Some people do ballet because putting pointe shoes and a tutu for a ballet themed photo session is a great idea. Others look at it at a different angle: they work extremely hard, take additional classes and stretch at home.

There is no such a thing as correct or incorrect approach, because everyone's reason why they do ballet is different.

Here's an interesting detail about ballet. Only a serious approach makes it something really emotionally rewarding. Having a serious approach to ballet means understanding that you have to go to classes regularly, no skipping, and you have to work really hard at classes, not just spend your time trying to copy what your teacher is showing.

Only this approach will lead you from simple tendus and pliés at the barre to really good looking pirouettes and fouettés. Such pirouettes and fouettés during which you will not fall and will not look clumsy. And looking at which others would want to say: "Waw! I also want to be able to do that!".

Natalia Afanasieva¹: "I think a serious approach is mandatory in ballet. Only with this approach you will make good progress and avoid injuries. If you don't know how to perform a certain exercise, you will never be able to get better at it. If you don't know how to hold your leg in passé, you will never learn to do a pirouette."

"Kathy Mata (non-professional adult ballet company founder) feels that adults can bring a lot to ballet, and they shouldn't be overlooked as potentially powerful performers. "They have maturity and knowledge of life events—they really yearn to dance to fill their souls. Children sometimes follow the teacher, but the adult has the wisdom to digest the material given".

Dance Secret School Performance. Photographer Dmitry Timoshenko.

1 - Natalia Afanasieva - @natti_afanasieva, ballet studio owner (Moscow, Russia), experienced adult ballerina.