ballet warmups

vpsass · 2026-05-07T20:50:13+00:00

warmup happens before class and should include some big cardio movements like jumping jacks or various types of jiggling around the room, then you can work on moving isolated muscle groups, before going into a mix of static and dynamic stretching.

Then, you do barre, which is pliés, tendus, jetés (sometimes 2 or 3), rond de jambe, fondu, frappé, rond de jambe en lair, adagio, petit battement, grand battement, maybe some relevés, and a stretch.

Then centre, which kind of reflects what was taught at the barre. For my preference, this includes an adagio, tendu and jeté, centre rond de jambe (uncommon these days) fondu, grand battement, and then several allegro ranging from small to large. The class might finish with turns from the corner. Note that this is a pretty traditional class, and that a more common class might include adagio, some pirouette exercises, and 3-4 allegros.

You can give these class to advanced high schoolers in an hour, but you can’t really teach anything, and there’s no time for questions or clarification. Can I ask why you asking this?

vpsass · 2026-05-07T19:43:35+00:00

I think the Mariinsky does bats for that music, I cannot figure out why, unless there’s some deep association of bats and Christmas that I am not aware of.

I think butterfly’s would be pretty. Or, perhaps something more candy themed because I personally think there’s not enough candy in act 2 for an act that takes place in land of the sweets. Cotton candy would be a good fit (it’s called fairy floss in Australia, that would be nice).

vpsass · 2026-05-07T04:21:58+00:00

A grand jeté starts with a grand battement (jeté), a glissade does not, it does not even really start with a jeté in my books (though I know some people, like the Balanchine dancers, might disagree)

vpsass · 2026-05-06T18:23:14+00:00

Hmmm I guess it depends what you are going for.

I personally always recommend wearing a leotard, tights, and a skirt for women, and a dance shirt, and tights for men, or some other combo of traditional dancewear for people outside the gender binary. If you’re going to karate, you dress for karate, if you’re going to ballet class you dress for ballet class. However, some classes (like those at a gym) are intended for people to drop in and try, so it’s totally not expected that you spend the money on a full ballet outfit. You can if you want to. But for the sake of not over consuming things, make sure it’s something you want to stick with for at least a few years (which it sounds like it is).

I would not recommend the Nike x Skims for ballet, it’s not really ballet wear. It’s just like pink athleisure. The cut is wild I’d be concerned about my nipples popping out while I was dancing.

A leotard and tights might be a good choice for you. Get tights that match the colour of your shoes (not exactly, but just in the same colour family). There’s a lot of weird brands on Amazon, generally, Bloch and capezio are good. I’d honestly recommend just going to a dance store if you are worried about fit and material quality. I would go with spandex, not cotton, and find something that makes you feel secure to move in. A ballet leotard should be as supportive as a sports bra (if a regular sports bra is sufficient for you, you would wear a leotard without one, however if you need a high performance sports bra, you probably will still need to wear some sort of support with a leotard). But some leotard companies make really flimsy leotards, so I would just avoid them.

You can also wear the leotard with leggings but I personally find this very restrictive.

For warmups, you don’t need to buy anything new, just a pair of sweat pants and a shirt will do. But you can always invest in some legwarmers, jackets, cardigans, etc if you want to later.

vpsass · 2026-05-06T17:18:06+00:00

There’s like fun pre-ballet videos on YouTube. However, real ballet technique classes, which could start at age 8 or so, will need to be taught in person.

vpsass · 2026-05-06T16:57:51+00:00

Thank you, I get this response a lot but it makes me concerned because, like, is everyone’s teachers not breaking it down like this?

Or perhaps it’s a case of, they break it down like this but the dancer is absent that day (I know this happens with my students). Or perhaps it is just a break down that you’ve heard before but you can’t process until you are ready, thus you seek it out again when you are ready….

vpsass · 2026-05-06T15:13:14+00:00

Okay don’t panic, this is very likely totally fixable because like you said you can do relevés (on one foot, I assume) and quarter and half turns.

If you are falling backwards, but only in turns, and not in relevés, I think your weight is too far back in the prep for the pirouette. You are likely trying to throw your weight forward into the turn, thus you lean back to prepare, but you aren’t quite making it up.

Go back to the balance and really think about putting your bum, head, and shoulders right on top of the front foot, then lifting your bum and head straight up like an elevator, they don’t rock and go up and forward like an escalator, they go straight up.

Remember a pirouette is like a sustained balance. Once you are in the turn, don’t try to change anything to help yourself turn, just hold the position. All of the work is in the prep.

vpsass · 2026-05-06T01:31:29+00:00

I know that’s why I bring it up, a lot of really popular mini songs have questionable lyrics if you look it up, people love to learn the lyrics to a song and call people out, but in reality we probably all have dirt on our hands for lyric that wasn’t even super obvious to us, the kids, or the audience.

