| I hear the same concerns from 14 year olds and 30 | | | | For example, if you feel you need to gain an extra |
| year olds. "Am I too old to start ballet?" | | | | advantage so that you can get ahead, you could |
| Properly taught, ballet is precise, and not dangerous in | | | | focus on strengthening your foot muscles. This will |
| any way. Many dance studios have adult ballet | | | | result in less muscle cramps, and better ballet |
| classes or classes for older teen/adult beginners. Most | | | | positions and movements. Eventually, if you progress |
| adult ballet classes include some floor work with ab | | | | to an intermediate level, and acquire an accurate |
| crunches and other core muscle exercises. Many | | | | technique, you may dance ballet in pointe shoes. The |
| teachers include them hoping that their students will | | | | muscles in the sole of the foot play a major role in |
| practice them at home, so the classes can | | | | pointe work. |
| concentrate on ballet. Other teachers may just | | | | DVDs are also available for increasing your flexibility. |
| recommend core muscle exercises, Pilates | | | | Yoga is excellent for stretching and avoiding injuries. |
| work-at-home DVDs, or anything that will help adults | | | | Classical ways to stretch are also easily obtained in a |
| or older teens to do ballet with more strength. | | | | well-illustrated series of strengthening and stretching |
| If you really love ballet and want to progress to | | | | routines. |
| more advanced classes there are ways to do that. | | | | Even though the opportunity to be a professional |
| The internet provides download ebooks with | | | | ballerina may have passed you by, learning ballet for |
| illustrations, photos and videos of correct ballet | | | | the sake of elegance and grace is made accessible |
| positions, ballet technique, and ballet movements. | | | | by those ballet studios which offer adult dance |
| These sources of information can give you the | | | | classes. So don't underestimate yourself, and don't |
| opportunity to see and hear details over and over | | | | assume you're too old to start ballet. |
| again, which you just do not get out of a ballet class. | | | | |