I have taken ballet classes for eight years now (and pointe for three). I am thinking about switching over to ballroom dance (I have not taken a single class-ever) but I am wondering if there is any advice for a ballet dancer who is switching over.

Good luck! Why are you thinking of switching over?

I danced ballet my entire life, then stopped dancing to do the whole corporate career life. I have recently started ballroom and use my ballet training every day. The hardest part of the switch is learning to follow (rather than working with choreography) and that is much more challenging than a pas de deux.

Can you do both? I am starting to incorporate some ballet classes back into my schedule for the intense strength training that you don't get from the typical beginner ballroom classes.

You have years of training - if you can, maintain your flexibility, strength, balance, and those foot calluses that keep you en pointe. My one regret is taking any time from dance - the concept of putting pointe shoes back on is not in my near future!

Have fun!!!

I am just starting to lose interest in ballet. One of my close friends have just switched over to ballroom because she claims that the teachers don't like her. But anyways, I want to try something new. I am still going to take some ballet classes, but not as intense as they were before (8 hours a week). Also, it was starting to get difficult to finish schoolwork (I am in honor classes) so I have to take it easy. Thanks for the input!

I was in a similar position my senior year of high school :) I was missing too much class for performances and felt stressed. Unfortunately, I felt like I had to choose between school/career or ballet. As you know, there is little rational for doing ballet only a few hours a week, since you won't be able perform or be very good.

However, ballroom is much more flexible, and it is possible to dance it socially (without a huge committment). Of course, the sky is the limit, and there are amazing dancers who I am sure train rigorously, but it is not that "all or nothing" feeling you get from ballet.

Why don't you take a few classes and see if you enjoy them? I recommend trying different dance styles and different studios. I am at an Arthur Murray studio now (occasionally taking classes and workshops at other dance centers) and love it! I took classes at a few independent studios before (which was great - much less serious though) and a class at college (which was not my cup of tea).

It is pretty exciting too, that you can continue enjoying ballroom throughout your life, where ballet is more challenging to integrate into your life in your 20s and beyond.

Have fun + good luck!

Which style are you going to dance. There is Latin and there is Modern which is now called Standard. In Standard there is Waltz Foxtrot and so on. In Latin the feet do turn out, or there is a turn out of the feet.In Standard the feet are straight and are in line. Ballet dancers seem to have a exaggerated turn out of the feet, plus they can get too high on their toes. These are just two points to watch. Having said all that many of our top Latin professionals are bringing a lot of Ballet type lines into their routines. If anybody would like to see this in action see 2003 World Super Stars Dance Festival. Slavic and Karina