Do you have adult and teen students in your school that you’re not quite sure what to do with? As tempting as it may seem to put adults and teens in the same class, there are compelling reasons why this may not be your best plan.

When your school is geared towards younger students, and especially if you are training some of them towards a career, it can be difficult to know what to do with the beginner students who don’t fit your regular age groups. Schools can find themselves divided roughly into three groups – children doing ballet for fun, children doing ballet for a career and then the ‘others’. Of course the first two groups tend to be the largest, however your ‘others’ – adults and teens – are still valued students, so it may be best to give each group their own class. The rewards for your students, and your studio, will be immense.

Adults And Teens: Developmental Stages

Teenagers are not adults. Their brains are still developing which means that their thinking is still developing. There is nothing wrong with this, it’s appropriate for their stage in life, but combining adults and teens is a disservice to both groups. An adult with years of life experience requires a higher order of thinking than a teenager. Yes, there can be many different stages within the adult sphere, but the difference is that the brain has developed and a level of maturity has been reached.

Adults have the ability to understand concepts and have had the benefit of living in their bodies for much longer than teenagers. Whilst ballet technique may sit very differently on adult bodies, an adult’s processing of information is more sophisticated and this impacts their learning. An adult body may not create the same balletic line as a younger body, but they will create what is right for their physique.

Adults And Teens: Class Culture

All studio owners and teachers desire a healthy studio culture – teachers love having happy students regardless of age, which creates the class dynamic. If you can group students of a similar life stage, you will create a cohesive culture that will ensure the success and longevity of your adult (and teen) classes.

Adults will continue to attend their ballet class if they feel valued as a student. The goals for adult students are different, but they will still strive for improvement and they will respond positively to a class that is dedicated to them and their needs. Such a class will develop a committed and supportive culture that can last well into the future.

Adults And Teens: The Adult Ballet System

Giving adults their own space to learn with a structured program like the Adult Ballet System, will have your studio reaping the benefits for years to come.
The Adult Ballet System understands that adults learn differently and is created specifically for adult minds as well as their bodies. Often adults are thought to only attend classes on a casual basis, but with a program like the Adult Ballet System you will discover that your adults will be loyal committed students.

Once you have grouped your adults and teens separately, and introduced a dedicated class for adults, you will find that your reputation will grow. When adults discover something that they value, they tell everyone about it! This happens across all age groups, however adults decide where to invest their time. A dedicated class for adults that is committed to adult learning, coupled with a healthy culture that supports different life stages, will see your studio develop a loyal, life-long following.