Happy Halloween!

Hi guys! I just got back from my 5-6:30 class, there were only 6 girls and 1 guy there today because of Halloween. We were allowed to wear costumes, but I'm not the trick-or-treating type :) The girls (ages 9-11) all seemed shocked when I told them I wasn't trick-or-treating, it was cute. It was a pretty good class, challenging as always, but fun. The girls all acted more silly then usual, so we all became a bit more comfortable with each other. 


I am so tired, I'm thinking of posting an informational late beginner pointe FAQ type post sometime this week. Happy Halloween!

Split Tips!

Most of us teen beginners aren't the most flexible of people. I know I'm not, haha. Stretching is very important to improve flexibility and prevent injury. Here I'll go over my split tips to improve splits.


1. Make sure your muscles are warm. Take a warm shower, dance around in legwarmers, challenge your brother to a game of Just Dance, whatever it takes. I usually just do some barre routines with legwarmers on. 


2. Massage your neck. Ok, this might be weird, but I heard that realising tension along your spine can help make your muscles more relaxed. Try to give yourself a gentle massage around your neck and along your spine.


3. Start off slowly. Never rush right into a split. Always start with simple warm up stretches. Try sitting on the floor and touching your toes for 30 seconds. Then touch your toes and try to touch your nose to your knees. Do every stretch in an easy version, and than a harder version. Don't push yourself to the point where it is causing you pain.


4. Have something to focus on. Turn on the TV, radio, Youtube ballet videos, whatever. When I'm focused on something it helps me to stretch longer.


5. Stretch everyday! Try to stretch for 15-20 minutes a day. I used to stretch very often and was able to do a split, and I stopped stretching, so I have to start all over! Don't let that happen! Make sure you don't overdo it though!


Here are some good stretches for the splits. http://gymnastics.about.com/od/trainingadvice/ss/frontsplit.htm

First Nutcracker Rehearsal!

Hey guys! I just got back from my first ever Nutcracker Rehearsal. I am a toy soldier, along with 21 other girls ages 11-14. I only have a few small parts, one where we all march on stage, and one where I and 7 other girls march out alone and each shoot a mouse (instead of the classic cannon). 16 of the other soldiers have a bigger dancing part, but I'm not in it. I'm also in the battle scene, but we didn't practice that today. On a unrelated note, I saw Micheal Constantine (the father from My Big Fat Greek Wedding) in the elevator!

200 views!

Wow guys, I checked out the blog stats today and I am past 200 views! That's awesome, I really hope those of you that are interested in the blog stick around, leave a comment, follow, vote in the polls! I'd love to hear from you guys. I never got around to writing an article this weekend, but after my Nutcracker rehersal today I'll type up a post or two. See you later.

October 20th

Hi guys, it's been a while so I decided to make an update. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday ballet classes were all great. My first Nutcracker rehearsal as a soldier is this Sunday. I'm actually very nervous about it, I'm going to be with girls who are only 11-12 (as opposed to my 15 years). I am pretty short at 5'3", but I still tower over quite a few girls in my "Studio B" classes at the academy. Many of the dancers will be more skilled than I am as well. Any dancers have any words of wisdom?


I'm going to the doctor tomorrow morning to get my scoliosis (curved spine) examined, and while I'm there I'll hopefully find out why my knee has been hurting. Well, this has been a very boring update, I promise to write another article type post tomorrow. I'll probably do one on a late starting ballet dancer, but if anyone has any other suggestions please leave a comment!


I have had around 185 views so far, from the US, Canada, and even Russia. Thanks to everyone who votes in the polls, I love seeing the answers. I'd also love to hear from you guys, please comment!


Here's a Black Swan variation from Swan Lake. I've had the music stuck in my head all day and it took forever for me to track down the right one.

Don Quixote Variation

I decided to just put a quick post up tonight. I posted a few days ago that the Esmeralda variation was one of my favorites. Here's my favorite, a Don Quixote variation. I love how the dancer looks a little sassy and flirty. What do you think? What are your favorite variations?

