BECOMING AN ADULT BALLET DANCER - My Dance Story | natalie danza

[@zalaznidaric8690]

It was really nice and inspirational hearing your story. I also want to start ballet, but until now I thought I was to old. Thank you so much for encouraging me.

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

You can do it! Thanks for watching :)

[@Raising_RubiesXs6]

Hello there! I am now 41 and a Kinderdance/Beginner Ballet teacher. My ballet journey started at 4 when my mom tried to put me into a ballet class but I thought I knew better how I should dance than the teacher. Oops! At 7 I was ready to listen to teachers and I started soaking in all I could in Ballet training. I quit classes at 12 and started piano lessons and involvement in church youth choir and some drama things. But my heart still yearned to dance...ballet mostly. Off and on I have been back to dance classes! But with 6 daughters and homeschooling them Ballet and dance training has taken a back seat. I still have dreams of dancing on point and doing splits and lifting my leg in devlope’ up to my ear! I would also love to get a degree in Dance education or something or pass an exam like you were sharing with the RAD or Chicchettie (SP?) I took level 1 and 2 of that style at 10 and 11. I have no idea where or when to start this endeavor but you have given me hope that I may be able to see these dreams come true!!! I absolutely LOVE teaching ballet to others and have done some adult classes also. They always love it! I look forward to seeing what other videos you have and maybe you can help me find some direction for this stage of my journey!

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Thank you so much for sharing your story Sarah! I can feel the passion you have for ballet come through in your words and I hope you are able to integrate a bit more of it into your life! 🩰 Wishing you all the best! ☺️

[@susanahlquist4321]

Thankyou for sharing your story, quite a journey, your joy and passion really shines through :-)

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Thank you so much Susan 😊

[@EldawenEmileia]

Loved hearing your story! I, too, am passionate about adults doing ballet! Especially beginning adult dancers. Even if they are not interested in more than casual classes, I still love helping adults get over the common issue of self-consciousness uncertainty or fear about starting ballet as an adult. For my own story, I grew up taking basic ballet classes, from age 4 - 16, doing an annual performance. That last year for me was when my family moved and teenage me didn't want to have anything to do with the new place, so I didn't continue dancing at that point, except on the rare occasions in the next couple of years when my family would go back to visit, and I might get to drop in on a class at my old studio. Fast forward a bit to senior year in college. Now, I had started mid school year my freshman year, and that was after grade school, when I was on the older end for my grade, given my Dec birthday, so by the time I was a senior in college, basically year 4.5 for me, I was slightly older than the rest of my class. That year, in the spring semester, at age 23, I finally got some regular dance classes again, when I managed to get a spot in the popular ballroom dance class. As I took that class, it really hit me hard HOW FREAKIN' MUCH I missed dance classes in my life, and I swore I would never go so long without it like that again. Of course, I had to get a job right after graduating, so that caused a slight delay, but once I did, and moved out to where I am now for it, I started hunting for dance classes. I had the hardest time at first, though. Being single and trying to pick up ballroom classes in a smallish town of largely retirement-age people is no joke. (Sadly, hygiene was also a semi-common issue... yikes.) And those were pretty much the only classes - or really, basic lessons - I could find that also were late enough in the day to work with my work schedule. And many ran only during the school-year. But then one day, after a couple years of this, I saw a little poster advertising a show coming up for some dance studio I hadn't yet heard of. I went. It reminded me so much of the ones I did as a kid. And I loved it. Of course this was an end-of-school-year performance, but I got contact info and amazingly their class schedule worked with mine. So that fall, I was finally taking regular ballet classes again - 9.5 years after my last regular ballet class. Started back at their intermediate level, and have since advanced my way to their advanced level, where I'm still hanging in there, about 10 years later, and still trying to improve. And I went back on pointe, too, which I'm still working on as well. Meanwhile, I am proud of other accomplishments with this studio. I pushed for - and got - even helping to start - beginning ballet classes at the studio for adults. We now have two adult levels, and I have either been a class assistant or instructor the whole time. I also would like to believe I was influential in our studio starting summer sessions, so we could keep dancing year 'round. Sorry that got a bit long, but that's my story. 😊

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

What an amazing story! Thank you so much for sharing! I can so relate to the parts about ballroom (although my experience was in salsa social dancing) and also when you realised how much you missed dance when you went back to it! Best of luck with your dancing :)

[@diabloakland]

My issue is no one will take me serious about doing more classes than casual! But I’m persevering.

[@tammygant4216]

@@diabloakland Keep persevering. And dance even when they don't take you seriously. I'm 52 and I've been dancing for 5 years. I do about 6 classes / week and I still sometimes hear from instructors that adults just dance for fun. Sure, it's fun, but it's not a casual thing. Atypical dancers can be serious.

[@pheart2381]

Nice to hear someone saying without undue pride that they are good at something.

