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

https://www.instagram.com/p/DbHCjDLCIMA/

I'm always surprised by the lack of art posted on reddit related to such a beautiful art form, so here's some photos I saw recently that I love ❤️ the first one made me GASP

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?

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!

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?

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 !!

This is so random, but ballet makes me feel so uncomfortable about my buttttttttt. I like having one and usually am happy about it but starting adult ballet has me second guessing it or at least wearing a leotard.

Wearing a leotard when you’re caked up in the back is so awkward 😭 Anyone else ever felt this way?

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.

Columbia Dance’s Fort Vancouver Nutcracker is returning December 18–20, and it’s a pretty unique take on a holiday classic. Developed in collaboration with local Tribal communities, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, and local historians, the production weaves the history of 1840s Fort Vancouver into Tchaikovsky’s beloved ballet.

Along with the familiar holiday magic, you’ll find fur trappers, dancing beavers, Oregon Trail children, and stories inspired by the people and history of our region.

There’s also a sensory-friendly “shush-free” performance on Friday, December 18, at 6 p.m., featuring lower sound levels, lights left on, buffer seating, and a relaxed, come-and-go environment.

📍 Skyview Concert Hall, Vancouver
📅 December 18–20, 2026
🎟️ $24 youth/senior | $29 adult
Tickets are on sale now: https://columbiadance.org/vancouver-nutcracker/
If you’re looking for a holiday outing that celebrates local history in an unexpected way, this is one to check out!

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.

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 have a fitting with Riley tomorrow and I was digging through old shoes looking for a specific pair of dead ones to bring with. I ended up pulling all of them out and was showing a ballet classmate and then realized "oh hey, I got my first pair in October 2011, what day was that again?"

I looked it up on Facebook and it just so happened that I took my first picture in my first pointe shoes 15 years ago today. So before class started tonight, I had a classmate take a comparison picture xD it's nice to see that yes, I have improved since my very first pair, even if progress is still slow and there's a lot I still need to work on. Starting as an adult is rough, but progress can be made even if you can only dedicate a few hours a week to it :D

Second picture is every shoe I've worn. First pair hangs in my office. Second pair I was going to decorate for my kid's room but never got behind having a coworker dye it for me xD

1st pair: Bloch Suprima

2nd pair: RP Grande

3-6: RP Muse

7: Bloch Eurostretch, first pair back after 5 years off dance altogether plus one year back in flats

8-9: RP Muse

10-17: RP Legata (CL90)

17th pair is unsewn, I bought them this summer then started having some issues with my foot before I got them sewn, then saw Riley was coming so I just decided to hold off sewing them until after my fitting! 16th pair is fine, but 14, 15, and 16 are all in rotation and 14 is about ready to retire from rotation haha

In the last 2.5 years I have had to switch pointe shoes like 4 times, first because of bunions (had to go up a width), then because of bunionette (or something was causing my toes to slant inwards when standing in parallel), then because of hammer toe (I think some padding helped but also needed higher profile), and now again because of bunions AND bunionettes. And just last night my pointe teacher told me again that my shoes looked too narrow (and I could feel it too). And then after that I tried on a second type of shoe that I bought from an in person fitting like 4 months ago and had danced in maybe once but was trying to save because I loved them but heard they died fast, and wouldn’t ya know it I felt like my toes were being hydraulic pressed. Now this would all make sense if I was a growing teenager but I AM 25 and with shoe stock so unpredictable I like to order multiple pairs in one go and this problem is making that really hard 😭 how do I get my feet to calm down and stay in one shape? Or is that even possible 😅 like my eyeglass prescription and other clothing sizes haven’t changed in a decade so I’m surprised that my feet (mainly bunions and hammer third toes) keep hypertrophying. Sorry idk if this makes sense, just trying to see if there’s a medical explanation/solution for constant foot growth past foot growth age lol

My child's auditioning for their post-grad programme – is it worth going if she gets accepted

Just as the rain cleared on a recent Sunday morning, an eclectic group of ballerinas gathered on the fifth floor of Ailey Studios in Midtown Manhattan. None were ballet dancers by trade. But as they moved around the studio, unfolding their limbs with practice and grace, it was obvious that ballet lives in each of their bodies.

This is a rehearsal for the Ballet Salon, a new company designed to provide a space for lapsed dancers to return to the art form. On Monday, at the Gibney Theater at the Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center, the company will have its formal debut as part of a two-night engagement. Most of these dancers haven’t performed in years.

The company was founded last year by two former pre-professional ballet dancers, Meiying Thai and Adriana Gramly. “At the time I quit ballet, nobody really gave me other options for how to have a life filled with dance,” said Thai, who had been a student at the School of American Ballet. “I didn’t really have an entry point back in.”

Access full gift article, NO PAYWALL.

Several years ago, while researching ballet methods to improve my own technique, I came across the now-unavailable Bournonville School DVD set, which was released in 2005. What these recordings demonstrate is the result of years of training according to the Bournonville method. The cinematic language of these recordings is remarkable in its own right. I still find it far superior to most archival and contemporary ballet footage. I've gathered some thoughts on the recordings in an little essay and also put together a video library of the Bournonville School, so anyone interested can watch and explore the recordings themselves:

It begins in black, and the black remains. There is no hall, no wall, no clock. Blue light lies on the floor as on still water, and the seams between the lengths of dance flooring run toward a point behind the darkness. The only warm thing in the frame is the barre: a red rail on two black stands with flat cross-shaped feet, a horizon you are allowed to hold on to, and one that is waiting for someone. Only the floor is less empty than the room. Scratches and pale scuff marks run through the blue, left by feet that no recording shows, without order and without names.

