Ballet Guides
Practical guides to ballet in Ireland, from first steps to exam preparation.
New to ballet
Start here if nobody in the house has danced before.
- What Is Ballet? | Complete Guide to Ballet Dance for BeginnersBallet is a classical dance form built on five positions, turnout, and French-named steps. Its history, the main styles, and how anyone in Ireland can start.
- Is Ballet Good for Children? What the Evidence SaysWhat ballet actually does for children, what a class looks like at each age, and the two things worth keeping an eye on.
- Choosing a Ballet School in Ireland | What to Look ForHow to choose the right ballet school in Ireland. What to look for in a teacher, exam syllabi explained, costs, and questions to ask before you enrol.
- Starting Ballet in SeptemberIrish ballet schools start the autumn term in September and take bookings over the summer. What age children can start, what a term costs, and how to book a trial class.
- What to Wear to Ballet Class | Beginner's Guide to Ballet AttireFor a first ballet class: fitted leggings, a t-shirt, and socks or bare feet. What adults, children, and men wear, ballet shoe costs, and where to buy in Ireland.
- Ballet Positions | Learn the 5 Basic Ballet Positions for BeginnersA complete guide to the five basic ballet positions of the feet and arms, with tips on turnout, common mistakes, and how to practise at home.
- Acro vs Gymnastics: Which Suits Your Child?What acro dance is, how it compares with gymnastics and acrobatics classes, which suits your child, and what makes an acro class safe.
Classes by age and background
What a first class looks like at each stage, and who it suits.
- Baby Ballet and Toddler Classes in IrelandBaby ballet and parent-and-toddler classes run at Irish schools from as young as 12 months. What happens in a class, what to bring, and the schools offering them now.
- Ballet for Boys in IrelandOnly a handful of Irish schools run boys-only ballet classes. Here is where they are, and what to ask your own school if there is none near you.
- Ballet for TeenagersNo Irish school turns away a 14-year-old beginner. What changes is placement, not eligibility. What to ask a school before you enrol.
- Ballet for AdultsToo old, not flexible, wrong body type: the fears that stop adults starting ballet, what a first class is actually like, and how fast the body adapts.
- Ballet for Irish Dancers: What It Does for Your TechniqueWhat ballet trains for Irish dancers: a sharper point, a still upper body and turnout from the hip, plus what the research says about injuries.
Exams, grades and training
Grades, syllabi and the routes into full-time training.
- Ballet Grades and Ages: RAD, ISTD, IDTA, bbodance and IBDPBallet grades and minimum ages for RAD, ISTD, IDTA, bbodance and Ireland's IBDP, from each board's own specification, and how the levels line up.
- Ballet Techniques & Methods in Ireland (RAD, ISTD & More)How ballet methods differ from exam boards, what RAD's vocational grades actually cover, and the questions worth asking when comparing schools in Ireland.
- The Ultimate Ballet Audition Guide: Preparation, Etiquette & HairMaster your next ballet audition with our ultimate checklist. Expert tips on preparation, perfect bun placement, studio etiquette, and what judges really want.
- Vocational Dance Pathways in IrelandDiscover the pathway to becoming a professional dancer in Ireland. Our complete guide to Youth Companies, PLC courses, and full-time vocational dance training.
- Ballet Summer Camps & Intensives in Ireland 2026: The Complete GuideBallet summer camps in Ireland 2026: fun kids camps from age 3, teen intensives and adult workshops across Dublin, Galway, Cork and Belfast.
Competitions and shows
How the main competitions work, and what is on this season.
- Dance World Cup 2026 Dublin: Schools, Results & Visitor GuideEvery Ireland and Northern Ireland school named in the official Dance World Cup 2026 results, plus what's next: DWC 2027 in Lisbon, 29 June to 9 July.
- Dance World Cup: How Irish Dancers QualifyDancers in the Republic qualify at a live Irish heat. Northern Ireland competes as Team NI through DWC UK by video. How both routes work.
- 5678 Elite Dance: Ballet Sections, Entry Levels and Irish Dates5678 grades dancers novice, open or elite, and which one you may enter is fixed by rule. Ballet is marked with lyrical and contemporary, not street.
- AD Competition: Irish Dates, Ballet Section and How to QualifyThe AD Competition qualifies dancers on a published score, not a top-three placing. Ballet is 1 of 12 sections. Four Irish dates, and how entry works.
- The Nutcracker in Ireland 2026Every Nutcracker in Ireland for Christmas 2026: Cork City Ballet and High Points Youth Ballet in November, ZoNa, Youth Ballet West and Wexford in December.
More guides
Recently published.
- Dance Awards Ireland: Ballet School Winners and FinalistsBallet teachers and schools who won or were finalists at Dance Awards Ireland in 2025 and 2026, from Rebecca Flynn and Rachel Goode to Kildare Academy.
- Golden Dance Awards: Ballet Sections, Winners and How to EnterGolden Dance Awards runs separate Ireland and NI ceremonies. Ballet is one of 13 style awards. The 2026 winners from both ceremonies, and how nominations work.
- Global Dance Open: Ballet Sections, the Belfast Qualifier and the FinalsGlobal Dance Open runs one qualifier for all of Ireland, in Belfast on 16 and 17 January 2027. Ballet sections, pointe rules, ages and how to reach the finals.
- World Ballet Day 2026: Step Inside the World's Ballet StudiosOn Thursday 29 October, ballet companies around the world open their studio doors online, free. What to watch from Ireland, from 11.30am.