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Dance classes for older beginners?

his_skinnylove
his_skinnylove Posts: 3 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm 18 and want to begin either ballet, jazz, or gymnastics. I tried gymnastics for a year when I was 11, but I was tall for my age and heavy for my height in a class of tiny 5-8 year olds. I quit because I felt so gargantuan compared to the others. Now that I'm older and more proportional, I want to try again. I'm not even trying to become a professional, I just want to get more active by dance (and I want to be a cheerleader at least one year, and I'm going to college in a few years). Does anyone else have experience with these kinds of classes? What are they like? How much did you improve?

Replies

  • jimmyn6
    jimmyn6 Posts: 15 Member
    i think gymnastics at 18 will be a bit harder.

    I did dance, Jazz and Ballet after I graduate HS and when I started college. It's simple really, usually your college will have a kinesiology class that is dance 1 or something, that's intended for someone who has never danced before.

    I also spent some time at a dance studio, in an adult class. It was once a week, ballet an hour, and then jazz an hour after that. it's fun, and i learned a lot. Ballet was a lot of warm-up, stretching, and learning the positions. In jazz, i learned more of the turns, steps, and simple leaps. really it's all about getting into that 8-count. The dance studio however always had a recital and they prepped heavily for it. It was something I didn't really care for, I was the only guy in an all female class so they really wanted me be in it so I could offer some other elements to the choreo.

    i got better, but i was still a bit shy and I wasn't good at counting and keeping count. It's the same problem I had in band. So that was the biggest challenge. I can learn the moves, just being on time.
  • his_skinnylove
    his_skinnylove Posts: 3 Member
    Maybe it's a location issue. I googled such classes for my city and no such luck. Which sucks, because I wanted to be a ballerina! Thanks anyway :)
  • Alassonde
    Alassonde Posts: 228 Member
    My city has dance classes for adults. I have taken several, and it is a lot of fun and great exercise. I say go for it if there is a place near you that offers it!
  • his_skinnylove
    his_skinnylove Posts: 3 Member
    I found a class not too far away! :D I'm going to sign up for ballet starting this September- thanks for the replies Jimmy and Alassonde!
  • BlueberryWatermelon
    BlueberryWatermelon Posts: 73 Member
    Have fun!! Dance classes are one of my favourite forms of exercise. :)
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    In larger cities with more dance studios, it's not hard to find adult classes, although most of them will tend toward more modern forms of dance like hip-hop or even ballroom. Another place to check is your local community college. Ballet is an amazing workout, especially for your legs!

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