I was hit by a car on my bike 4 weeks ago and sustained radial head fractures in both arms.

I cancelled all my ballet classes for the term, but I'm wondering if anyone has any experience or advice in going back?

I'm an experienced adult recreational dancer, I didn't have any surgery, just rest etc and physio. I have pretty good mobility back in both arms, my dominant arm is noticeably better.

I have to start back to work in a couple weeks and the gentlest, easiest classes (aimed at retired people) take place during the day. I really want to go to a couple before I'm back to work but I'm not sure if it's a good idea.

I've read some posts from people going back with one arm injured or immobile, but not two. I'm going a little mental without any dance, and every other exercise that I like other than walking needs arms too.

I tried the mold putty from Michael’s to try making toe pads and it actually worked and way cheaper than perfectfit.

Hey everyone, Happy Dancewear Monday! Please feel free in posting a picture of your dancewear style, your new dancewear purchase, your cute warmups, etc. Just a reminder of the guidelines:

1) It is recommended to blur out your face if you want to keep some anonymity.

2) Please list what brands you are wearing in the comments in case other users want to know where you found stuff.

3) All Dancewear Mondays will be NO CRITICISM with regards to ballet. So if someone posts a picture of them in arabesque being like “look at my cute leg warmers” DO NOT comment “Looks great but you should turn out more”. We don’t care if your intentions are good and you are just trying to help, on this subreddit critique is only given when explicitly asked for. If you wouldn’t say it to someone in class don’t comment it on here. (And if you would tell a fellow dancer to turn out more, or something, randomly in class well that just reflects poorly on you).

4) New users who have low comment karma: your post will be filtered into a queue and need to be mod approved, so please be patient if your post does not appear right away.

5) Use the Dancewear Monday flair

Thanks :)

So I have been in the performance class at the studio that I dance at for a couple of years now and last year. Unfortunately, closer to when competition started I ended up having to miss a number of classes because I had some personal stuff to deal with and ended up not being able to compete. And while I was super disappointed, I totally understand that more or less anyway, although I wasn't particularly impressed with how the studio or my dance teacher handled things and communication last year was terrible but like I said I understood where they were coming from.

Fast forward to this year. I figured New year, fresh start, things are dealt with and I even moved so that I'm now literally 2 minutes from the studio. I registered for the class and off things went. The first two classes of the year I was working and I couldn't reschedule or anything and I let them know and they said it was fine that I wasn't going to be able to be there. I have been there for all the other classes except for one because I had the flu. there have been six classes so far.

Following class number five though I got an email from I believe it was the studio owner just asking to check in. Wanted to know how things were going because I missed a bunch of classes last year and what not. And that's fine. I let them know that I had the flu which is why I missed the previous class, let them know where I was personally and how things were going in class And where we were at in the choreography since they specifically asked about that, which I thought was a little strange since I feel like they should have talked to my dance teacher about that but whatever and I got an email back that said okay, great! Just make sure to let someone know if I'm going to be missing any classes in the future (as usual ). And that was it.

Following the sixth class I get another email saying that you know I've already missed three of six classes and it's now an issue and they're giving me this ultimatum of either dropping the class or being an understudy. No warning. Totally out of the blue. I'm mad. I'm disappointed but mostly I'm just really really angry and confused because I feel like I'm being held to a standard that nobody else is (no one has been there for every class yet this year, the people actually registered for the class is still changing week to week and one girl let the teacher know that she would be missing the next 3 classes at the end of the last class and there were no concerns or issues raised ). I'm not even sure my dance teacher is aware of any of this as she just spent a bunch of time teaching me a whole different section of the dance as I was moved to a different position with different timing and a few different steps.

I also feel like they are changing their mind for no reason with no notice, If this was such an issue, why wasn't it addressed in their last email to me? Nothing changed after that except that it was one week later. If anything the percentage of classes missed was now less than when they sent the previous email.

But mostly I feel like I'm being forced to follow rules that I've never actually been informed of or seen or read anywhere. The actual attendance policy for the studio is super vague. It just says that absences must be reasonable, whereas at other studios that I've danced at they are very specific about how many classes you can miss per year, so that there's no confusion and no wondering. I also have a really hard time with things like that where it's this vague, kind of whatever goes uncertain nonsense. If you tell me I can miss one class, I'll miss one class for the entire year. You tell me I can miss four, I'll Probably miss four, but if you don't tell me anything for sure at all then it screws with me. It's just how my neurodivergent brain works. Even all that aside I feel like October is a bit early to be determining if absences are reasonable or not ? Especially for an adult class ?