Ballet Myths

I've decided to make a list of ballet myths I've heard, here they are.

1. Ballet is just for little girls.

Wrong! Ballet is for everyone who enjoys it, whether you are a teen, adult, male or female. I know a bunch of teens who just started ballet, and I also know boys who take ballet. There are even adult ballet classes at my studio with adult men and women who are just starting ballet.

2. In ballet, you wear frilly pink tutu's and stand on your toes.

Nope. Dancers wear leotards and tights to class, possibly with a wrap skirt or shorts. Beginning dancers stand on demi-pointe, not on their toes.

3. Ballet hurts.

Ballet shouldn't be painful. You may feel a "good pain" when stretching, but it shouldn't be unbearable painful. If you are in pain when dancing, talk to your teacher about it or see a doctor. Pointe shoes may hurt your feet when you are first breaking them in.

4. Ballet is easy.

Ballet is anything but easy! I played softball and basketball for years, I compete in academic competitions, I play piano and viola, and ballet is the hardest thing I've attempted. It takes a professional dancer 10 years or so to become a professional. Ballet classes are structured, and you will learn discipline. That doesn't mean that ballet isn't enjoyable though! Ballet is difficult, but rewarding, and a lot of fun.

5. Ballet dancers have to be really skinny/anorexic.

Well it's true that professional ballet dancers should be thin, most don't have eating disorders. Eating disorders make you weak, and if you are dancing for 8 hours a day you need all the strength you can get! Very few dancers have an eating disorder. If you want to start ballet for fun, you don't need to be stick thin. As long as you can move and are healthy enough to dance, there should be no stopping you. There are dancers in my classes who are tiny, but more are average, curvy girls. There are even a few bigger girls who dance beautifully.

6. You can start pointe as soon as you start ballet, or, A late ballet starter can't dance pointe.

This one is absolutely wrong! If you are beginning ballet as a teen or adult, you need to learn proper technique and build up strength. Another variable is bone structure. Once you are strong enough for pointe and have good enough technique, you can start pointe. This can take between 2-5 years, if you take 2-3 ninety minute classes a week. Even if you have danced ballet before, quit, and are starting again, you can't go straight to pointe. Your muscles aren't used to ballet, so you need to retrain them.

7. Ballet dancers are called ballerinas.

Actually, no, ballerinas are actually the principle dancer of a ballet company. Most professional ballet dancer aren't even ballerinas. Someone who dances ballet is simply a ballet student or ballet dancer.

8. Ballet is slow and boring.

Ballet varies greatly, from quick jumps and movements to slow ones. There are classical ballets and more modern ballets, which can be more interesting to some people. I like this one.

October 12th

Hi guys, I just got back from my last class of the week, 90 minutes at Studio B. We did a lot of jumping combinations, which always tire me out. The music she played during class was a mix of instrumental Billy Joel songs, and instrumental songs from one of my favorite musicals, Les Miserables, so that made class more fun. We did more work on tour jete's, which are my new favorite and least favorite jump. They are so beautiful, but a bit difficult to master. I mostly need to just work on height and my landing arabesque.

Here's a tour jete, if you aren't familiar with them. I absolutely love this dancer, he shows both grace and strength.

Just curious, has anyone ever heard of Les Miserables? I love broadway, it's one of the things that's inspired me to start dancing. My favorite shows are Rent, and Phantom of the Opera, but I've seen several others on Broadway. What musicals have you guys seen? And yes, I'm going to keep asking questions until someone answers :)

Goals for Ballet

Hi guys, thanks for viewing. I'm just getting ready for my ballet class at 5:30, so I've decided to list my goals for ballet. I know that I may not achieve them all, but it's best to have something to motivate me, so here they are.

1. Do a right, left, and center split. I am a few inches off getting a right, and a lot farther for left and center. I hope to achieve this by this February.

2. Start pointe. This is a huge dream for most late starters to ballet, I was told by my dance teacher that I may be en pointe as soon as this Spring! I've been doing ankle and foot strenghtening excersises to prepare.

