Getting into Ballet at an Older Age: It's Possible and It's Not Silly

Nearly every little girl dreams of being a professional ballerina. And many of those little girls are enrolled in beginner ballet classes. However, once these children age they may begin to lose interest.

Cut to 15 or 20 years later. That same little girl is now in her 20s, but still wants to be a ballerina. Is it too late?

No.

A lot of people start ballet again and re-start it at a later age. For many it can be awkward to stand at the ballet barre with a class full of 12 year-olds, but many schools offer adult classes for late starters or re-starters.

If you still cling to the dream of being a professional ballerina at this later age, know that the odds of this happening are very slim. There is some precedent. Misty Copeland is a soloist with the American Ballet Theater. She did not start dancing at all until the age of 13. This, for a professional dancer, is considered a late start. However, she had extraordinary training and her story is considered fairly unique.

As for dancers starting in their 20s, it's best to abandon hopes of being in a large company and dance out of love. Most studios have performance opportunities for all of their dancers, especially since ballet is a performing art.

As an older dancer, there are some advantages over "the youngsters." For one thing, adult dancer's bodies are fully developed. As the younger dancers grow, they have to re-adjust their entire dance with every inch in a growth spurt. For older dancers, the days of drastic growth spurts are over. Also, adult dancers have more developed muscle structures which make some moves a bit easier.

Apart from the body, adult dancers tend to be more focused. I've found that teachers say they enjoy teaching adults much more because they don't goof around as much (we're allowed a bit of laughter during class), they're focused and dedicated, they have a greater sense of responsibility and they're there because they want to be there. Adults, especially mothers, may find it hard to break away from family life for even just an hour or two a week-their presence in class often shows their dedication.