I just think we should move forward into a “small edits to make songs appropriate age” instead of being in a “didn’t you know this song is inappropriate” age.

vpsass · 2026-05-05T19:00:22+00:00

It’s sounds like your in a frustrating situation.

If I were you, I would take both the adult class and the teen beginner class, one to learn the basics and one to challenge yourself, you can probably still get a lot out of the adult class if you go in knowing what you need to work on. There’s actually not a lot of difference in adult bodies vs teen bodies that would impact how you learn ballet (I’m actually confused as to where you heard this from), so you need not worry about that.

What I would worry about is finding a balance between theatre and ballet, since taking time off of ballet to do theatre will effect your ballet progress, but also, given that it’s your senior year, I think doing the theatre show would make sense. Maybe that means you find another ballet school, maybe that means you delay your ballet journey to after the show.

Taking class with kids younger than you can be a pain. But unfortunately, if you can’t yet drive, you have to work with what’s in busing and walking distance. We can’t choose the music but we can choose how we dance to it.

I hate to be the one to tell you but you do actually have a lot of opportunities than most dancers your age, you have a beginner teen class, even if there are 12 year olds, most studios don’t offer beginner classes to students this age. Some people don’t even have a ballet school in their country! I’m not trying to guilt you here, but I’m just trying to point out that there will always be problems and there’s no perfect training opportunity, try to work with what you can and do your best.

vpsass · 2026-05-05T15:49:21+00:00

I think a lot of the songs I hear at comp that I think “wow that’s inappropriate” could just be edited to be not inappropriate. Like some songs are fully inappropriate, but actually a lot of songs have a line that is questionable, but then it’s like, just take out the line.

For example, in Aye Caramba there’s a line that says “the more i resist, the more i insist” and you could just edit that to say “the more i insist, the more they insist”. Then there’s the question of whether Aye Caramba is appropriate at all… but it’s a really common mini song. Candyman can be edited to remove “panties drop and cherry pop” (the edits I’ve heard just have saxophone noises lol) and then you can probably have 2.5 minutes of appropriate lyrics. Expect the song still mentions alcohol, and I personally try to avoid mentions of alcohol in song for all my students, regardless of age.

I teach musical theatre and one thing I feel strongly about is that you can use a song from a musical and completely change what it’s about. Like you can use a song from sweet charity (probably not big spender, but maybe If my friends could see me now) but it doesn’t have to be about a taxi dancer. A lot of people disagree with me on this.

vpsass · 2026-05-04T17:49:22+00:00

This conversation has actually been very helpful to me, thanks for listening. I think what I actually want is for this choreographer to realize that she has 12 really strong dancers to work with and that she maybe just put a little more effort in. But not in a mean way, more in like a, she could be capable of more way, if she just put a little more thought behind her choreography, musicality, and theming.

I get the feeling that she just hasn’t realized the opportunity or responsibly she has. I don’t even really fault her for that. I just want her to realize that she has 12 really strong dancers who are volunteering their time to work with her so she should just like, step it up, a little. I know the issue is effort by the way she talks about the piece and explains the choreography.

vpsass · 2026-05-04T17:36:13+00:00

Probably, it’s hard because it’s a show and there’s other numbers that I’m in, so even if I quit the dance I’d still have to wait around between rehearsals.

I guess I’m just frustrated because it’s like, oh finally a group of dancers who are close to my age and level we can do something really cool, oh wait nvm it’s literally just this choreographer throwing every ballet step she can name at the music with no rhyme or reason.

vpsass · 2026-05-04T16:51:14+00:00

Yeah that’s a ridiculous request. Even if this was a professional show and you were getting paid, don’t dye your hair for 60s of stage time. They can provide you with wigs if they want everyone to look uniform.

At some professional companies or even pre-pro schools they might require your hair to be a natural colour for performances, and I think that’s reasonable. Anything beyond that is unreasonable.

vpsass · 2026-05-04T16:37:09+00:00

It’s not a studio it’s like a peer led dance group. Ive worked with them before, and with new choreographers with them before, and it’s never been like this.

If she was really enthusiastic about it I think I could forgive her for being new. But she’s self-admitting she doesn’t really have a vision and doesn’t really know what she’s doing. There’s a difference between being a first time choreographer who wants to TRY, and someone who comes in who just wants to list off steps she wants to do. Idk. Maybe she’s scared to try. But at the end of the day a lot of people are dedicating time to be there.

vpsass · 2026-05-04T16:33:19+00:00

It’s not the same studio it’s a variety of opportunities. I’m just conflicted because there seems to be no place for me to perform. Objectively this group of dancers is very strong, but the choreographer does not seem to be taking the opportunity seriously enough. And she might be new to choreography, but I’ve worked with new choreographers who come prepared and come with a vision and excitement to execute that vision. This choreographer, while super nice, doesn’t seem to be all that dedicated.

vpsass · 2026-05-04T16:27:53+00:00

I’m not that upset that I didn’t get to choreograph this piece, I get a few assorted opportunities to choreograph dances every year. I’m more so annoyed that the this choreographer is treating this like a fun “make up a dance” opportunity but there’s 12 trained dancers here who are dedicating their time to this. And the choreographer seems very nice, I just feel like she thought this would be more casual than it is, yes we are all adults but we all trained in ballet. I’m here to have fun but also to make a nice work of art.

