When my sister and I were kids, my mom had something of a falling out with our ballet teacher because she wouldn’t put my sister in pointe shoes before her feet were done growing. A competing dance school called Belliston Academy of Ballet was willing to let my ten-year-old sister go en pointe, so my mom switched schools. It quickly became clear that Belliston’s was not the answer, however. My sister was primarily a gymnast, but the dance school had trouble with having only a portion of her time and commitment: Belliston’s is, above all else, an ambitious school for ambitious dancers. For the majority of dancers who just want to dance for fun, I would definitely NOT recommend Belliston’s, but steer them instead in the direction of a more recreational type of dance school.
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