twins4heaven
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@john_brown I did some bouldering when I was at uni. Unfortunately the town I'm in at the moment doesn't have a indoor place. Definitely a fun activity tho!
Ballet or Gymnastics as an adult male?
- Thread starter twins4heaven
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john_brown
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@twins4heaven Ahhh unfortunate! Fair enough. Maybe in the future!
@twins4heaven For me it was Gymnastics. I loved it, it's an impressive sport (though it was always seen as girly when I was younger) but it's an incredibly rewarding sport. It is one of the hardest sports if not actual contender for the top one. You need to be almost athlete levels to get almost anywhere with it.
It's great as well because although progress is slow, it's very build from the ground up and a lot of skills that you don't think you will be able to do are just progressions of basic skills. For example you say doing a one hand cartwheel - this is fairly basic and you will be able to do this shortly after achieving perfect form of a basic cartwheel and from this a no hand cartwheel (aerial) is simply a matter of practice and not really that hard it is simply determined by practice. Practice looking at a specific spot on the floor, practice making sure you push UP as much as possible (a lot of people see a lot of sideways motion and think of it like a vault, it's actually based on a jump up from one leg as high as possible to give you time to wheel your legs over).
I always found it incredibly rewarding as there's always a new skill to learn and it's usually based on one you know. You get so close for so long and then you finally nail it. It's a great pay off for hard work.
The downside of gymnastics is that it's incredibly regimented and time consuming. You need to put in the time, and you need the maintain your endurance for long training sessions, patience to do ridiculous amounts of drills, keep your flexibility and strength up, and still be working on a progression of a skill. Very few people have the time needed in gymnastics to see significant results. As you've mentioned you like other sports this might rule it out for you, it's a very time consuming endevour and will swallow time for other activities.
Ballet is not something I'm familiar with but I understand it's quite similar. Solid foundations, progressions, working on perfect form before moving on but I don't think it's quite as punishing on downtime/requiring constant drills as long as you stay quite fit (it's another pass time that requires an athlete level of fitness).
Aerial silks I have no experience with, but I assume from what I've seen it's similar to ballet. Probably the least "all consuming" of the three, but I really don't know.
It's great as well because although progress is slow, it's very build from the ground up and a lot of skills that you don't think you will be able to do are just progressions of basic skills. For example you say doing a one hand cartwheel - this is fairly basic and you will be able to do this shortly after achieving perfect form of a basic cartwheel and from this a no hand cartwheel (aerial) is simply a matter of practice and not really that hard it is simply determined by practice. Practice looking at a specific spot on the floor, practice making sure you push UP as much as possible (a lot of people see a lot of sideways motion and think of it like a vault, it's actually based on a jump up from one leg as high as possible to give you time to wheel your legs over).
I always found it incredibly rewarding as there's always a new skill to learn and it's usually based on one you know. You get so close for so long and then you finally nail it. It's a great pay off for hard work.
The downside of gymnastics is that it's incredibly regimented and time consuming. You need to put in the time, and you need the maintain your endurance for long training sessions, patience to do ridiculous amounts of drills, keep your flexibility and strength up, and still be working on a progression of a skill. Very few people have the time needed in gymnastics to see significant results. As you've mentioned you like other sports this might rule it out for you, it's a very time consuming endevour and will swallow time for other activities.
Ballet is not something I'm familiar with but I understand it's quite similar. Solid foundations, progressions, working on perfect form before moving on but I don't think it's quite as punishing on downtime/requiring constant drills as long as you stay quite fit (it's another pass time that requires an athlete level of fitness).
Aerial silks I have no experience with, but I assume from what I've seen it's similar to ballet. Probably the least "all consuming" of the three, but I really don't know.
twins4heaven
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cliffholmes
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@twins4heaven I thought I could add to this discussion a little. I started dancing at 18, I fell in love with the art form my freshman year in college and then proceeded to get a masters in dance, dance professionally and I am currently teaching dance at a liberal arts college. Let me first say that I am not a ballet dancer, I am much more of a Modern and Jazz dancer. I have spent a bit of time behind the barre. It all depends on what your goals are Dance is is an incredible art form with a very steep learning curve. But Ballet is extremely progressive and one thing will be built on top of another so that you are able to accomplish the next. It is also extremely repetitive, even a professional will start with 2 demi plié s and a grande in each position. But the progressive nature of ballet has been developed over hundreds of years and refined in class rooms across the world.
