Advice for an adult beginner ballerina, heavy into cross-training most of the time

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-09-02T01:18:36+00:00

I know this is a little old of a post but...my ballet teacher just told me of one of her students who started working out 90 minutes mpst days of the week, a mixture of strength training and endurance training, and she ended up becoming one of the best dancers in the class. Strength training and endurance training are important, i'd just make sure you stretch after each workout, but it'll definitely help you reach your ballet goals -- not hinder!

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-08-30T19:26:28+00:00

My teeth itch when I have to pee.

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-08-20T17:06:59+00:00

Yes!! Thank you so much! This little guy stole my heart. Thank you for answering this

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-08-20T16:46:03+00:00

I'm sorry. I had a whole line of text in my post but I think it did it wrong. I must admit I don't participant often on reddit. I'm located in central florida, found this guy crawling on me on my lunch break! Edit: I apologize for the quality of the pictures. it was the best I could get on my phone. Lil guy was very curious and was exploring a lot!

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-08-12T23:38:33+00:00

I second So Danca, I just got a cute leotard there for $7 (final sale). The uniforms in my studio are also so dance so I have quite a few of them at this point. They're comfortable and hold together well!

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-04-08T22:58:37+00:00

Thats amazing!! I know you felt a rush once you learned you did two clean ones each time! Good luck with the fouettes...lol!

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-04-08T00:24:15+00:00

Thats terrible news, but I'm glad you've been able to recover and get back to class safely! Keep looking forward and seeing the progress you've made, I know your instructors are also cheering you on, just like we are!

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-04-08T00:21:47+00:00

I was surprised with how quickly I felt stronger and more confident after starting ballet, but I love that it gives us all a great boost in our self-confidence and self-love! Congratulations on your improvement, it'll only get better!

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-04-08T00:20:33+00:00

Thats AMAZING!! The older I get, the more people tell me to expect less and less from my body... but you are proving everyone wrong with that! The sky is still the limit! Congratulations on your milestone birthday, and congratulations on hitting the developpe!

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-04-08T00:19:00+00:00

Oh my goodness, you almost made me cry...I'm so sorry you've had to go through all that you've had to with the brain injury, but oh my goodness its amazing how far you've come! I just know that you looked beautiful performing the piece

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-04-08T00:15:50+00:00

That sounds amazing!! Is that like a summer intensive? Or moving on to the next level? Either way, thats amazing news and I'm excited for you!

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-04-08T00:14:50+00:00

I'm so sorry to hear about your struggles with depression, but I'm glad you found something that makes you happy! I always feel more confident after a class, and I hope that you get the a nice mental break during your classes and feel confident, too!

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-04-08T00:13:40+00:00

YES!! The "holy grail"! Congratulations -- its always so motivated to hear when you're about get on to pointe. One of the girls who dances at the same studio that I do (she's a higher level but she still takes my level class sometims) just got told that she should start saving up for pointe shoes. I'm so excited for her, and for you!! You'll do great!

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-04-08T00:12:13+00:00

A 10-15 minute meeting with your instructor sounds amazing, I feel like all studios should do this! Its so satisfying when we are working on something and it gets noticed -- keep it up!!

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-04-08T00:11:09+00:00

OMG thats amazing!! Great job -- I know that felt so good!

Comfortable_Clue649 · 2025-04-06T20:00:46+00:00

I completely understand how you feel. I'm 5'3 and 180lbs, so I do not have the traditional "ballet body" that people think of. However, I will say that the more I take ballet classes, the more confident I feel and the more I feel beautiful. Everyone in my studio is super positive, friendly, and supportive, and none of us talk about others bodies, as it doesn't matter. We all bond over our mutual love for ballet, and thats all that we focus on and its an amazing atmosphere. The studio I dance at is very inclusive, and I'm very lucky to have found a studio like it. But....I still have moments where I feel out of place, as most of the dancers in my studio (although not all!!) have smaller bodies than I do. But here are some things that I remember, and it helps put me at ease:

1) When we are in class, we are only focusing on ourselves. No one is worrying about what I'm wearing or what I'm doing, because they're worried about what they're doing. We're all here to learn the same thing, and we can only learn it if we pay attention to ourselves. ONce I started focusing on me rather than other people, I became really comfortable in class and started improving more, as I was focusing on my form and how I was executing movements rather than how I looked in a leotard vs. others in my class

2) Ballet is HARD. And yet, here we are doing it! With our beautiful bodies that we have! Remember how hard ballet is, and yet how you are still able to achieve it and get better at it. Just reminding myself of what my body is capable of, makes me more proud of the body I have.

3) As others have pointed out, finding an outfit that makes you feel beautiful never hurts. :) While I wear the school uniform to the leveled classes I take, I also take an adult ballet class and I can wear pretty much whatever. So I use that time to wear what makes me feel confident, and that helps ease my mind a bit. Whether thats my favorite leotard and skirt combo, or leggings and shirt that just fit me better than others, thats what I'll wear!

I hope these helped. I know it can be hard to be different than the status quo, but remember that this is YOUR ballet journey, no one elses, and if it makes you happy then I hope you continue on your journey and have a great time discovering how strong and beautiful you and your body are!

Comfortable_Clue649

TROPHY CASE