I took jazz first (14 years old) then ballet (almost 15 years old) then hip hop (15 or 16 years old).

Before I started taking classes at all, I told my mom that I'd like to take up hip hop. She didn't like the idea too much but she kept her mind open. One time, we were at the mall and we saw this section offering dance classes. There were dancers warming up. I recognized some of them being my classmates when I was in grade school. I also recognized the teacher because I used to watch his ballet class at my grade school.

My mom started talking to one of the dancers and they both encouraged me to join jazz. I liked what the students were doing so I decided to join. When I said yes, they pulled me in and told me to join them right away. I didn't know what I was getting myself into but I had so much fun. I didn't stop since then.

A few months after, my mom and I were talking and we both thought that my jazz would improve a lot if I'd also take ballet. She enrolled me and I started. I fell in love with ballet right away. I started working really hard and it payed off. I got promoted twice within a year!

Now I'm a year and 8 months old in ballet (1 year and 9 months next month) and 2 years and 1 month in jazz (2 years and 2 months next month). I'm in a level with dancers who have been dancing for 4 years or more. It's challenging but I'm having so much fun!

I took hip hop only this year when a guest teacher arrived in our school. She offered us a workshop. After the workshop, I got eager to continue hip hop, too, even if it is opposite of ballet.

I've learned to love dancing even more now and my love for dancing continues to grow everyday! We have performed for many shows and recitals already and it's absolutely amazing! Next month, we'll be having a concert in ballet, jazz and hip hop with the dance troupe of our hip hop guest teacher. The concert is a fundraising project for children with cancer.

Isn't it wonderful to be doing what you love for such a good cause?

Sigh...well, that's a brief telling of my dance story. LOL I hope to become a professional someday even if I started late. I'm really working hard for that.

Okay, you're turn!!! Keep on dancing!!!

I was around 10... i started 3/4 way through the year. I learnt the dance in weeks. I loved it from the beginning. And i knew majority of the girls in my class which helped!!

I started tap the next year, while continuing the jazz class but instead i ending up taking two different level's of jazz because i was between the two. and my friends were in the higher one. I did my exams that year.

I started ballet the next year, but now only doing one jazz class (the higher one). I also started the troupe class (competition).. which was good and i improved alot with the variety of classes.

I stopped dancing the next year due to many reasons. But i only lasted a term before i was suffering from withdrawal from dancing so i started second term at a new studio. I just did jazz and tap for the year. Both classes were below my level but i didnt have much choice.

Now this year i do, a higher level of jazz and tap. I started ballet again.. and my ballet teacher has put me on pointe!

So yeah... my dance experience

~Becky

I started ballet when I was 6, and I've done it since... but for years and years and years I only went because my best friends did too. So I never practiced, I didn't really care... then two years ago, my friends all quit. So I had to find a new reason to take ballet classes. That was when I first started really dancing. So I can only honestly say I've been dancing for two years. Which means my technique, flexibility etc are not exactly what they could've been if I'd cared earlier. To put it nicely. Lately, I've been trying to get some experience with other styles as well, but I really don't have time for a lot of classes oh well. It's too late to get really good, so I just dance for fun

Yeah...I know what you mean about not being able to take a lot of classes. Sigh...dancing is so much fun!!! lol
I wanna learn tango now! LOL Haha!

Really I do.

I did "baby-ballet" when I was about 3or 4 I think, pre-primary age 5, took RAD primary grade when I was 6, and continued with ballet from there till I was about 12. I took one grade of Modern (grade 3, random!) when I was 10 and did tap from age 7 till 13.
Took a year out from ballet when I was 12-13 and then gave up tap.
Did dancing in local musicals at the theatre and the choreographer was a teacher from a different school and went back to ballet at 14 till I was 18. Loved it then. 3 classes a week, and still dancing in the musicals.

Went to university and hated the ballet society there. Very competitive about being bendy and thin and not too friendly. Seemed strange given none of them were pre-pro but studying academic subjects at uni and it was meant to be a recreational soc. Maybe that was why. Failed-pro-syndrome?
So I gave up ballet :'(
Couldn't find a class that would take an "adult" in their graded classes and no adult classes.

Still danced in my spare time at home though. Practice.

Then a few months ago found an adult class here (I moved back home after uni.) It's fab. And the School lets us go to normal graded classes if we like.
So I am quite out of shape! And feel really weak in my legs and feet. My centre of gravity has changed.
But I am loving getting back into it.

Not very disciplined though!
I have kept up practising basic pointe work at home but trying to do a bit more now and then I got new shoes and I was all "ouch ouch!" and whimpering that my feet hurt and toes rubbing in the new shoes (harder than my old shoes. I was in Gambas and now trying Blochs. Gambas didn't break in, carbon fibre shank, and were too hard for me, but they were softer than Blochs when brand new!)
Then I sat there thinking "Tess, you used to do this all the time.. You had pain in your feet and blisters when breaking in new shoes at first and aching ankles and legs and tummy and back... you even wrote a poem about it!"
(I think these Blochs are worse to break in. Like concrete. Makes me feel all soft and weak and beginner-y again. I'm about ready to give up on them because they are tearing up my feet and showing no signs of breaking in. Feels like I have two lumps of steel wrapped around my toes!)

