5 Life Hacks For Adult Ballet Dancers

Adult ballet students have different lifestyles and schedules. Between work, family, and other activities that may consume their time, keeping track of one more thing can be overwhelming. Whether your goal is to exercise more, or save a few bucks on dance wear, check out these 5 hacks to make your life a little easier.

1. Exercise

Practice ballet anywhere. You can keep up your ballet technique outside of class by working simple exercises into your everyday routine. Do some sautés in the yard. Use your kitchen counter as a makeshift barre and practice plies while you wait for dinner. If you need to reach for something on the floor, and you can do so carefully, lift your leg behind you in arabesque. While you brush your teeth in the morning, whip your thighs into shape with a set of dégagés. Finding creative ways to combine ballet exercises into your daily activities will help you stay in shape.

2. Save money

Switch your shoes. While it’s not recommended to try this with pointe shoes, switching your canvas or leather ballet shoes is a great way to extend the life of each pair. If you start developing gaping holes that expose your big toe on each shoe, simply switch shoes to give the overworked area a break. It may feel odd at first, but your feet will soon adapt to the change, and you won’t feel obligated to replace the shoes prematurely.

3. Get comfortable

Convert your shirt into a skirt. Ballet skirts are mostly lightweight and sheer, not to mention expensive. If you prefer more coverage without resorting to shorts or breaking the bank, try converting a stretchy tank top into a skirt. Simply remove your arms from the armholes, and pull the fabric over your derriere. If this doesn’t work for you, consider tying a sweater around your waist. Both options give the illusion that you’re wearing a skirt while still providing comfort and coverage.

4. Stay nourished

Keep protein bars in your dance bag. We all get busy and forget to plan proper meals sometimes. However, you don’t want to go to class running on fumes. If you happened to skip lunch that day and class starts in 20 minutes, reach into your dance bag for a protein bar. A word of caution: choose wisely. You may think you’re reaching for a healthy snack and essentially be eating a candy bar. Choose protein bars with as few ingredients as possible? – perhaps with nuts, seeds, and berries. Also, if you can’t pronounce most of the ingredients, you might want to consider a different brand.

5. Be prepared

Use a yoga mat as a placeholder. It is a growing trend to see adult ballet students bring their yoga mats to class. This serves many purposes – you can drape your mat over the barre to reserve your spot, or use it as cushioning for your spine and joints while you stretch on the floor. Senior students in particular have benefited from this practice. Of course, remember that you’re in ballet and not Bikram by putting it away at the appropriate times.

These are some great life hacks for the adult ballet student. Have some of your own? Share them!