After-Work Ballet: How I Fit Dance Into My 9-to-5 Life

I work a typical nine-to-five job as a copywriter for a fashion brand. My days are full—meetings, deadlines, creative projects, the usual hustle of office life.

When people find out I also take ballet classes several times a week after work, they usually ask the same question: “How do you have the energy for that?”

The honest answer? Some days, I don’t. But I go anyway. And I’ve never once regretted it.

The Reality of After-Work Everything

Let’s start with the truth: after working all day, the last thing my body wants to do is more activity.

My typical day looks like this: wake up, get ready, commute, work for eight hours at a desk, commute home. By the time I finish work, I’m mentally drained, physically stiff from sitting, and very tempted to just collapse on my couch.

The pull of home is strong. The couch looks inviting. Netflix is waiting. I could just skip class tonight, right? No one would know. I could rest, make dinner, relax.

And yet, most days, I choose ballet instead.

“I work a nine-to-five and try to go to ballet after work at least one to three times per week.”

It would be easier to tell you that I’m naturally disciplined, that I never struggle with motivation, that going to ballet after work feels effortless. But that would be a lie.

The truth is messier. Some days are hard. Some days require real willpower. Some days I seriously consider skipping.

But here’s what I’ve learned: the days I least want to go are often the days I most need to.

Why I Choose Ballet After Work (Even When It’s Hard)

When I’m honest with myself about why I keep showing up to ballet class after long workdays, a few key reasons emerge:

1. It Transitions My Day

One of the most valuable things ballet does is create a clear boundary between “work mode” and “evening mode.”

Without ballet, my evenings would blur together with my workday. I’d come home still thinking about that project, still mentally rehashing that meeting, still carrying all the stress and tension of the office.

Ballet forces a complete mental reset.

The moment I step into the studio, I can’t be thinking about work anymore. I need to focus on the combination the instructor is demonstrating. I need to listen to the music. I need to be present in my body.

“Work and life can get pretty busy, but ballet is something that slows things down and allows me to get back into my body.”

This transition is invaluable. Ballet isn’t just exercise—it’s a ritual that helps me leave work behind and enter the rest of my life.

2. It Gives Me Something That’s Just Mine

My work belongs to my employer. My time during the day is structured by meetings and deadlines and other people’s priorities.

But ballet? Ballet is mine.

It’s the one hour in my day where no one is asking anything of me except to show up and practice. No emails. No Slack messages. No requests or demands. Just me, my body, and the music.

In a life where so much of my time is spoken for, ballet is the thing I do purely for myself. And that makes it worth protecting.

3. The After-Class Feeling Is Worth the Effort

Here’s the thing about going to ballet after work: it’s hard to get myself there, but I always—always—feel good afterward.

Without fail, I leave class feeling accomplished, energized (in a calm way), and glad I came. That post-class glow carries me through the rest of my evening.

“Sometimes, it’s hard to get the energy to go to ballet after work, but I always feel so good and accomplished afterwards, which keeps me going back.”

I’ve learned to trust this pattern. Even on days when I’m exhausted and tempted to skip, I remind myself: “You’ve never regretted going. You’ve only regretted not going.”

That knowledge—that guarantee of how I’ll feel afterward—is often enough to get me out the door.

4. It Breaks Up the Sedentary Pattern

After sitting at a desk for eight hours, my body needs to move.

My back is tight. My hips are stiff. My posture has gradually collapsed over the course of the workday. My energy is sluggish from being stationary.

Ballet addresses all of this. The stretching loosens what’s tight. The movement energizes what’s sluggish. The focus on alignment fixes what’s collapsed. I leave class feeling more like myself again—more grounded in my body, more physically capable.

Without ballet, I’d go from sitting at work to sitting at home, and my body would suffer for it.

The Practical Reality: How I Actually Make It Work

Making after-work ballet happen consistently requires more than just motivation. It requires practical systems. Here’s what works for me:

Strategy 1: Reduce Decision Friction

On class days, I pack my ballet bag the night before. Leotard, tights, water bottle, snack—everything ready to go.

This removes the morning decision of “do I really want to carry this bag to work?” The bag is already packed. The decision is already made.

I also keep a set of bobby pins and hair ties in my desk drawer at work. When it’s time to leave for class, I can quickly put my hair up without hunting for supplies.

These tiny systems remove friction points that might otherwise give me an excuse to skip.

Strategy 2: Schedule Classes Like Meetings

I don’t leave ballet to chance or wait to “see how I feel.”

I look at my work calendar at the start of each week and block out specific class times. Tuesday at 7pm. Thursday at 7pm. Saturday at 10am. These are appointments with myself, as important as any work meeting.

Treating ballet as a scheduled commitment rather than an optional activity makes it much more likely to actually happen.

Strategy 3: Eat Smart

One of the biggest barriers to after-work exercise is hunger.

If I try to go to ballet on an empty stomach after work, I’ll be too hungry to focus and too low-energy to perform well. But if I eat a heavy meal, I’ll feel sluggish and uncomfortable moving.

My solution: I eat a light snack around 4 or 5pm—usually an apple with peanut butter, or crackers and cheese. Something with protein and carbs to sustain my energy through class, but not so much that I feel weighed down.

Then after class, I come home and make a real dinner. This pattern works much better than trying to go straight from work to class with no fuel.

Strategy 4: Give Myself Grace on Hard Days

Here’s an important one: I aim for 1-3 classes per week, not 5-7.

I used to think I had to go to every single class to “really” be a ballet student. But that all-or-nothing thinking set me up for burnout and guilt.

Now I aim for 1-3 classes per week. Some weeks I make it to three classes. Some weeks I only make it to one. Either way, I’m still practicing. I’m still showing up. I’m still a dancer.

