Bored of yoga? Here are the best at-home ballet workouts to try (plus the best ballet buys to help you feel profesh)
If you feel like you’re in a rut with your at-home workouts, why not branch out and try something new?
Ballet can be one of the best workouts for core strength and conditioning, strength, stability and flexibility. It has the advantage of working the whole body, often without you realising, and it does great things for your posture, which is wonderful news for all of us hunched over our laptops right now.
Plus, ballet is perfect for doing at home, no matter your living conditions. No equipment and very little space needed. So limber up and check out these online classes - perfect for all levels and experiences.
Masterclass with Misty Copeland
If you’re going to learn ballet, you may as well learn from the best. Misty Copeland is the principal ballerina of the American Ballet Theatre and, in her very first online class, she takes us through her own journey as a dancer, as well as the fundamentals of ballet technique. The course comprises 17 video classes ranging from honing your stance to working through classic ballet moves, famous routines from Swan Lake and how to work with a partner. A fascinating introduction to the form from one of the ballet world’s premier stars.
Udemy
The online education portal offers an amazing beginners ballet course, which covers all the basics in a clear and easy to understand formula. It covers all the fundamentals, the core lessons of barre training and preparation for centre (all will become clear once you take the class). For a simple, yet thorough, grounding in ballet, this course is
fantastic.
Danceworks
The revered London dance school has moved most of its classes online, as well as offering a few instagram live free classes for those tempted to try. The zoom schedule is online and you can pay per class or even try some of the free sessions, where donations are actively encouraged. There is a ballet class to suit every level and the exercises are rigorous and brilliant for anyone looking for a thorough workout with some professional dance polish.
DancePlug
This online dance school offers classes in a variety of dance styles and disciplines, from ballet to Bollywood. For ballet, the course separates its videos into warm-ups, exercises and combinations - great for anyone who wants to practice specific techniques, or if you want to use the videos as mid-work day workouts. There is also a wide range of pricing options so you can find the class plan suited to you.
Contemporary Dance Method
Led by Sarah Hirsch, a member of the Transitions Dance company at the esteemed Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London; Contemporary Dance Method offered private at-home lessons pre-Covid as well as online classes. The latter is now, obviously, the main focus. Classes cater to the individual and span classic ballet techniques and contemporary dance influences. Perfect for anyone looking for a personal trainer of dance.
Move GB
This online fitness portal is a one membership shop for all your needs. It cleverly connects you directly to local instructors who are running online tutorials or livestream classes. There's a wide selection of classes within your membership, from yoga to pilates and more, but they also have an impressive roster of ballet options. These range from core classes and barre technique to ballet fusion fitness and cardio, to really get your heart racing as well as your toes pointing.
English National Ballet
Ever fancied watching a prima ballerina do ballet in her kitchen? Now is your chance. The company’s preeminent dancer, Tamara Rojo, leads livestream, hour long classes from her own home every Monday and Friday (and you can catch up later too) which are perfect for anyone with some ballet experience, or anyone curious to see Rojo using her oven handle as a barre. Beginners may like to try dance artist Sarah Golightly’s introductory classes and Kate Mason’s classes are chair-based, for anyone with limited mobility, so there is something for everyone.
The Ballet Coach
Sarah Du Feu is the ballet coach, an English National Ballet-trained dancer who offers free online classes for adults and children alike, and to all levels of experience. The classes are easy to follow and are colour coded based on your capability so it is super accessible. There is even a class specifically catered to grandparents, so should you be isolating in a multi-generational household, this might be something to get the whole family involved in.
Royal Academy of Dance
The country’s leading educational dance institution has taken much of its teaching online. The beginner’s ballet for adults series is brilliant for anyone taking their first steps and many come in handy 20minute videos, so you can even fit them in around your work schedule.
Birmingham Royal Ballet with the BBC
As part of the BBC Arts Culture Quarantine programme, you can not only learn from the Birmingham Royal Ballet, but actually join them in their workout. The company, led by Cominic Antonucci, live-streamed their 90 minute class in April and it is still available to watch and follow now. It’s a rare opportunity to glimpse the actual training of some of the world’s best ballet dancers, as well as the chance to spy into their homes, as dancers like Carlos Acosta and Alys Shee log in from their houses across the globe.
Got the idea, now want all the gear? Check out the best ballet buys, from leotards to your very own pair of ballet shoes...
Best adult's leotard
Best dance leggings
Best leather ballet shoes
Best open-back leotard
Best canvas ballet shoes
Best ballet crop top
Best ballet tights
