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How to Build a Ballerina Bar for Kids

Whether ballerinas are dedicated dancers with years of experience or just starting, a ballet barre, or bar, is a must-have piece of equipment. These bars, which are attached to the wall, provide dancers with an object on which to balance while they dance. Ballet bars are almost always placed in front of a mirror, too, allowing the ballerinas to correct their poses and refine their moves.

Things You'll Need

  • Wooden dowel (1 3/4-inch to 1 7/8-inch diameter)
  • Drill
  • 3/8-inch drill bit
  • 7/8-inch drill bit
  • Fixed bracket with fixed extension stud
  • Stud finder
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Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase a wooden dowel to use as the ballerina bar. Select a dowel that is long enough to meet the demands of your studio but short enough to meet the constraints of the wall space.

    • 2

      Measure and mark the desired height of the bar on the wall. Use a pencil to indicate at least three points. While adult bars are placed around three feet high, place the bar a little lower for children.

    • 3

      Make sure that the pencil marks are level by checking them with a level.

    • 4

      Use a stud finder to locate the wall studs. Mark the studs with a pencil: these spots are where the brackets for mounting the bar will go. Measure the distance between the marks on the wall, then transfer the measurements to the bar, to indicate where you will drill in the brackets. Make sure to have marks for brackets about one foot from each edge of the bar, and every seven to eight feet in the middle.

    • 5

      Drill the holes in the bar. First, drill 7/8 inch deep with a 3/8-inch bit, then use a smaller 5/16-inch bit to drill down an additional 5/8 inch. Don't drill any farther or you may drill through the bar.

    • 6

      Screw the extension stud of the bracket into the ballerina bar. Stop twisting the bracket when the extension shoulder is touching the wood of the bar. You may need to screw the bracket a little more to make sure that the mounting piece of the bracket is perfectly perpendicular to the bar.

    • 7

      Place the bar and its brackets up to the wall exactly where you want to install it. Screw the brackets to the wall to mount the bar.

Ballet

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