HOUSTON – Step into almost any dance studio in the Houston-area and you won't just see little girls in frilly tutus.
Their moms, dads, even grandmothers are stepping up to the barre and exploring the world of ballet.
"We say we go from 3 to 93," said Michelle Smith, founder and director of METdance in Midtown.
METdance is home to a professional dance company, but also has a school that offers a range of classes for adults, even those just starting out.
"It's a great form of stress relief. You want to be able to get away from work and come some place where there's great music and fun energy," Smith said.
Adult dance students come from a variety of backgrounds.
"There's retired professional dancers, there's beginners, ones who danced when they were little and then stopped," said instructor Tina Kay Bohnstedt.
Caitlyn Jimenez is one of those students who danced as a child but quit in middle school, something she came to regret. She's been back in dance class since February.
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"I quit wishing that I'd continued it and impulsively just started the class. It's been an eyeopener and shown me qualities I didn't know my body could contain like muscle memory and progressing faster than I originally thought I would," she said.
Linda Geiger has been a student at METdance for three years.
"I danced until I was 17 then stopped in my 20s, started back up when I was 30 and now I've been dancing another 20+ years," she said.
Geiger and others praised the classes, typically lasting 1 - 1 1/2 hours, as a great workout and alternative to the gym.
"It's great for your body, keeping it healthy and in shape, harder than working out to me," said Carmen, another dancer.
Paige White is a professional dancer with MET dance Company & Center and also teaches classes here. She says she is inspired by her adult beginners.
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There are no uniforms, no recitals and no rules when it comes to starting dance as an adult.
"Try an intro class, come in with an open mind, just bring your body ready to try new things and know that the instructors are there for you," Smith said.
You can get more information on adult classes at METdance and learn about the professional company's performances here.
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