Jump in or register for these classes

Adult ballet classes provide training in strength, flexibility, poise and elegance. With this foundation, your skills will translate into any form of dance. Our faculty provides classes that give dancers the time, personalized feedback and experience to grow technically and artistically at the level they are at, while preparing them to progress to the next level. Expect to work hard, sweat and laugh!

Beginner Ballet

For dancers with no ballet training or people who have been away from ballet for many years and need a refresher. Learn the foundations of ballet through simple barre, centre and jumping sequences.

Beginner+ Ballet

For dancers with 1-3 years of ballet training. Take your basic knowledge to the next level, learning more challenging movements and sequences while developing your understanding of technique and musicality and performance.

*This class is recommended to our Adult RAD Intermediate Foundation students as a training supplement to their Syllabus classes.

Elementary Ballet

For dancers with 3-5 years of ballet training. We continue the dancer’s education of safe dance alignment and strong, clear technique. The artistic essences of port de bras, breath, performance and musicality are infused, training adults to grow and strive for personal excellence! Our Sunday in-person class is accompanied by popular, and incredible, pianist Valentina Gurovsky.

*This class is recommended to our Adult RAD Intermediate students as a training supplement to their Syllabus classes.

Intermediate Ballet

For dancers with 5-10 years of ballet training. Students are introduced to a more advanced level of movement and choreography while continuing to elevate their technical precision, artistry, strength, and flexibility.

*This class is recommended to our Adult RAD Advanced Foundation and Advanced 1 registered students as a training supplement to their Syllabus classes.

Ballet Artistry and Technique for the Mature Student (low impact class) – not currently running

For Beginner to Elementary level students who prefer a low impact ballet class. This class focuses on musicality and artistry while working to strengthen and lengthen dancer’s muscles, improve fitness levels, balance and posture. Everyone should be able to enjoy the expressive elegance of ballet while being given inclusive options for turns and jumps.

Please check our VIRTUAL DANCE CLASSES page.

Jump in or register for these classes

Pointe work is the natural progression for your ballet dance classes. The training is as challenging as it is beautiful! In Emily’s pointe class you will learn slowly, step by step the necessary strengthening and technique exercises for your feet, legs and core. This progression is essential for safe, controlled pointe work.

Prerequisite: At least 3 years of continuous training in Ballet to ensure you have the necessary strength and technique to proceed safely.

Dances must schedule a private assessment with Emily before your first lesson. In your assessment Emily will look at your basic technique, alignment, strength and flexibility. She will create a personalized exercise program based on your strengths and weaknesses to ensure you are on the path to safe, beautiful pointe technique. Even dancers experienced in pointe are encouraged to schedule an assessment. Emily’s training in anatomy and injury prevention along with 25 years of strength training experience will be instrumental to your development. An assessment is $30 plus HST for 45 minutes.

Beginner Pointe

Prerequisite: 3 years of consistent ballet training and/or teacher’s permission.

Beginner Adult Pointe focuses on correct alignment and posture to enable safe beautiful pointe work. We begin each class in bare feet, spending 15 minutes on strengthening exercises for the toes, feet and calves. We then put on our pointe shoes for simple barre exercises and slowly work up your skills until you are ready to dance very simple enchainements in the center.

Elementary Pointe

Prerequisite: At least 1 year of basic pointe training and 4-5 years of consistent ballet training.

Elementary Adult Pointe class takes your basic pointe training and introduces you to a more challenging vocabulary. This level speeds things up, and takes you off the barre sooner for basic pointe variations. We begin these classes with your pointe shoes on, so you are strongly encouraged to take the Elementary/Intermediate Ballet class before this class to ensure your body is warmed up and fully prepared for a pointe class.

Intermediate Pointe

For dancers with 3-5 years of pointe training and who take a minimum of 2-4 ballet classes a week. These classes introduce vocabulary at the RAD Advanced Foundation and Advanced 1 levels. This class is recommended to our Adult RAD Advanced Foundation and Advanced 1 registered students as a training supplement to their Syllabus classes.

Progressing Ballet Technique is an innovative dance conditioning program developed by Marie Walton-Mahon in Australia. This training system develops a dancer’s muscle memory to improve their core stability, weight placement and alignment, as well as over-all strength and control. Dancers perform exercises using a fitness ball or resistance band. The tools give the dancer immediate feedback on their alignment while training specific muscle groups and coordinations required for ballet and other dance forms. Each exercise has been developed with the care and guidance of a team of physiotherapists. The system is now taught world wide and has helped countless dancers prepare for careers in dance.

We are excited to announce an Adult Beginner Pointe Workshop Series this Fall!

Mondays, November 1 through December 13, 2021.

