The 7 Best Online Ballet Courses
Studying online has become a popular alternative to traditional in-person classes. You can enhance your knowledge and learn new skills from the comfort of your own home and with few limits. The study of ballet has historically been restricted to the spaces of schools and studios, but now the possibility of learning it online has opened up.
The 7 best ballet courses online range from masterclasses by groundbreaking principal ballet dancers like Misty Copeland to former Royal Ballet School dancers like Claudia Dean to a variety of in-depth courses like Dance ED Tips’ Ultimate Recital Kit and Vaganova Ballet modules.
If you’re interested in studying ballet online, check out these 7 top-rated courses.
- Misty Copeland’s Masterclass
- YouDance
- WbW School of Ballet
- Royal Expressions
- DanceEd
- Claudia Dean
- Vaganova Ballet
We’ll also provide you with some things to keep in mind if you’re a beginner and give you some insights into the effect these courses can have on your level of experience.
A Couple Things to Consider as a Beginner Taking Ballet Classes Online
Taking ballet classes online as a beginner can be an intimidating prospect. Here are some tips to help you face the challenge.
It Won’t Be a Short Journey
Learning ballet takes time. It is a notoriously difficult style of dance to study, especially remotely. You will need to train your body and your mind. Before you will get to actually start practicing the dance, you’ll have to spend a lot of time studying ballet theory and the intricacies of its movements. Ballet is a dance style with a long history that informs it even now, despite how it’s evolved.
You will have to spend a lot of time practicing to teach your muscles how they are meant to move. This is something you can only learn from scratch and the part that will take the longest.
Constant practice is fundamental to ballet. You will train your body to move in a way it’s not accustomed to, from the warm-up to the poses, and those movements will become muscle memory only if you stick to a disciplined regimen.
Arm yourself with patience before you embark on this learning journey. There will be much to discover, but no ballet dancer has been made overnight. Before choosing your course, make sure that you can dedicate plenty of time to it.
Choose What’s Best for You
When studying ballet online, it is essential to pick the course that suits you best. It’s also important to pick the right instructor and the one that brings you the most in terms of learning and experience. Keep in mind your fitness level as well as your ballet level when you choose. You shouldn’t aim too high from the start before you learn the fundamentals.
There is a vast variety of online courses that can teach you about ballet, but these can differ drastically. Different courses will focus on different aspects of the dance, and different instructors will have different takes on it too.
When choosing a course, think about what you want out of it. What drives you to it? What attracts you to ballet? What do you most want to learn? How much do you know about it? Keep the answers to these questions in mind when you decide so that you can get the most out of your ballet learning experience.
You can do a trial run and experiment with various intro courses or modules while you’re deciding too. You can also start with one course and then develop your knowledge further in another. There are plenty of options that can be tailor-made for you.
The 7 Best Ballet Courses Online
These 7 top-rated online ballet courses offer a wide array of options for your learning experience. Here’s a more in-depth look at what they have in store for you:
1. Get the Insider’s Perspective with Misty Copeland’s Masterclass in Ballet Technique and Artistry
This Masterclass splits it into 17 lessons taught by Misty Copeland, who made history not only through her talent but also for becoming the American Ballet Theater’s first black female principal dancer. She has since become one of the most recognized faces in ballet worldwide, and she is very knowledgeable regarding her craft and the business of ballet.
This course focuses on both the mind and the body. The lesson plan includes teaching confidence in yourself and your movement, a technique primer, and a glimpse into performing through a look at the famous Black Swan variation from Swan Lake.
There are also various barre exercises, from warm-ups focusing on pliés and tendus to techniques like temps lié and ronds de jambe.
You will also get a deconstruction of Misty performing the Black Swan variation, which will focus on correct alignments for turns and jumps. Misty will also pause to discuss what makes technique so fundamental to artistry in the world of ballet, before pairing up with her dance partner Calvin Royal III for a look at the White Swan Pas de Deux, also from Swan Lake. This will involve the pair performing and also holding a workshop together.
