How We Place New Students in a Class
We place new dancers by age and experience, using our range of class types from Preschool and Kinder Class up through Technique, Pointe, and Master Classes. Because every dancer's background is different, we ask you to call us first so we can talk through where you or your child will feel challenged and supported.
We don't drop a new dancer into a room and hope it works out. Our studio runs several levels of Ballet Classes, and where you land depends on age, prior training, and what you're hoping to get out of class.
For our youngest dancers, that usually means Preschool Classes or Kinder Class, built around shorter attention spans and big imaginations. Older kids and teens with some background often move into Technique Classes, and dancers working on pointe readiness may be guided toward our Pointe & pre-pointe instruction. Adults and dancers wanting one-on-one attention can ask about Private & specialty ballet lessons.
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Preschool and Kinder classes for our littlest dancers
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Ballet classes for all ages for growing skill levels
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Technique Classes for dancers building strength and precision
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Pointe & pre-pointe instruction for dancers ready for that next step
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Private & specialty ballet lessons for individual attention
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Master Classes for dancers looking to push further
Here's the part we won't fake: we can't tell you the right class over a website form. A five-year-old who's never taken a class and a five-year-old who's watched three years of videos with grandma might need different rooms.
A teenager returning after a break isn't the same as one training year-round. That's why our process starts with a phone call, so we can ask real questions before we guess.
This matters because the wrong fit early on can shake a dancer's confidence, and building that confidence is a big part of what our Ballet Classes program is about. We'd rather spend five extra minutes on the phone getting it right than have a nervous first week.
Every dancer in our dance family starts somewhere, and there's room for every age and every skill level here.
What You Need Before Your First Class
You don't need much to walk in the door for your first class. Comfortable clothes you can stretch and move in, hair pulled back off the face, and a water bottle cover most of it. If you already own ballet shoes, bring them. If you don't, come as you are for a trial class and we'll talk about sizing before you buy anything.
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Clothing that bends and moves with the body, not restrictive jeans or bulky sweatshirts
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Hair secured back and off the face and neck
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Ballet shoes if you own them, or plan to try a class first
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A water bottle for breaks between combinations
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A parent or guardian staying nearby for our youngest Preschool and Kinder dancers
We welcome every dancer, from our youngest Preschool and Kinder students all the way up through Technique Classes and Pointe ballet. Age and prior training both matter for placement, and that's on purpose. A five-year-old belongs in Kinder Class, not Technique Classes, and an eleven-year-old with two years of training probably belongs somewhere past a beginner room. We place by readiness, not just birthday.
Pointe work is where we're most particular. We don't move a dancer into Pointe & pre-pointe instruction just because they're excited about it or because their friends started. We look at foot strength, ankle stability, and how many years of consistent training they've put in first. If a dancer isn't there yet, we'll tell you that directly and keep building the foundation until they are.
Once you know roughly where your dancer fits, the fastest way to get placed correctly is to talk it through with us rather than guess online. You can also look at the full range of styles and levels on our Ballet Classes program page before you call.
We do this by phone, not by a form that leaves you waiting. Call us, tell us the dancer's age and any past experience, and we'll help you land in the right class from day one, whether that's a first Preschool Class or Private & specialty ballet lessons for a more focused setting.
What Happens if Classes Are Missed
Life happens. A dancer gets sick, a family trip comes up, a school event runs late. We get asked about this a lot before families ever sign up, and the real answer is that it depends on the class.
We don't run a one-size-fits-all rule for every program because a missed Preschool Class and a missed Master Class aren't the same situation.
A three-year-old in Kinder Class is working on following directions and having fun with movement, so one missed week rarely changes much. A dancer in Pointe & pre-pointe instruction or Private & specialty ballet lessons is building strength and technique in a specific order, so missing time there matters more.
The closer we get to a recital or a performance tied to Dance competition preparation, the more a missed class shows up in the room. Choreography gets set week by week, and formations depend on every dancer knowing where to stand. That's not something we say to worry a parent. It's just how group choreography works, and it's a reason we'd rather talk through a schedule conflict ahead of time than after.
Because options really do vary by class size, age group, and where a dancer is in their training, we handle this by phone instead of a blanket policy printed on a page. Call us at (515) 270-2790 and we'll talk through what makes sense for your dancer's specific class.
We won't pretend every missed class can be made up on the spot. Some weeks a class is full, or the timing doesn't line up with another section at the same level. What we can tell you is that a quick call before a class is missed, rather than after, gives us more room to work something out.
If you're still deciding which program fits your family's schedule, our Ballet Classes page is a good place to see the age ranges and levels we teach, from Preschool Classes through Master Classes.
Our dance family is built on dancers showing up for each other as much as for the steps, and we'd rather help you plan around a busy week than have you sit out class wondering what to do.
