First Day of Class Tips and What to Expect

First day of class for Baby Ballet begins this Tuesday so here's some tips and ideas that will help the parents and students know what to expect.

Please come to class at least 5 minutes before starting time so you can change into your shoes and use the restroom before class

What to BRING and what NOT to bring Class:

BRING:

1. Water bottle (even if you think you may not need it, bring it anyway. Trust me YOU WILL NEED IT)
2. A dance bag to put all your stuff for class in.
3. Hair accessories (optional)
4. Pink or white canvas or leather Ballet shoes (Pink: for Girls White: for Boys)
5. Extra white socks (for boys)
6.  Extra bobby pins (for girls)
7. A Smile :)

DO NOT BRING:

1. Cell Phones, iPods, electronics etc. (Unless you need to call your parents before or after class thats okay, but DO NOT use them during class please;)
2. A Bad attitude
3. Food (unless allowed by teacher) 

What to WEAR to class: (Dress Code standards) 

Girls:

1. Fitted Black leotard
2. Light pink or white tights
3. Hair off face and shoulders and in a proper ballet bun. (If your hair is too short to put in bun then you can put it in a ponytail)
4. Skirt/tutu (Optional)
5. Something to put over you dance clothes such as a dress, skirt, shirt, shorts, etc. (Optional)

Boys:

1. Black shorts 
2. White T-shirt,
3. White socks,
4. White ballet shoes.

Effort & Class conduct:

All dancers must be willing to push themselves to be the best dancer they can be.
At all times dancers must show respect to their instructors and classmates.
Be on time and ready to dance ;)

Turn yourself into a ballet/dance mode before the class start. It will always help you to get into the atmosphere quicker and get ready to dance. (Whatever you are worrying, stressing about, throw it outside the studio;)

Warm-up:

At the beginning of class we stretch and warm up so we can dance and move freely and be safe.

Warm ups should last about 5-10 minutes and will incorporate stretching of large muscle groups (such as the quadriceps, calves, hamstrings, hip flexors, shoulders etc...) 

Barre:

The barre is a handrail, approximately waist-high, that we use to steady ourselves during the first part of a ballet class. The barre provides a reference point; it can be used to provide resistance,as when you press down on it to lengthen the spine; and it is your first partner. "Barre" is also a shorthand term for exercises done at the barre; dancers frequently refer to "doing barre," for example to warm up just before performing.

Splits/Break:

After barre we all take a little break and get a drink of water and then do our splits right, left, and center.

Center: 

After splits we move to the center of the floor to work without support of the barre. This consists of slow work in which the emphasis is on sustaining positions and on balance. The final part of class, allegro, consists of fast work, mostly combinations (sequences of steps) with the big jumps and turns that make
ballet such an impressive and beautiful.

Reverence:

At the end of class everyone will show reverence. Which is the last step done before class ends. On stage, too, this is the final thing a dancer does. As the a performance finishes and the audience expresses its appreciation with applause, the dancer, in turn, acknowledges the audience with the re`ve`rence.

And then its time to go home :)

Thank you for reading about, and joining our ballet class we hope this will help you know what to expect in YOUR first ballet class or your childs first ballet class.

Hope to see you this tuesday!

Thanks,

~Miss Bonny