This flexibility makes ballet sustainable rather than stressful.

The Commute Factor

One practical advantage I have: Align wasn’t too far from my apartment when I started.

Location matters when you’re trying to fit after-work activities into your life. If the commute is too long, the barrier becomes too high. You start talking yourself out of going because “it’s so far” or “I don’t have time.”

I specifically chose Align partly because of the location. It was accessible enough that I could realistically go after work without adding an hour of commuting to an already long day.

If you’re considering adult ballet, location is worth factoring into your decision. Find a studio that’s actually convenient for your life, not just the “best” studio in theory.

What Ballet Gives Me That Work Doesn’t

My job is good. I enjoy what I do. But work, by its nature, is driven by external demands—client needs, brand goals, deadlines, metrics.

Ballet is different. Ballet is internally driven.

No one is grading me. No one is paying me. No performance review depends on my arabesque. I’m not working toward a promotion or trying to impress anyone.

I’m simply practicing for the pure sake of practicing. Improving for the pure sake of improving. Moving for the pure joy of moving.

“As a creative person, I also enjoy ballet as another creative outlet.”

This kind of intrinsically motivated activity is rare in adult life. Most of what we do is tied to some external reward or obligation. Ballet is one of the few things I do simply because I want to do it.

And that makes it precious.

The Mental Health Aspect

I didn’t start ballet thinking of it as mental health maintenance. But that’s absolutely what it’s become.

Work can be stressful. Life can be overwhelming. Some days are just hard—frustrating meetings, difficult projects, interpersonal tension, the general weight of adult responsibilities.

Ballet offers a structured form of stress relief that actually works.

For one hour, I can’t think about work problems because I’m too busy remembering combinations. I can’t ruminate on stressful situations because I need to focus on my balance. I can’t stay stuck in my head because I’m fully present in my body.

It’s meditation through movement. Therapy through discipline. A mental reset disguised as exercise.

“Ballet is something that slows things down and allows me to get back into my body.”

In a life that often feels too fast, too busy, too mentally intense, ballet is the thing that brings me back to center.

The Community Element

One unexpected benefit of after-work ballet: I see the same people week after week.

We’re not exactly hanging out outside of class (though some people do). But there’s a comfortable familiarity. We recognize each other. We smile. We occasionally chat before or after class.

After spending all day at work interacting with people in professional contexts, there’s something refreshing about being in a space where the shared activity is purely personal—we’re all just here to dance.

“Everyone is so encouraging and uplifting, which makes coming to class even more enjoyable.”

This low-key community aspect makes ballet feel less like another obligation and more like coming home. I walk into the studio and I’m in a space where I belong, among people who understand what I’m working on because they’re working on it too.

The Evolution Over Time

When I first started ballet, going after work felt like a huge effort every single time.

Now, after almost two years, it’s become part of my routine. My body knows the rhythm. Tuesday and Thursday evenings mean ballet. Saturday mornings mean ballet. This is just what I do.

The habit has solidified enough that not going to ballet would now feel stranger than going.

But this didn’t happen overnight. It took months of consistent effort before ballet stopped feeling like something I had to force myself to do and started feeling like something I naturally did.

If you’re just starting out, be patient with yourself. The habit builds over time.

What I’d Tell Someone Considering After-Work Ballet

If you work full-time and you’re wondering whether you can realistically fit ballet into your schedule, here’s what I’d say:

Yes, you can. But it requires intention.

It won’t just happen on its own. You’ll need to:

• Choose a studio that’s actually convenient for your life
• Schedule classes like real appointments
• Pack your bag ahead of time
• Plan your eating around class times
• Give yourself permission to have flexible frequency (1-3 classes per week is great!)

The energy issue solves itself.

You’ll be tired some days. That’s normal. But you’ll find that ballet often gives you energy rather than taking it. The post-class feeling is worth the initial resistance.

Start small and build.

Don’t try to go to class five days a week right away. Start with once a week. Get that established. Then add a second day if you want. Build the habit gradually.

Trust the process.

In the beginning, it will feel like effort. You’ll have to convince yourself to go. But if you stick with it, ballet will eventually become something you look forward to rather than something you have to psych yourself up for.

The Long View

Here’s what I know now, after almost two years of fitting ballet into my 9-to-5 life:

This is sustainable.

I’m not white-knuckling my way through some intense fitness challenge that I’ll eventually burn out on. I’m not forcing myself to maintain an unrealistic schedule.

I’m simply going to ballet class 1-3 times per week, and it fits naturally into my life because I genuinely enjoy it.

“I’ve continued doing Align for almost two years now. Normally, when I’m not instantly good at something, I give up—but with ballet, even though it’s challenging and I make mistakes, I love the process.”

When exercise feels like punishment, it’s hard to maintain long-term. But when it feels like something you actually want to do—something that enriches your life rather than depleting it—it becomes easy to protect that time.

Ballet is worth the effort of getting out the door after work. Every single time.

The Invitation

If you work full-time and you’ve been curious about ballet but worried you don’t have time or energy…

I understand that concern. It’s valid. Life is busy. After-work commitments are hard.

But here’s what I’ve learned: the best things in life rarely feel convenient in the moment. They require small acts of courage—choosing growth over comfort, choosing presence over passivity.

Ballet is worth that small act of courage.

The Align Ballet Method offers classes throughout the day and evening at multiple locations across Los Angeles. Whatever your work schedule looks like, there’s likely a class time that can work for you.

You don’t need to commit to anything big. Just try one class. See how it feels. Notice whether you leave feeling glad you came.

That’s all it takes to start.

Photo by @missmadelineoak