Can Guys Do Ballet

Did you know even the royal Prince George took ballet lessons?

He was mocked by a host Lara Spencer, before she apologized over it.

If you’re a male reading this, you’re probably showing a slight interest in ballet dancing or simply... curiosity kills the cat. 

(taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballet_dancer) 

So, can guys do ballet? Contrary to popular belief, guys are perfect for ballet too. With its strong emphasis on building muscle and core strength, ballet serves as an exciting activity and acts as a new challenge for males to approach. Ballet classes can be viewed as an alternative to the usual gym classes for a refreshing workout. 

Although ballet classes are usually female-dominated and albeit existing stereotypes that ballet may incline towards the feminine side, we should not dismiss the fact that ballet dancing is not exclusive to females. 

Males can try ballet dancing and here’s why you should too.

1. Guys can be a flexible ruler with practice

One of my male friends did try ballet dancing when he was younger and just like many readers, he was skeptical before attending ballet classes due to existing stereotypes. After a few sessions, he recounted that he enjoyed attending ballet classes because he made many new counterparts that offered help to him when he needed it, and he felt included amongst the other females. 

Although it was challenging initially and my male friend had difficulties keeping up, he eventually grew to like ballet and had grown an appreciation for this dance style. It was an eye-opening experience for him and today, he is proud to declare that he had attended ballet classes in the past. LOL!

No doubt, ballet training improves one’s balance and flexibility due to its strenuous stretching and wide ranges of motion. It also helps to improve joint mobility, which will make a ballet dancer’s movements appear more seamless and smoother during a performance.

Of course, attending a few sessions of ballet class will not make you a flexible ruler overnight as it requires constant training, but with consistency and hard work, you’ll be sure to reach for a longer distance, bend and move about smoothly. Mr. Carlos Gonzalez of the Ballet Theater corps poses in high extensions in his Instagram.

2. Ballet Encompass Athleticism For Athletic Guys

Ballet encompasses athletic and artistic benefits due to its innate artistry characteristics.

This means that ballet dancers would benefit from having athletic skills from other sports in mastering ballet dance. Athletic skills are transferable to and from other genres of sports and dance such as contemporary style.

I have a friend in university who used to do ballet dancing for years – and by years I mean MANY YEARS of her childhood. Over the years of training, she mentioned that she has gained muscle strength, balancing skills, and stability which are all vital in ballet.

According to her, ballet has ignited her interests in dance, and now, she has moved on to other dance genres such as contemporary and urban styles where muscle control is of high relevance. Her reminiscence of ballet dancing during her childhood days made me regret not trying ballet dance when I was younger, although I was allowed to try ballet in primary school.

Training for a prolonged period will allow you to become a more versatile athlete due to its repetitive practice on reflexes, coordination, and spatial awareness. These transferrable skills should not be neglected as they can be of great help in other physical activities where you least expect them.

3. Guys Gain Muscle Strength Easier

While ballet dancing may appear gentle, graceful, and calming, the weeks or months of hard work behind one’s incredible performance is insane. Many ballet dancers are required to do physical training activities to build upon their muscular strength. This includes working on the thigh and calf for jumping and tiptoeing, as well as the arms for graceful and stable postures in ballet.

Ballet techniques can get challenging especially when core strength is heavily required during training sessions. Dancers are expected to develop a certain level of abdominal strength to execute certain moves well. Just like any other dance genre, having stable core strength can allow one to have better control over their movements and execute the moves more accurately.

Conclusion 

If you think that ballet dancing is only dedicated to females or feminine men, then you are so wrong. Ballet dancers are required to condition themselves physically to perform to the best of their abilities, and for males, it provides an overall masculine look that can be enticing to some.

Be the bold one, take a leap of faith and you’ll never know how much you may like ballet dancing.