Hi, I am a sophomore in high school, and after being a lurker for a month finally decided to make an account to ask a question. As a BFA hopeful come senior year, I have decided to start taking dance class. I have been in show choir and done dancing in shows, but that is about it.However for now I can only take one class. Which form of dance would be best to start out with? I have access to all kinds of classes so that is not an issue.
Ballet, Ballet, Ballet.
Ballet is the foundation of all other dance. IMO if you can only take one class, ballet is the one.
Agreed. Ballet!
Ditto Ballet. Take as many as your schedule permits.
Yup, ballet.
Ballet!
@mtinchicago, are you a girl or a boy? Either way, ballet is the way to go, but my S (who’s now a freshman BFA MT) has always been more of a mover than a dancer and had no dance training to speak of. He started taking private ballet lessons in his junior year to prep for college auditions, and he’s now one of the most proficient male dancers in his class! So it’s never too late to get serious about dance studies.
I will join the chorus… Ballet. It is the foundation of all other dance.
Ballet. Will help you be better at EVERYTHING else. Including acting. Helps with better body awareness, posture, opening up the chest and breathing. Helps counteract “chicken-neck” singing, and that forward shoulder-hunch thing. It might seem boring and/or torturous at first, but it will make a tremendous difference if given enough time/effort. Even in professional touring shows, once you know what to look for, it’s easy to tell who has had serious ballet training.
I was with my college sophomore over the weekend and spent lots of time with her friends. They were talking about doing a choreographed piece in Ballet this week that they will be performing in front of the MTs from the other classes at the end of next week, with Valentine’s Day in mind. But it cuts down on their time at the barre - and that (although they are enjoying this special piece), it’s too bad because THEY LOVE BARRE! Ballet class is every day, all 4 years, at 8am, no complaints. Learn basic technique and terminology, and work those muscles. If you can add another class, add something which helps to learn MT style choreography. Jazz is usually the closest.
Another vote for ballet.
Yep, have funny memories of trying to cram a few tap lessons into the final stretch before college auditions. Didn’t magically turn my boys into Savion Glover. But they don’t regret the ballet, or the jazz. They don’t really regret the tap, either. It just didn’t really make a difference at that point, and in our already stretched-thin schedule, was probably time they could have spent sleeping 
Priority should be ballet (preferably two times a week) then jazz, tap or hip hop.