Whether Adults Can Join and Take It Seriously
Yes, adults join us and we treat their training just as seriously as any other dancer's. Grown-up beginners, returning dancers, and lifelong students all train inside our Ballet Classes and our Dance Training For all ages, which means you won't be squeezed into a room built for six-year-olds.
Most adults start in our Technique Classes, where the pace fits someone learning the fundamentals for the first time or rebuilding old skills. From there, some move into Master Classes when they want more depth or a bigger challenge. Others prefer one-on-one time and choose our Private & specialty ballet lessons instead of a group setting.
Here's the part we won't dress up: pointe work isn't something you can start on day one, no matter your age. Pointe & pre-pointe instruction has real physical prerequisites, ankle strength, alignment, and enough technique training to support the work safely. If you're an adult hoping to get on pointe quickly, we'd tell you upfront that it takes time to build toward it, not because of your age but because the foundation has to be there first.
We've watched adult students walk in nervous about being the only grown-up in the room, only to find they're one of several. Ballet doesn't ask you to already look like a dancer. It asks you to show up and work with what your body can do that day, which changes week to week for everyone, not just adults.
If you're weighing whether this fits your schedule or your goals, our Ballet Classes program page lays out the class levels and how students typically move through them.
Adult dancers aren't a side note in our dance family. We build classes around where you are, not where a chart says a beginner your age should be.
How Recreational, Technique, and Competition Tracks Differ
Not every dancer wants the same thing, and that's the whole point of having more than one path. We offer Recreational Classes, Technique Classes, and Dance competition preparation, and each one asks something different of a dancer and a family.
Recreational Classes are built for dancers who want to move, learn, and grow without the schedule of a competitive season. Kids in this track come once or twice a week, learn real ballet vocabulary, and build confidence at their own pace. Parents don't need to plan around extra rehearsals or weekend events. This is where a lot of our dance family starts, and plenty of dancers stay here for years because it fits their life.
Technique Classes go deeper into the mechanics of ballet: alignment, turnout, jumps, and the small details that make movement look and feel right. These classes are for dancers who've decided they want to sharpen their skills, whether or not they ever compete. We also offer Private & specialty ballet lessons and Pointe & pre-pointe instruction for dancers working toward more specific goals, like pointe readiness, which takes real strength and patience to build safely.
Dance competition preparation is its own commitment. It means more rehearsal time, choreography to memorize, and events on the calendar throughout the season. We won't push a dancer into this track before they're ready. If a child is still working on basic technique or just wants to enjoy ballet without pressure, we'll say so plainly and suggest staying in Recreational Classes or Technique Classes a bit longer. Rushing a dancer into competition before their foundation is solid usually just leads to frustration, not growth.
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Recreational Classes: flexible schedule, no competition requirement, open to all ages
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Technique Classes: focused skill-building, including pointe and pre-pointe work for dancers ready for it
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Dance competition preparation: added rehearsals and events, suited for dancers with a technique base already in place
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Dancers move between these tracks all the time. A child might spend a year or two in Recreational Classes, shift into Technique Classes as their interest grows, and later decide if competition fits their goals. You can read more about how these classes connect on our Ballet Classes page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has the studio earned any recognition in the dance community?
We were named a 2025 Des Moines People's Choice Awards winner. That recognition comes from families in the area choosing us, not from an internal award we gave ourselves. It doesn't change how we place a new dancer or run a class, but it's the kind of outside signal a family can look at when deciding where to enroll. We still ask every new family to call so we can talk through the right fit for that dancer.
Can we try a class before signing up for good?
Yes, you can come to a trial class before deciding on anything. You don't need ballet shoes for that first visit, just clothes you can move in and hair pulled back. If a dancer likes the class and wants to keep going, we'll talk about shoe sizing at that point instead of asking a family to buy gear ahead of time. This lets a dancer test the room before a parent spends any money.
What if the class we're placed in doesn't feel right after a week or two?
We'd rather hear that from you than have a dancer stay somewhere uncomfortable. Call us and tell us what felt off, whether it was pace, age group, or something else, and we'll talk through moving to a different level or class type. We can't promise an open spot in every section at every moment, but we will work through the options with you on the phone rather than leaving you guessing.
Is there an age cutoff for starting ballet as a complete beginner?
No, we don't have a strict cutoff. Our youngest dancers start in Preschool or Kinder Class, and adults who want to begin can ask about Private & specialty ballet lessons for a more individual setting. Age is one piece of placement, but it's not the only one. If you're an adult wondering whether it's too late to start, a phone call is the fastest way to find out where you'd fit.
Do we need to audition before joining a Ballet Class?
No, we don't run auditions for our regular class placement. Instead, we place dancers by talking through age, prior training, and what the dancer wants to work on. The one place we look closely at readiness is Pointe & pre-pointe instruction, where foot strength and years of training matter before that step. Outside of pointe work, a phone conversation is how we figure out where a dancer starts.
