Ages 6 to 14
Ballet by level
Ballet 1 through Ballet 5 follow the same order of class, with more at each level: a longer barre, turns, jumps and a short variation for the recital. A pianist plays for the Saturday classes.
Ages 6 to 14
An hour to an hour and a half
Classes of up to 12
Saturday, with Sunday for Ballet 2 and 5
A class, in order
A ballet class, in five steps
Every level follows this order. What changes is how much of each step a dancer does.
- 01
Step 1: Warm up
A few quiet minutes on the floor before the barre.
- 02
Step 2: At the barre
Pliés, tendus and the other steps that begin every ballet class, in the same order each week.
- 03
Step 3: In the center
The same steps without the barre: balances, turns and a slow adagio.
- 04
Step 4: Across the floor
Jumps and traveling steps in lines, a few dancers at a time.
- 05
Step 5: Reverence
The class ends with a bow and a curtsy to the teacher and the pianist.
Before you come
What to wear, where to start and who teaches
What to wear and bring
A leotard and tights, with ballet slippers. Hair is up off the neck, and jewelry stays at home except stud earrings.
Level and moving up
The teacher chooses the level at the placement visit and again at each session break, and tells the family why.
See the levelsThe teacher
Ernestina Heras teaches Ballet 1 and 2, Gwyneth Pendleton teaches Ballet 3, 4 and 5, and Ashok Bose plays the piano.
Find the level that fits
At a placement visit a teacher watches your dancer in class and tells you where to start.