet program. These programs introduce beginning ballet concepts in a fun, engaging way. If your child ends up loving the program, they will have a solid foundation and won’t have to unlearn bad habits that may set them back.

2. Where is the school located?

While this shouldn’t be your primary consideration when selecting a ballet school in Utah, it shouldn’t be a nonexistent one either. Focusing on the shortest possible commute limits your options, while signing up for a long commute can make it difficult to get your child to and from dance class—especially once the weekly hours start ratcheting up.

3. How many hours can you commit?

That brings us to the next consideration for choosing a ballet school in Utah for your child: how many hours can you commit? In most ballet schools, the number of weekly hours increases based on how advanced a program is. Depending on how serious you are about ballet, you may want to consider a program that will give your child the most experience possible—or one that doesn’t require too big of a commitment.

4. Vet the instructors.

It doesn’t matter how perfect the program looks from the outside—if it is run by inexperienced teachers, it won’t do your dancer any good in the future. Before joining a ballet school, it is worth it to look up the instructors and to vet their experience. You should look for instructors that have professional dancing experience as well as experience as an instructor.

5. Take an introductory class.

Before joining a ballet program, it can also be helpful for your dancer to take an introductory class. If introductory classes aren’t offered at your prospective ballet studio, schedule a one-hour private lesson. This lets you and your child get to know the teacher and instruction style before committing to a program.

6. Meet the director.

It also helps to meet the director. Take time during your visit to meet the director of the school and to get to know how the school functions.

7. Look for connections.

Well-connected ballet schools in Utah mean better opportunities for your child. Is one of the ballet instructors a faculty or board member of a ballet program you’re interested in? Does the faculty list include former dancers of companies your child may be interested in joining? Not only can these connections open opportunities down the road, but they also mean you can receive invaluable advice about the program and what they are looking for.

8. Attend a performance.

If you want to get a feel for how the hours of program experience will influence your child’s development in ballet, attend a performance. Pay close attention to the dancers in the program or company your child is considering. They should be at the same level as or slightly more advanced than your dancer—but not significantly below or significantly above.

9. Read reviews.

Last but not least, read reviews. These can give you the deepest, most honest view of the dance school.

Ask a Question

Are you looking for more information about how to choose the right ballet school for your child? Let us know in the comments below. We are happy to help!

About the Author

Jennie Creer-King

Owner & Artistic Director

Jennie Creer-King is the owner and artistic director of Central Utah Ballet Academy. She is an award-winning dancer, instructor, and choreographer. Among her awards include “Best School Award” by the Youth American Grand Prix, “Best of State” in Choreography and Youth Performing Group, and the Presidential Scholar’s Teacher Recognition Award. Jennie has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance with an emphasis in Ballet Performance and a Master's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance emphasis in teaching pedagogy and choreography.

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Engaging your child in extracurricular activities (those “outside of school” activities) is an instinct that comes naturally to most parents. We want to support our children’s development while giving them beneficial outlets for their time and energy.

For many parents and students, the extracurricular activity of choice is dance.

What Does Dance Do for a Child?

While dance can impact each child differently, some outcomes seem universal. Below are some of the top positive benefits dance offers children.

Boosts Confidence

One of the things dance does for a child is increases their confidence. This is true for many extracurricular activities—practice in certain skills brings confidence. However, for dance, it’s even more than that.

Even when you’re dancing someone else’s choreography, dance is personal. It gives you an outlet to bring yourself into the room or onto the stage and say, “this is me.” Practicing this in a safe setting such as dance helps dancers develop and grow their self-confidence.

Improves Fitness

It goes without saying that dance is a physical sport. However, its type of physicality lends itself well to growing children’s bodies. This is because dance not only provides aerobic activity, but also builds and tones muscles, especially those core muscles that support daily movement.

Teaches Teamwork

Dance probably isn’t one of the first activities that comes to mind when you’re thinking of team sports, but dance truly does require this skill.

As part of a dance class or company, children have to rely on the other dancers on stage with them. Each dancer has to be in the right spot and doing the right moves to support the choreography as a whole. For the routine to look synchronized, dancers also have to be at relatively similar levels of expertise.

Dance teaches teamwork because it requires dancers to work together on stage during performances, in rehearsals for staging and practicing choreography, and in developing and mastering techniques alongside their peers.

Encourages Grit

Next on the list of things dance does for a child is encouraging grit. Dance is a commitment—one that extends at least to a several-month-long season and at most to a long-term company relationship. As with every activity, your child will experience times when they want to give up or quit and have to find ways to stay motivated to keep dancing. According to development experts, this skill, called “grit,” is one of the most important indicators of success in children.

