What can I really expect of myself?

[Guest jewls]

Hi. I am 20 years old and I want more than anything to be a great ballet dancer. I have some background, ballet when I was really young, and then again for a few years in high school, and I really want to get back into it. I want to take classes and what I really want more than anything is to go on pointe. I don't expect to become a profesional dancer or anything, but maybe to dance for a company at some point. Am I expecting too much?

 

Also, how much can I expect to pay for classes and how many classes a week should I be taking. Like I said, my real goal is to go on pointe.

[Victoria Leigh]

Hello Jewls, welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers!

 

Without knowing more about your earlier training, especially the quality and quantity, and also knowing about your natural physical facility, there is no way we can tell you how far you can go. The main thing right now is to just do it! Get started, and worry about the rest later. If you really want to do well and make it to the level where you could dance on pointe, you will need to take as many classes a week as you can find, and at the best possible school that you can find. Prices vary a bit, but you can expect to pay somewhere between $12 and $15 per class, perhaps a bit less if you are taking a lot of classes per week. Ballet is not inexpensive.

 

To find out more about pointe work I would suggest that you read some of the "Sticky" threads on the Pointe Shoe Forum, especially the one called "Facts of Life about Pointe Work".

[jazzyme]

Hi there.

I was in the same situation.. I danced a little on and off, then one day the desire to really dance hit me square in the gut. I dove in feet first, so to speak, and with a lot of work (over summer and during the year) I just recently got onto pointe. It's worth the wait! It's definitely not worth sacrificing safety just to get there sooner. Take your time. It's even sweeter when you think about how far you came to get there.

[Guest jewls]

Ms. Leigh,

Thank you SO much for responding. My training is limited and it has been almost 4 years since I have taken a class. I am currently involved in winter guard (anyone know what that is), it involves dance, any way, I am pretty flexible, my turn out is okay (probably about 100 degrees maybe) and I have always been told that I have great feet (I can point like no other)..... Any more info for me?

[Victoria Leigh]

Jewls, I really don't have anything more than what I said above. It's very important to find the best school and teachers, and to take as many classes per week as you can. Ballet takes time, lots of time, even for those with a good facility. It also takes focus, extreme determination, and a great deal of patience.