Before she came to The University of Alabama, alumna Lauren Ault took dance classes for 12 years. On campus, though, she found she didn’t have the time to take lessons and realized that outside of changing her major to dance, opportunities in the area for adults were few and far between.
“I have been wanting to get back into a class, so I just googled adult ballet classes in Tuscaloosa,” Ault said. “[I] found Ballet Arts and Fitness.”
Ballet Arts and Fitness of Tuscaloosa is a dance studio geared towards teens and adults to give them experience in ballet without having to perform in a recital.
“When I moved back to Tuscaloosa, I found the adults in town didn’t have a place to dance,” said Alison Hollingsworth, the owner and operator of Ballet Arts and Fitness. “It was an unserved market with a secondary market of a teen program.”
Ault said she enjoys the classes, and the instruction is catered to inviduals.
“She takes the time to get to know her students, and she’s very understanding of different format levels,” Ault said. “It’s easy to tell that she loves dance.”
Hollingsworth said the main reason the studio doesn’t host recitals is because those types of performances don’t typically appeal to adults.
“There’re so many recitals that technique becomes secondary in the process,” Hollingsworth said. “We focus on improving technique and becoming strong and powerful dancers, and they can go off and perform at another venue if they want to do that.”
Hollingsworth said most classes last an hour, and each one is structured with 30 minutes of barre work first and then 30 minutes of center work.
At the barre, dancers start with gentle warming exercises to warm up their hips and feet, then move to plies, tendus, faster leg work and arm movements.
When the dancers move to the center, they repeat many of the exercises they already did at the barre, including tendus and full arm lines. They also incorporate full sequences of movement, moving side to side and transferring weight.
Hollingsworth said the teen programs cater to 12-14 year olds and 15-17 year olds, with the adult program catering to 18 years of age through retirement.
“I’ve had college girls contact me about classes, and retired people, too,” Hollingsworth said. “The adult program is designed to fit all of those ages.”
Hollingsworth said for those considering taking a class, they can expect to walk away with improved coordination and posture, as well as improved muscle strength and a better understanding of ballet when they watch it.
Ault said she’s only taken three classes so far but has already seen improvement in her technique.
“Alison pays close attention to technique, which is actually very refreshing for an adult teacher, and she is quick to correct errors so that we don’t develop injuries or learn incorrectly,” Ault said. “It gives me a way to be physically active and stay in shape without having to join a gym or run, which I find tedious and boring.”
Hollingsworth said she always leaves ballet class with a lighter and brighter spirit because it’s uplifting.
Class sessions are Monday through Friday with times ranging from 9:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Levels of classes vary from basic and beginning to intermediate and advanced. Yoga classes will also be added soon to add another fitness element to the studio.
Ballet Arts and Fitness will host an open house Friday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., during which potential students can see the studio, pick up a schedule and enter a raffle for free classes. More information is available at balletartsandfitness.com.
