Ballet and Pointe

A class runs barre, then centre, then across the floor

Every ballet class follows the same shape. The barre comes first: pliés, tendus and rises that warm the legs and teach placement. Then the dancers leave the barre for centre work, where balance and port de bras have to stand on their own. The class finishes across the floor, where the steps travel and the music takes over.

The levels climb in order: Preballet, Ballet 1 through Ballet 5, then Pointe. Ballet 4 is the one that asks for the most time, 90 minutes twice a week, so call for the current slot. Our Ballet Mini class at Okemos on Monday afternoons is where the youngest ballet students begin, and Preballet is the first step at Haslett and Grand Ledge.

Fees for every level are on the pricing page, and the schedule below shows each class by studio.

What to bring, and what to practice at home

Ballet students wear a pink or black leotard, a ballet skirt or tutu or modest jazz shorts, pink, white or tan tights, and pink or tan slippers, with hair in a ballet bun. Pointe shoes are required for Pointe class, and they should be properly fitted before the first lesson. Fundamentals students wear footless tights. The full policy is on the dress code page.

Between classes, a few minutes of stretching and rises at home does more than one long session a week. Ballet rewards small, regular repetition, and a dancer who arrives warm and in the right shoes gets more out of every minute at the barre. Every class is held in the spirit of Psalm 149:3, praising His Name in the dance.