This is one of the most common questions surrounding ballet. In short, the answer is no. Ballet is for everyone, at any age. There are so many reasons besides becoming a professional dancer in a big ballet company to do ballet. Today we dive into the question: Is it too late to start ballet?
Most professional female dancers will have started at least around 8 or 9 years old. Female dancers will generally need to start younger as they need more time to train on pointe. That being said, there are plenty of high level female dancers who started in their mid teen years and successfully made a professional career in ballet. Misty Copeland of ABT started at 13 and Jenna Savella of the National Ballet of Canada started at age 15, and these are only a couple examples. There is a tendency to see more male dancers in companies that started later, in their mid to late teens. Part of the reason is they don’t go on pointe, but another is access. Many of the best schools from around the world will give boys a full scholarship to their school because there is such a lack of boys in ballet schools. This is providing boys with access to the highest level ballet education even at a later start. In the end starting early is helpful, but isn’t everything. Putting in the training hours, having good coaching, having a body with some facility for ballet and being in a very mature, determined and healthy state of mind are more important. Also, access to training facilities, teachers, equipment (floors, barres, pointe shoes, etc.) and the time to train, is important.
Let’s consider the version where you want to dance but not necessarily become the next Baryshnikov. Most people who take ballet classes will not go on to be professional dancers, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t gain anything from trying ballet. You could dance professionally in another style, or go into acting, work in the administration of an arts company, or do nothing related to ballet at all. The time spent in class gives you a high degree of physical literacy that you will carry with you forever. You develop an appreciation for the arts, make friends and grow your creativity. You improve physical traits like coordination, strength, proprioception, and flexibility. You learn to compete with yourself, and to not take yourself too seriously. You learn to try new things and that it’s okay to be bad at something – I promise you will improve!
If you’ve been thinking about taking a ballet class – do it. You have nothing to loose, and everything to gain.
Let’s start the conversation: When did you start ballet?