When most of us think of ballet, we imagine graceful men and women gliding across the floor on tiptoe, clad in pink tutus or elegant black tights. However, it takes years of practice to perfect the seamless transitions and flowing movements, and most experts recommend beginning at a very young age in order to train the body to be flexible and limber later. Regardless of how old you are when you begin learning the basics, there are a few things to remember with ballet.

Most ballet moves are evolved from simple arm, foot, and leg placements. Once these fundamental placements and moves are learned, you can begin the evolution into graceful pirouettes and jumps. The basics are often taught for up to the first year, so that young girls and boys-called ballerinas and danseurs-can be more familiar with the right placement. Without this placement, the moves will not flow seamlessly, and ballet looks clumsy and awkward.

Although most ballet moves have French names, the origins of ballet as a dance style can be traced back to Italy. Many people believe that the names of many popular ballet moves, such as the arabesque or plie, indicate that the dance style originated in France. While it is true that the neoclassical ballet style got its roots from French dance styles, the earliest ballet dances were held in Italy instead. Ballet originated as a form of enjoyment and entertainment for royalty, until the French began teaching the dance to common folk as a means to train them for service to various crowns.

Ballet is not one simple dance style, but many different forms used to express emotion, grace, and beauty. Ballet in and of itself is a dance style, much like the tango. However, there are styles of ballet depending on a variety of factors, such as romantic ballet or the more modern Russian ballet. The differences are usually based on the style of music and specific dance moves utilized during the dance.

Ballet is not a female-oriented dance, nor should it be viewed primarily as a means of teaching young girls grace, poise, and elegance. Ballet is for both men and women, of all ages, and it is never too late to begin learning. Ballerinas and danseurs alike float across the state without any apparent separation for grace or poise, and the danseurs often take the ballet to a whole new level of elegance and refinement. The popular myth Viagra Professional that a man Brand Cialis must be a homosexual in order to learn ballet is vulgar at best, since ballet can be such a magical expression of strength and skill.

There is no age too old to start ballet lessons. Although most instructors like to see children as young as two begin learning the grace and dexterity needed for classical ballet, there is really no age that is classified as “too old” for ballet. Novices are often trained from any age, and instructors may see classes with two year-olds before classes with twenty year-olds that are roughly the same skill level. It depends on the person, and the age of introduction to ballet.

Author Bio: Svetlana Marintcheva of Adagio Ballet is glad to provide various lesson types and dance classes at our Fairfax and Arlington dance studios. Visit our website or give us a call today.

Category: Culture and Society/Art
Keywords: dance, dance classes, ballet, learning, education, hobbies, culture