Located in Gladstone, Ballet North is a classical ballet school and performance studio founded in 1977. The school offers pre-intensive summer ballet classes for ages 10-12, intensive summer ballet classes for ages 13+, and dance camps. Ballet North embodies the very same model followed by the School of American Ballet and the American Ballet Theater in New York.
Barbara’s Conservatory of Dance is a ballet dance school located in Topeka that provides instruction based on a grading system. Classes offered include elementary ballet, intermediate ballet, advanced ballet, pointe, pas de deux, tap, lyrical/contemporary, Broadway jazz, hip-hop, modern, liturgical, and conditioning. Barbara’s Conservatory of Dance conforms to the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum.
Boundless Dance Academy is a dance school located in Independence offering dance lessons for students Pre-K and ages 5+. Classes for ages 5+ include rising stars, ballet, pointe, modern/lyrical, jazz, tap, hip-hop, and tumbling. Boundless Dance Academy is committed and dedicated to producing excellence from a student's study of dance while offering affordable tuition and family discounts.
Dance Gallery is a dance school located in Lawrence that has been in operation for over 30 years. The studio's classes include ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, jazz, lyrical, pointe, tap, tumbling, and acrobatics. The facility also maintains a dance studio and gallery fitness center. Dance Gallery is a well-established academy that has trained thousands of students throughout the years. The school accepts student enrollment all year long.
Founded in 1993, Denise’ Dance Academy is a dance school located in Overland Park offering master classes and private lessons. The studio provides instruction in a variety of dance styles that include tap, jazz, ballet and pointe, tumbling, hip-hop, pom and leaps, turns and conditioning, and lyrical. The school's dancers have featured at many venues around Kansas City and the country. The students have also performed onstage at Walt Disney World.
Dramatic Truth Ballet Theatre is a ballet company and school located in Kansas City. Originally founded in Nashville in 1986, it is a Christ-centered professional performing arts school. Dramatic Truth School of the Arts urges dancers to develop a unique fusion of classical and modern techniques with a heart of worship.
Heart of America Dance Centre is a dance school located in Lee's Summit. Classes offered include tumbling, tap, ballet, ballet, lyrical, jazz, dance sampler, and more. The studio offers ballet lessons for various age groups such as Pre-Ballet I for ages 5-6, Pre-Ballet II for ages 6-7, Pre-Ballet III for ages 6-8, and Intro to Ballet for ages 12 and older. Heart of America Dance Centre is a 2016 Studio of Excellence Award Winner.
Kansas City Young Audiences is a music school in Kansas City that offers dance, acting, garage band and music, visual art, and multidisciplinary classes. The academy's dance classes include pre-ballet, ballet, and combo dance classes for kids. Kansas City Young Audiences is affiliated with the National Young Audiences Arts for Learning network.
Katie's Acrobat, Dance and Music Studio is a dance school located in Leavenworth and founded in September 1995. Classes offered include acrobatics, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, tap, clogging, and cheerleading. The school's instructor, Katie Holmes, was honored with a 25-Year Membership Award from Dance Masters of America. Katie's Acrobat, Dance and Music Studio is a Top Rated Local Studio.
Missouri Contemporary Ballet is a ballet school located in Columbia offering classes to dancers of all ages and levels of experience. The studio brings together a range of genres from classical ballet to jazz. Missouri Contemporary Ballet cultivates the artistic and personal development of students by providing a supportive, motivational, and inspirational environment for dance studies.
Studio 10 Dance & Cheer is a dance school located in Liberty, Missouri offering classes including wiggles/giggles, pre-k combo, combo, level 1 ballet, tap and jazz, and junior hip-hop/cheer. The studio dedicates itself to providing quality dance instruction for beginners through adults. The instructors strive to foster character development and confidence in a positive, classy, organized, and Christian environment.
The Culture House is an arts and dance academy located in Olathe that offers theater performance packages and a variety of schools for dance, theater, music, and visual arts. Since 1996, the studio has provided a complete dance curriculum for all ages. Dance classes available include ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and hip-hop. The Culture House is a winner of the 2015 KC Parent Family Faves Award.
The Luzicka School of Ballet is the only classical ballet school located in Liberty. The school uses a syllabus rooted in the Vaganova style of ballet, originating in Russia. The Luzicka School of Ballet offers classes for ages 4 through 18.
The Pointe Dance Studio is a ballet school located in Independence offering classes including pre-school combo, beginner combo, advanced beginner, technique classes, and competition techniques. The classes feature warm-ups, instruction and practice, and application of skills in fun routines. The Pointe Dance Studio invites anyone to try out a free class.
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.
Ballet is a form of physical exercise, and like any activity, it can come with an element of danger. Most notably, ballet can cause foot pain, foot injuries, and even permanent foot damage. Additionally, ballet dancers may be susceptible to falling and breaking bones in their arms, legs, ankles, and feet.
Yes, as ballet is incredibly intense, it’s a great form of exercise for adults. Ballet is a weight-bearing exercise, so it provides a workout for the entire body. Adults taking ballet classes will burn calories and fat, as well as strengthen their muscles.
Ballet is often about precise and graceful movements, so you don’t want loose clothing getting in the way. Women are encouraged to wear form-fitting leotards, tights, and ballet flats. Men should wear black footed or footless tights, a form-fitting white T-shirt, and ballet shoes.
Ballerinas often opt for a bun hairstyle, so their hair is up and out of their face and doesn't distract them. There are various styles of buns, including sock buns, high buns, low buns, etc. You can find tutorials on YouTube that will guide you through making a bun in a style you like.
Consider wearing ballet flats, a fitted shirt and leggings to your first class, Once you're sure you want to continue with the classes, you can invest in ballet tights and leotards.
Your body will need fuel for an intense ballet class, but you can't eat too heavy a meal, as you may be spinning and moving around a lot. Instead, opt for calorie-dense food that's not too filling. Some great examples are nuts and seeds, protein bars, granola bars, hummus and crackers, cheese and crackers, and fruit.
How many calories you burn during a ballet class depends on various factors, including your body mass index and metabolic rate. However, on average, an individual burns 462 calories during 30 minutes of a ballet class. More calories are burned during ballet classes than with many other types of dance, such as the waltz, samba, and Zumba.
You can try to learn basic ballet at home with video tutorials or virtual lessons from an instructor. However, nothing can replace in-person training where a teacher can adjust your form and show you how to improve. Consider starting with video tutorials and progressing to in-person classes.
Yes, you can make a ballet barre at home. You can purchase the supplies a home improvement store and watch a video on how to install the barre at the right height. This barre can help you practice and improve your ballet skills at home.
Ballet classes can vary in cost depending on the student's age, the school's location, the class size, whether it's beginner's or advanced instruction, the school's reputation, and other factors.
In general, you can expect to pay:
The price of ballet shoes will depend on the brand, quality, and other factors. Typically, a pair of ballet shoes can cost between $45 and $125. However, if you’re purchasing a popular brand, prices are likely on the higher side at $65 to $90, on average.
The ballet class is a famous painting by Edgar Degas. It’s estimated that Degas painted it between 1871 and 1874. The painting was commissioned by Jean-Baptiste Faure and showcased young dancers at the end of a ballet lesson with French master Jules Perrot.
