The basics: costs and equipment
Before COVID-19, I would occasionally take a dance class here and there at my local studio in Queens, New York for around $ 35 per class. So access to Steezy’s Intro to Ballet program seemed like a bargain by comparison. You can access the five-week program with 25 classes, which runs at around $ 8 per month, for $ 20 per month or $ 99.99 per year. This cost includes access to the entire Steezy platform, which you can access by logging into the website or through the app. Would you like to learn how to dance to K-pop? Dance in heels? Breakdance or Krump? It’s all included. Even their new contemporary and jazz programs are accessible through this $ 20 monthly membership, which follows a structure similar to Intro to Ballet.
Other than that, you’ll need something sturdy to use as a ballet barrow (a standard size chair will do) and lots of space. This is especially vital towards the end of the program as you are doing twists, jumps, and full dance choreography moving from one corner of a room to another, mimicking the way it is performed in an actual studio. Classes can be done barefoot if you don’t have ballet shoes. However, you can invest in a pair of dance stickers to tweak your turns.
Navigate the app
Steezy’s virtual platform was clearly designed for dancers. Once you’ve selected the class you want to attend, you can change the class’s camera view to either face the teacher or follow them like you would in a dance class. If you’re exercising in a room without a mirror, you can turn on the camera and see yourself dancing next to the teacher to check your form. The platform also allows you to change the speed of the class in case you need to go slower.
Or, if you’re the type of person who is often confused between your left and left side of your teacher, play the class in “Mirror Mode” to take the guesswork away. Loop mode allows you to loop sections of the class as many times as necessary.
Within each class there is a “Show Sections” option that shows you what the class is about, and you can jump back and forth in case there are specific sections that you would like to spend more time on.
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What the training involves
The Intro to Ballet program consists of lessons worth 25 days with a duration of approximately 30-45 minutes per day. It teaches all of the basic ballet techniques, starting with a traditional ballet warm-up and key routes. From there, the program masters the arm, leg and foot positions used in ballet. These positions are then put into action through a series of barre technique courses in which you master ballet movements with the help of the barre (or, in my case, a stable chair) to keep you stable.
Once you get the hang of it, the next series of classes will take you from the barre to the center of the floor, where you will work to maintain your center of gravity and balance yourself. Then it’s really fun: turns and jumps. The turn portion of the program focuses on the preparation required to successfully complete a round before completing full rounds. Small jumps are also taught and mastered before continuing with the large series of jumps. At the end of the program you will have the opportunity to learn classical ballet choreography such as the sugar plum dance from “The Nutcracker”.
While the program is designed for 25 days of class, it can also be customized to suit your own learning pace. It is easy to repeat certain sections with the loop function or to jump back and forth within the class sections.
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My experience with Steezy’s introduction to ballet
Attending the stretch and warm-up class on the first day of the program was a humbling experience for me. I knew there was no way I would be as flexible as I was when I was a dancer – but the first attempt to break up in over a decade showed me how little flexibility my body had retained.
As I moved through the core foot positions and the corresponding arm position, I was happy to see that my body still had some muscle memory. But even if this is the first time I’ve tried these movements, the instructor will explain the correct form and repeat the division in each sequence, which will make learning easier.
The barre sequences were equally prescriptive. This made relearning the correct plié shape (when you bend your knees to stretch yourself over your toes in various ballet positions) quick to master. At the end of the barre class, I really felt like I was taking a live ballet class.
I really struggled when it came to turns and jumps with this program. For all the technology Steezy’s courses have, jumping and spinning in your home rather than a studio built for it is a challenge. It’s not just about having enough space to perform the movements, it’s the actual floor that became problematic for me. My floor doesn’t have the same offerings as a dance studio designed for this type of movement. Even with a shock-absorbing mat, performing these movements shook my entire home.
The last part of this program was my favorite – learning the choreography of a full ballet dance. I particularly appreciated Steezy’s option to turn on the camera and see himself dancing alongside the dancers on these final classes. Not only was it fun to watch, but it made it easy for me to get involved and helped me get the timing right with every move. I loved that these dances really traveled from corner to corner like you would during an actual dance class. I just wish I had more space in my apartment to fully dance them.
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The professionals
Even if you’ve never stepped into a studio in your life, Steezy’s Intro to Ballet makes this dance form accessible to beginners or even beginners. The program’s lead instructor, Brittany Cavaco, of the English National Ballet, does an excellent job of providing suggestions and changes throughout the program, which I was particularly grateful for as I relearned the basics.
The platform’s features and functions provide all the tools that are available to you in a live dance studio to use however you want. Instead of asking your teacher to go through a specific train, you have the loop feature and can slow the class down at your own pace. Do you want to change your position in the classroom to be closer or farther away from the instructor? Use mirror mode or move the view from front to back. The program and technology are well thought out and provide catering options for everyone from the absolute beginner to the seasoned dancer just looking for refreshment.
The disadvantages
Even if you have an entire room to devote to ballet class, it won’t give you the shock absorption you really need to be able to jump, jump, and turn like you would in an actual studio. This only becomes a problem towards the end of the program. But after spending so much time learning the basic moves and positions, it’s a bummer not being able to move around as freely as the dancers you’re learning from in these fun sections of the program.
Although the program goes well as a beginner and is easy to follow, I still wish I could have taken the class with at least one other beginner dancer. All three dancers featured throughout the program appear to be seasoned ballerinas – which feels great when you have mastered these movements and are able to keep up with them, but when you are just starting the program it feels intimidating.
If you’re looking for a workout that will make you sweat or get you burned after a barre or Pilates class, this is not the program for you. Introduction to ballet will no doubt help improve flexibility and provide toning benefits, but it is really a dance program, not a fitness class.
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I would recommend this program for:
- Anyone who has always wanted to try ballet (or any other classical dance style) for the first time or who enjoyed taking ballet lessons as a child and wants a refresher
- People with a lot of space in their home
- Someone who wants to get out of COVID-19 with a cool new hobby
- People who are looking for new ways to get their bodies moving
- Those who are intimidated by personal dance classes
