Expert: Jennifer - 7/29/2006

Question
Dear Jennifer,
I am 13 years old and am going to start taking a 13+ begginer ballet class and I am really excited to do so. I took ballet when I was 6 years old for about 6 weeks and I stopped doing it because my family had to move. After we moved I never started ballet again, even though I wanted to. Do you think it would be okay for me to start again? I also wanted to know if you could give me a list of things I need for ballet and any excersises to make me more flexible.

Thank You So Much,

Answer
Of course it is okay for you to start again! It sounds like you've found the perfect class for you.

You'll need to check with your new studio to see what the dress code is, but I'll list some pretty basic items you'll need regardless:

1) Leotards. I would reccomend getting 1 leotard for each of the classes that you take in a week. For example, if you take 2 classes per week, I would get 2 leotards, so you only have to do laundry once a week. No matter what, always have one black leotard on hand. For you, I would reccomend either a spaghetti strap or tank-style leotard -- keep it as simple as possible. For the rest of the leotards you get, feel free to get different colors -- just make sure that they are solid colors and have simple lines.

2) Tights. There are a lot of different styles of tights to choose from! The very basic and most versitile (and the type I recommend) are ballet pink microfibre convertable tights. Microfibre tights are comfortable, more durable, and easier to wash than other types of tights, and it is also easier to find your size in microfiber than in the mesh or nylon tights. Convertable tights are very versitile because you can wear them as both footed tights and footless tights, depending on what your teacher allows/prefers.

3) Shoes. There are two basic options when you are picking out technique slippers -- leather and canvas. This is really personal preference and also depends on how much money you want to spend. Leather slippers are more durable and can help to strengthen your feet, but are more expensive. Canvas slippers typically fit to the feet better, allow you to feel the floor better, and are washable, and are much cheaper, but they also will wear holes in the toes faster than leather shoes. I would always recommend split sole slippers simply because it is easier to find good-quality split-sole slippers than full sole slippers... and I find that they are easier to fit.

4) Something to wear over your leotard and tights for when you arrive and leave the studio.

These 4 things should get you through class! Anything else, like skirts, leg warmers, alignment belts, etc are just extras, and you should only buy them if you have the permission of your teacher to wear them in class.

As for stretches, I suggest that you have your teacher show you how to stretch correctly before you do it at home by yourself. If you do want to stretch outside of class now, I would recommend trying yoga... its a nice gentle way to stretch and strengthen your muscles in a way that complements ballet.

Good luck, and let me know if you have any other questions!