7 Reasons Why Adult Ballet is Good for the Soul

Doing ballet as an adult can seem like a daunting ordeal when you consider the physical toll you have to put yourself through on a regular basis.

But what if we told you that doing ballet in your adulthood can actually benefit you in way that you may have missed?

Here are our top 7 reasons why we think everyone should try adult ballet:

 1. Boost Your Self-Confidence 

Ballet isn’t just about the dancing and the movement.

The experience you get from doing ballet is so much more rewarding than your run of the mill workout.

On the active end, you are continually thinking about form, technique and movement, while on the passive end, you grasp ideas about rhythm, musicality and progression.

Not to mention the effects ballet can have on your overall mood and mindset...

It's no secret that being active can trigger happy hormones in our brains but, since ballet interlaces artistry with physicality, you get so much more bang for your buck in a ballet class. (Move my body AND boost my confidence? Yes please!)

In her class on Ballet for Beginners, Léonore Baulac teaches all the ways that ballet can benefit your mind, body and soul. AND, in the case that you are totally new to the wonderful world of ballet, it's a great place to start if ballet basics are what you're looking for. 

2. Increase Your Flexibility 

Ballet generally has flexibility embedded into its practice. And, by doing ballet, anyone will inevitably increase their overall flexibility.

You see, ballet pushes your limits, both physically and mentally, allowing room for growth.

The flexibility which ballet can afford allows you to expand your range of motion and reduces the risk of injury that comes with the general wear and tear of using your body. But an additional benefit of becoming more flexible is the knowledge that your body is slowly capable of doing something it couldn’t previously. Progress, people! That's the ticket.

For pro-level tips on how to safely introduce stretching into your lifestyle, check out Flexibility by Anna Ol.

3. Develop Resilience

Doing ballet is no easy feat. For one, you have to find the energy to actually get up and do it (This is sometimes easier said than done, we know!) And second, there's finding the motivation to build your skills (practice, practice, practice).

World renowned principal dancer, Osiel Gouneo, had a vision of becoming a professional dancer but, like many of the pros, his path was not an easy one.

Osiel attributes his current success to him sticking to his vision and pursuing it with everything he had. In his Dance Masterclass, Jumps & Dedication, he shares his inspiring story - one that is sure to encourage anyone to follow their dreams, however big or small they may be.

 4. Gain Strength

Much like flexibility, strength training is a given when it comes to practicing ballet.

The amount of strength needed to complete movements in ballet cannot be underestimated, BUT it can be learned. With the right amount of effort and care, strength can be built in the body over time so that anyone can benefit from the strength of ballet. 

While doing ballet alone can definitely help to build your strength, coupling ballet training with strength training is where you'll really start to notice a difference.

In her Dance Masterclass, Ballerina Workout, professional dancer and fitness expert, Katie Boren, spells out her top 3 tips for how to safely build up strength: 

1. Start slow and simple

2. Establishing a routine

3. Set clear goals

Needless to say, Katie's unique approach to building strength is one we're all about. Try out a few of her exercises and we think you'll love it just as much as we do!

5. Learn to Handle Rejection

As people, it's possible that we face rejection in several areas of life as we keep going ahead - and it is easy to feel like the world is constantly trying to bring you down -  but ballet practice can generally give you a better mindset allowing you to face the challenges of life and better prepare you for curveballs you might have to manage.

Daniil Simkin, world famous ballet dancer and all around star - known today for his mighty approach to ballet technique, his charismatic stage presence and his stunning abilities - he too, was marred by rejection early in his career as a young dancer. 

In his Dance Masterclass on Pirouettes, Daniil recalls a specific memory that sticks out from his life as a dancer:

He was in the midst of auditioning for companies while in high school and, for the first time, was faced with some serious rejection. The disrespect he faced in the audition process was quite discouraging, but he decided not to give up on his dream. He decided to redirect his focus on the bigger picture and take the high road. Cut to his soaring success in the dance world - a living legend, if we do say so ourselves!

 6. Relieve Stress

Adulthood brings with itself a lot of reasons for stress. And that can get pretty difficult to deal with over time.

Polina Semionova, prima ballerina and our personal role model for all things ballet, tells all in her Dance Masterclass on Swan Lake. As one of her most popular roles, there's no one better to teach you the in's and out's of Odette/Odile but, it's not just the steps you get from Polina. In her class, she shares a specific memory from an experience she had during a premier of Swan Lake:

After a sequence of events, it turned out that she had very limited time to prepare to dance and perform in this double role and her stress levels were quite high. Polina talks about how she decided to have a mindset change and accept that things would not be perfect, and not everything would go according to what she expected - 

 - It's normal to be stressed out, but what is more important is how you deal with that stress. Learning ballet can help to ease tension and relieve the minor stresses of your daily life.

7. Improve Your Posture

In our rapidly technologically advancing world, many people now suffer from posture related health issues due to sitting in front of a computer all day, looking down at their phone, you know the usual pain-in-the-neck kind of stuff. 

If your posture could use a tune up, ballet really is the way to go.

Practicing ballet can give you the tools you need to correct your posture. In any ballet class, you'll be encouraged to stand up straight, engage your core, lengthen the neck and spine - and all while dancing. When you do ballet, this awareness to how you hold your body starts seeping into your daily life and suddenly you walk taller, and are more likely to stand up straight without even realizing. Afterall, it’s no surprise that ballet dancers generally have immaculate posture even when they’re not dancing...so why not give it a try yourself?

For even more on what learning how to dance can afford you, check out our complete library  where you'll find a variety of classes taught by the greatest dancers and artists in the world.