Shall we dance? Learn the first steps in Budapest… Lesson 2: Ballet

Ballet is usually associated with dreamy dresses and beautiful opera stages. Watching professionals makes people realise how much the human body can achieve. This is a beautiful genre, requiring a lifelong dedication from early on. If someone wants to be a professional ballet dancer, they have to start preparing from around the age of ten.


However, if you realise your dream to become a ballet dancer only later, there is still hope. This beautiful art can still be learnt to a certain extent. You may not become a prima ballerina at Sadler's Wells, but you can stretch your own limits.

“There are stereotypes in people's minds, that ballet is out of reach if you don’t start it by the age of ten, but that’s wrong”  says Beatrix Mihály, of the Developpé Ballet School Budapest.

At her school, Bea only teaches adults, living examples that ballet is not mission impossible. She studied at the Royal Academy in London where she learnt how to teach older dancers, and her senior class for over-60s has been surprisingly popular ever since.

“My experience is that in Hungary, 55 year olds still come to regular ballet classes. The Silver Swan senior class starts at 60 or above here…,” reveals Bea

She also underlined that ballet requires discipline, which most adults already have. However, when kids are learning the dance, discipline is the first thing they have to master.

These days, most ballet schools teach children, offering an extremely beneficial genre to start out with. It’s so complex that it will help them improve where other types of dance are concerned. Bea also teaches men with experience in different areas of dance. Sometimes foreigners attend her classes, and if they already know a little bit of ballet, they can join in even if they don’t speak Hungarian.

“This is more than just a bunch of movements, it’s also a therapy. My students dance out their sadness, their happiness. Feelings get personified in ballet…”

Developpé ballet also teaches stage art at choreography lessons, hosting annual galas to help dancers overcome stage fright. Students begin to understand the culture of dance by watching ballet performances, seeing what it takes to be up there in the spotlight. 

If someone has no Hungarian, there are other options in Budapest to learn ballet in English. Among the most prestigious schools in the capital, you can find Espérance Studio, led by ballet master, Richard Joerss at Széll Kálmán tér. A former dancer at the Royal Swedish Ballet, he teaches courses for adults of all ages and levels in English.

The Espérance Studio has regular classes for beginners and advanced alike. Richard aims to teach his students the basics of classical ballet and then they gradually work towards the graceful dance techniques. The school's website is in English, German and Hungarian, and you can find the timetable there, as well.

For those, who want to learn classical ballet with a regular opportunity to perform, the Artistry Dance School offers classes in centrally located Veres Pálné utca or in a quiet neighbourhood down in Kispest. The school led by Mónika Lemesánszky teaches classes to small kids, teenagers and adults, giving everyone an opportunity to start ballet now matter how old they are. Classes are in Hungarian.


Adults can also try ballet in Miami Ballet School with the help of English-speaking master instructor, Gábor Sziráky. At his private classes, tuition will be customised to your needs.

As Bea concludes, no matter your age or experience, everyone should start ballet whenever you can. You’ll be surprised where it might take you.