Wanna start ballet again??

Question

I have taken ballet classes from the age of 6 till 11,that is,moro or less 5 years.I was discouraged by my teacher because I was not fat,but chubby,and she thought that it was not suitable for a ballet dancer.Now I'm 16 and I'm thinking i would soooo much like to start over again!When I stopped I realised I really missed it....Plus,now I'm slimmer and I will have no one breathe down my neck about how much I weigh!I am thinking to start practically from scratch,in 2 years,when I finish school.Is it a ridiculously old age??Will I be able to flex my legs or will I be too old to do such openings at 18-19???I really want to do it though!!!

Answer 1

If you want to be a professional dancer, it might be a little too late unless you have extraordinary ability. But if you want to start ballet again just for fun and just cause you miss it, then go for it! You're never too old to start ballet. You will still be able to stretch your muscles, but it may take you a little longer to achieve a split for example than someone else who has been stretching for a long time! So go ahead and take ballet classes!

Answer 2

I'm a ballet teacher, I've been dancing for almost nine years, and I think that teacher you had was very wrong. It's never her job to discourage her students. I say if you wanna start back, then go for it and you might wanna get started right away. And find a teacher who will support you. I've had teachers who abused their privileges before, and they don't realize how much influence they can have over a young girl's body image. I had an eating disorder for a little while, because my teacher told me I wasn't good enough. I finally decided to just live and let live. And thankfully now my current trainer is very encouraging and she is behind me %100 on ballet. I specialize in teaching older girls who haven't had much experience in ballet. I've seen some of them succeed, and I believe if you tell yourself you can, then you can.

Answer 3

If you can't start with ballet right away, try to at least start with some pilates or yoga poses that you can do at home. Even a little bit of stretching every day can help you get back into it faster.

I danced from 5th grade to 9th grade, quit to do dance team in high school, and then started again in college (when I was 18). I was able to ease back into it after a few months, but I also took 3 hour classes 6 days a week and cross-trained with pilates, yoga, and swimming. I'm not trying to be discouraging, but I'm saying this to show that it was very very hard for me to get back into ballet after quitting.

If you just want to do ballet for fun--why not? We had several adult (like, in their 60's) students who had never even danced before in class and they always had a ton of fun. Just keep your expectations realistic for you and good luck!

Answer 4

It is not too late. You should start taking classes again. Especially if it is something that you love and miss!!
You will be surprised how much you remember and how much your muscles remember. I can't believe your teacher told you that!! That is horrible, she gives good teachers a bad name!!! Good teachers know that body size is not a reason to stop dancing, and we know that body shapes in children will change dramatically through their pre-teen and teen years. ......sorry, I'm getting worked up.......

Please find a good studio and a good teacher and start taking classes again, you won't regret it. I had to quit dance about the same time you did because of family conflict. I started dancing again after high school. It literally only took me a few months to catch back up with the advanced group. I poured myself into it during my college years and now I am a successful dance teacher, I have owned my own studio, and I can have the joy of watching my students learn and grow and become beautiful dancers as well!!

Answer 5

Not to try to discourage you, but what about learning a different type of dance. One that you can do socially as well as compete at. Something like Swing, Salsa, Argentine Tango, Country Western, or Lindy. Find out which clubs in your area carter to a certain type of dance. You could swing dance in your town socially and go to competitions all over the country.

Hope to see you on the dance floor.

Answer 6

You're not too old to take it up again, but if you get a teacher who says you're too fat, change teachers. It's ridiculous to go on about things like that with students who aren't trying to go pro. Besides, ballet is exercise, and you will probably lose weight as you do it.

Answer 7

If you want to do it, do it. I've been dancing for 10 years and I love it, so I can understand why you want to go back. My life revolves around it and I don't know what I would do without it. But before you go back you need to remember that ballet is a constant dicipline and with he break that you have taken, I wouldn't count on going pro, or getting a spot in a prestigious company. But if you're just doing it for pleasure then go for it!

Answer 8

I think that you should do it!!! If you really want to do it than nothing should stop you. You already have experience so it won't be that hard. And I think that you will be able to flex your legs with some practice.
After all there are a lot of ballerinas that are much older than 20.

Answer 9

No way!!!! you are not to old a girl in my ballet class has just started ballet and she is 19.

Answer 10

it would be better that you start as earlier as possible. but don't get discouraged next time; my teacher was also telling me that I'm fat and sometimes called me and my dancer friends a pigs (he was a terrible person but a great teacher, I learned a lot from him) and you just have to ignore that. It can be really tough sometimes, but don't give up no matter what