Ballet Classes for Baby Ballerinas and Mini Dancers

Are you looking for kid's dance classes in Doha? Are you considering ballet? You won't be the only one! 

Ballet, more often than not, is the most sought-after dance class for young children. It is an incredibly emotive art form, even for children, who often want to emulate the awe-inspiring, enchanting dances they see and, of course, dress up in tights and tutus. And while kids' tastes may change as they grow, ballet is at the top of the list for first dance classes as it teaches the necessary skills and techniques used in all dance styles. Besides, as a parent, if your kids love to dance, ballet has many additional benefits besides merely teaching your offspring fancy footwork.  

Ballet teaches kids discipline, focus and to follow instructions (something many mums and dads would appreciate!). Learning and practising ballet positions and exercises helps to strengthen bodies, increase flexibility, agility and endurance, improve balance, coordination and posture, and is an excellent form of exercise. Continual practice and improvements in skills and techniques can help kids become more resilient, boost their self-esteem and confidence, and improve their concentration and memory skills. Not only that, but ballet also involves a lot of teamwork with coordinated dances – a great skill to learn - and it's very sociable. Plus, ballet's physical benefits and the techniques learned are excellent basics for learning martial arts and gymnastics concurrently or later in life! 

If you are looking for dance classes for a child who loves to dance, who is creative, expressive or loves performing, or even those who just need a recreational hobby, ballet is a fun, active, healthy pursuit to follow. And your child doesn't need to be the next Anna Pavlova or Rudolf Nureyev; most ballet classes, especially for under-eights, concentrate on movement, posture, poise and strengthening rather than the complex moves of formal ballet.  

So, where in Doha offers ballet classes to baby ballerinas and mini dancers?

Ballet Classes in Doha

Doha has various options for performing arts classes, offering tuition to young and old, male and female, beginners to advanced, and most of those offer ballet. The following are the most popular of Doha's ballet class offerings:

Brava Studio

Image: Facebook

Established: 2018

Dance Styles: Ballet, Latin, Jazz, Ballroom, Modern and Contemporary Dance for kids, teens and adults

Brava Studio offers two modern dance studios in The Pearl for a variety of dance, dance fitness and aerial classes for kids, teens and adults. Aside from street jazz, hip hop, street dance, K-Pop, aerial hoops and silks, kids can also take ballet lessons. 

Individual ballet classes or 7/8-week courses are available for Pre Ballet (3-4 years), Ballet Kids (5-7 years), Ballet Juniors (7-9 years), Ballet Teens (10-15 years) dancers, from beginners upwards. Classes are between 30 and 50 minutes, with younger members attending the shorter sessions. Individual classes for teens and ladies only are also offered. All dancers are required to wear a leotard, tights or leggings and ballet shoes. 

Ballet lessons are taught by an American Ballet Theatre certified teacher. 

To reserve classes, book online, contact Brava Studio via their What's App number below or download the Brava Studio app at the Apple Store or Google Play and follow on social media for more information.

Details:

Location: 22 La Croisette, Porto Arabia, The Pearl

(nearest Metro, Legtaifiya on the Red Line)

Class Timings: Ballet classes and course sessions are generally available Monday to Thursday, with timings dependent on which class and how many times per week kids attend or which course they are signed up for. Mid-afternoon and early evenings are generally reserved for the younger dancers. 

Costs: Costs vary depending on age and number of classes attended per week or are provided per course.

Pre-Ballet (3-4 years) – QAR 60 per class 

10 to 15 years / Teens and Ladies Only – QAR 85 per class

Pre-Ballet (3-4 years) – QAR 440 per course

Ballet Kids (5-7 years) – QAR 560 per course

Ballet Juniors (7-9 years) – QAR 560 per course

Ballet Teens (10-15 years) – QAR 640 per course

Telephone: +974 4004 2000

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://bravastudio.co/

Instagram: @bravastudio.co

Facebook: @bravastudio.co

Doha Ballet Studio

Image: Facebook

Established: 2020

Dance Styles: Ballet for kids, teens and adults

Doha Ballet Studio offers ballet classes for children from 3 years to 16, as well as Mummy and Me classes for babies and tots from 5 months to three years. They also offer adult classes – after all, you're never too old to try a plié or a relevé! 

