What is ballet like?

i'm 13 and i really want to start ballet lessons!

i just want to know what type of things you do

any stretches or warmups that will help me get prepared

and do you think that i'll be able to catch up quickly? or will i be stuck in a class with 5 year olds??!! lol

i really wish i had started earlier...but suddenly i've been obsessed with ballet and keep thinking of it everyday so i think i should try it because i love music (play violin) and really like watching ballets and it tones your muscles

i need some type of activity....thinking about track too

What is ballet like?performing arts

OMG!!! i love ballet so much. it is so fun.

stretches you can do are:

1. go down in splits as far as you can and sit in them for a few seconds.

2. sit is strattle split and touch your nose to your knees and then to the floor (or as close as you can get)

3. butterfly

4. lay flat on your stomach and try to raise your legs, arms, and chest a few inches off the floor hold for a few seconds and then go back down

some words you will need to know:

1.plie-bending the knees

2. susu- on your toes put your feet (one in front of the other) really tight together

3.retiere(ray- tear- ray) bring your foot in front of your knee and your knees out to the side

4. tondue-point you foot and stretch your leg

those are just a few that i could think of that you will need for the first day (there are more but she shouldnt go to hard on you)

i really wish there was someone to tell me these before my first day (age 12)

I hope you have fun doing it. I sure did. Dont ever let anyone make you feel bad because you havent been doing it as long as them. It doesnt matte rhow long you have done it. I have done it for about a year and im past the people who have done it for their whole lives. good luck

What is ballet like?binoculars opera theater

Ballet is very demanding. Only a few ever reach the top in that field. Long hard hours of endless practice.
omg, where to begin.... ballet is hard, it requires every bit of concntration you have. it usually hurts your muscles afteryour first few classes. you cant really prepare too much, exept mebbe you cud do like some hamstring(idk how to spell it) streches cuz they will come in handy, also you should stretch well, mainly your legs and spine/ back. it will take a while to ctach up if your put in a clas with like other 13 year olds. cuz i had a girl who came in and shes 14 and i don think she caught up with me yet and she came in like september... yeah, again, ballet is really hard and it demands concentration, focus, and you need to kno at least a few of the french names for the steps and moves. youll learn more as you go along. and its really great that you want to do it and that you have a passion for it, that will get you going so congrats!! ballet can be a lil frustratin at times.

good luck!!
ive been dancing since i was three. im now 18 and i have done pretty much every type of dance there is including some odd ones like african, clogging, and ballroom. ballet is the most universal of all. the technique helps many other sports, most figure skaters also take ballet. IT'S NOT EASY. 13 is really late to start, so if u really want to do this, you have to be extremely determined. dont become too obsessed with it because many of my friends have eating disorders or get so burned out from it that they end up hating it after they reach a certain point and quit. i had to quit ballet after a few years because they put me on pointe too early and my feet werent fully developed so i started to get many injuries. many people think they want to be ballerinas but let me tell you, its not all its cracked out to be. dont let my words get you down tho, because after all, you never know unless you try it yourself
I suppose it depends a lot on what you're after.

There are people who first start taking ballet at just about any age. I have a friend who is 33 and just began lessons. She enjoys it immensely because it is very good exercise and because of it's possible application in her life.

Ballet is, after all, sometimes considered one of the best foundations to start from to learn any kind of dancing. The steps used in ballet can be found in many other places, and because dancers are often heavily involved with movement and choreography, it is a good way to learn about body language and performances of all kinds.

If you want to become a major professional dancer, you may already be 'over the hill'. The flexibility that children have is often lost as people grow older... even at the age of 13. This will probably not preclude you from being good if you work at it, and will certainly not interfere with enjoyment unless you've set yourself too hard a mark!