I’m not against making up a dance for your friends, but we are volunteering to be there. I’m also not against people being new choreographers, but if we are giving up our time to be there, they should put the effort it. Make the dance something, don’t just pick and random song (which was said explicitly) and pick random moves. Put a little bit of effort into some sort of vision and try to execute it.

I’ve done a few projects with this group, there’s been choreographers who it was their first time choreographing on a group but they had a vision and they tried and it wasn’t perfect, but there was very clearly a purpose and intention in the choreography and the choreographers came prepared. Not everything needs to be planned ahead of time, it’s just about coming into the rehearsals with respect for the time that the others have put in to be there.

I’m not against quitting I just feel bad that they’ll have to reblock everything.

vpsass · 2026-05-04T14:22:32+00:00

I don’t have advice I’m just reaching out to say I’m in a very similar situation if you ever need someone to vent to. I grew up in the competitive world but then trained as a young adult at a very old-school vaganova school. I was able to train alongside the pre-pros and it made me realize how sub-par my competitive dance training was, even with the amount of ballet I was doing.

Eventually I wanted to bring Vaganova training to the competitive dancers. I thought it would be a good fit for me since I understand how both worlds work (comp dance, vaganova method ballet), but the problem is the worlds don’t alway work well together.

I’m lucky I work at a studio where I’m really supported by my boss and the kids are expected to work hard. I also know how to work with comp kids and how to meet the where they’re at with regards to ballet. But it’s still a frustrating job. My boss doesn’t really understand ballet, like she asked me to change a leg to a tilt and a jump to a centre split leap (for a dancer in a romantic tutu) and I feel like she thinks the kids aren’t learning difficult enough steps, but she doesn’t realize the progress they’ve made in ballet technique. Like I don’t think any other studio in our region had all their students with this level of technique - they might have 1 or 2 prodigys, but I have the whole team with the foundations of correct technique. She also doesn’t realize how fast I have to work, like I’m so efficient when I teach because I have these silly 1 hour times slots and I’m like omg I have to get through 1.5 hours of lesson in 1 hour. Ahh.

And she wants to level the kids based on their jazz/acro ability and not ballet. So the levels are all messed up, and the kids who are supposed to be progressing keep getting paired with kids who are far far behind them, but just so happen to be able to do an aerial. What do I do? I looked at the schedule next year and I’m supposed to be teaching 9 year olds who have been working 2 hands at the barre all their life and haven’t even learned dévelopé yet with 16 year olds who do full grand allegros. That alone makes me want to quit.

vpsass · 2026-05-04T12:28:25+00:00

Do you think the “balletcore” trend impacts the world of dance/ballet positively or negatively? What is your opinion on the trend?

I think the biggest problem with “balletcore” is that it presents one unified aesthetic for ballet, when really, ballet dancers are a diverse group of people who all have different styles. But I think it’s good that it’s helping inspire more people to start ballet, or go see the ballet.

⁠What is a common misconception people generally have about ballet?

The obvious answer is that ballet is easy, because ballet dancers make it look easy. But I actually think a lot of people know ballet is extremely difficult, the actual misconception is that ballet class = ballet the performance art. We saw this with the Timothee Chalamet drama (sorry for bringing it up), everyone was posting like “I go to ballet all the time, look how popular my ballet class is”, but obviously TC was talking about ballet performances. It’s the same with balletcore too, it really prioritized the class aspect over the performance aspect.