My reply to their last email basically read something like what I've typed here except more concise and professional. Essentially I just pointed out that they're singling me out, that my attendance has been the same as 90% of the class so far this year(especially since it's only October) and that I've never been informed of any actual rules on the matter and that they're being discriminatory. Still waiting on a response.

Just needed to share this with someone. Please be nice in your responses.

Update: got an email back this morning. I'm good to go for the rest of this year and the attendance requirement has been set at 2 classes missed. That's all I wanted from them. It shouldn't have been like pulling teeth to get it.

https://peterkoppers.substack.com/p/varvara-nikitina-petipas-sylphide

I was watching my ballet academies nutcracker audition since they posted it on YouTube. I was watching the combos and I immediately thought wow I’m so glad I didn’t audition for this. Why you may ask? My academy goes off of age rather than skill level and I’m 18. my academy goes to level 1-5 then after that is pre-pro which is 6-8 and most people my age are in the pre-pro level and I’m level 5. My teacher asked me why I wasn’t doing the auditions and I lied and said I was going on vacation. I’m usually okay at ballet and the combos but when I did a placement level class when I first got there I was in the class with the level 7-8 PRE-PRO TEENAGERS AND ADULTS. That was 2 years ago and I wasn’t as good as I am now but it has made me so self conscious ever since. Also in that class there was a principal dancer there taking the placement class since it was free and since they use to go to that academy. Guess what ballet academy this is?

Okay, I want to preface this by saying I AM NOT GOING EN POINTE NOR DO I WANT TO, THIS IS A CURIOUSITY TYPE QUESTION NOT AN ADVICE QUESTION

so, we all know going en pointe when not ready is absolutely TERRIBLE and should never be done but my question is in regards to adults

I see the argument that the reason children and teens shouldn’t is because their bones are still forming and fragile and because of that they can learn bad habits, get stress fractures, hinder development, etc etc but I never see this argument with adults

A studio I used to go to would actually begin fitting adults en pointe after they took the first two beginner classes despite not being ready as long as they wanted to and were willing to stay on the barre longer (this is actually the reason I left this studio and found my current one)

What happens in this case? I get their feet are fully formed now and they may be a bit stronger (especially if taking regular classes) but what happens if an adult goes on too early (like maybe close to being ready but just not there yet or not ready AT ALL)

What are the dangers? Or is this like what I heard where adults are safer to go en pointe a bit earlier/it’s up to them because they can gauge the risk???

ANOTHER QUESTION: my old studio also used to state that adults go en pointe faster than children, is this true??? I feel this is a lie but I’m just a hobbyist so idekkkk

Any insights into Boston Ballet advanced class with Mark Grothman? Visiting Boston this week and just booked the class, typically take intermediate /advanced intermediate levels at Steps on Broadway. Trying to get a sense of the difficulty of his class and style. Thank you!

I recently got fitted for my first part of pointe shoes (grishko nova flex 4x) and have had a few short classes in them and the wings seem to have gotten really soft already. When I was trying on the shoes the wings were very hard and the fitter even used this clamp just to gently break the glue on this one pressure point on the outside of my metatarsal that was bothering me in every shoe. I have wide metatarsals with compressible feet that are pretty flexible/arched and I am a little hyperextended. Now they seem so soft and squishy compared to the box and I don’t really feel the shoe on me there the way I did the first class. Couldn’t get more than an inch off the ground in demi pointe easily though so if this is the price to pay to be able to roll through I get that (if that’s what that’s from?). Just wondering how normal this is and how soft they are supposed to get in the wings. Like what’s “broken in” and what’s “dying” in terms of wings? Should I consider glue or shellac and now or later? The fitter did recommend letting the first pair die naturally and I understand the importance but my wallet is stressin at the thought of them dying in 2026. The box and the shank are completely fine. I can see the top of the box though at the wings but I assume that’s just the demi pointe broken in? Thank you :)

Update: 6 will be ordered. (6 2X) Thanks for the quick replies.

