CLASSES / CALENDAR / FACULTY / TUITION / ENROLL / FAQ
Adult Introduction to Ballet Sessions are programs offered at two different levels, and designed for beginners over 18 years of age with little or no experience. Adult Intro 1 presumes no former training, while Adult Intro 2 is geared towards students who have completed Intro 1, or are returning to ballet classes after a significant hiatus, and want to refresh the basics. Both levels have ten classes per session. In order to allow for the best learning environment, class size is limited and pre-registration for the full session is required.
Intro 1 covers the fundamental elements of proper ballet alignment and technique that are necessary for students to safely and correctly adapt the work within the limits of their own bodies. A typical class will include stretching/conditioning, barre and centre work. The classical ballet vocabulary will be introduced in a progressive manner, starting at the barre, allowing students to develop and reinforce basic muscle memory, while expanding their knowledge of the individual steps. Centre work will include simple adagio, allegro (jumps), an introduction to turning, and “linking” steps that explore the integration of musicality and ballet vocabulary.
Intro 2 classes presume a foundational knowledge of the barre, and spend more time advancing students’ centre work. Barre exercises may demand more strength, more balance and amplified tempos to build upon those already learned. Teachers will expand upon all Centre work vocabulary as well as introduce new steps and focus on combining these steps together in ways that produce more complicated phrases reflective of the coordination, musicality and movement of the classical ballet vocabulary.
AGES
18 and above
LOCATION
José Mateo Ballet Theatre
400 Harvard Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 (in Harvard Square)
Fall Registration Now Open!
LEVEL 1
Option A (10 weeks) Wednesdays, 6:30–8:00 PM
Option B (5 weeks) Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:30–8:00 PM
Level 1 is designed for absolute beginners who are new to ballet. Students will learn essential and fundamental elements of ballet technique, including basic ballet positions, posture, terminology, and mechanics. Students will focus on arm and leg positioning, turn out, pointing of the feet, and correct body placement. Students will learn the typical structure of a traditional ballet class, progressing from barre to centre work, and the various steps that feature in each exercise performed throughout class. By the end of the course, students may progress to Level 2.
LEVEL 2
Option A (5 weeks) Mondays & Wednesdays, 6:30–8:00 PM Option B (5 Weeks) Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:30-8:00 PM
Level 2 is for students with some brief experience and/or who have completed Level I. Students will review and enhance their understanding of the concepts and steps learned in Level I. Steps will be strung together into phrases and combinations to create new steps and more complex exercises, whilst emphasizing correct body placement and control. By the end of the course, students may be prepared to move into the open classes to continue their ballet journey.
Re-enrollment in each class is recommended if the student feels that they are not ready to progress to the next level.
However, students are encouraged to only enroll for a maximum of 3 sessions of each level before it is recommended they move up.
CALENDAR 2026-2027
SUMMER III*
Aug 3 – Aug 28
FALL I
Sep 14 – Oct 15
FALL II
Oct 19 – Nov 19
*Summer sessions will be 4 weeks only at $225 per session
TUITION
$250 per session
10 classes
Enroll
Select a section to sign up
FAQ
After an Enrollment Application has been received by José Mateo Ballet Theatre, should the student, for whatever reason, be unable to participate, withdraw from the program, be dismissed with cause, or be absent from the program, payments will not be refunded.
There are no refunds unless medical documentation is provided, in which case makeup classes will be provided for the period of time that the documented medical condition prevents the student from attending class.
Mixing and matching different classes/levels, and/or switching classes/levels is strictly prohibited.
How to get to our studios, dress code, health and safety protocol, and more information here.
Questions? Please email registration@ballettheatre.org or call 617-945-1944.