Q&A for How to Ballet Dance

I recommend wearing flat ballet shoes, ballet tights or leggings, and a leotard with a waist band or a fitted dance t-shirt. Form hugging clothing is best.

I prefer students to wear a full sole ballet shoe in pink or the same color as their ballet tights. It is best to have your first pair of ballet shoes fitted at a ballet shop with a professional to ensure that you have the right length and width shoe. This is very important.

The first of the basic positions is called first position. This position involves the dancer standing with their feet together so their heels are touching.

Follow your heart. If you want to dance, don't let your weight crush your dreams.

Whatever your size, ballet is great for fitness and strengthening, as well as being fun, and it shouldn't be about weight or shape. You should still be able to dance ballet and enjoy it.

Of course! You can start doing ballet at any age. Some dance schools have adult dance classes where people who are a bit older can learn to do ballet.

Most people can start wearing pointe shoes when they are around 11 to 14 years old, as this is when the ankle bones have finished growing. Keep in mind that this age range may change depending on your ankle strength and ability. Also, if you started ballet late (12 years old or after) you may still have to wait a couple of years before your ankles are strong enough for pointe shoes.

No. You may have to practice hard to catch up with others who have been doing it longer, but no matter what age you are, it is never too late to try something new!

At any age you want to! Learning new things is easier when you are younger, but any age is good.

No, dancing is great exercise for people of all body shapes.

The most important part is your plié. No matter what happens, return to your plié. Even if it the turn fails, feel the floor through your working foot before you pop back up. Don't let your body weight go back. Stay forward and control your core, especially when performing pointe. As always, keep your spotting sharp. Happy turning!

The only way to gain flexibility is to stretch. Ask your ballet teacher if there are stretches you can do that will help you specifically, as he or she will know where you might need help. You can also enroll in a yoga class to help with your overall flexibility.

Put most of your weight towards your big toe and engage your abdominal muscles to keep your balance centered. Start on your toes while holding onto a barre. Then, as you become more comfortable, slowly let go of the barre. You should be balancing on your toes in no time!

If you want to go back, that's perfectly fine, ballet can be picked up again any time in life. Just take that extra bit of care, especially at first, so that you don't hurt yourself as the muscles will not have been worked in that way for a time but they will remember with practice and it'll all become easy again soon enough.

Usually in ballet class you will do exercises to classical piano music. You may be lucky enough to have a pianist who will play the music for classes, but a lot of studios play music from CDs or iPods.

It is never too late to learn how to dance. Most dance academies offer classes for toddler-aged children all the way through to adults.

Yes! Ballet is the base of every style of dance. If you don't take ballet your technique will not be advanced. Take ballet!

Generally, you could. However, this depends on how long you have been doing ballet and how frequently you dance. It is best to get checked by a physio just to make sure you won't hurt yourself going en pointe now. Also, you should wait until your teacher says you are ready.

Show your mom how serious you are about ballet. Practice in socks, leggings and a tight shirt. Once she sees you are really interested in ballet, she will be more willing to make the investment in shoes and leotards for you.

You can start at any age, you'll just have to work a little harder to catch up with others your age.

Not yet. You need teacher approval to start pre-pointe classes and then you can start pointe. You might have to take ballet classes for a few years before you start pre-pointe.

Yes! You will just need to find the right size! Don't worry, they sell leotards to suit virtually all sizes in every dance shop.

Almost certainly, but if not, then you should be able to buy ballet shoes from plenty of online retailers.

Yes. Some ballet schools insist on certain hairstyles (low bun, etc.). Most don't mind, as long as your hair is neat and not in the way (not flopping into your eyes, etc.). If your local ballet school does insist on a hairstyle you can't make, talk to them about your options.

Not in most cases because you'd still not be sufficiently developed. It could seriously injure the ankles of a child because the bones in your feet aren't strong enough and your bones aren't fully grown so it could harm them enough to you out of a dance career. Be patient and keep working on strength building and graceful dance techniques.

Ballet training makes you flexible. You don't need to be flexible when you start.

If you like it, no. If they ache, what I do when I come home after ballet and pointe is put my feet in a tub that has warm water and epsom salt. Then after they are dried off and at normal temperature (or also if I don't put them in a tub) I ice them for ten minutes. Blisters are different. If you don't do pointe and are getting blisters, you should probably get different shoes. Soft shoes shouldn't give you blisters. For pointe, literally the best thing you can do is get more blisters! This makes your feet stronger so that you don't get as bad or as many blisters. If you get blisters, you can put band aids over them, but don't put a bunch of fancy creams and stuff.

No, if you are committed to it and work hard, it's still possible.

Usually, it is a grand jete.

If you are just starting, find a reputable studio and sign up for the preprofessional program. Make sure to stretch as far as you can, and practice basic movements and barre exercises every single day.