Original post: My daughter was fitted at Bloch in NYC... on a vacation. I want to try and order another pair online. Could anyone tell from the picture is her size is a 9 or a 6? (Street shoe is 8.5.)

Her other shoe we get locally is a Raffine. That box says 2X 6.

She has been en pointe for 5 years. Her feet are done growing for years.

Pinch your shoulders together. No, make the space between your shoulders wide!

Your arms should be higher in first and second. No! Your arms are way too high!!!!

hold your first and second port de bras as extended as possible. Uhhhh you need to keep your arms wayyyy closer to your torso in first or you will never be able to balance…

you should always be winging your foot in every move, that’s how you get your weight over your first toe. Never wing on eleve, you will die! your weight should be more toward your second toe!

Don’t hop onto sous-sous, just roll up on the back and scoot in the front foot. never, ever, ever, EVER be lazy and scoot in the front foot. both feet at the same time!

guys just pick one 😵‍💫 ballet is hard enough as it is — it’s even different teachers within the same studio completely contradicting each other!!

I just went to my first live ballet show tonight and…wow. I went to go see Sleeping Beauty despite being a complete ballet newb, and i truly wish I had the elegance to describe what I just saw. It was amazing. Truly amazing. I think I’m obsessed now. So if any member of the Orlando Ballet happens to be on this sub, thank you from the bottom of my heart for making my night

I have a very specific question for which I've spent a ridiculous amount of time unsuccessfully seeking the answer in existing posts, so here goes, with my apologies for adding to the archive...

Has anyone with girth 61" (or more) danced in & liked the fit of a Yumiko XL ? I'm interested in other measurements if you feel moved to share, but it seems like girth is the deal breaker, so that's my one question. I'm also aware of their constraints posed by adding sleeves, lining, less stretchy fabric etc & am only considering either XL or nothing.

Bonus question, does anyone know of an online retailer with a not-insane return policy offering RTW Yumis in XL ?

Parent here. My daughter is pre-pointe and has been approved to be fitted for pointe shoes. But we just found out that the studio owner fits everyone into the same shoe - they don’t carry any other brands. They said dancers are allowed to wear other shoes with the owners approval, but it seems to be looked down upon to even suggest it. Is this a red flag in general for the studio?

I need a speci black lace leotard for a recital. All the other girls have this one black leotard, so i was like okay i can buy it my self cause then i can also wear it in class and i remembered that exact leotard flooding amazon a while ago. Therefore i thought i could get it for cheap because it’s main purpose is to be worn for the recital .

Now the problem is that i can’t find it anywhere anymore. I found some similar alternatives but I’d just like to ask if anyone knows a better match. Idk if i just imagined constarly seeing that specific leotard. I figured it just kinda went out of style but i still find it weird that i can’t find a single one.

(the photos are the two closest matches i found but i can’t upload a real photo because reddit flags it as 18+)
Btw it needs to be shipped to Europe

Hey all! So I’ve been en pointe for about 3 1/2 years but I still cant do a clean pirouette en pointe. I can do doubles on flat just fine. I know it’s a mental thing because I don’t have any issues with single leg releves or piques but when it comes to pirouettes, I almost always chicken out or do a really bad one and end up with a slightly bent knee. I don’t know how to get over this and it sucks watching others with the same or less pointe experience doing pirouettes so easily while I can’t :( has anyone else dealt with this and if so, how’d you get over it?

Quick ballet history;
Year 1 - started in grade 7 and basically sucked all year while i learned the basics
Year 2 - still in grade 7, added in training at the gym and another intermediate class, finished grade 7 with high merit
Now - moved for university, so in the holidays i take an RAD intermediate class with my grade 7 teacher, and at university i take 3 intermediate classes a week

Before I left for university I asked my teacher, who I’ve been doing classes with for two years, about starting a pre pointe class, and she said it’s always good to do extra strengthening but that pointe is many years away for me so I shouldn’t worry about it.

In my uni town I just started at a Russian style studio and the teacher was shocked I wasn’t already on pointe and said I certainly looked strong enough for it. I’ve only taken two classes there but she has an amazing eye for technique and can tell when I’m not on my ankle or isolating the lower leg etc and I’ve never had corrections of that detail at my home studio.