A bit puzzled as to how I became used to aches and pains.
My tolerance level has dropped! Hehehe.
I was telling myself it was because I am out of practice and it will get better. And it will a bit but I'm starting to remember that no it never really went away. Do ballet and you will ache and hurt...
And new pointe shoes are always evil.

I did some ballroom and latin at university..

But ballet was my first love and my main love!

~ Step

I first took up ballet and tap when I was 5 at a dorky little studio. =] I quit for a year and then saw the Nutcracker and was absolutely amazed. I joined the summer program and then joined the year program. It was way more serious and way more pro of a program. I've been there since. =] 8 years.. 4 years en pointe..
I started character when I was 9 1/2 or 10. And am still doing it. I started modern when I was 10. And am still doing it. And I just started lyrical this year. Which I am still doing. =]
Echo

I don't know if I'm an official member of this dorm, but I wanna be, so I'll vote anyways...

Well, two and 1/2 years ago, I started piano at our local arts center, they had jazz, and I went in and watched a class. Then, I wanted to do what they could do, so I signed up.
Then, I saw that they had ballet. Then, of course, I wanted to do that. after a while, I started cello in our school's orchestra(yes, this is a part in the story) So, I had Ballet, Piano, Cello, and Jazz. I ended up dropping Piano and Jazz( both of which I'll probably sign up for summer semester) and now I'm doing four ballet classes a week. We arent on the normal checetti level thing, but we do checetti style ballet. I won't get in to that, but on tuesday, I help teach Ballet Basics, I take Ballet 3(level before pointe) then, I have pre pointe class. On thursday, I just have Ballet 3, but I love the arts center. What's even better, my teacher has preformed with a lot of companies, so no worries that I'm getting false instruction.

Well, umm.. Ballet. When I was like.. 3, but then I quit, and started up again at 6. At six, I did Ballet and Jazz, then I went to Ballet, Jazz, and Acro, then I went to Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, and now I do Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, and a bit of Acro. I also take Orchestra at my school, I play the Cello and the Violin, and I taught myself how to play the Piano. I guess you could say I do modern as well now, because I do Modern at school. So, all in all, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Lyrical, Acro, and Modern is what I take.

I am not too good at Hip Hop, so I kind of avoid it . I love to see others do hip hop, but, to me, I suck at it.

I just started Tap last year when I went to my new studio (which I love so much mroe than my old one), and I was in Beg. Level 2, last year. This year, I went into Beginner level 3, but they moved me up to Beg. Level 4 a few weeks after. I then took Int. 1 as a challenge, and then I took Int/Adv as a challenge, and found I can keep up with it quite well, and I would've kept taking it, if I could've. They've kept in the same level, but it's because they can't change me during the middle of the year, and I did have some problems in some of the tap moves we were learning in my class at the time, so I'm better off where I am anyway.

I've been competing for 4 years, dancing for 5. This year I am doing 5 company dances, and a solo. My first competition is next week. I can't wait!

Well, that's my story for now

well i took my first dance class at age 5. the only class available to that age group was a 5-6yrold ballet/tap combo class.

i was recommended for a dance team called Star Performers at age 6. it was a team of girls who met every saturday for two hours and had three dances (ballet, tap and jazz) that were performed at convalescent homes nearby. since you still had to take classes for that team once i got beyond those combo classes i took 3-in-1 classes (ballet tap and jazz) because i didnt know which class i prefered and it cost less and took up less time.

i joined the competition team at age 8 so i had to take ballet along with my 3-in-1 classes.my first year in ccompetition i was in junior lyrical and the jazz production and had a jazz duet with my friend diana. the second year i was in junior tap, jazz production, and a jazz quartet. the third year i was in junior tap, junior lyrical, a jazz trio, jazz production.

it wasnt until 3 years ago when i switched dance schools (all the teachers quit and my teacher opened up her own school) that i took specialized classes, mainly because no combo classes are offered past age 8. i took beginner/intermediate ballet and intermediate jazz for one year and i was in senior jazz and the hiphop production in competition. last year i took advanced ballet and intermediate tap, jazz,lyrical, and hiphop and i was in intermediate lyrical, tap, and jazz and the jazz and hiphop productions for competition.

this year im taking advanced ballet, tap, jazz, and lyrical and i am in junior jazz and lyrical (there was no intermediate) and the hiphop and jazz productions and i have a lyrical solo.

geez mines really short. oh well. NEXT!!!!

I started ballet at 5, then jazz at 9, then modern, pointe, and ballroom at 11, and am now 13, and plan on starting lyrical, hip-hop, and music theatre dance soon. Buuuuut that may not happen. And ballet is my focus...I just love taking other classes as well!