Ballet is offered in courses held over eight weeks and include Baby Ballet (3-4 years), Little Dancers (5-6 years), Junior Dancers (7-9 years), and Pre-Teens (10-12 years) - all abilities welcome. The dance group also offer Senior Dancers (13-16 years), Young Dancers Company and Pointe workshops, but these are by invitation only. 

Classes are held in various studios (modern, bright rooms with huge, mirrored walls and dance barres) in multiple locations, The Pearl, Lusail and Ain Khalid.

The ballet school dance teachers are all Royal Academy of Dance qualified.

To reserve classes, contact Doha Ballet Studio via their What’s App number below and follow on social media for more information.

Details:

Location: Porto Arabia Tower 20, Marina Way, The Pearl

(nearest Metro, Legtaifiya on the Red Line)

Ain Khalid Gate, Khaled bin Ahmed Street, Ain Khalid, Doha

Les Maisons Blanches, next to Place Vendome Qatar, Lusail

(nearest Tram, Lusail Central on the Orange Line)

Class Timings: Classes are available Sunday to Saturday, with timings dependent on which course kids are signed up for and how many times per week they attend. Mornings and early evenings are available for the youngest dancers. Courses run for eight weeks at a time.

Costs: Costs vary depending on age and number of classes attended per week. Courses run for 8 weeks with prices reflecting the entire course (though fees can be pro-rated if joining after the term has already begun).

Babies to 6 years – QAR 620 – one class per week/ QAR 1280 – two classes per week

7 to 16 years – QAR 720 – one class per week/ QAR 1440 – two classes per week

Telephone: +974 5094 3539

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://thedohaballetstudio.com/

Instagram: @dohaballetstudio

Facebook: @1DANCE.BECAUSE

IAID Performing Arts

Image: Facebook

Established: 2001

Dance Styles: Ballet, Modern and Contemporary Dance, Hip Hop, Indian Classical and Contemporary Dance for kids, teens and adults

IAID Performing Arts Academy offers courses in dance, music and art at its studios in Doha and Al Wukair. Dance courses are normally staged monthly with two classes per week. Budding dancers can choose from hip hop, contemporary dance, Indian classic and contemporary dance and ballet.

Ballet courses at IAID for 4-18 years are graded in accordance with the British Theatre Dance Association and focus on technique, posture and performance using safe and correct ballet methods. All students are required to undertake a skills test before admission to ensure that they are streamed into the correct grade for their level of interest and aptitude. Once assessed, kids are entered into either Primary, Pre-Grade 1 or Grades 1 to 5.

IAID offers ballet sessions in comfortable, well-equipped studios with mirrored walls and dance barres. Some of the group’s dance halls also come with fitted-out stage facilities, which include stage lighting, smoke machines and theatre-style sound systems. 

All ballet school teachers are certified classical ballet instructors.

To sign your child up for a skills test and organise the correct ballet grade classes, book online or contact IAID via their What’s App number below and follow on social media for more information.

Details:

Location: Al Hilal Street, D Ring Road, Nuaija, Doha

Halat Al Asirir Street, Al Meshaf Road, Al Wukair

(nearest Metro, Al Wakrah on the Red Line)

Class Timings: Classes are available from Sunday to Saturday, with morning, afternoon and evening sessions offered. However, days and times are dependent on the child’s assessed grade.

Costs: Approx QAR 800 per month (x8 sessions)

Telephone: +974 4432 0974 (D Ring Road branch)

+974 4427 1155 (Al Wukair branch)

Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Website: https://www.iaidonline.org/

Instagram: @iaid.performingarts

Facebook: @iaid.performingarts

Music & Arts Atelier

Image: Facebook

Established: 2017

Dance Styles: Ballet, Hip Hop, Latin and Oriental Dance for all ages

Music & Arts Atelier offers a one-stop-shop for classes in music, dance, arts and fitness. The studios provide instruction in piano, guitar, drums, martial arts and gymnastics, arts, and dance, including hip hop, Latin dance, Oriental dance, jazz and ballet. 

