Where to take adult ballet classes on Long Island

With no prior dance background beyond watching Lifetime’s “Dance Moms,” Schneider Googled local programs and was drawn to the structure and flexibility of Adult Ballet Long Island, a dedicated adult program operated by Integral Ballet School in Merrick. Since then, she’s found much more than a distraction. “Now I have new goals,” she said. “I can’t believe I’ve progressed so much in such a short time.”

The six-week program at Adult Ballet Long Island attracts a mix of beginner and experienced dancers, and Schneider thinks the supportive atmosphere has made all the difference. “Everyone was accepting and encouraging,” she said. “My childhood experience in competitive figure skating was very different.”

Instructor and program director Erin Drennan, who launched the adult program in 2009 alongside the school’s youth classes, said adults come to class with a unique drive. “It’s one of my favorite classes to teach,” she said. “Everyone is here because they truly wanted to be here.”

Ballet Long Island in Ronkonkoma also offers adult classes through nonprofit The Ballet Center. Artistic Director Debra Punzi emphasizes that ballet is for everyone, regardless of age or experience. “We have students from 20s to 70s,” she said. “Adults are drawn to ballet, even with little or no prior dance experience, seeking for a physical activity that blends aesthetic beauty and artistic expression, stimulating both mind and body.”

Both programs teach foundational techniques like the five ballet positions, barre work and classical combination. “It’s both a work out and a meditative experience, in a good balance,” Schneider said. “There’s music, there’s movement and I feel engaged in a way that the gym never gave me.”