Ballet class with husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend.

[Balletbrit]

I'm just wondering if anyone practices ballet with their boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife. I was doing ballet before I met my girlfriend. She does like to watch ballet, though she has no interest in actually doing a ballet class.

[missvjc420]

Just the thought of my BF aking class made me chuckle! He's super tall and lanky and very uncoordinated. We tried a Salsa class for about 4 lessons, but he hated it and only did it because it was my birthday gift. I have friends in companies that dance with their life partners, but don't really know any recreational dancing couples.

[DancinMomof2]

My husband gets "dragged" into a couple of performances each year for my studio's performing company as my dance partner, but it's certainly not a "true" pas de deux.

 

For our Nutcracker performance, he is in the party scene with me and we do very limited "ballroom-type" dancing and more acting. Over the summer he was also in the company's performance of "A Midsummer's Night Dream" which has a little more dancing and partnering, but still not a lot. He would never take a full ballet class; but he does have fun with the performances we do together. It helps that there are a few other husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend couples who also do these performances with us.

Edited December 12, 2011 by DancinMomof2

[Claude_Catastrophique]

That would be great! My partner does not even do ballroom or so with me. He doesn't dance at all but he just loves watching. So we go to see performances together...at least something.

[Geezer]

I tried to date one of my former ballet teachers. Does that count?

[tangerinetwist]

Before marriage and children, my husband and I used to go to clubs to dance(early 2000-2002). He is a very good dancer. If I asked, I bet he would don a pair of tights and at least try a class. If I ever got to a point where I was putting on Nutcracker productions of my own, because our daughters dance, I KNOW he would learn the role of a party parent just for them.

[ArtofMoving]

My husband has never taken a dance class in his life, but he somehow got roped into being a party parent in the Nutcracker a couple of years ago (along with several other dance dads/husbands)...and then somehow he ended up as the Mouse King. Now he does it every year and loves it. One of my teachers keeps telling me I need to recruit him for the adult beginner class! One thing leads to another...

[Lavande]

Balletbrit my husband did a little nycb workout w/me, to show me encouragement. Also, he mentioned he always wanted to take ballet just for the useful strengthening excercises for his back! He hasn't joined in again since that time, but I hope he will support my future in ballet regardless. He said one day we could take a class together. (He is a really good swing dancer. )Right now I just hope he will buy me a year of adult beginner at a great local school. He doesnt have time to take dance since he is a focused day trader.

[LaFilleSylphide]

My husband simply cannot. He's dyslexic and can't tell right from left. It would be a disaster. My dear friend brings her fiance to adult open class once in a while, and he has a lot of fun! The goal is that he will get good enough to try partnering her for fun someday. I hope he improves enough to do so! In the meantime, she's not ditching her actual dance partner anytime soon haha!

[DaPixie]

My de facto husband refuses to dance any kind of dance. And he's never even seen me in a dance class, even though I take classes 4 to 6 times a week. He's watched me and my school perform, and I have managed to drag him to a performance by the Korean National Ballet, but I just can't get him excited about ballet.

[Janneke]

My boyfriend was professionally trained and doing a class with him ruins any delusions I might ever have about being any sort of dance princess! I've taken class with him and from him. In our case, I'm the clumsy toad with two left feet and he's Prince Charming. He's a beautiful dancer, and I'm, well, an adult recreational dancer. But it's fun dancing with him, as long as I'm not in a silly insecure mood.

 

He's also so much fun to watch ballet with. He's not into it at all anymore, but he has a great sense of humour and lots of appreciation for the male dancers.

[balletgirl22sk]

I was my ex-husband's teacher for years!!

[Lavande]

Great posts. I just wanted to add that two adult beginners can actually learn something from dancing together. Also, if our spouse doesn't really share the same passion it's not going to be a worry. However, it's special if a spouse can make an effort to support your dreams! Simple encouragement, and keeping their feelings about your art positive seems good. I like the idea of making an effort to be a part of a spouses ballet dream however little they desire, as long as they don't uninspire you. We all have different likes...

[Kini]

Does taking a few classes with your teenage daughter count? Don't think I every worked so hard in any class before in my life.

[insidesoloist]

Don't I wish! I've never had a partner who liked to dance, ever. Mostly I've considered myself lucky in love, but this is one thing that has escaped me!