Becoming a dancer is like building a house. You must start with a strong foundation. This strong foundation must support the structure, enabling one to add walls, a roof, and all the interesting interior elements such as furniture and decor. Over time there must be maintenance and up keep on this foundation in order to keep the rest of the house in sound order. Ballet technique is the foundation to all forms of dance. A dancer must establish that foundation in technique before they can even begin to work on more complicated steps, combinations, and “tricks”.

Students of dance, even non-ballet focused students, benefit immensely from learning ballet early-on in their dance education. A strong ballet-based technique will compliment their training in other dance styles and will greatly increase their technique, flexibility, stamina, and balance. They will find definite improvement in their ability to change their weight more quickly, execute clean lines, and gain physical and mental strength. Ballet creates a dancer who is centered, balanced, and graceful. Good dance habits are essential in the growth and development of a dancer. Early and continuous ballet training will help a student in every aspect of their life. Ballet technique training gives dancers so much more than learning steps. It can help with, discipline, perseverance, and patience. These are additional skills which will follow a dancer throughout their life, especially into their adult life.

Ballet has evolved over centuries and has survived and absorbed every fad imaginable. It has great wisdom and logic imbedded in it which every dancer should learn. It is not important whether you become a ballet performer or not. In today’s dance world, dancers are expected to be versatile and ballet training will only aid in this versatility. A strong ballet foundation must be built in order to truly succeed in dance.