Career Development Plan - How old to start ballet?

by liyi

Career Development Plan - How old to start ballet?

I am a 14 years old malaysian. I only started my ballet training when i was 13 ,which was last year. At first,my teacher put me in the grade 2 class as i know nothing about ballet. This year, i only managed to jump to grade 5. I was very happy about it. But to me, at a grade of 5 at 14 is really a low grade. My dream is to be a ballet dancer when i grow up. But i haven't even learn pointe work yet. AND I'M FOURTEEN!!! I'm really scared that u cannot make it! What should i do? Is it really too late to start ballet training at 13??

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Reply by Odette
To:- Career Development Plan - How old to start ballet?

Hello,

Thank you for your message, it’s great to hear from you. There are many different stories of when ballet dancers started training. Personally, I started pointe work when I was 11 years old and also began training seriously at the same age. It is important to have full-time training by the time you are 16 and this needs to be in a school which has the ability to progress you onto the standards of a professional. If your teacher thinks you have the potential to become a ballet dancer, then talk to her about your path and how you can increase your training.

To become a ballet dancer is often a lot different than you think and you will most probably have to move abroad to gain a job in a ballet company. If it’s really what you want, then take a look at my Career Development Plan
to get more of an insight to what you should do in becoming a ballet dancer. Also look through the "7 Virtues of a Professional Dancer". "7 Virtues of a Professional Dancer" which will give you a crystal clear idea to the traits you need to be a ballet dancer.

Best wishes,
Odette