Locate a class for a beginning level as close to your age group as possible. Many dance studios offer beginning ballet classes for all ages of children and those that go all the way up to adult ballet classes. Some dance studios specialize in ballet only.
Dress appropriately for a ballet class. This is usually a basic black leotard with pale pink or theatrical pink tights. Some classes are allowed to wear a sheer dance skirt. Shoes worn depend upon your level of dance and what dance you will be working on. All beginners wear a basic ballet slipper. More experienced dancers may be participating in pointe class and will wear a pointe shoe. These can all be purchased at a dancewear store or ordered through some dance studios. Hair is always pulled away from the face, pulled up or back into a bun that is tightly secured. Do not wear necklaces, earrings or bracelets that may clang or catch on things as you turn and dance.
Enter the studio ready to begin your class. Ballet students learn right away that they will usually begin at the ballet barre. This is a wooden barre that runs horizontally down the length of the wall, usually with a mirror behind it. Dancers will go through a variety of controlled movements and stretches under the direction of their ballet mistress. Every dancer learns that the warm-up is the most important part of their training, because if you warm up correctly, you will have less chance of pulling muscles or having an injury.
Move to the "center" when directed by the ballet mistress. This would mean to leave the barre area and spread out in the center of the room. More ballet positions, exercises and combinations are practiced at this point, but without the balance support of the barre. This area can obviously be more challenging and this is where the ballet student must really learn to concentrate, focus and listen to direction. Here they will also learn how to lift and hold themselves as a dancer. The arms will be an important part of the movements and turns as well.
Practice as much as possible. Not everyone can afford to have a ballet barre in their home, so sometimes a chair in front of a mirror may have to do. Muscle toning, control and strength development are an extremely important part of the ballet dance. The more advanced a ballet dancer becomes, the dancer will be referred to as having very good "technique." The more difficult the moves, the ballet dancer with "good technique" makes it all look very easy.
Learn the name of as many of the ballet terms as possible, especially all the basic ones. Most ballet terms are in French. It really helps to know that you start in a basic position that you learned in your first class when performing one of the most difficult combinations.
Purchase a ballet dance instructional DVD if you do not have access to a ballet studio or just aren't yet ready to take that first class.