A grand pirouette - An increasing number of middle-aged, elderly women in Japan are taking Ballet classes

A participant in a competition for people who started ballet in adulthood performs on stage. — Yomiuri Shimbun/ANN

MORE and more middle-aged and elderly women are newly learning classical ballet or returning to the lessons for the first time in decades.

Ballet classes tailored for these women have emerged as well, taking into consideration that their bodies tend to be less flexible than children and young people. Ballet has become so popular among adult women, there is even a competition exclusively for adults wishing to perform on stage.