Spoiler №1: you will not become a professional ballet dancer.
Spoiler №2: there are cases when hard work and determination lead to very high results, almost professional level.

Let's go step by step.

Adult ballet benefits

• Stronger and more toned body
  
  

• Better posture
  
  

• Lots of energy
  
  

• Better self-discipline
  
  

• You will be able to perform small variations from legendary ballet performances
  
  

• You will be able to dance in pointe shoe
  
  

Dimitra Karagiannopoulou¹: "Your body will definitely become stronger, leaner and more flexible. You will have noticeably better coordination even outside ballet classes. You will become gracious. Many students tell me that ballet helps them a lot in life and work: they become more confident."

Lilia Kosyreva, adult ballerina, she does ballet for 10 years. The picture is an example of how ballet can change your body.

Mariana Gomes²: "Lose weight? Without a doubt, a ballet class of just one hour can burn up to 500 calories. Also, all muscles work intensely if the exercises are performed correctly. About skills: a lot will depend on how many times a week you take classes, how long you stretch, and so on. I have a great example, a student who started dancing at the age of 35 and has been dancing for 10 years. She takes my class basically at the level of theatre classes (professional), jumps, spins and probably will be able to spin 32 fouettés if she dedicates herself to it. This student, besides taking an hour and a half at school with me, attends online classes at home twice a week, exercises and stretches, besides being interested in music and going to theatre watching the entire classical repertoire."

Lilya Anoshkina³: "Doing those 32 fouettés is not a good indication of how good you are at ballet. I know many adult ballerinas who can do them if they try hard. It's not the point. The point is to do everything according to the rules that professional dancers use. I mean, to hold correct posture, mind your turnout etc. while performing. My big achievement in adult ballet is that I can control my body in this way, which means I can move like a real ballet dancer."

What you can achieve if you really try hard:

Amateur ballet dancers, who work hard and practise long enough, can reach a close to professional level. This means they have a ballet posture and beautiful arch, they can raise their leg high in adagio and their pirouettes and fouettés are nice to watch. They can also perform as soloists in amateur ballet performances.

One of the great examples of big achievements in adult ballet that we came across is Dinara Khusaenova.

Dinara Khusaenova:

"When I started ballet as an adult, I didn't expect anything. I didn't dream about dancing a variation from Giselle, didn't think if I would ever put point shoes. What is happening now is actually a miracle. I still cannot believe where a simple dream might lead. I didn't expect anything and I got something I didn't even dream of".

Notes:

1 - Dimitra Karagiannopoulou - Teaches ballet in National School of Dance in Athens, in private professional ballet schools and in ballet studios for amateurs.Bolshoi Ballet Academy graduate, ballet teaching methodology course graduate in Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet.

2 - Mariana Gomes - Bolshoi ballet dancer, teaches adult ballet in Central ballet school in Moscow, Russia. Brazil's Bolshoi Theatre School graduate.

3 - Lilya Anoshkina - Adult ballerina, doing ballet for 8 years.