Education

Ballet 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Ballet

Dancing has existed on Earth for thousands of years. In ancient times, people danced for three reasons: to enjoy, seduce, and entertain. Even though thousands of years have passed, these reasons remain the same. The only thing that has changed is that people nowadays have other reasons to dance, such as to lose weight and get fit. Out of all the types of dances, people, especially women, choose ballet as their fitness workout.

Given this type of dance has existed for a long time, choosing ballet as a fitness workout is hardly surprising. Whenever people watch a classical opéra-ballet like the Nutcracker, it astonishes everyone in the audience seats, primarily children.

The problem, however, is that the world of ballet is a lot more competitive than you think. You might think a ballet dancer is doing a simple workout on stage in front of thousands of audiences, but they have worked hard and practised for hours since they were young (around two to three years old). Most parents in Singapore knew that. They feel hesitant to let ballet compete competitively and only allow them to do ballet as a hobby.

If the same thing happened to you in your childhood and to quit because your parents asked you to so you could focus on your studies, doing ballet now as a hobby is not too late. As Singapore becomes less conservative and more open to this type of dance, you should consider joining and attending adult ballet classes in Singapore.

Remember that nothing is too late. The only time it is too late is when you completely give up. All your what-ifs will only remain as what-ifs and nothing else.

To help you get started, read this article. It will help fill in the gaps in your knowledge of ballet.

Part I: A Brief History of Ballet

If you look at history, ballet started to form back in the 15th and 16 centuries. It came to life in the royal courts during the Italian Renaissance. And only a few years later, around the 17th century, the existence of ballet began to spread and reached the royal residence of Louis XIV of France and became popular with the masses.

In 1661, Louis XIV of France founded the first dance academy for this type of dance, which is why the name ‘ballet’ remains the same. Even now that ballet is used as a fitness workout, people still use this term.

To further understand the history of ballet, TED-Ed created a video about its origin. Click play and watch the clip below.

https://youtu.be/OEekFTj5PvU

Part II: A Bunch Of Ballet Facts

There are other ballet facts you should be aware of, in addition to those that were discussed in the video. Knowing some of them motivates you to improve your ballet dancing and think about doing it as a long-term passion.

3-Ballet-Facts

●    Ballet Is For Everyone, Not Just Girls

The first ballet dancers were guys, much like the ones who wore heels. It may seem unbelievable, but ladies were not permitted to perform ballet in public during the 16th century due to the traditional culture of the time. And it was only until 1681 that women were allowed to dance in public and join ballet performances.

In other words, ballet is for everyone. Even if most women nowadays dance ballet, that does not mean there are no men. There are a lot of men that dance ballet today, even if their numbers may be lower than those of women.

That means you should not hesitate to join a ballet class in Singapore just because you are a man. Historically speaking, men were the first ballet dancers.

●    Ballet Dancers Have Great Stamina

Another thing that you need to know about ballet is that it can tremendously improve anyone’s stamina. According to experts, ballet dancers have the same great stamina as football players.

Even though ballet dancers look so fragile on stage with all the twists and turns, their energy can last up to 18 miles if they run. And that explains why they still look good even if they do ballet for an hour or so.

●    There Is A Trick Not Prevent Slipping

You should be aware that ballet dances have a trick up their sleeves if your concern is that you might slip on the floor. Whether during practice or on stage, ballet dancers rub a good amount of rosins on their flats or points. This yellow crystal-like product helps them dance more with ease and confidence.

Violin and baseball players are also using this item to play better and have more grip with violin strings and baseballs. That is why if you plan to do ballet as your workout routine in Singapore, do it.

Remember that falling is also part of the learning process. Besides, if you apply rosins on your footwear, you can guarantee that you are less likely to fall and slip on the floor.

Part III: Why Take Ballet Lessons?

Besides being able to lose weight, there are other reasons why you should do ballet and attend ballet beginner classes for adults. Here are some of them below.

●    Become More Graceful

Once you learn ballet and are accustomed to doing ballet, you will notice how elegant your movements become. As you have more control over your body, expect to gain more confidence.

●    Enhance Flexibility

Using ballet as a fitness workout also helps enhance your flexibility. As you become more flexible, you avoid getting injured.

●    Work On Your Brain

Since ballet choreography is a bit complicated like other types of dancing, trying to remember every moment also gives your brain some workout.

Now that you know everything you need to know about ballet and want to pursue ballet as your fitness workout, find the right ballet teacher. Start your search by checking out BalletBody. They are a ballet studio that offers ballet beginner classes for adults!

Visit BalletBody and check out what else this ballet studio fitness workout centre has to offer.