The Benefits of Ballet for Adults
Once thought of as the young person’s pastime, classical ballet is now fast becoming one of the most popular physical workouts for adults. A holistic art, ballet requires mind, body and expression to work seamlessly in sync meaning that taking a class greatly benefits the person a a whole.
- Ballet is one of the most physically demanding art forms – starting with exercises at the barre, a
ballet class requires strength, stamina and balance from the offset. These exercises require the use of muscles throughout your body, from the small intrinsic muscles in your feet to the larger muscles in the back and the calves. Moving into centre work, a combination requiring high bursts of energy and movement, along with slow moving holds and balances, means that the body gets an all over cardio and strength building workout.
- Ballet requires the brain to switch off from everyday thinking – there is so much to think about when
attending a ballet class; turned out feet, shoulders and hips square, elbows lifted, shoulders relaxed, and that’s without remembering the actual combination! The good news is that while thinking about all of this there is no space in your head for anything else. Everyday worries and thoughts disappear. In this sense the ballet class has been described as meditative.
- Ballet demands musicality and expression – this is where the art comes into play. Rather than just a workout ballet students get to create a performance with their work, fulfilling a need in all of us to express ourselves.
At Dance 1 our adult dancers form part of a vibrant, diverse and encouraging community. People arrive at all ages and stages of their dance journey and find a place here, where they can dance without judgement. Our adult ballet dancers receive the same level of attention and instruction as our youth dancers, from our exceptional ballet principal, Francesca Stern.
So what’s stopping you? Step out of your comfort zone and take the plunge!
We offer adult classes in ballet, jazz, tap and contemporary. Check out our class schedule here