If your child is struggling with staying committed to dance, read this recent article on How to Keep Your Child Motivated to Stick With Dance.

Provides Outlet for Expression

Many dancers in their early to late teens face the changes of adolescence that bring a pendulum of emotions. It’s important for them to have an outlet where they feel safe expressing these emotions and helping them to explore and release them instead of bottling them up. For many, dance is an excellent outlet for this.

Drives Discipline

Finally, dance helps children develop discipline. Like many extracurricular activities, dance requires the mastery of certain techniques. This means your child is required to practice certain techniques until they can perform them correctly. This skill means your child will be practicing the skill of discipline.

What has dance done for you or your child?

Did dance help you make friends? Improve other sports skills? Let us know below what dance did for you!

About the Author

Jennie Creer-King

Owner & Artistic Director

Jennie Creer-King is the owner and artistic director of Central Utah Ballet Academy. She is an award-winning dancer, instructor, and choreographer. Among her awards include “Best School Award” by the Youth American Grand Prix, “Best of State” in Choreography and Youth Performing Group, and the Presidential Scholar’s Teacher Recognition Award. Jennie has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance with an emphasis in Ballet Performance and a Master's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance emphasis in teaching pedagogy and choreography.

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How to Keep Your Child Motivated to Stick With Dance

There are many reasons to keep your child motivated to “stick with it,” including helping prevent them from having regret when they’re older, teaching them to focus on long-term gratification instead of short-term whims. Among these is teaching your child the important skill of grit, which is the ability to stick with things even when they get tough—and is one of the biggest indicators of success in children, according to researchers.

While grit and sticking with an activity such as dance may not come naturally to children, it is a skill that can be taught!

1. Tell them they need to follow-through for the season.

Often, a child’s desire to quit is short-lived. Let your child know that dance is a commitment, and they need to stick with it for the season—but that at the end of the season, they can quit if they’d like.

It can be tempting to force them to pick it up again the next season, but allowing them to decide to quit or not quit gives your child autonomy and can help them be less likely to quit or give up on an activity mid-season.

2. Remind them they’re part of a team.

Ballet is a team sport. Your child’s company and studio are depending on them for staging choreography, rehearsing, and progressing at the same level as the rest of the company. Talk to your child about the importance of being part of a team and how each member needs to do his or her part for the entire company to succeed.

3. Don’t give in “just this once.”

It can be tempting to give in and let your child skip a class “just this once.” Especially if they beg or negotiate or if you’re just plain too tired to hold the line. However, it can be important to the goal of helping your child stick with dance lessons not to give in. If you give in once, your child will learn that if they push in just the right way, they can make you give in again.

4. Consider a coupon system.

If you want to be able to give your child a “day off,” consider giving them a single “coupon” good for one day off that they may use once during the season. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. You may be surprised to find this helps cut back in arguments and that your child may not even end up using the coupon by the end of the season.

If you choose to implement this system, it’s important to do so at the very beginning of the dance season and not in response to your dancer asking to skip class (see reason #3 for why).

5. Start a gratefulness practice.

Get your child thinking positively about dance by starting a gratefulness practice. Get a small notebook, and after each class, ask your child to write one thing they are grateful for about their dance lessons. The next time they ask to skip or quit, remind them to pull out their notebook to remember why they are grateful for their dance class.

6. Uncover underlying issues.

Sometimes, students may want to quit dance because they are struggling and are either feeling embarrassed or discouraged. Try to get to the root of why your child doesn’t want to go. Is it more than just wanting a day off? If so, your child may benefit from private ballet lessons or may benefit from extra practice time at home. Talk to your child’s dance teacher about your child’s challenges—they will be able to help you come up with a solution.

7. Model grit at home.

Finally, the best way to motivate your child to stick with ballet when they want to give up is to model commitment and grit at home. Are you prone to starting projects or activities and not finishing them? This can signal to your child that quitting partway through is a natural part of the process. If you fight them on quitting dance, but they see you quitting your projects, you might even set the standard that only grown-ups get to quit, exacerbating the behavior in the future. Instead, do your best to model grit and follow-through at home.

Talk about the challenges you gave when sticking with something, but follow it up with why you’re going to continue the activity anyway. For instance, “Mommy really didn’t want to do her morning run today because I was tired and really wanted to just start my workday. But I made a commitment to myself to complete this marathon training program, and I knew I would feel good after my run—and know how good it will feel to run my first marathon in 3 months. So I decided to go for my run anyway, and 10 minutes in, I was so glad I did because it felt great.”

Like most things, grit is easier said than done, but as your child’s biggest role model, what they see at home can have a huge influence on their behavior now and in the future.

Is your child struggling to stick with dance lessons?

If your Central Utah Ballet student is struggling, let us know! We are here to help.

