Ballet Levels Explained: Which One is Right for My Dancer?

One of the biggest questions we get is “What ballet class should I put my dancer in?”

And honestly, it can be confusing! Especially when your dancer falls between two age groups or has previous ballet experience.

At D2M, age is a great starting point, but it’s not the only thing we look at. As dancers get older, their experience, technique, strength and readiness become a bigger part of finding the right class. So here’s a simple breakdown of our ballet levels and what you can expect!

Ballet/Tap | Ages 2–4

This is our littlest dancers’ introduction to dance! 🤍

We keep this class fun while introducing basic ballet and tap, coordination, rhythm, balance and learning how to be in a dance class.

At this age, we’re not looking for perfect technique. We want them moving, learning, gaining confidence and most importantly having fun!

No experience needed.

Primary Ballet | Ages 5–7

This is where we start introducing a little more structure while still keeping ballet fun.

Dancers start learning their ballet positions, basic terminology, balance, coordination, musicality and the beginning foundations of ballet technique.

This is a great class for both new dancers and dancers moving up from our younger program.

Ballet I | Ages 8–10

Now we start getting a little more serious about our ballet foundation!

Dancers will spend more time working at the barre and in the center while learning proper placement, technique, balance, strength, turns, jumps and ballet terminology.

If your dancer is 8–10 and newer to ballet, this is usually a great place to start.

Ballet II | Ages 9–11

Ballet II takes everything we learned in Ballet I and starts building on it.

Combinations become a little more challenging and dancers work on developing stronger technique, control, turns, jumps and coordination.

Previous ballet training is definitely helpful for this level!

And a little Season 31 update… Ballet II is officially FULL! 🎉

Ballet III | Ages 12+

This is where age becomes more of a guideline.

Ballet III is for dancers who already have a ballet foundation and are ready for more challenging barre and center work, turns, jumps, combinations and artistry.

A dancer who is 12+ but completely new to ballet may need a different level first — and that’s totally okay! We’d rather put them somewhere they can learn the proper foundation than throw them into a class they aren’t ready for.

Intermediate Ballet

Intermediate is for our more experienced dancers.

At this point, we expect dancers to already understand ballet basics and terminology. We can spend more time challenging their technique, strength, control, musicality, turns, jumps and overall quality of movement.

This level is less about age and more about where the dancer is technically.

Intense Ballet

This is our highest level of ballet training at D2M.

Our Intense dancers are ready for faster combinations, more advanced technique and a higher level of detail and expectations.

We want dancers at this level to be able to pick up combinations, understand corrections and really start applying those corrections to their dancing.

This level is based on teacher placement and readiness.

And What About Pointe? 🩰

Pointe is a little different because there isn’t a certain birthday where a dancer automatically becomes ready.

Before we put a dancer en pointe, we want to see the ballet technique, strength, alignment, control and foot and ankle stability needed to do it safely.

That means two dancers who are the same age may start pointe at completely different times — and that’s okay!

Pointe is always based on teacher approval.

Still Not Sure Which Level?

Just ask us! 🤍

We know looking at a schedule and trying to figure out the right level can be confusing.

For our younger dancers, following the age ranges is usually a great place to start. Once dancers get into our higher levels, we look more at their training and readiness.

Our goal isn’t to rush dancers into the next level. We want them in the class where they can learn, be challenged, gain confidence and continue growing.

If you’re not sure where your dancer belongs, send us a message and we’ll help!