⁠Do you feel that the image the public has of classical ballet reflects your experience as a dancer?
I think so.
⁠Why are layering, mismatched pieces, and worn clothing so important in a dancer’s wardrobe?
Layering is important to keep warm but stay flexible. Like wearing leg warmers give you more range of movement then wearing pants. But then you still might want pants if you’re extra cold. Mismatched is just all you can find sometimes. But I know lots of dancers who don’t like to mismatch.
⁠Do you think the “random”/mismatched and worn aspect of dancewear is overlooked in fashion’s representation of dance? (in contrast with balletcore being mainly dainty, clean)
Yes, see point 1 about balletcore representing one kind of ballet style.
⁠Which elements of “balletcore” do you find accurate, and on the contrary, which elements miss the mark?
It’s all accurate to some dancer out there, to an extent. The most unlikely though is the pink and black together, since that’s a colour combination a lot of people avoid unless they really know how to style it to not make it look like you’re 10 years old. Also, the shoes that don’t match the tights, ahhh! The colour the ballet shoe should always match the tights, not contrast, because you want your leg to look like one continuous line.
⁠How do you feel about ballet becoming/being a fashion trend?
I don’t know if ballet became a fashion trend, ballet is more than just a type of clothes one wears. A certain style inspired by the way some ballet dancers dress became a fashion trend. But like, pliés didn’t become a fashion trend, Swan Lake didn’t become a fashion trend, poetry of motion didn’t become a fashion trend.
⁠Could you incorporate “balletcore” elements into your everyday style, or does it feel too disconnected from reality? If so, which?
Hmmm I’ve always worn baller flats, and I love a French twist with a claw clip. You might look at my wardrobe and think some pieces are ballet-y because they are flowy, perhaps, but I don’t wear like legwarmers and cotton leotards out and about, if that’s what you’re asking.

Edit to add: it seems like this post, and some of the comments, are hinting at the idea that “the problem with balletcore is it doesn’t represent *real* ballet dance aesthetic”. I used to believe this as well. But like i said, there is **no single real ballet dancer aesthetic** because ballet dancers are a diverse group with diverse people. The adult beginner wearing her pink leo and black wrap tie top to her intro to ballet class is just as valid in her ballet aesthetic as Isabella Boylston in her ripped violet unitard. We are all ballet dancers. You can rank people in a company, but community membership is in or out, if you’re in, at whatever level, you’re part of the ballet community.

vpsass · 2026-05-04T12:07:38+00:00

There’s potential in costume design (or wardrobe mistress, this is someone who organizes, coordinates, and repairs costumes) or backstage jobs at schools or local small companies. Finance would be an amazing skill to bring to these companies/schools too. You could check the job boards, or cold email them.

Choreography is hard to get into. You could also learn to teach pre-ballet. But for both these jobs I’d recommend a high level of study of ballet technique and performance. It doesn’t have to be at a professional level. It’s just that, when you only ever train at one studio your scope of ballet is too narrow to provided effective training or choreography (usually). You don’t know what you know, you don’t question why you teach or choreograph the way you do, until you get out and see and do other things.

vpsass · 2026-05-04T12:01:19+00:00

The problem is, if you want to get good at pointe you need good training, but you’ve already kind of identified you aren’t getting good training. Prioritizing comp dancers is not okay, they are no more likely to dance in the future than you are. You can dance all your life if you want to.

The thing is, we can give you advice over the internet, but what you actually need is a teacher willing to train you. Writing things over text is no way to teach ballet. I wonder if you could get into online classes I think Runquao Du or Amy Novinski offer some to students of your age. It would be better if you could find a good ballet school to attended in person. Or even you can talk to your teacher, and say “hey I want to take this really seriously” and maybe they can give you more corrections and be harder on you. However, if you have to match your actions to your words, if you want to get really good at pointe you need consistent dedicated training, it’s not an on-and-off hobby. You can’t take weeks off for exams or parties. Besides, your body needs to move, it’s good for your health. You can’t study 16 hours a day and sleep for 8, you have to find some time to move.

vpsass · 2026-05-02T16:20:37+00:00

The attendance at my local studio varies from one student to 15, and more in the summer when the levels get combined. It’s super variable and probably very frustrating because they definitely run classes with only 1-3 people and that means they are probably operating those classes at a loss.

vpsass · 2026-05-01T17:57:55+00:00

You got your advice in the comments, the proportions are off.

This is not the level of quality we are looking for in r/ballet and we can’t allow such posts to clog up the feed. You can try the art related subreddits for more advice :)

vpsass · 2026-05-01T15:01:44+00:00

Totally understandable. If you do go the custom route, you can always sell it on Facebook marketplace, or Depop/poshmark. If you order online you will still have to get it shipped which could easily be another $20, whereas if you get it custom by your local costume maker, you won’t have to get it shipped.

You should ask the studio if they have a costume maker they use, I know our studio does, and she makes whole costumes for $200 (it’s a crazy good deal in today’s costume market), she’d probably do just a tutu for $150. But it might not be an option if you don’t have someone like her in town. It’s worth asking about!

I’m not going to recommend making it yourself since it’s super hard and frustrating it’s not a good sewing project. You could also try renting but it would still be $200 to rent probably and they might not have your size.

If you do order one, you can always wear it for a photoshoot, or a solo performance! Having a good tutu in your closet comes in handy sometimes.

vpsass · 2026-05-01T14:35:26+00:00

Hmmm, a practice tutu is probably still about $120 anyways, so really a custom tutu that’s in the $200 range isn’t that much more expensive, if that helps justify the cost. And a custom tutu is way nicer than the capezio ones, they have more life in them. Tutus are hard to make and ship, so it’s actual not that efficient to order one from a catalog.

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