About the Author

Jennie Creer-King

Owner & Artistic Director

Jennie Creer-King is the owner and artistic director of Central Utah Ballet Academy. She is an award-winning dancer, instructor, and choreographer. Among her awards include “Best School Award” by the Youth American Grand Prix, “Best of State” in Choreography and Youth Performing Group, and the Presidential Scholar’s Teacher Recognition Award. Jennie has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance with an emphasis in Ballet Performance and a Master's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance emphasis in teaching pedagogy and choreography.

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It’s not uncommon for adults to occasionally get a case of “woulda coulda shoulda.” Many times, this revolves around hobbies and skills they wished they’d picked up when they were younger.

However, as more and more adults prioritize self-care, “me time,” and embrace healthier work-life balances, these wishes have the opportunity to turn into actualized goals.

We can’t count the number of adults who have said they wish they’d dance ballet when they were young. They often add that it’s “too late now,” but that’s not actually the case!

Can Adults Start Ballet?

Yes! Adults can start ballet at any age, even if they’ve never danced before. However, they will face physical challenges that younger children often don’t face. For instance, an adult’s body is typically less flexible than a child’s body, which means an adult starting ballet will want to go slowly and take precautions when increasing their flexibility.

An experienced adult ballet instructor will have techniques and practices that will help protect an adult’s joints, ligaments, and muscles as they learn ballet. They may also offer adult Pilates, barre, or mobility exercises that can supplement ballet classes by increasing strength, flexibility, and stamina.

Risks of Starting Ballet as An Adult

The main risks with starting ballet as an adult pertain to physical injury. While ballet is a low-impact sport, it does require physical stamina and flexibility. However, one benefit of adult ballet lessons is that they are typically scalable for different students, meeting the needs of more experienced dancers while offering modifications that are accessible to inexperienced students.

Taking it slowly and not pushing your body too far beyond your current capabilities is good advice for starting ballet as an adult. Listen to your body and let your instructor guide you. This will help avoid injury and make the experience more enjoyable.

In addition to physical energy, adults starting ballet for the first time also discover they don’t progress as quickly as children do when starting ballet. Starting ballet as an adult usually means you probably started too late to be a professional ballerina, but if your only goals are to enjoy the art, practice ballet skills, and be active, then you’ll likely love ballet.

Benefits of Starting Ballet as an Adult

Not only is it possible for adults to start ballet, but it can also be beneficial for your health, stress, confidence, and more.

• Good Source of Exercise. One of the reasons adults start ballet is for a new, more enjoyable form of exercise. For most adults, ballet is much more fun than running or weightlifting. Ballet is also a full-body workout, helping to engage not only the legs and arms, but the entire body.
• Provides Stress Relief. Like most exercises, ballet helps produce endorphins that can reduce stress and boost moods.
• Improves Muscle Tone. In addition to generally being a good form of exercise, ballet is particularly beneficial in improving muscle tone. Ballet is a full-body experience, and
• Strengthen Balance & Coordination. Ballet can also help with balance and coordination, both of which become more essential skills the more you age.
• Offers a Social Opportunity. While ballet isn’t as much a team sport as basketball or soccer, there are still plenty of social opportunities to meet new friends during an adult ballet class. Plus, having a friend at class will motivate you to go more regularly!

Final Thoughts

For those adults with a goal to enjoy ballet and to take their progress slowly, ballet can be a great hobby to pick up. For more information about Central Utah Ballet’s adult dance class, visit our adult dance classes page.

About the Author

Jennie Creer-King

Owner & Artistic Director

Jennie Creer-King is the owner and artistic director of Central Utah Ballet Academy. She is an award-winning dancer, instructor, and choreographer. Among her awards include “Best School Award” by the Youth American Grand Prix, “Best of State” in Choreography and Youth Performing Group, and the Presidential Scholar’s Teacher Recognition Award. Jennie has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance with an emphasis in Ballet Performance and a Master's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance emphasis in teaching pedagogy and choreography.

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Our construction team has notified us that the buildout of our new studio will be finished early August, and we are so excited for everyone to see it when it is complete. It will be beautiful! Get ready for spacious, bright studios, and a brand-new dance floor.

The grand opening party will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Lehi Chamber of Commerce. We are so happy to welcome Dexonna Talbot and Lindsey Larsen, the reigning Miss Utah and Miss Lehi, to our ribbon-cutting ceremony. Both of these extraordinary women are former and current ballet students of our very own Jennie Creer-King.

In addition to the ribbon cutting, we are excited to welcome all attendees to tour our brand-new ballet studio, meet the amazing faculty of Central Utah Ballet, and learn more about the ballet classes and programs we are offering.