7:15-8:45pm: Beginner Plus Ballet* with Irene
9:00-10:00pm: Beginner Pointe Workshop with Irene

*Note: It is expected that dancers take Beginner Plus Ballet before Pointe. It is not safe to take Pointe as a “stand-alone” class, you must be fully warmed-up.
Beginner Pointe Workshop Fee: $130+HST

**Note: The jump-in Beginner Plus Ballet class fee is not included in the cost of the Pointe Workshop, dancers should register for these classes separately.

To Register:

Call: 416-406-3262

Email: info@joyofdance.ca

Or sign up online:

Description:

This 7 week Beginner Pointe workshop focuses on correct alignment and posture to enable safe beautiful pointe work. We begin each class in bare feet, spending 15 minutes on strengthening exercises for the toes, feet and calves. We then put on our pointe shoes for simple barre exercises and slowly work up your skills until you are ready to dance very simple enchainements in the center.

Prerequisites:
At least 3 years of (recent) ballet training.
Currently taking ballet classes regularly at a Beginner Plus to Elementary level.
Find level descriptions here:

If you have questions about your readiness, please email Ballet Program Director, Emily Tench, at emilyjtench@gmail.ca

Preparation:

To strengthen your feet in preparation for pointe please follow along with the video linked below at least 3x/week.

Pre-Pointe Training Exercises

Please review the information below on purchasing your first pair of pointe shoes.

Workshop Faculty: Irene Yacoub
At a very young age, Irene began her training with Cairo Opera Ballet. She was a member of their corps de ballet at the age of 16 and has a repertoire, including, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.
After relocating to Canada and receiving her undergraduate degree from McGill University, Irene went back to dancing at Ballet Divertimento under the direction of Victoria Yakabov and Serge Petrosyan. She then performed The Nutcracker with Ballet Ouest as a member of their corps de ballet and completed summer intensives at Ballet Jorgen. Irene continues to dance every day in studios across Toronto. Irene completed her Certificate in Ballet Teaching Studies and is a Registered Teacher with the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD). She has taught at Joy of Dance since 2017 and is a Faculty Member of the Teen and Adult RAD Ballet Programs.

Purchasing Your First Pointe Shoes

Dancers should consult with their ballet teacher about what to look for in a shoe.

For advice before November 1st, please attend:

Mondays 7:15-8:45pm Beginner Plus Ballet – Irene Yacoub

Sundays 10:00-11:30am Elementary Ballet – Emily Tench

Here are a list of things to consider:

– Buy your shoes from experienced fitters. I would suggest heading to DanceShoppe at Sheppard and Yonge St. as they do not require an appointment, have excellent fitters and a great relationship with Joy of Dance Centre .

– Your toes must be able to remain straight and not cross in the shoe while standing flat and on pointe.

– Your toes should be held snugly together and feel well supported by the box, vamp and wings. (See Attached Diagram). The shoe will not be “comfortable”, it will be tight.

– If you have a wide space between your big toe and second toe you will probably need a toe spacer to prevent bunions from forming. You can buy these at the same time to purchase your shoes.

– Beginner pointe students should buy a shoe with a soft shank (supportive sole). Your feet will not yet be strong enough to control and work through a medium or strong shank.

– All the other “specs” of the pointe shoe will depend on the shape of your foot. It can take some trial and error to land on your “perfect pair”. So do be open to the idea that for your next pair of shoes you may want to try something different.

– DO NOT SEW ON YOUR RIBBONS OR ELASTICS until the shoe has been checked by your teacher. Most of the time the fitters make a great choice, however once in a while the teacher will feel that the shoe is not appropriate and ask you to exchange it. You can not exchange or return shoes that have had ribbons or elastics sewn on.

– DO NOT PUT YOUR SHOES ON AT HOME UNTIL AFTER YOUR FIRST LESSON! This is dangerous and can result in injury.

– DO NOT “BREAK IN” YOUR SHOES. Wait until your teacher gives you guidance on what you can do to prepare your shoes. As a beginner, you will likely need to do very little to prepare your shoes, your feet should do most of the work.

Go to our Adult RAD Ballet Exam Program page for full details.

As an adult, do you wish you could have trained in ballet as a child? Or maybe you dream of continuing your training where you left off as a youth? At Joy of Dance we offer a very unique opportunity for Adults to train for Royal Academy of Dance Ballet Exams. This one-of-a-kind program is in its 6th year and is steadily growing.

• Progressive dance lessons where you learn new movements and concepts from the ground up.
• The rate of learning and improvement is faster as there are clear expectations and goals.
• The opportunity to learn solo variations, polishing them until quality, musicality and performance ability is at its peak.
• The sense of achievement that comes from performing a set ballet class, solo variation and pointe work or character work for an external, international RAD Examiner.

If you are interested in our Adult RAD Ballet program, please fill in the following form by clicking the link and we will be in touch with you as soon as possible:
New Student Form

Dancers interested in levels we are not currently offering are also welcome to contact us as we are always looking to start new levels.
Contact us at Joy of Dance at info@joyofdance.ca or 416-406-3262 to leave a message for RAD Program Director Emily Tench.