[@theegreatkatsby]

Thank you so much for sharing! I'm working on learning your beginner tutorial for the white swan variation and I'm enjoying it so much! For my dance story, I never danced a single step until I was 19 😂 and had played volleyball, basketball, and soccer my entire childhood up to university. My first year, I took a ballet class and loved it. But I didn't come back to it again until my senior year, when I was 22; I was so excited about it that I actually ended up making a documentary about my attempt to learn to dance in my twenties, and had a blast putting together a performance with a dancer friend who choreographed a dance for me that involved my artwork as an interactive set. Now that I've graduated, I've been trying to continue my dance journey on my own in quarantine using KZbin videos (and I'm so glad I've managed to find your channel, it has been so helpful in this endeavor)! So now I'm dancing in my bedroom, using the rubber tarp under my swivel chair as a miniature dance floor LOL. I can't wait to take a local adult class once it's safe to do so again, and I'm so so ready to get back into a studio! In case anyone struggling wants to see another 20-some-year-old struggle to learn how to pirouette 😂, here is the video I was talking about: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3mkk559ecyGr9E And if there are other adults just starting out, along with Natalie's videos, I'd recommend checking out Kathryn Morgan and Lazy Dancer Tips here on KZbin (and if you find chaines nearly impossible like me, Salty Sugar Plum's video about them has been a super helpful way for me to sort of get in a better groove with them).

[@emmamcneely5137]

Katelyn, you are a girl after my own heart! I'm also in my early twenties and took my first ballet class at university earlier this year. This summer, I've also been utilizing Lazy Dancer Tips and Kathryn Morgan's channel. Dansique fitness has some good stuff too, especially if you want Pilates cross training. High fives to women who start ballet in their 20's

[@theegreatkatsby]

@@emmamcneely5137 YES! You go girl!! I'll definitely look into Dansique, thanks for the tip!

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Yayyyy! Thank you so much for sharing your story! I love Kathryn’s channel too and used it so much at the beginning of my own ballet journey! Love how many recourses there are for adult dancers now 🥳 Best of luck on your ballet journey!

[@theegreatkatsby]

@@NatalieDanzaBallet Thank you so much!!

[@tangoingthekitchen]

I took my first dance classes in 21 this was Jazz dance and Hip hop this studio offered ballet, but I was out of age range, then I stopped dancing because we moved to another state, two years later I found another dance studio who was offering Adult Beginner Ballet intensive I think that in the Summer 2012 ( I was 22 or 23), so I been taking ballet classes on and off since 2012. In 2015 I added another dance to my arsenal Argentine Tango and I have been dancing Tango since then and occasionally, I got back to Ballet, but always stop going for a reason or another.

[@bellebb8673]

Very interesting story! It's also interesting to compare the training systems in different countries. In the US, there is some controversy about the value of an academic degree in dance compared to the more traditional internships with professional dance group feeder schools, like ABT, which start when students are high school age. But even in a university degree in dance in the US, classical ballet is a core requirement for everyone. Then of course there is Russia, where you start as a young child and that is pretty much all you do.

[@bdndogs2877]

I am an adult male 38 and just took my first ballet class this past Monday. I am brand new to this ballet world. I don’t really know anything about it. I have gotten a ballet shoe a Bloch booties body wrappers White transition men’s tights and Trash bag shorts. I will be doing private lessons as they are a 3 week old studio in my town and don’t have any adult ballet classes. Do I need to know anything or do you or anyone have any tips or advice for me or anything else I need to wear or buy or anything? I want to learn what I can and do it correctly. Anyone’s help and advice would be appreciated!!

[@diabloakland]

Woohoo! I’m a female but it makes me so happy to read this

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

I hope you’ve been enjoying your ballet classes! 🩰

[@Nora-gf4zj]

Thank you so much for sharing your story and for all the variations you upload! I am a former professional, but I blew out my Achilles and am just getting back to dance seriously. Your variations are so lovely and let me dance to the familiar music as familiar characters while I build my strength back up. With all the craziness in the world, it has been such a wonderful feeling. Thank you

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

You are so welcome! Thank you so much for your lovely comment! Best of luck with your dancing :)

[@maddison5154]

Lovely story, I feel inspired to go back to ballet xx

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Thank you ☺️ I hope you do 🩰

[@craftycrayon9283]

Can you make a claire de lune solo ballet for intermediate or beginner video?

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

love that piece! I'll look into it :)

[@jonellenel7871]

This is an inspiring story. Thank you for sharing it.

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

My pleasure! Thanks so much for your comment :)

[@zhulyax2894]

.. You inspire me so much, you motivated me to also post videos of my dancing so thank you so much. ❤️

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

I'm so glad! :)

[@K0nt4kt]

Great to finally hear your story : )

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Yayyy! Thank you :)

[@catarinajorge6184]

Love your videos ❤️❤️❤️ Keep going 😉

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

Thank you so much!!

[@rubyx2102]

how long did it take you to get en pointe?

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

6 months but this is NOT normal due to my previous dance training and also the fact that I was training 6 days a week when I started ballet. Usually it would be between 1 and 4 years depending on the person :)

[@NM-ki7ep]

beautiful story!:) didn't they offer you ballet classes at your university during your bachelor studies?

[@NatalieDanzaBallet]

No! Only contemporary as part of my degree, otherwise I would have done! :)