4 fantastic NYC dance studios with beginners ballet classes for adults new to ballet

I've made my way through 4 NYC-area studios offering beginners ballet classes for adults and am convinced that NYC is one of the best places in the country to start (or restart if you danced as a child) ballet classes as an adult.

I danced for two years when I was 15. As you'd expect, I was learnings with children who were half my age, but I loved it. Ballet is notoriously expensive though, and as the number of classes a week I was expected to take increased, monthly tuition ballooned until I was priced out right before pre-pointe. I wanted badly to be on pointe, but it just wasn't affordable.

When we were on our bellies in frog position, my ballet teacher would come around and force our feet to the floor, supposedly to force and improve turn out. She would nudge our feet out to perfect 180 degree first positions. Whatever degree extensions we had was never enough and people at 90 degrees would be lifted to 120, 120 to 160, and so on.

I miss this kind of rigor, but I'm not going to be a dancer at any company. Beginners ballet classes for adults around NYC vary in rigor and quality of instruction. I have yet to find someone pushing (borderline hurting) my rigid, inflexible body. I do that myself, and have hurt my flexible left knee multiple times pushing myself in different beginners ballet classes for adults in and around the city.

Keep in mind that any beginners ballet class for adults will expect some familiarity with basic ballet positions, moves (plier, tendu, relever, etc.), and terminology, perhaps 1 or 2 years depending on some of the studios I've taken classes at. If you have no experience, some dance studios offer absolute beginners ballet classes for adults, in which the instructor might slow down the class to explain steps or positions depending on how many blank expressions or unpointed toes there are.

Whether or not you're looking for the rigor you miss in your childhood, or are starting out, there's a beginners ballet class for all types of adults. These are my thoughts on the 4 (and counting!) studios I've been to in the NYC area.

The Studio at Hoboken (Hoboken)

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Located an 8 minute walk from the Hoboken PATH station, boutique studio The Studio at Hoboken's weekly 9:30AM Saturday adult beginner ballet class is a good place to start (or restart) your dance journey in a low pressure, kind environment.

The class is currently taught by Ellen Mulvihill, who's philosophy for adult ballet students is focused on adapting positions and movements to what your body can do (all bodies are different! Don't push it or your knees will scream like mine.) and feeling graceful and pretty while doing it. More than once I've witnessed someone, usually a dancer new to ballet, thank Ellen for her gentle listen-to-your-body philosophy. All seem welcomed so why not try out an adult beginners ballet class?

A single class will run you $30. Full schedule here.

Wild Hearts Performing (Astoria)

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Suzana Stankovic, owner of and instructor at Wild Hearts Performing Arts Studio in Astoria, taught a 6-week adult absolute beginner classical ballet intensive back in early summer of 2022. Students had the choice between two classes and one class a week.

The studio itself is small, so the class was small at full capacity, and there's a strong sense of camaraderie and community in the studio. Suzana is also a hoot and instills that you must carry yourself proudly like royalty and "shine bright" (her words). Not sure when or if Suzana will be offering the intensive again, but I highly recommend it if you haven't danced in a very long time and need a refresher or if you're completely new to ballet.

Basic beginners adult ballet classes are Mondays and Wednesday from 6PM-7:30PM with Nina Chong-Jimenez. She's high energy and genuinely funny, and very knowledgeable. Again, you'll get the most out the beginners ballet classes for adults if you have some familiarity with movements and terms.

The studio is less than a minute from the Steinway Street M, R stop above a driving school. Classes are currently $21 a class. Full schedule here.

Bonus: If you've worked up an appetite, District Saigon is a 3 minute walk away.

Ballet Arts Center for Dance (Midtown West)

If you're looking for extremely professional and high quality beginners ballet classes for adults, look no further than Ballet Arts Center for Dance. The beginner adult ballet class I took with Kenny Larson had the best instruction I've been given yet. Plus there's live accompaniment (nothing like a pianist to make you feel fancy and professional), plenty of space for centre work (they're NYC's largest pillar-free studio), and they don't pack the studio even though they could with this kind of space.

Ballet Arts Center for Dance was the studio that reminded me most of the rigor I received in my brief stint taking ballet as a child. If you danced for awhile when you were a child, or if you have at least two solid years of consistent ballet training under your belt, I can't recommend beginners ballet classes for adults here more.

The overwhelming majority of people I danced with here appeared to have a lot of dance experience (high extensions and insane flexibility are telling). I was the most novice person in the class and the class was a bit beyond me, but Kenny thought I could pick it up in time with consistency, and also recommended I attend Friday classes, which according to him were a bit slower.

Ballet Arts Center for Dance also have strength and flexibility classes. I attended a virtual stretching and flexibility class that was great, but was also just me in my living room, which was sorta awkward 😅.

In studio classes are $22 and virtual is $12. Beginners ballet classes for adults are offered Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays 7PM-8:30PM. Full schedule here.

Alvin Extension @ Alvin Ailey (Hell's Kitchen / Midtown West)

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So far, Ailey Extension with Alvin Ailey is my favorite dance studio in the city to take absolute beginners ballet classes for adults or any any dance class at. Instruction is a little less rigorous and serious feeling than at Ballet Arts Center for Dance, but like Ballet Arts Center for Dance, there's live accompaniment and the floor is huge. Unlike Ballet Arts, the absolute beginners ballet class is pretty full all of the many times I've gone.

Still, I'd prescribe the absolute beginner adult ballet class on Fridays from 6PM-7:30PM with Ronald Alexander to aspiring ballerinas with little to no experience. I love that Ronald has all of his beginner ballet students face the bar place both hands on the bar, as opposed to just one hand, for extra balance. Because it's an absolute beginners ballet class for adults, he often calls out people on basics ("Point your feet" "Don't let your elbow drop") and teaches basic alignment occasionally.

Because the class is large, don't expect him to slow down too much, but there are always more advanced students in the class he asks to demonstrate moves and you can always look to them. Full schedule here.

Other studios

I haven't tried these other studios that offer beginner adult ballet classes, but I plan to get to these eventually, once my left knee stops yelling at me whenever I'm in any position.

• Broadway Dance Center | Schedule | $25
• Steps on Broadway | Schedule | $25
• Ballet Academy East | Schedule | $24
• Brooklyn Ballet | Schedule | $22
• Jersey City Ballet | Schedule | $20

Did I miss any dance studios offering ballet classes for adult beginners? What ballet studios in and around the city have you taken adult beginner ballet classes at? Which were your favorites and why?