And who knows? Maybe you'll have a real talent and find a new way to live, touch other people, and make the world a better place. Enjoy!
its hard once you move your way up on the levels! i'm sore everyday after classes! and it would definitly tone your muscles my muscles are bigger in my legs than most guys at my school lol! ne way you will probably start with 8 yr olds but if you catch on quickly and determined you'll move up don't worry! its fun try it! what will it hurt?
If you want to start taking ballet lessons, then go for it. Age is not a factor unless you want to dance professionally, which you say you don't. Look for a ballet class that has your aims in mind, such as classes from your parks and recreation district (private studio classes probably won't work as well for you). That way you can try it out and you won't be out a lot of money if you don't like it. Ballet is a lot of hard work, but it's a lot of fun as well. It doesn't just tone muscles--it helps motor coordination and improves your self confidence as well.
i am 15 and i just started ballet this year. i have been dancing since i was little but it was more jazz and hip hop. i guess when i started i didnt really know the positions of the feet so i would study those and other than that, depending on how demanding of a school you go to will depend on the difficulty. i had the same concern as you that i would be in a class full of 5yr olds but i am w/ kids my own age. (of course i knew my instructor well from other lessons) i wouldnt be to worried and if you really want to do it i say go for it. i love it. we have a recital coming up and i get to where the prettiest costume. i am so excited. i really learned alot and am glad i joined. good luck.
Ballet is really cool to watch and u have to be flexible and it hurts!
Ballet is rather indescribable. You'll be needing a lot of commitment and endurance to handle ballet. But you won't be stuck with the little kids. There are always the teen and adult classes that start at the beginning levels. Just make sure you stretch your calves and hamstrings before class, and for the most part, you'll be.
I am on pointe.I find it diffuct but fun.I ver much doubt you would get much out of it at 13.I started when I was 4.GOOD LUCK
haha where to begin... I'm a dancer and have been for quite a few years. I love it, but it is tough so be prepared. Make sure that you are flexible (do LOTS of stretching) You don't have to have been young to have started either. I mean I was 14 when I started and I'm starting auditions for Juliard and the American Ballet Company. So don't put yourself down. Go for it.
Wow... seems like you really have great passion for it. Yes, just like many ballet dancers like us. Let me share with you a typical ballet class of mine.

There are various ballet syllabus you can follow in your ballet training during class, just like your school exams. Most common is Royal Accademy of Dancing(RAD), ISTD and lots more. I'm a RAD student, so I more familar with it. The different among them is their training style and technique.

Normally, students can choose to arrive at their studio 15-30 mins early to warm up. Meaning that they just sit down on the wooden floor and stretch, or stand at the wooden pole (barre) and stretch. Stretch makes you more flexible and warms your muscles so that you won't pull a muscles when dancing.

Then when class start, your teacher may choose to start at the barre. First exercise you do is normally pile, battements tendus, battements glissades, battements frappe, battements fondu, grand battements, port de bras or even adage. Bascially barre work (exercises at the barre) is a preperation for center work.

After barre work, everyone moves to the center where you dance without any support from the barre. Teachers will then move on with the center work. Center work consists of pirrouttes, adage, allergo and short simple dances. All the exercises will train you on your dance techniques.

In RAD grades 1 - 8 you have character work, from intermediate foundation, you have pointe work. So teachers will move on to either character or pointe work. Character work is also dancing, but on heels shoes. It trains your dancing style, something like folk dancing. Pointe work is dancing on the tip of your toes using hard shoes known as pointe shoes. Only girls go on dancing on pointe shoes, not boys. Pointe work can only be achevie if you train hard for many years and is physically ready for it. Never go on pointe without guidence from qualified teachers because you can hurt yourself easily. The class normally ends with a reverence, a thank you bow to your panists and teachers, a way of saying thank you for teaching you.

Unlike other dances, ballet is a lot more demanding. It demands physical strength, stamina , techniques, expressions, feelings, flexibilty and also the body. Professional dancers normally ends their careers at early 30s because the body cannot take the demands. They retire from stage to become ballet teachers or chorgraphers. Even though ballet may seems amazing on stage, there is a lot of hard work behind those perfect work.

To get a feel of what ballet is really like, go to bookstore or library, borrow and flip through the ballet titles books and see what ballet is. You can get simple stretches exercise from there.

Like you said, if you want to become professional dancers, you really have to work hard. If you just want recreation ballet, go to a ballet class and enjoy each moments you are surrounded by the amazing world of ballet.
i don't think you will get stuck with 5 year olds :-) when i started ballet i was 18 and i was in a class with 16 and 17 year olds at first it would be a little hard at first learning all the exercises but the more you practise and go to the classes you will improve with time :-)
you will have to first try to do splits