We know there is a lot of uncertainty in the world today due to the Coronavirus, but we are glad to be able to offer a place where ballerinas can continue to learn and practice their art. We know that for many of our aspiring dancers, having a ballet studio to dance with other dancers, have opportunities for performances, and learn in-person with phenomenal ballet instructors.

During September, Central Utah Ballet will offer a free month of classes. We are honored to be able to offer these classes to amazing students in our new studio and are glad for the opportunity to support our community by offering free classes during these uncertain times.

Learn more about this event and RSVP on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/545851589371588/

We look forward to seeing you there! The event will be at our new studio at 132 S. 130 E. Street in Lehi.

About the Author

Jennie Creer-King

Owner & Artistic Director

Jennie Creer-King is the owner and artistic director of Central Utah Ballet Academy. She is an award-winning dancer, instructor, and choreographer. Among her awards include “Best School Award” by the Youth American Grand Prix, “Best of State” in Choreography and Youth Performing Group, and the Presidential Scholar’s Teacher Recognition Award. Jennie has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance with an emphasis in Ballet Performance and a Master's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance emphasis in teaching pedagogy and choreography.

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For instance, if your goal is to become a professional dancer, then the earlier the start, the better. This is because even young pre-ballet classes can help develop a foundation of skills and discipline that will strengthen their abilities later on. However, if your goal is to provide a positive, confidence-boosting activity for your child, then there is no right or wrong age to start.

What is the Best Age to Start Ballet?

One of the best ages to start ballet is age 4 or 5. This is the best age to start ballet so you or your child can develop discipline, good technique, and a genuine passion for ballet. However, serious training in ballet often doesn’t begin until ages 8-10, which is when the body has strengthened and can withstand more serious technique.

Starting ballet at age 4 or 5 can provide a strong foundation before more serious training begins at age 8. However, it isn’t unheard of for professional ballerinas to begin training later in their childhood years.

Some professional dancers have started training in ballet as old as 11 or 13, such as Misty Copeland, who started at age 13. Many other dancers start “late” or well into adulthood simply for the pleasure of learning ballet–for which there is no “best” or “too late” of an age to start ballet.

What is the Best Age to Start Ballet if you Want to be a Professional Ballerina?

If your goal is to be a professional ballerina, the earlier you start, the better. This is because starting early will expose you to technique, discipline, and performance experience. This provides a base you can build upon in your subsequent years of training. If you start with the right instructor, it can also help ensure that you don’t develop any bad technique that will have to be relearned later in life.

However, serious training for ballerinas typically doesn’t start until 8 years old or older. This is because ballet training earlier than this age can be detrimental to lengthening bones and growing bodies. Think of early ballet as early preschool. It’s not essential, but it can go a long way in introducing a child to school and providing some good building blocks for a better early educational experience.

The long answer to the question “When is the best age to start ballet?” is “it depends.” For a motivated ballerina, starting ballet at age 8 or 9, or even as old as 10 or 11, can still lead to a successful professional ballet career. However, it requires dedicated study and an excellent ballet program. Students can expect as many as 8-16 hours of ballet classes per week as they progress in their training.

What is the Best Age to Start Ballet if You Want to Dance in College?

College ballet programs can be quite competitive. This is often the reason ballet instructors will tell you that it’s better to start early if you plan to pursue these programs. Starting ballet between the ages of 5-8 can give you the best early training to have a jumpstart when more rigorous training begins between ages 8-10.

However, children older than age 8 can still have a good shot of dancing ballet in college or university ballet programs if they are well-motivated, dedicated, and are taking part in an excellent ballet program. Learn more about finding the right ballet program: What to Look for in a Ballet Instructor.

What Age is Too Old to Start Ballet?

There is no age that is too old to start ballet, as long as your goal is simply to dance and not to become a professional ballerina.

That said, starting ballet older than 18 can sometimes be more challenging. This is because it can often be difficult to find adult ballet classes in your area. However,  if there are no group adult ballet lessons available, then there are typically private ballet lessons available from great instructors. Another challenge older ballerinas face is having more difficulty with flexibility and stamina. Regardless, if the goal is to get a good workout and follow a new passion, then who cares as long as you’re having fun!

About the Author

Jennie Creer-King

Owner & Artistic Director

Jennie Creer-King is the owner and artistic director of Central Utah Ballet Academy. She is an award-winning dancer, instructor, and choreographer. Among her awards include “Best School Award” by the Youth American Grand Prix, “Best of State” in Choreography and Youth Performing Group, and the Presidential Scholar’s Teacher Recognition Award. Jennie has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance with an emphasis in Ballet Performance and a Master's Degree from the University of Utah School of Dance emphasis in teaching pedagogy and choreography.

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