Everyone has childhood hobbies. But as we grow older, we often push them aside to make room for other things in our life. We start chasing the things society tells us we need to be happy. Like a prestigious job, the promotion or next step on the career ladder, money for nice clothes and vacations… but these aren’t the things that will truly make us happy.
Losing sight of what matters
In the process of growing up, many of us come to view our old hobbies as pointless. Why spend the time on something we know we will never excel at? Something that could never turn into a profession, never earn us fame or fortune? We think we don’t have time for anything that isn’t moving us toward our goals.
When we were kids, we didn’t worry about these things, because as a kid you’re more honest, not just with others, but with yourself. You’re less concerned with conforming to society’s expectations, and more concerned with how you feel in the present moment.
It’s simple: you do what makes you happy, even if there isn’t necessarily some greater purpose tied to it. You just enjoy the activity for what it is.
That purity of spirit still holds the key to happiness now.
Seeing the world with child-like wonder
In our adult lives, many of us end up sitting for eight hours a day at a desk job, reminding ourselves to take care of our bodies by dragging ourselves to the gym like a chore. But moving your body doesn’t have to be a chore. Why not add a little whimsy to your movement? Why not remind yourself of all the beautiful things your body can do?
Getting back to the things you loved as a child helps you reconnect with that magical worldview, unlocking the ability to see the sparkle in things that had grown dull.
As a kid, you don’t unwind from a long week of school by running to meet your friends at the bar and drink away your sorrows. No, you spend your weekends doing—you guessed it. Hobbies.
Hobbies are a way to get your body moving or your creative juices flowing. To put your energy into something that helps you grow as a person and fuels your soul, something FUN!
When you’re a kid, you’re more unfiltered and true to yourself. So naturally, the things you loved at that time speak to who you are at your core. If you look carefully, they might teach you something about who you are. You might find yourself connecting with a lost part of yourself that you didn’t even know you needed to be really, truly happy.
Dancing for your body and soul
If you found yourself enchanted by ballet as a kid, it was for a reason. Society will try to drain that passion from you and trick you into thinking ballet is a silly hobby to have as an adult, as if it were no different than liking to dress up as a princess on your off hours (though there’s nothing wrong with that either, if that’s what speaks to you!) But ballet isn’t just frolicking around on stage in pretty costumes. It takes a great deal of physical and mental strength.
That’s right—ballet is more than just something enchanting and whimsical. It’s good for the body, a way to engage muscles you might never have used otherwise. It challenges the mind, too, requiring coordination and memory. The further you advance into your practice, the more complicated and fast-paced it can get. It’s a truly unique activity, sitting at the crossroads of athletic skill, mental acuity, and artistic expression.
My experience starting adult ballet lessons
I grew up taking ballet classes at a classical school with its roots in the Russian ballet tradition. Everyone at the school took ballet very seriously, from the strict teachers to my fellow dancers, many of whom were on the pre-professional track.
The ballet itself brought me so much joy. There was only one thing getting in the way of that enjoyment—the fear of judgment. I was always beating myself up for not measuring up to the other girls. I spent too much time worrying about not being good enough, which destroyed my confidence and got in the way of enjoying the thing I loved. So I quit for good at 14.
No matter how much I tried to tell myself I was better off without it, something about ballet fueled my soul. Life without ballet felt dull and flat. I went through my days with the feeling that something was missing.
Nine years later, I made my return to ballet with an adult class at a small studio. Although I had matured enough to know that I was doing this for no one but myself, and therefore didn’t have any reason to care what others thought, part of me still held that fear that I wouldn’t be good enough.
But the environment I entered was completely different from what I was used to. It was one of acceptance, joy, and lightheartedness.
For example, while my old ballet school played only classical piano composed strictly for ballet class, our new ballet teacher plays piano covers of popular songs. We’ve done our tendu, frappé, and ronde de jambe combinations to everything from “HOT TO GO!” by Chappell Roan to “Obla-Di-Obla-Da” by the Beatles to “That’s Amore” by Dean Martin.
In an adult ballet class, you don’t need to wear a uniform, either. You can wear whatever you feel comfortable in, whatever makes you happy. And that’s truly the attitude we live by in class—dancing in a way that makes you happy.
Of course, our teacher gives gentle corrections, in a way meant to ensure safety and provide you with the tools you need to challenge yourself to be better. But there is no great pressure and seriousness that comes with the kind of classes that are meant to prepare you for a career in dance.
That’s the beauty of an adult beginner ballet class. No one here expects to become a professional dancer. So you can challenge yourself to be better than you were the time before, without the added pressure of comparing or competing against anyone else. It’s a much more relaxed way to enjoy a class, getting out of your head and letting yourself get caught up in the movement.
A shared experience
During one of our first classes, our teacher told us something that stuck with me: We’re all here because we love ballet.
As she looked around at us, beaming, I felt a camaraderie rise among us. No matter how different we are, or the different kinds of lives we lead outside of this room, one thing connects us all. We chose to be here because we enjoy this art form.
That’s when I realized, the fear of judgment has no place in the ballet studio. It’s a space to challenge yourself and be present in your own body, not to compare yourself to others. Everyone in the room is sharing the same experience, and we can support each other as we all progress along our individual journeys.
Fear of judgment
As adults, we might instinctively feel afraid of judgment. Society has taught us to look down on adult beginners, to think of ourselves as silly for wanting to take ballet as a hobby. At the same time, we also have the wisdom to see past those initial fears. We have the freedom to know that as adults, we can do whatever we want, and choose not to care what others think.
How many little girls out there say they want to be a ballerina when they grow up, and how many actually end up pursuing that dream? When does the magic, the sparkle, fade from our eyes, replaced by the conviction that such a dream just isn’t practical? Why do we end up thinking that if we can’t excel to the highest possible standard, doing what makes us happy is too unrealistic to be worthwhile?
Imagine you came face to face with your child self. Could you look that little girl or boy in the eye and tell them their dream just isn’t realistic? Would you tell them it isn’t worth doing, since you know it won’t end up growing into a career, anyway?
I’m willing to bet the answer is no. You would tell them to do what makes them happy. Well, that child is still inside you, and they deserve to live their life judgement-free. Do yourself a favor and treat the adult you the same way.
Interest in adult ballet is growing
Adult beginner ballet classes used to be few and far between. You were either a kid starting for the first time, an adolescent continuing your training, or an adult professional already launching your career. But as an emphasis on mental health and wellness grows in our culture, especially among Gen Z who are in our twenties, people are spreading the word that healing your inner child is not something to be ashamed about.
Many of those advocates for rediscovering your inner child talk about how finding your way back to old hobbies can bring a great sense of peace. And right along with that, the number of adult beginner ballet classes has sprung up to meet the growing demand.
Rediscovering childhood hobbies is for anyone
And it doesn’t have to be ballet, either. Say you liked to draw when you were younger, and you still doodle now and then to relieve stress. Try taking your doodles to the next level—try them in watercolor, charcoal pencils, oil pastels. See what makes you happy. You might find the process more rewarding than you ever expected. Join a local art class, beginner or not. You just might find a sense of community that was missing from your life.
If no hobbies jump to mind, you can always find some. Even when trying something new, you still might rediscover a sense of unadulterated joy in life (and yes, it’s no coincidence the word adult is being negated here). A peace that comes from doing something purely because it makes you happy, not worrying about the judgement or approval of others.
When life starts to drag you down, getting caught up in the pressure of work and responsibilities, it’s good to remind yourself of the fun things that make life worth living. It might turn out that all you needed was your younger self’s instincts to guide your way there.
