Ballet is often seen as something that you either take up as a kid or you miss out on entirely. And while lots of ballet dancers do start as children, it is also something you can learn at any age. Whether you start as a school kid or take it up in later years, there are some great reasons why you should learn ballet.
Fitness levels
One thing to admire about ballet dancers is their fitness but that comes from hard, continuous work. But for any age, learning the basics of ballet dancer’s fitness regimes can be hugely beneficial. You don’t need to look like a professional to get the benefits of it – the head to toe exercise that comes from ballet helps anyone, of any age.
Improved posture
From kids slouched over their smartphones to adults sitting in bad positions at a desk at work, problems with posture are common. But ballet is excellent for working on those problems and helping you to get better balance and coordination. This is done through working on things like a vertical spine and square hips and can learn you posture techniques you can use every day.
Boosts confidence
Ballet works wonders on self-confidence, and this is important for all ages. By learning these skills, being in a performance and improving your physical condition, you will feel better about yourself. This new self-confidence will work on other areas of your life as well.
Better communication skills
Communication is a two-part process – what we say and what our bodies say. A big part of learning ballet is to bring these two elements together to tell the story of the dance. This also means you develop better communications skills in life. You find new ways to express yourself, to boost your creativity and also to control your body language.
Natural feel good hormones
Ballet can be a brilliant opportunity to get away from the stress of life and the everyday pressures for something different and enthralling, whether that is as a kid approaching exam time or as an adult with a stressful job. Not only that but the physical workout of ballet releases hormones in the brain that make you feel happy and calm while boosting concentration.
Make new friends
A shared interest is a great way to make new friends and ballet can easily be this shared interest. By learning something new, developing skills and sharing this with others, you can create lifelong friendships, even after the ballet lessons have ended. It is also great to have people to support you as you learn and also in your wider life.
Have fun!
Ballet is hard work, but it is also great fun to learn the dances, the music, wear the costumes and work with others passionate about the dance. You can gain all of these benefits and more, learn skills that can be applied to other areas of life and make friends with a shared passion, even after you are no longer dancing.