Adult ballet classes in Tucson are filling up as more people step into the studio for the first time, not to pursue ballet professionally, but to stay active and explore artistic expression. 

It’s part of a national trend in recent years, with many seeking to get fit through ballet or ballet-inspired classes. 

At Sonoran Ballet Academy, that shift has been noticeable. School director and owner Danielle Fu said enrollment in adult classes is up dramatically since the studio opened in 2024.

“We have definitely seen a lot of growth. Our adult classes used to have about four to five adults,” she said. “In the past year, we’re seeing as many as 14 to 15.”

Her adult classes include participants ranging in age from early 20s to late 60s, she said. 

“This year in particular we have had adults that participated previously in the fall boosting our presence through online reviews,” she said.  

The increase comes as ballet gains exposure beyond traditional studio spaces.

Trends in pop culture, particularly in fashion and social media, often referred to as #balletcore, have brought ballet-inspired aesthetics and products into mainstream culture.

From Adidas’s ballet-inspired Taekwondo flat shoes released in March 2025 to brands like Urban Outfitters launching ballet-inspired apparel collections, the style has picked up steam. 

But Fu said that while online and social media exposure is influencing how people discover dance, it is not the only factor driving interest.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of people were indoors and gyms were closed,” she said. “To stay active, people started researching ballet online and practicing at home with what they had.”

For many, ballet offers something different from traditional workouts. 

The focus is not just on movement but on building a foundation in technique while still pushing students to improve, she said.

“They want to have a little bit more stability and exercise in a more artistic format than just going to the gym,” Fu said.

The academy offers beginner and intermediate classes, with a focus on technique for dancers at different levels. And it has adjusted its class structure to ensure its new clients are satisfied. 

Beginner classes are mostly in the evenings for people with no prior experience, while morning classes are for older adults who prefer a slower pace, she said. 

Erica Wasmund is a former dance instructor who taught studio classes and helped lead a dance program through Sierra Vista’s parks and recreation department before moving to Tucson about a decade ago. She said she has seen more adults taking ballet classes in recent years, too. 

“Studios are posting videos of their choreography, and that’s really inspiring a lot more people to start dancing or just try it out,” she said.

Access has also improved over time, Wasmund said. When she first moved to Tucson in 2015, most classes were geared toward children or experienced dancers, with few options for beginners.

“Now you can find a lot more adult classes at all levels,” she said, including hybrid classes that blend ballet with fitness.

Andrea Diaz-Pacheco, 35, is a former dancer, who recently started practicing ballet again on her own at home.

“I did all sorts of dance growing up, including ballet, but I stopped after high school,” she said. “Now I’ve started dancing again as a way to stay fit, not something I want to pursue professionally.”

Pacheco, who is currently working toward a Ph.D. at the University of Arizona, said her studies have made it difficult to commit to studio classes.

Still, she said, social media and online communities have helped spark renewed interest.

“You see people online talking about starting dance and creating a community,” she said. “When it’s something you used to do, it makes you think, ‘Maybe I should go back to it.’”

She said dance is an important outlet for self-expression.

“Even without a class or a group, it’s something I can always go back to,” she said.

She uses ballet as both a form of exercise and a way to relieve stress from her studies.

For her, ballet has become less about performance and more about personal balance. 

Fu said people of all ages should be able to tap into those benefits.

“We want everybody to come into the studio and feel like when they walk out, there’s that joy, there’s that passion,” she said. “We want all of our dancers to leave prouder and happier than when they walked in.”

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.