For those former ballerinas, the strain and stress you had put on your youthful body in your younger years and then placing that same stress on your more life-experienced body is something of a scary thought. In ballet training, you use muscles you never knew you had and you push yourself further than you had physically ever gone. After taking a break from your ballet, it is hard to image your return to the dance at a much older age with a much more advanced body shape.
Ballet dancing is one of the most beneficial forms of physically activity that one can do. In keeping a balanced and healthy lifestyle, ballet not only strengthens essential muscles that are used in everyday life, but they also strengthen muscles that only dancers use while also elongating them. Stretching is also an important element of ballet. As your body ages and the use of joints are lessened, you can build scar-tissue between your bones causing pain and inflexibility. Although this scar tissue can be broken up, an great amount of stretching and strengthening are needed to rid your body of these internal tissues.
Once you decide to get back into ballet, it is hard to actually go out there and take a class (believe me, I know the feeling). Seeking an environment that is open, inviting and non-intimidating is a difficult thing to do. Being intimidated while getting back into ballet training is a common thing, but it is something easily overcome. There are many studios now offering Open Adult Ballet Classes. While some studios have been doing open classes for a number of years on a professional studio basis, they are now inclined to add on more beginner intermediate classes for those training to "get back into it".
As traditional dance studios go, you can register for classes on a session-based price plan. You pay for your level and then take that same level class for an entire year and then decipher - between yourself and your instructor - whether you can advance to the next level or not. Now even the traditionally structured dance studios (such as Spiral Dance in White Rock British Columbia Canada) are keeping time slots available - usually in the later evening - for adult only beginner/intermediate/advanced dance classes in a variety of styles.
But there had always been professional dance studios who cater to their community's professional dancers, in order to keep them trained and on their toes, but also to build a dance community between all the professional dancers to keep them well versed in various forms of dance. This gives them an opportunity to share, through teaching, the dance style that is their expertise while learning other styles which they admittedly need a bit of work on. These studios have opened their arms to the community in general by displaying more and more beginner or level 1 classes in their time slots for those who have been taking a break from dance training and want to get back on the bandwagon of dance. Harbour Dance Centre in Vancouver BC, City Dance Corp in Toronto Canada and the EDGE Performing Arts Center are all very popular professional studios who are holding beginner ballet classes. The nice thing about these studios is that they are so welcoming and they do not hold you back as a dancer. If for instance, you take a beginner class and then decide that you want more of a challenge, there is no one holding you back to join a level 2 class the next time. Also, if level 1 classes are the only classes that work with your schedule, teachers welcome you to come to be an example in class and will take time to individually advise you of what to work on. As dancers know, there is always something to work on!
Another thing to keep in mind, is the availability of local community centres. Many struggling professional dance teachers start at community centres and provide classes at very reasonable rates.
On an international level, there are schools in Europe who are creating open adult classes within their programs. For instance in the Netherlands, there is the Henny Jurriens Foundation that had adult open classes throughout their season and creating more time as they move into their summer session. And also at the London Studio Centre that has many "access classes" for anyone to enjoy! Check those out if you are doing some summer traveling or if you reside in one of those areas.
