Adult Ballet

Ballet isn't just for children

Perhaps you danced when you were younger and have often thought about starting again.

Perhaps you've always wanted to try ballet but never had the opportunity.

Or perhaps you're simply looking for an enjoyable way to move, learn something new and do something for yourself.

Adult Ballet at Lisa Mason School of Dance gives you the chance to enjoy classical ballet in a friendly adult class, whatever stage of your dancing journey you're at.

You don't have to have started ballet at five years old. You don't have to be incredibly flexible. And you certainly don't have to look like a ballet dancer before you walk through the door.

You come to class to learn.

Discover – or rediscover – ballet

There is something quite different about ballet.

It combines movement and music with technique, control and expression. You are not simply following an exercise routine. You are learning how your body moves, developing proper ballet technique and gradually finding that movements which once felt unfamiliar begin to feel natural.

Classes include the foundations of classical ballet, working at the barre and away from it, developing:

• posture and alignment
• balance and coordination
• strength and control
• flexibility and mobility
• musicality and rhythm
• classical ballet technique

And there is always something more to learn.

For someone returning to ballet after many years, that can mean rediscovering movements they thought they had forgotten. For someone starting later in life, it can mean finally doing something they may have wanted to try for years.

Good for the body – and the mind

Ballet asks you to think as well as move.

You listen to the music, remember combinations, coordinate your arms, feet and body and concentrate on the movement in front of you.

For an hour, the rest of the day can disappear.

And while you're enjoying the dancing, you're also using your muscles, working on balance, coordination, flexibility and control.

The NHS recognises dance as an activity that can contribute to strength, balance and coordination, while research into recreational ballet for adults has also found encouraging results for strength and physical function.

But you don't need to come because of the research.

Come because you enjoy dancing. The benefits are a rather nice extra.

Beginners, returners and experienced dancers

One of the biggest barriers to adult ballet is often simply having the confidence to walk into the first class.

People worry that everyone else will know what they're doing.

They worry that they won't be flexible enough.

Or that they have left it too late.

They haven't.

LMSD welcomes dancers with different backgrounds and experience. If you've danced before, Lisa can help you rediscover and develop your technique. If ballet is completely new to you, speak to Lisa before your first class and she can talk you through what to expect and make sure the class is right for you.

There is no need to arrive already knowing your plié from your tendu.

That's what classes are for.

Learn with a qualified dance teacher

Adult Ballet is taught by Lisa Mason, Associate Teacher of the British Association of Teachers of Dancing (BATD).

That matters.

Ballet is a technical dance discipline. Good teaching isn't simply about copying movements; it is about understanding posture, placement, technique and how movements should be developed.

Lisa brings professional dance training and many years of teaching experience to the class while keeping the atmosphere friendly and enjoyable.

You can learn properly without the class feeling intimidating.

A studio built for dancing

Classes take place at LMSD Studios in Haverhill, giving adult dancers the same proper dance environment as the rest of the school.

The studios have sprung dance floors, full-length mirrors, ballet barres and air conditioning.

The sprung flooring is particularly important in a dance studio, helping provide a more appropriate surface for movement than an ordinary hard hall floor.

And there is easy parking, so getting to class doesn't need to become part of the workout.

More than an exercise class

If your only aim is to burn as many calories as possible in an hour, there are plenty of exercise classes that will do that.

Adult Ballet offers something rather different.

You are learning a skill.

There is music, technique and artistry. There is the satisfaction of improving. There are movements to master and always another challenge waiting for you.

And, because you are learning alongside other adults, there is the social side of belonging to a class too.

For some dancers, it is a return to something they once loved.

For others, it is the beginning of something completely new.

Fancy giving ballet a try?

You are never too old to discover dance.

Whether you are taking your first ballet steps, returning after a break or looking for somewhere to continue dancing, we'd love to hear from you.

Adult Ballet
Lisa Mason School of Dance
LMSD Studios
Unit 1, 4 Hollands Road
Haverhill, CB9 8PP

Contact Lisa:
07958 788 292
lisa.lmsd@gmail.com

Come and discover what ballet can do for you.