I’m not quite sure what to make of these two completely different perspectives. Obviously I want to start pointe and my teacher at the Russian studio has a lot of experience starting adult dancers on pointe, and she specifically said she’d like to get me on pointe while she’s still able to teach. That being said, presumably the teacher I’ve been with for two years knows my dancing best and the last thing I want to do is start pointe too early and injure myself. I’m not quite sure which of these opinions is the ‘right’ one and I know reddit can’t judge whether I should be on pointe or not, but maybe someone’s had a similar experience and could give me some advice?

i'm restarting ballet as an adult after quitting many years ago as a teenager who went en pointe.

i feel my releves are insanely misaligned. most of my weight is on my big toe and i have trouble placing it somewhere nearer to the second and third toes. it feels like the metatarsal bone is piercing right through my flesh if i do so, and putting my weight on the big toe feels more comfortable. i've always had this problem but definitely more pronounced since the end of my teen years.

in the parallel releve photo you can see that my knees point inwards. would that cause problems and does anyone else here have legs like mine?

excuse the mess i'm in the middle of moving

Hi everyone ! I hope this question goes here rather than in the new and returning thread, I am sorry if it doesn't ! I just thought it was a bit more specific.

So, I (32yo M, for context) started an adults basic course at the beginning of the month and I am loving it ! The classes I have been going to are on Saturdays and the teacher there takes it pretty seriously with corrections and all. Of course, it is an adults course for fun so it is not like she is super strict, but she goes around checking our movements when we are doing barre, or when we are doing floor and she can see someone slipping on posture through the mirror she will say it out loud, etc. It is great and I am having an amazing time with how challenging it is and doing my best to improve.

Since I liked it so much, I thought I would add some hours with a different teacher on Wednesdays and she is the complete opposite. Each time we ended our sequence, following to the best of our (scarce) ability, it would just be "good !!" and then on the next one. I understand she might be trying to be encouraging but there is just no way everything is good, otherwise we would not be in that class lol

Now, I do not know much about ballet (yet !) but I am a pretty decent swimmer and have learnt multiple languages so I know that there is something arguably harder than teaching someone sth new and that is correcting ingrained mistakes. So I am thinking of dropping Wednesdays classes, what do you think ? Would the extra time still be better than no ballet at all even if the guidance is no existent ?

Sorry this got a bit long but I wanted to give a clear picture. Thanks all !!

hello!
does anyone know about how many female dancers ENB hires from outside their swan lake in the round? looking to audition but wanted to know my chances of actually receiving a spot.

He's doing this "Band Camp" tour. He's preceded by another comedian, a jazz improv band, and a stunning hip hop group with a lot of serious technique and a lyrical quality to some of their choreography. Many of them clearly had ballet and/or modern training. I was absolutely floored to see those six pirouettes a la seconde in the middle of a hip hop number. There had been tons of cheering throughout, but I'm pretty sure I was the only one losing it over those turns. Seems like laypeople should be able to see how hard that is! I've never done ONE with my leg above 30°, and I could manage five fouettes (on flat) when I was young.

So great to see a big-name artist in a different field supporting dance!

my back flexibility is that i can do a standing backbend but cannot do a needle. have oversplits on both sides on a 20 inch box. can get to like 135+ degrees if i crank the arabesque with a flexi stretcher. can hold it at around 90 standing on flat if i really try but often i forget in the middle of a sequence and it becomes that irritating just-below-90-clearly-my-back-is-doing-jacksquat angle if anyone relates haha. the main kinds of arabesque i need for my rep this season are

(1) a simple piqué first arabesque onto pointe

(2) same thing but second arabesque

(3) a first arabesque turn (into an attitude turn without dropping the leg fwiw)

(4) a plié penché with the same arm as leg also up in elongé (distinct from simple first arabesque penché because the upper back gets FUNKY), on the side where the lifting leg feels like it has an extra bone in the hip (i was diagnosed with hip impingement and did some PT to the point where the PT said i got stronger but like, it was not a ballet PT lol he did not evaluate my arabesque). feels worth mentioning because i feel that bone inhibiting me when i try to lift or rotate that leg behind me in any shape or form