You will then have a choreography workshop in which Misty collaborates with contemporary dance choreographer Kyle Abraham. This part of the course will teach you how to work with choreographers to bring about their vision. The course will end by looking at the importance of mentorship in the ballet world, and how essential diversity and inclusion are too.
2. YouDance Helps You Learn on Your Own
YouDance is a comprehensive site that offers numerous video classes and tutorials. After you enroll, you gain access to a fully-stocked video library including many tutorials and how-tos.
YouDance is separated into three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. These levels help with making sure everyone gets the best course for them. Most of the videos focus on teaching correct technique, increasing flexibility and strength, and coordination. Some videos focus on rhythm and coordination, as well as on working with choreographers.
With YouDance, you have many options to choose from that will keep you on the track of what you’d like to know.
3. Learn the Basics with this Beginning Ballet Course at WbW School of Ballet
This ballet course at the Well Balanced Workout School of Ballet is designed for online students. It requires few resources other than some floor space in your home, and it is aimed at beginners, either teenagers or adults. For four weeks, you will get to learn the basics of ballet. The lessons in this course include basic techniques, structure, etiquette, and terminology.
You will then learn about correct technique in practice, from alignment to placement. You will also get strengthening exercises, as well as stretches. For the duration of the course, you will have:
- two weekly ballet classes
- a ballet conditioning class
- a barre workout class
- a community of dancers ready to support you
Your instructor would be Sunny, who’s had over 20 years of experience as a ballet dancer and 5 as a teacher. You will have lifetime access to your course and can study at your own pace. This course aims to provide a decent workout routine as well as an introduction to the inner workings of ballet.
4. Get Your Kids Involved with Dance at Royal Expressions
Royal Expressions offers a variety of online courses for children and teens, from ages 2+ to 12+. If you’re looking to get your kids to learn dance, or if they already have some experience with it, you should consider enrolling them in these easy-to-access courses.
The youngest age group, the toddlers, are welcome to be enrolled in courses such as the Digital Dance Experience, which is also sold as a package. These courses focus on teaching toddlers creative movement and setting up some fundamentals of pre-ballet and pre-tap, also taught through movement.
There are also courses designed for the primary age, from 5 to 7-year-olds. There are several available packages for this age group, and the courses focus on ballet, as well as tap and jazz. Following the primary courses, there are Level 1 options for kids over eight-years-old. There are ballet and contemporary options, as well as hip-hop, tap, and jazz.
Similar courses are available to Level 2 and Level 3, with dance boot camps across the board.
5. Get a Rounded Experience by Learning the Ultimate Recital Toolkit at Dance ED Tips
If you’re looking to prepare a dance recital and have no idea where to start, Dance ED’s Ultimate Recital Toolkit course is a great choice.
There are 10 modules to the course that include:
- introductory sessions
- costume checklists
- recital t-shirt calculators
- ticket promoter systems
- stage make-up charts
- recital portal systems
- faculty reminders
It also includes stage manager spreadsheets, recital program templates, backstage playbooks, recital review systems, and a general review checklist. This gives you all the tools and information you’ll need on how to arrange a successful dance recital, with insights into aspects of the dance world that you may not have experienced.
Your instructors are Micaela Crites, a dancer and choreographer with vast recital experience, and Olivia Mode-Cater, a dance instructor and CEO and founder of Dance ED Tips.
This course can be followed at your own pace, with each module ranging between 15 minutes and an hour long. It will allow you to feel in control if you have to organize your school or dance studio’s recital, no matter your level.
6. Enjoy Tailor-Made Sessions at Claudia Dean’s
Claudia Dean is an Australian ballet dancer, an instructor, a business owner, and a former Royal Ballet School dancer. Claudia offers various courses that can be both group sessions and individual, though she enjoys individual training as it allows her to fully tailor sessions according to the needs of her customers. She can also help with talent management, industry insights, and mentorship.
Claudia splits her courses into three types: intensive and exclusive.
- Intensive: Elaborated from her private coaching sessions, these involve four days of full-time ballet classes. These are designed for dancers looking to achieve new heights.
- Exclusive: The exclusive sessions are highly personalized for dancers between 12 and 17 years.
