RADACADABRA - Dance Class

Barre
This is a wooden hand rail attached to the wall. You rest your hand on it for exercises at the beginning of class. Some studios have two barres, one higher than the other, for people of different heights.

Pianist
Pianists play music while you dance. They have to know exactly the right sort of music to play for each exercise. A long time ago, there were no pianists in the studio - ballet teachers used to play the violin instead. In ballet, it’s very important to stay in time with the music.

Pointe shoes
For dancing on your toes you need special shoes called pointe shoes, which have stiffened toes. The toe part is made with glue, and is baked in an oven to harden and strengthen it. Pointe shoes are made by hand, and a professional dancer may go through ten pairs of them a month!

Ballet shoes
Boys wear shoes made of soft leather, held on by elastic. Girls’ shoes are made of leather or satin, kept on by elastic or ribbons tied round the ankle. A girl does not need pointe shoes until her teacher thinks her feet and legs are strong enough to dance on her toes.

Tape recorder
Sometimes, teachers use a tape recorder or CD player for class, if they don’t have a pianist. You can get tapes of ballet music so that you can practise your new steps at home or pretend that you are dancing on stage in front of an audience.

Rosin
This is a box of rosin. It is a yellow crystal made from the sap of trees. You rub the soles of your shoes in it, and then it breaks up into sticky white powder which stops you from slipping. You mustn’t use rosin on lino floors!

Dancer
There are lots of good reasons to dance!
It keeps you fit and healthy, and it's exciting and fun. You can dance to all sorts of music: on your own or with friends, in front of an audience or in a dance class.

Teacher
Your dance teacher is there to teach you the steps and correct any mistakes. You can learn a dance syllabus and take exams if you would like to. They will make sure that you have fun learning to dance.

Floor
A ballet studio has a special floor called a ‘sprung floor’, which means that it bends slightly beneath your feet when you jump. This can stop you from getting any injuries, and can even make you jump higher.

Mirror
There is a mirror on the wall so that you can watch yourself when you dance, and correct any mistakes while you are learning. Sometimes teachers cover the mirrors up, so that you can feel what it’s like to dance in a real theatre – where there are no mirrors!