The body comes out of this nothing and goes back into it. Between two views it turns transparent; the floor shows through its chest. For the length of a dissolve it stands facing front and in profile at once, a person in the condition of their own copy. This is what a tradition looks like that has decided it is no longer permitted to forget, and what is not forgotten begins to count. “This is how it was once done” becomes “This is how it looks,” without anyone having ordered it. What one body did on one day now takes itself for the school.

Hans Beck folded it, in the late nineteenth century, into six days. At the barre they recognize one another, Monday recognizing Thursday, Tuesday Friday, Wednesday Saturday; in the center of the room they remain strangers. A difficulty never comes to rest in this week. It returns in a different neighborhood until the body no longer notices it and is disturbed only by what is wrong. The real archive is not the recording. It is a foot that lands so that the next step has nothing to repair, and above it a torso already looking elsewhere. In épaulement the head takes up a direction the chest does not share, while the feet are already preparing the next transition.

The demonstration forgets differently. It has no place for fellow students, for the mirror, or for the teacher whose remark takes hold in one body and stiffens the next. What remains is form without an addressee. Top left, white lettering floats in the dark, “Head towards front foot,” “Look towards the working foot,” instructions without a voice. Cut off below the knee, nothing left but shin, ankle and white shoe, the foot is finally legible, and the person above it is gone.

What succeeds does not carry its path with it. No shoulder corrects itself before our eyes; no cue has to be found. The calm of the upper body contains the failed attempts that came before it and shows none of them. Whoever produces it by holding it in place gets its image and loses what carried it, for the distance between two images does not measure the distance between two abilities. And yet the playback, in which the figure moves without end, does not drift along with us. What we now see every day also changes how far we expect an arm to open. In the recording it remains more restrained; watching again, we may miss something that was never missing from the sequence at the time. A slightly more restrained carriage of the arms from back then is enough to reveal a habit living under our own roof and taking itself for necessity.

Once, a dancer stands exactly in the center, facing front, arms rounded before the tulle, feet closed. The light falls straight down; her shadow is only a dark patch beneath her shoes, and nothing about her points in any direction. She smiles. Whether that is danseglæde or already the joy that was demanded, the image cannot decide.

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.

Out with the old, in with the new 💞

I'm an adult beginner and as my first ever pointe shoes I had GMs, which lasted for 2.5years with about one pointe class a week (otherwise around 2-3 ballet classes with barre and stretching). My teacher noted the shank had gone loose inside and the fitter noticed the bubbling (can be seen in the photo) which meant they had died, apparently. I wasnt sure what dead Mindens are like, even with research, as theyre not the same as traditional pointe shoes. However, I've progressed during this time and felt like they didnt support me and just werent the right fit anymore?

The fitter (who fitted my first ones too) first tried on the yellow GMs but they bent like socks, and we were both shook. In the end I left with Bloch European balance with the strong shank. I am hypermobile and as Ive progressed it seemed that I need that harder support, as I can articulate my feet better now. I feel accomplished because for the longest time I used to believe my noodle like limbs were something I couldnt help as my body type is naturally quite slender - not at all easy to put on muscle. My flexibility is def more of "my thing" but noticing Ive gotten some strength gives me so much more inspiration to keep going! My fitter/teacher also said my feet had gone through a metamorphosis. Even though the new shoe is entirely different, they feel amazing! Wish me luck though, might have to build even more strength to dance with these. I have not bent or softened them because I want to try to do that with my training🤣

I currently wear R-Class Astra W5/260/M shank. Ankles pretty straight but I guess strong. Second toe longer than first toe, third toe same as big toe. Have both bunions next to big toe and bunionettes next to pinky. My teacher in pointe class today said that my shoes looked too tapered and I should have more platform for my wide feet. Specifically in 3/4 pointe it looked like I couldn't spread all 10 toes (which is true). She also said it looked like my shank was twisting. I have spacers between toes 1/2 and 4/5 and darned the shoes so I think I've maximally engineered the shoes I currently have.

I also fit in a Bloch EuroStretch 8/2X (haven't danced much in them) and Suffolk Spotlight 8/3X/hard (don't love them but have danced in them before getting R-Class). Going to get fitted in person but the local shop has limited inventory and expertise so I wanted to hear some starter options. Thanks!!

Hello! Does anyone know where this Leo is from?

I’m 17 years old and I took my first ever ballet class last week. I was definitely very lost (having come in weeks after the class started) but needless to say, I really enjoyed it and I’d love to improve more.

Right now I’m in an adult/teen beginner class that only happens once a week, and my studio seems to offer another adult/teen beginner lyrical dance class but nothing else for my level. I have a gym membership with a large studio I can use but I’m not really sure what I would actually do in there to help me progress.

I’d also love to get instruction more than once a week, is it worth looking at going to more than one studio so I can have more classes? Also is it common to have private classes with a teacher in ballet and should I ask my studio if that would be an option so I can dance more?

Thanks for any input!