3. Learn a classical variation. One of my favorites is the Esmeralda variation, I'll post a video of it below.

4. Do a triple pirouette on flat, double en pointe. Right now I can do a double right on flat, and a single left, so I'm still working on it!

So what do you guys think? Do you have any similar goals? What about completely different ones?

*I don't own this video.

Last Ballet Class of the Week

Just got home from my last class of the week at Studio B. We were stuck in traffic for half an hour so I was ten minutes late. It was another 90 minute class. This one was smaller then Monday, only 8 girls and 1 boy, opposed to the 15 on Monday. I am super tired, so I'll post again over the weekend with some informative posts. I'm thinking of starting a "Ballet of the Week", or "Ballet Dancer of the Week" type thing. Have a good rest of the week.

Happy Tuesday, 10/4

Hi guys, just got back from my 45 minute teen class at my smaller studio. I had a lot of fun with my classmates and teacher, we always have the perfect mix of fun and work. I told my teacher at this studio (I'll call it Studio A) about my new classes at Studio B, and she seemed happy that I was enjoying ballet so much. On the downside, my left knee has been killing me recently from turning my feet out from my knee instead of my hips, so she told me to take a Tylenol and ice it.

If anyone has any requests for an informative type post, like the ones on ballet shoes and dance wear, leave a comment. I'll try to post one tomorrow if I can come up with a topic. Bye!

Nutcracker Cast!

Hi everyone. I just got home from my first ballet class of the week. It's a 90 minute class, from 5:30-7:00. We started with the normal barre routines. There was an 11 year old girl from a higher level in my class tonight, it was nice to have someone who was a little more graceful and fluid than the younger girls to compare my movements to. After barre, class started to pick up. We worked on chaines and tour jetes. I've been dying to learn tour jetes since I saw them last year, so it was a good night. Of course, I was far from perfect, but that's what practice is for, right?

I was too nervous to check the Nutcracker castlist before class, so on the way out I stopped to read the list. I am a soldier! A soldier is a pretty small part, played mostly by girls around 12-13 that haven't started pointe. I'm pretty excited, I always feel the more ballet, the better! I really hope this encourages late starters to begin ballet, I started just last year and already have a Nutcracker role.

Ballet shoes

There are several different types of ballet shoes, here I'll go over the main differences.

Ballet shoes can be divided into soft shoes and pointe shoes.

Soft ballet shoes, or ballet slippers, are lightweight shoes made from leather, satin, or canvas.  Leather generally lasts the longest. Canvas are washable, but don't last as long as leather. Satin are rarely worn by recreational dancers because they don't last very long at all.

Ballet slippers have a leather sole, that is either a split sole or full sole. Full soles are commonly worn by beginning dancers because they work the foot harder and help develop strength, but some older starters begin with split soles.

There are several different brands and types of ballet shoes. When you get fitted, the person fitting you for ballet shoes will pick a good style based off of your foot shape and arch. Ballet slippers should feel snug around your feet, but they shouldn't be so tight that your toes curl under. Also, point your foot and make sure that the shoes show your arch nicely.

Pointe shoes are worn by experienced dancers. Pointe shoes were created so that women would look weightless while dancing ballet. Pointe shoes are sometimes called toe shoes. Here is a neat video showing how pointe shoes are made, and methods ballet dancers use to break them in and make them more comfortable.

Happy Sunday, October 2nd

Hey guys, just wanted to make a quick post. So far I've gotten 8 views, haha, so I hope you eight stick around and see where the blog goes. Please leave a comment, ask a question, tell me about your dance classes, whatever! I'd love to hear from you, even if you just say that you hate the blog.

I'm pretty nervous, the castlist for Nutcracker at the bigger dance studio I take classes (I'll call it Studio B) is going up tomorrow. Since I've only been dancing for a year, and I'm not en pointe, the only role I qualify for is one of the Soldiers in the battle scene. Those spots are given to Jr. Company members first, and academy students second, so there is a huge chance I won't even be considered. I would really love to be in Nutcracker though, so fingers crossed!