P.S. My wife does Silks for fun, and my daughter does gymnastics. So your post kinda hit home.
P.S. My wife does Silks for fun, and my daughter does gymnastics. So your post kinda hit home.
twins4heaven
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@cliffholmes Your family sounds fun 
. The whole "Dance is an art" and gymnastics/parkour/tricking being sports really did make dance appeal for me. I've never been good with art and doing new things your not good at is what life is all about .
. The whole "Dance is an art" and gymnastics/parkour/tricking being sports really did make dance appeal for me. I've never been good with art and doing new things your not good at is what life is all about .@twins4heaven I think both of these are very different physical skill sets. If you do decide to choose ballet, you’ll work your legs harder than you’d work them in gymnastics. If you choose gymnastics, you’ll work your upper body more. Both will ask you to use your core and you’ll learn how your body balances in relationship to gravity and both will let you do some things that look really cool.
I’m a huge proponent of ballet in combination with body weight strength workouts.
Ultimately, it’s up to you. 23 is still young enough to start anything that you want to start. You’re also at the age that you can understand that it’s not just sloppy practice that will make you improve — perfect practice makes perfect and if you want to improve your skills in bodyweight fitness, in gymnastics, or in ballet, you need to constantly check in with your form!
Good luck and good on you for getting yourself out there.
I’m a huge proponent of ballet in combination with body weight strength workouts.
Ultimately, it’s up to you. 23 is still young enough to start anything that you want to start. You’re also at the age that you can understand that it’s not just sloppy practice that will make you improve — perfect practice makes perfect and if you want to improve your skills in bodyweight fitness, in gymnastics, or in ballet, you need to constantly check in with your form!
Good luck and good on you for getting yourself out there.
twins4heaven
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@twins4heaven Drop ultimate frisbee. Take dance.
twins4heaven
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@calicodad I do love dance. But ultimate Frisbee is also amazing.
I found hip-hop was very much based on learning choreography rather then learning separate moves.
Is that normal?
I found hip-hop was very much based on learning choreography rather then learning separate moves.
Is that normal?
twins4heaven
New member
@someanonymousperson I think for me learning the proper technique and using them together in my own way has more appeal then following what someone else did.
Although I gotta admit the routines the instructor showed were dope.
Although I gotta admit the routines the instructor showed were dope.
bjelousodan
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@twins4heaven Ballet will also help you if you want to do hip-hop or any other dance in the future. Most professionals take it as a base for whatever dance they do. Definitely make sure you're signed up for a "basic beginner" class (or "intro to ballet"). The other great thing about ballet is you learn a lot about your muscles and awareness of your body
@twins4heaven I don't know what's stopping you from using moves learned in a choreography in other routines as well. Isn't ballet something someone else did as well?
Also my comment was an attempt at trying to throw shade at ultimate without actually having to say it. Dancing has much more application to being attractive to others than ultimate ever will... I know it has a fervent cult following, but outsiders to the sport have 0 respect for it. Unlike dancing, to where throwing down some sweet moves not to mention KNOWING HOW TO FLOW will always make you the center of the room when the music comes on at a party.
Also my comment was an attempt at trying to throw shade at ultimate without actually having to say it. Dancing has much more application to being attractive to others than ultimate ever will... I know it has a fervent cult following, but outsiders to the sport have 0 respect for it. Unlike dancing, to where throwing down some sweet moves not to mention KNOWING HOW TO FLOW will always make you the center of the room when the music comes on at a party.
@twins4heaven I think it may depend - I've seen people throw in some special moves like aerials or split leaps.
@twins4heaven Gymnastics. Learning how to handstand, back tuck, and lots of other basic body skills are not only good for you fitness wise but are very fun. Possibilities are endless.
@twins4heaven I think I may be biased, I think all three are super interesting and cool but personally I have a soft spot for ballet. I've found you do need strength to do something like a arabesque and really have control of your body (or maybe I'm just really weak haha).
twins4heaven
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nicolewood1981
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@twins4heaven It's a women's gymnastics balance scale!
@twins4heaven My friend, I cannot speak highly enough of aerial. Like another poster said, if you invest more time in it you'll find yourself learning gymnastics and dance through the circus and performance aspects anyway. It's expensive, but learning to dance through a sequence rather performing a series of tricks on an aerial apparatus teaches grace/flexibility/etc. just as much as ballet, but requires more strength.