One of the biggest drawbacks of the global pandemic that we are currently facing as a society is the idea of adaptation. COVID-19 has forced us to re-think the habits we used to engage in daily. While some of our activities have not changed much, others may have become easier to do when at home.
Take, for instance, learning a new exercise or activity in general. The idea of practicing habits daily can be seen as an incentive for many due to the efficacy of our learning platforms. Ballet is one of those activities that can be seen as enticing to pick up and learn when you are inside. You can easily become a ballet expert while learning the dance by yourself.
Here is a step-to-step guide on how to learn ballet at home:
1. Pick a ballet room in your home
Conventional ballet studios are usually quite spacious and not without good reason. Those who choose to learn and practice will be placed in the room with a group of individuals. All learners will be educated on best practices at the same time to enhance the experience.
Should you decide to move this activity to your home, you must emulate the studio experience. It all starts with picking a relatively large room for you to practice in. Try to avoid places such as your bedroom, as it can be counterproductive for the movements to engage with.
2. Pay attention to the ballet floor
Even though the space itself is important for learning ballet, other areas of the chosen room must be considered. For example, take a look at the floor you are standing on. Ballet requires you to be on your best foot forward, in quite the literal sense. A comfortable flooring material should support your feet as a result.
You could purchase many materials to make the ground much more comfortable for your toes. Yoga mats are one of the best options to choose in this regard, as they are made of viable material. Rubber-based mats also work perfectly, as they will absorb the impact you make with your feet.
3. Do ballet warm-up exercises
As is the case with virtually any physical activity, you should not expect to dive right into the main activity. This can be counterintuitive, especially on your body throughout the activity itself. If you do not properly warm up before the exercise, it might be the spark of pains and aches to come.
Stretches are incredibly important for activities such as ballet. Make sure that you stretch all of your limbs in various positions and hold them for a set amount of time. There are many stretches you can perform on portable ballet barres. Once you have warmed up, your body will be in a prime position to get moving. Then, you will be able to move as intended!
4. Take online ballet classes
As mentioned previously, the global pandemic has made us think about doing traditional activities in a new manner. Ballet, similar in vein to other fitness activities, can be taught and done in an online fashion. Online courses are extremely beneficial for those who need guidance for a new activity.
The trick here is to give a couple of courses a shot before deciding what class to try out. Various difficulties are taught, and you will want to match that setting. If you are a novice at ballet, always be sure to tell your instructor. They will inform you on how to proceed with the activity.
5. Practice ballet
At this point, you will have to start engaging with ballet itself. The main rule of this type of activity is practice, after all. As the adage goes, practice makes perfect, no matter your level. If you happen to be learning the activity first, ensure you take it slow.
All movements, such as the échappé, require you to be on your best foot forward every time. One false movement or jump could result in an accident, which can delay your progress from advancing. Take your time to study each movement very methodically to know how to perform it during class.
6. Watch ballet tutorials
You can pretty much never stop learning when it comes to picking up the movements of an activity such as ballet. Since we live in an interconnected world, the internet has a vast array of resources for you to take a look at each day.
For example, you could watch tutorials on YouTube in your downtime to learn new movements. Or, listen to podcasts that veterans of the industry do. Learning ballet at home doesn’t have to be hard once you become dedicated to its practices!