Have any of you been in the Nutcracker before? How about another ballet? What is your favorite ballet? Please leave a comment, and keep checking in.

Can I start ballet?

I know a lot of girls think they can't start ballet, or any form of dance really, for one of many reasons.

I'm too old, too "fat", too tall, too short, too clumsy for ballet.

I can't do a split, I can't jump, I can't turn.

Please watch this video, which is also in the sidebar.

*Note: I do not own this video, it is from the Anaheim Ballet Youtube channel, as are all the videos in the sidebar.

What to wear

Some ballet studios have a dress code, while others just require comfortable clothing. Here is the basic ballet attire.


1. Leotard. They can come in simple styles, like a black camisol, or colorful and unique designs. I have a simple black Capezio leotard with adjustible straps. The black is slimming, and it fits very well.

Here is a more unique and colorful style, this is a Natalie Tank Leotard.

2. Tights. Dance tights are pretty universal. They come in pink, black, white, or tan. For ballet, pink is usually perferred. 

3. Ballet slippers. There are many different brands and types of ballet shoes. These are soft ballet shoes, not to be confused with pointe shoes. You can get fitted for ballet shoes at a dancewear store. Ballet shoes are generally pink.

There are some cute, fun accesories you can wear with your ballet attire. Some dance teachers allow booty shorts or wrap skirts to be worn over leotards.

I got my skirts from a company called Watercolour Dancewear. They can handpaint a skirt any color for you, I  believe they do up to three colors. Mine are purple and gray, and pink and black. Here is an example:

I also have legwarmers to wear before class when I'm warming up. You can buy full length legwarmers, or just ones that cover your calves. Here are some cute examples, they are called Harmonie 16" Multi-Striped Legwarmers.

What is ballet class like?

Every ballet class is different, but they all have the same general components. Here is a rough breakdown of what I do in my ballet classes.


We start with barre warm-ups. The barre is a rail you hold on to with one hand while practicing ballet steps. Some things we work on are degages, grand battements, ronde de jambes, fondues, and tondus. Barre work helps to master ballet steps and positions so you can perform them without holding on to anything. In a 90 minute ballet class, barre work usually lasts about 45 minutes.


Next we work on center combinations. This is just practicing ballet steps without holding on to anything. We work on anything we do at the barre, as well as jumps and spins.


Lastly we work on across the floor combinations. We work on big jumps and turns, like tour jetes, grand jetes, pique turns, and chaine turns.


We get a 5 minute break halfway through class for water and bathroom breaks.

Teen Ballet Beginner

Hi everyone! I started this blog to encourage teens and adults to start ballet. So many girls who want to try ballet think they are too old. The truth is, as long as you can walk, you can dance. It is true that professional ballet is very competitive, and a late beginner has a very slim chance of making it big in the ballet world, but that shouldn't stop you from dancing purely for fun! I will be updating from time to time about my personal experiences with ballet as a teen, so please check back every few weeks. 

About me: I am a teen girl who started ballet in 2010 at age 14. Ballet seemed so beautiful and amazing, and I wanted to try more than anything in the world. I spent months deciding whether or not I should start, because most girls start ballet at such a young age. Eventually I signed up for a teen beginner class, and loved it. In September, 2011, I started taking classes at a larger ballet school. I currently take two 90 minute classes there, in addition to the 45 minute teen class at my first studio. The new ballet school is great, and although I dance with girls ages 8-11, I have a lot of fun.

**I am not a professional dancer, nor will I ever be one. Therefor, I will not give instruction on techniques. I will be sharing my experiences and thoughts on starting ballet as a teen.**


Please comment! I'd love to hear about your experiences with ballet, and your opinions on the blog! If you have any questions just ask, I'll answer as well as I can.

Edit: Hello! Since writing this post, I have stopped taking ballet classes at my first studio and now take one 90 minute and one 2 hour class a week at the larger ballet academy. I am 16, and take class with girls 11-15. I started pointe in the summer of 2012, and love it! And I've also played a soldier in two Nutcrackers.