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Ayako School of Ballet is a dance academy that provides group and private instruction to young performers in the Belmont area. The school primarily conducts beginning, intermediate, advanced, and pre-professional ballet classes and also offers elective programs in jazz, modern, variation, and competition. Studio director Ayako Takahashi was a principal member of the Tokyo City Ballet Company and the Matsuyama Ballet Company.
Ballet Academy of Silicon Valley is a non-competitive dance arts studio and performing company utilizing a holistic approach to the instruction of a variety of dance forms taught. The company is dedicated to nurturing, inspiring, and cultivating the artistic potential of the South Valley community by providing quality educational instruction and training programs by professionals, superb performances, and collaboration with other arts organizations within the community. It has registered teachers with both the Royal Academy of Dance and Cecchetti USA. It also offers classes for men, women, boys, and girls in Classical Ballet, Modern, Ukrainian Folk Dance, and PBT for ages three and up.
Ballet Petit is a Hayward-based dance studio that has been providing ballet training for young performers in the San Jose metro area for over 39 years. The academy focuses on group classes in ballet and pointe and offers programs for various skill levels including pre-ballet, beginner, transition intermediate, intermediate, transition-advanced, advanced, and pre-professional. Artistic director and founder Peggy Peabody was honored with the 2008 Women’s Hall of Fame Award for Arts and Culture by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors and The Alameda County Commission on the Status of Women.
Bay Ballet Academy is dance academy that provides professional ballet training for students of all ages and skill levels in the San Jose area. Its team specializes in classical ballet technique, partnering, and Pilates mat training and is also trained in teaching lyrical, contemporary, modern, jazz, and hip-hop dance styles. Students commend the instructors at Bay Ballet Academy for their professionalism, patience, and caring nature.
Capitol Dance Company is a professional dance academy in San Jose that has been educating young performers for more than 38 years. The school primarily offers ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, and hip-hop classes and also holds annual performances, master classes, and accelerated training programs for competitive dancers. Parents highly appreciate Capitol Dance Academy for its skilled, caring, encouraging, and supportive instructors.
Dance Academy USA is a dance studio that has been educating young performers in the Cupertino area for more than 26 years. The school offers an extensive array of classes including ballet, pointe, ballroom, breakdance, jazz, tap, hip-hop, creative dance, lyrical, contemporary, mommy and me, musical theater, and voice. Dance Academy USA has earned numerous five-star reviews on Yelp.
Dance Attack Studios is a local dance school that provides quality programs and instruction for students of all ages in the Los Gatos area. The studio offers programs for toddlers, school-age children, teens, and adults, and provides professional training in a diverse array of dance styles including ballet, jazz, tap, modern, pointe, hip-hop, and breakdance. Students appreciate the instructors at Dance Attack Studios for being patient, attentive, well-organized, and encouraging.
Infinity Dance Studio is a premier dance school that provides recreational and advanced training for performers in the San Jose area. The academy caters to student ages 3 to adult and offers a broad range of classes that include ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, jazz, lyrical, tap, and Zumba. Parents love that the teachers at Infinity Dance Studio cultivate a warm, friendly, and accommodating learning environment.
Pacific Ballet Academy is a dance school that provides graded ballet classes for recreational and competitive dancers in the Mountain View area. The academy caters to pre-ballet, beginning, intermediate, and advanced level students and offers youth programs, adult programs, summer programs. The academy also conducts workshops in ballet, lyrical, and modern dance styles. Students compliment the teachers at Pacific Ballet Academy on being accommodating, patient, kind, and supportive.
Roundhill Studios Ballet School is a dance academy that offers high-quality ballet instruction to students of all ages and skill levels in the San Jose area. The school was founded in 1986 and has since taught ballet techniques such as floor combinations, barre, basic positions, foundation steps, creative movement, and pointe work. Studio founder and director Donna Maruoka is certified by the American Ballet Theatre (ABT).
Sterling Dance Theatre is a year-round dance school that has been training students ages 3 and above in the San Jose area for over 27 years. The teachers strive to guide dancers toward emotional, physical, and technical development by highlighting the proper dance techniques of ballet, jazz, hip-hop, tap, and lyrical in a fun, creative environment. Parents commend Sterling Dance Theatre for its welcoming, professional, and competent staff.
Triple Threat Performing Arts is a dance studio in Livermore that has been providing professional training for recreational and competitive dancers for over 20 years. Its team has more than 40 years of cumulative experience in teaching ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, lyrical jazz and modern dance and also conducts acting, vocal and music training. Parents commend the instructors at Triple Threat Performing Arts for imparting the value of hard work, humility, and dedication to students.
Western Ballet is a dance studio that provides professional classes and workshops for beginner and advanced students in the Mountain View area. The school primarily conducts classes involving ballet, pre-ballet, stretch, gymnastics, contemporary, pointe, pre-pointe, and technique and also offers youth, summer, and trainee programs for dancers at various skill levels. Students praise the instructors at Western Ballet for their passion and dedication to their craft.
Zohar School of Dance and Company is a nonprofit dance studio that has been training male and female adult performers in the Palo Alto area for over 37 years. The school primarily teaches classical jazz, ballet, modern, contemporary, tap, flamenco, and musical theater and also offers outreach programs for children with special needs. Students commend the instructors at Zohar School of Dance and Company for conducting energetic, uplifting, and challenging classes.
Ballet is an intense and beautiful sport. It can help people learn how to be more creative, as well as become physically stronger. And while most people who intend to become professional ballerinas start at a young age, people can take up ballet at any time. To learn ballet, you'll have to take professional lessons at a ballet studio, either privately or as part of a class. Of course, if you've never taken dance lessons before, you may be uncertain about how to decide which studio to choose. Keep reading for answers to the most common questions about ballet classes, so you can make an informed decision when selecting a studio.
Ballet is an artistic dance form characterized by light, fluid, graceful, and precise movements. Ballet dancers wear pointe shoes that allow them to stand on their toes and twirl. This type of performative dance can tell a story to an audience. Ballet is very technical, often taking people years to master.
Ballet originated in Italy in the early 1500s. In fact, the word ballet stems from the Italian word "ballare," which means "to dance." Although it originated in Italy, ballet was introduced to the French and Russian courts, where it was really transformed. By 1850, Russia had become the leader in creating and transforming ballet into what it is today.
The length of a ballet class depends on the student's age. Children aged three to eight will only take a 30-minute to one-hour class. From there, class length increases with age:
You can absolutely learn ballet as an adult. In fact, ballet is a great way to get physical exercise and increase your strength as an adult. Of course, starting as an adult means it's unlikely you’ll become a professional ballet dancer, but it does mean you can do it for fun!
There's a benefit to learning to dance ballet en pointe in your younger years. As your feet develop, dancing ballet helps ensure they gain the strength, flexibility, and shape to dance en pointe. However, it’s not impossible for adults to learn en pointe. It will just take a lot of time and dedication.
Ballet is all about dedication and practice. You should be committed to going to your classes every week (multiple times a week is ideal), warming up before classes, and wearing the right shoes. You can also improve your ballet by staying fit and taking part in other types of physical exercise.
