Adult Beginner Ballet Class

I was mega, nerdy excited about my first class. I did my hair up in a bun, sported some black leggings and a dancey looking top and off I went. Thankfully the studio was very easy to find, its right near some major landmarks in the town center and it's a wonder I never noticed it before. I went in the 'Dance Academy' door as opposed to the 'Theatre' door and up the stairs to the reception desk. Nervously told the nice man on the desk 'I'm here for the adult beginner ballet?' and he told me the teacher was just there at the end of the desk, she will show me up. There were a couple of people milling about her but none of them looked 'like a dancer' in my opinion except the teacher so I wasn't intimidated just yet. She showed us up to the studio and oh gosh it was lovely! Big, light, airy studio, floor to celing mirrors and barres around the outside, a beautiful curving roof structure since we were on the top floor. Everyone started putting bags on the windowsill and I followed suit, the teacher came over and asked me 'Hi, first time?' I told her yes and she then asked 'What other dance school have you been too?' so I told her 'This is the first one...' 'Oh! First time ever!?' she asked excitedly, 'Brilliant!' phew, that could have went worse, I was kind of expecting her to chuck me out.

The class filled up quickly and everyone started to get ready, most were casually dressed which was reassuring but then, horror of horrors, the girl next to me pulled on a pair of pointé shoes! OHMYGODIMUSTBEINTHEWRONGCLASS. PLEASE TELL ME IM IN THE WRONG CLASS! My brain screamed. No, there must be a class below this I thought as another girl pulled on pointés. I was quickly reassured with other newbies looks of horror, oh good I'm not the only one panicking  but before I had much more time to think about it the class started.

We began with a warm up, a run round the room stopping every now and again to do 3 bunny hops, then to the barre. I started to enjoy it really quickly, plié is much harder than I thought. We did lots of exercises but I can't remember hardly any of the names, I think there were some grand battemonts in there? Oh and some frappes. We did center work too, working on some turns, spotting, and little jump routines.

Oh it was brilliant! I loved every minute and thankfully the pointé girls stayed off the pointés, all though as it turns out I have good balance and was good at fifth position demi pointé, result! Class ended with a curtsy from the girls, bows from the boys and a round of applause. Then everyone filed out. I shuffled over to the teacher and gave her my £5 and she asked 'I hope it was ok, we didn't scare you?' So I told her I panicked a bit at the girls shoes but I really enjoyed the class, she told me the pointé girls are from the advanced class and she hoped I would come again. She advised me to get some shoes as it's much easier than doing it in socks.

I ordered shoes the minute I got home. I'm hooked!