(5) first arabesque piqué onto pointe, plié maintaining arabesque, back up to pointe arabesque, back down to plié

(6) chugs in first arabesque plié (like 15 of them)

the main flaws I'm noticing in my arabesque are that the supporting leg looks bent and squishy (even though i KNOW i have quad muscles, I think I just tend to not engage them fully because my ankles are not the most flexible but i need to get on box, some weird stuff happening there), my back doesn't look completely upright (especially under fatigue i can't hold it for stuff like (5) and (6)), and leg bobs up and down in (5) and (6) despite conscious effort to lift it and squeeze lower back and butt. and ofc leg is stupid low overall lol

stuff i have tried for several months atp:

- backups with hands behind head, holding last rep for a bit

- backups with high fifth arms supported by yoga ball underneath, holding the last rep for a few seconds

- occasionally checking that i can still hold a cobra with arms in high fifth (last i checked yes, although i can only do it with a yoga mat or less padding, on a gym mat i can't hold it)

- upper back-only back ups, where arms go in front of forehead, swim out to a backwards bras bas if that makes sense, then return to forehead, then body down

- foam-roller-assisted upper and full-backups

- supine plank

- single leg tryhaRDLs (RDLs but i go into penché and then back into parallel passé haha), progressed from 10 to 40 pounds since i started

- bulgarian split squats (progressed from 15 to 40 pounds in each hand since i started)

- double and single leg glute bridges, + pilates classes where they do that but with cake and sprinkles

- arabesque kicks of all forms - standard grand battement, lying on stomach, lying on stomach with yoga ball, kneeling, arabesque into attitude then back into arabesque before lowering, rocking from cobra, and also both explosive kicks and slow 1s up 1s down raises, holding last rep if it's the second kind

- arabesque and penché holds after flexistretching the position

- upper back against wall stretch

- trying to slam hand to back foot in split (i am multiple feet away from success lmao)

- lat pull downs (progressed from 55 to 80lb since start)

- single arm chest supported rows (progressed from 70 to 90lb since start)

- never skipping barre or center adagio. most days i also do a petite adagio with the divise en quatre stuff in both directions and temps lié with high legs. i do class 5-6x a week and at least 3 with centre en pointe.

at this point i'm starting to think i have some undiagnosed medical issue bc i haven't seen any improvement and especially under fatigue my entire torso collapses (but i can run a sub 30 5K so like...cardio endurance isn't the problem). my legs feel exhausted all the time also. help haha

I’m sharing this because I believe transparency, accountability, and student welfare are important considerations when promoting dance schools and companies within the NYC dance community.
I have had conversations with people who have been connected to Ballet des Amériques (BdA) and Carole Alexis Dance Theater in different capacities. These conversations have encouraged me to reflect on the importance of understanding people’s experiences before making decisions about which organizations to support or promote.
Dance training can be rigorous and demanding while still respecting students’ well-being, individuality, and dignity. Similarly, professional dance environments should go prioritize clear communication, transparent agreements, and professional standards.
I believe dancers, parents, teachers, and studio owners should feel comfortable asking questions and seeking information when evaluating a school or company. Promotional materials and audition listings can influence where dancers choose to train or work, making thoughtful decisions about professional affiliations particularly important.
If you encounter promotional materials for dance organizations at your studio, consider asking management about its process for evaluating the organizations it promotes. When considering an audition or professional opportunity, take the time to research the organization, ask questions about expectations and working arrangements, and ensure that you understand any agreements before committing.
Everyone’s experience is different, and I encourage people to approach these conversations with an open mind, respect for individual perspectives, and a commitment to informed decision-making.
My intention is to encourage reflection on how our dance community evaluates the organizations it promotes and how we can collectively support environments that prioritize artistic development, professionalism, transparency, and the well-being of dancers.
Please share this with dancers, parents, teachers, studio owners, and other dance professionals who may find it relevant.

So I’m wondering what I can wear to ballet class with a bigger chest to help with support and flattening? I always feel self conscious in leotards, and am looking for ways to minimize and/or flatten my chest or give more of a flat appearance. Being bigger chested makes class harder because most leotards aren’t supportive enough, and most sports bras I’ve found don’t actually help flatten and support my chest. I’m looking for any recommendations! Thank you in advance.