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Where I took my first Jazz dance class, they didn't allowed anyone who hasn't had a year of either Ballet or Modern. Ballet will give you a good foundation and balance (physically). It will also give you the basic steps, and learned them properly. I don't know your Jazz class but, they are usually fast that you don't get to do the technique correctly unless you already know it. But then again, the Jazz school we were in was being taught by someone who study with Fosse - along with Limon technique. Save your frustration, study Ballet first and learn to dance correctly.

Hi Kelsey,

For my entire dancing experience, I was pretty close-minded and took solely ballet classes. I never really tried any other styles until very recently. I tried a jazz class this year for beginners, because it would be my first jazz class ever. It takes some adjusting and getting into a certain mood to shift from ballet to jazz, but I found I was the best in the class and it was extremely easy to pick up the choreography and steps.

I'll tell you why. Ballet is the basis and structure of all dance, and if you can do ballet, you already have flexibility, strength, technique, discipline, common sense, balance, stability, knowledge of terminology, and a sense of your body. You know how to move and turn and jump and use your body correctly. You have a sense of when something feels wrong or when something will hurt you. You're flexible and strong and disciplined like a dancer!

On the other hand, I teach a girl who has taken jazz her entire life and ballet only two years. She still has the strong jazz positions ground into her head, and it's very difficult for her to adjust to a ballet environment. She's constantly turned in and her hands are never in the right place. She's a wonderful dancer in her style of jazz, it's just very awkward for her to transition into ballet, because her primary training is not as structured.

In summation, I would choose ballet for now. If you become bored or change your mind, remember that you can always go back to jazz very easily. If you take jazz this year and change your mind, the switch into ballet will be very awkward and difficult. My opinion is that you should choose ballet for this year at least.

Hope that helped, Kelsey. Remember, always feel free to contact me with further questions.♥

Well I agree with the above poster, you really need to choose yourself, because you know yourself best, right? Just to sum it up ballet is (again) the foundation to all dance forms. It will help you in more ways than one. Some say you need to learn ballet in order to do jazz, but I'm not sure I agree with that. But back to ballet. It is very graceful and beautiful. At times I know people who get 'bored' with it. Me on the other hand, I never could. Even barre exercises I love, but that's just me. You have to work really hard in ballet (as in jazz as well) but maybe even harder just to improve a little bit. It's a very hard sport/art form but SOOOO worth it. Also, someday ballet could lead you to pointe, which fascinates many girls.

Jazz on the other hand is a hard sport too. Some times it can be more sharp or sometimes more on the slower and jazzy side. The music is usually more contemporary and upbeat as you said. You're turned in which I feel makes it easier than ballet. It too though is amazing and fun.

Ask yourself : What do I love about jazz What do I love about ballet and write a little note on what you love about which. Maybe that will help you see which one you should really do (=

Good luck!

u should do ballet cause once ur good at ballet it will be easy 2 learn jazz. ive taken ballet an jazz 4 3 years and i would say take ballet.

I know more about ballet than jazz. You still get to dance fast in ballet for example: allegro [Italian: "happy"]. The third part of a ballet class: fast work, jumps, turns. Usually divided into petit ["little"] allegro and grand ["big"] allegro. Modern Ballet offers a lot of self expression in comparison to Classical Ballet. In my opinion Modern Ballet is very similar to Jazz.

Start with ballet and then take jazz because ballet gives you good technique to rock at jazz.

Ballet will help strengthen you for other types of dance, because ballet is the basis of everything. It is SO fun and really works you hard! Have fun and good luck in your decision :)

Ballet gives you the foundation for EVERY style of dance...even hip hop. Take ballet and work hard on your form and your lines. You can always take jazz next year, right?

it sounds like you just wanna do ballet because everyone else wants it for you,do what you think your gonna like the most! I think jazz would be a great way for you to express yourself!

You should do ballet, it does take more time and effort, and disipline, but it is beautiful, and you can go fast in it as well as slow.i may be a little biased, because i take ballet and have for 7 years, but it is amazing.