How long does it take to become a professional ballet dancer?
It can take 10 or more years of intensive training to become a professional dancer. Most dancers begin their training at a very early age, usually around 7 or 8. Beginners go to class once or twice a week and older students can have as many as 10 or 15 lessons a week. Why does it take so long? Part of a ballet dancer’s job is to make the difficult look easy. It takes a long time to not only master the many very difficult jumping, kicking, and spinning techniques of ballet, but also to learn to perform them with ease and grace. Do ballet dancers make up the steps? Actually, ballet dancers use steps that were developed a long time ago. Choreographers combine the steps in different ways to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. The dancer’s job is to perform the steps the way the choreographer wants them performed. What do dancers do when they are not on stage? In order to stay in top physical condition and to constantly improve their skills, all professional ballet dancers take a 9