Ballet classes for kids are offered from age three upwards; adult sessions are also available. Group sessions run from beginners to advanced levels, with a free trial for new starters, 

The Atelier group studios are a mixture of large modern, contemporary spaces with mirrored walls and fixed barre and smaller brightly coloured spaces dotted with dance, music and arts-related décor, giving them a warm and friendly atmosphere perfect for kids.

All sessions are taught by talented and experienced instructors.

To sign up for classes, register online or contact Music & Arts Atelier via their What’s App number below and follow on social media for more information.

Details:

Location: The Gate Mall, Maysaloun Street, West Bay, Doha

(nearest Metro, DECC on the Red Line)

Class Timings: Classes are available Sunday to Saturday, with days and timings dependent on which group sessions kids are signed up to and how many times per week they attend.

Costs: Classes can be booked individually at QAR 100 per session or bought as packages – QAR 325 for 4 sessions per month or QAR 650 for 8 sessions per month.

Telephone: +974 3300 3839

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://atelierqatar.com/

Instagram: @musicandartsatelier

Facebook: @atelierqatar

Sophie McDonald Dance Company

Image: Facebook

Established: 2017 (as the Sophie McDonald Dance Company)

Dance Styles: Ballet, Contemporary Dance, Jazz, Hip Hop, Acro Dance and Tap for kids, teens and adults

The Sophie McDonald Dance Company are a dance and musical theatre operation that offers instruction in musical theatre, contemporary dance, jazz, hip hop, tap dance, acro dance (dance with elements of acrobatics) and ballet. 

Ballet sessions are open to children from three years to teens and adults. Sessions are designed to instruct dancers from beginners to advanced, with invite-only courses for elite members. Classes and courses include instruction for Pre Ballet (3-4 years, Mini Ballet (5+ years), Inter Ballet (8+ years) and Senior Ballet (10+ years). 

The dance company operates out of numerous locations (subject to change), from Ar Rayyan and Al Duhail to Lusail and The Pearl. Classes and courses (two months +) are held every day but Friday, with plenty of location and timing options to choose from (mornings, afternoons and evenings).

Taught by certified and experienced dance instructors, the dance company also offer numerous chances for dancers to take part in shows, competitions, camps and other performances.

To reserve classes, contact SMDC via their What’s App number below and follow on social media for more information.

Details:

Location: SMDC operates out of various venues including:

Al Rayyan Compound, Rayyan Oasis Street, Ar Rayyan

(nearest Metro, Al Rayyan Al Qadeem on the Green Line)

Les Roses 3 Compound, Al Baaya Street, Ar Rayyan

(nearest Metro, Sport City on the Gold Line)

Qatar Foundation Clubhouse, Lekhdaira Street, Education City

(nearest Metro, Education City on the Green Line)

QIPCO Compound, Al Egla, Doha

(nearest Metro, Qatar University of Legtaifiya on the Red Line)

Riviera Gardens Compound, Al Khafji Street, Al Duhail, Doha

Viva Bahriya Tower 15, Viva Bahriya Drive, The Pearl

(nearest Metro, Legtaifiya on the Red Line)

Y Village 1 / 2 Compound, Bu Sidra, Doha

Class Timings: Classes are held in various locations throughout Doha and the surrounding areas everyday but Friday. Morning sessions to afternoon and early evening sessions are offered. Class timings and days are dependent on the locations chosen.

Costs: Pre Ballet – QAR 65 per session

Mini Ballet – QAR 70 per session

Inter Ballet – QAR 75 per session

Senior Ballet – QAR 80 per session

Discounts are available for siblings and multiple classes.

Telephone: +974 5540 0419

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @smdancecompany

Facebook: @dancedoha

Main image: Leonadoda