Too "Big" Too "Old" ?

[Guest LadyCatherine]

I'll be 17 this April. I have a fairly large bone structure. I am 5'1" and around 110 pounds. I exercise everyday, and I'm in pretty good shape. I love to dance, and I love watching ballet. Recently, I've had a desire to become a ballet dancer. I took ballet for a few months way back when I was four or five. Is it to late for me to begin? Am I too "big?"

[Victoria Leigh]

Hello LadyCatherine, welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers!

 

I moved your post here to the Young Dancers' forum, as the other board is really more about the discussion of professional dancers.

 

Anyway, to respond to your question, it's never too late to study ballet, but aiming for a professional career starting at almost 17 is a long shot. It has been done, but it's very rare. It takes a long time to train a classical dancer, and much of the work must be done while the body is still in the stages where it can change much easier. However, if you happened to have a natural facility for ballet, with the right proportions, line, rotation, feet, strength, musicality, coordination, etc., etc., AND if you happen to have excellent teachers, well....anything is possible!

 

As to your size, that we cannot know, because we would need to see you. Also, we do not discuss weight, or height/weight ratios here, since what matters is what you look like, not the numbers. Some people are fine at a certain weight and height, and others who are the same are not. It depends a lot on bone structure, muscle mass, and proportions.

 

A note to all our well meaning and very encouraging Young Dancers: Please do not respond to this question with anything to do with height/weight. If you do, I will have to close the topic, and I would rather not do that.

[kellyisthebestintheworld]

my friend is 18 turning 19 on the 21st and she just started ballet and loves it. She's kind of the same size as you. I just started and I'm 15.