- Deluxe: The Deluxe experience offers some full packages, including a personalized schedule and a physiotherapy session. There is also a one-on-one coaching session with Claudia, just checking that everything is fine.
Claudia offers plenty of insight on techniques and performance tips from her time with the Royal Ballet. Her dance packages, which include access to the fashion line she’s created to go with them, are there in the magazine.
You can take a course about the Vaganova Ballet Technique at Learn Ballet Online. This technique is attributed to Agrippina Vaganova, a Russian ballet dancer who danced at the Mariinsky Ballet in St Petersburg.
This training method focuses on correctly teaching ballet technique to prevent muscles from being misused in the practice of it. The Vaganova Technique is credited with being a pure form of ballet that taught dancers to constantly strive for technical perfection.
At Learn Ballet Online, you’ll find thirty-two lessons on their Vaganova syllabus. These include a mix of history, theory, and practice. The lessons focus on:
- the Vaganova legs and arms positions
- various demi pliés
- various grand pliés
- various battement tendus.
- tendu jeté
- the port de bras
- the ronds de jambe
- the plié soutenus
- the relevés
- the pas de bourees
- the detourne
The course can be paid annually or monthly, and it is taught by dancer and trainer Arsen Serobian. Once you’ve purchased the course, you can follow it at your own pace, and you have lifetime access to it.
Can I Actually Take Ballet Courses Online?
Yes, you can take a ballet course online. There are many different types of ballet courses available, and their number is increasing every day. Provided you have some funds when you’re done researching courses online, you can do them at your leisure.
By taking ballet courses online, you can follow them from the comfort of your home, with minimal resources. There are plenty of lessons and modules to learn from, depending on what you’d like to do, but they are all within reach and ready to be explored.
You can learn ballet online by enrolling in a course or two and taking the challenge with patience.
How Much Time Does It Take to Learn the Basics of Ballet Online?
It can take around a month or two to learn the basics of ballet without instructors physically there to show you exactly how to do the movements. It is a more problematic challenge because of that, but certainly worth the time if you’re passionate about learning.
Learning the basics can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, but ballet is a continuous learning experience for all involved. Remember to be patient and take your time, even if it seems like it’s been a while without a massive amount of progress. Take a look at the best dance courses online to help you with your ballet practice from the comfort of your house.
This is a doable task, and depending on how much information is included in your chosen course, it can take more or less time to learn. The waiting time depends on a few variables, like how in-depth your course is, how much ground it covers, and how much free time you have.
A Great Beginner YouTube Video to Try before Starting Your Online Ballet Course
This video by the Royal Academy of Dance at Home, featuring their dance instructor Sarah Platt, is great to try before you decided on an online ballet course. It makes sure to highlight everything you should consider before taking up online ballet.
The question of safety is very important and this video makes sure to mention that part. From taking care not to overextend anything to immediately stopping if anything hurts, this video then shows you another all-important aspect of the routine: warm-ups.
Warm-ups ensure that you won’t accidentally harm yourself while following the online ballet courses. With no one around to make sure you’re not overextending, this video insists on putting safety first.
This video by the Royal Academy of Dance then leads into a series of basic movements at the barre while continuing to highlight important aspects, like correct posture and correct positioning.
Platt then continues to demonstrate some further positions at the barre, while showing the correct way to do them from start to finish. This makes it an excellent YouTube video for beginners to the world of online ballet courses.
Even if you don’t have a physical dance instructor in front of you, make sure to research as much as possible to avoid accidents and get more knowledge on the topic.
Conclusion
Now that you are ready to start learning you can look for the best ballerina shoes! You might want to take a look at the difference between ballet shoes and slippers and then choose which ones suit you best.
Learning ballet through online courses has become very popular, and many viewers are on the market for them. There are plenty of lessons to learn from when it comes to this dance style, but putting health and caution first are great ideas when tackling them. You should also remember to have patience and to choose only the courses that hold interest for you.
Ballet courses can help you learn the dance style, but remember to be patient and to always take care of your safety when you start a new exercise. In the meantime, enjoy these seven best choices for online courses.
