Why I Enrolled My Son in Ballet

A Father’s Perspective by John Ennis

My Journey to Dance

Growing up, I always felt like I was fighting my body on the football field. It wasn’t until grad school that I discovered dance—initially as a way to meet women, I’ll admit—but what I found was so much more. Dancing taught me how to truly understand and work with my body’s natural movements. I became serious about Lindy Hop, eventually becoming a national champion swing dancer at the amateur level at the 2005 National Jitterbug Championships.

Dance also brought me my wife, and together we spent years running a Jazz dance nonprofit called the Greater Richmond Area Council for Authentic Jazz Dance Education (JDEC). Through these experiences, I learned that dancing wasn’t just a physical workout—it was mental training and a powerful way to connect with others.

Starting Young

When my wife and I decided to have children, I knew I wanted them to experience the benefits of dance from the earliest possible age. We enrolled our son in music and movement classes at a nearby dance school when he was just 18 months old, and added gymnastics at 20 months. He’s been moving and dancing ever since.

While he’s explored various forms of dance over the years, I believe ballet will be the most valuable for him as he grows. When I asked him recently what ballet has given him, he said it simply: “Ballet has taught me how to move powerfully and gracefully.” That’s exactly it. Ballet connects him to a centuries-old tradition of artistic excellence while training both his mind and body—skills that will serve him well regardless of his future path.

The Ripple Effects

The benefits of his dance training extend far beyond the studio. My son also practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and his instructors often comment on how quickly he picks up new techniques. I credit his background in gymnastics and dance for this adaptability. That combination of power and grace he mentioned? It translates directly to the mat. When he joins team sports, he learns faster than his peers because he already understands how to control his body and has years of experience learning new movement patterns.

And yes, I’ll be honest—as a father who wants grandchildren someday, I appreciate that dance puts him in environments where he’ll develop social skills and confidence that will serve him well in all his relationships. He may not be interested in girls now, but someday he’ll thank me for helping him become comfortable with movement, music, and social interaction.

Why Richmond Academy of Ballet

What sets Richmond Academy of Ballet apart is their exceptional approach to male dance instruction. Jack, one of the co-owners and a former professional ballet dancer himself, ensures that male dancers aren’t an afterthought but an integral part of the studio community.

I recently attended an event where they showed a farewell video for one of their senior male dancers. Watching this young man’s journey and seeing the strong sense of identity he had developed as a dancer brought tears to my eyes. Here was a young man who understood exactly what my son is beginning to grasp—that real strength includes grace, that power can be beautiful, that discipline creates freedom. In a world where so many young people struggle to find their place, this dancer had found his—grounded in a time-honored tradition, surrounded by supportive peers and mentors.

Looking Forward

Ballet offers my son something increasingly rare in today’s world: a connection to something larger than himself, a disciplined practice that challenges him to grow, and a community that values dedication and artistry. He’s learning that true strength isn’t about fighting your body, but about understanding it so deeply that every movement becomes intentional, powerful, and yes—graceful.

Whether he becomes a professional dancer or pursues a completely different path, the lessons he’s learning at Richmond Academy of Ballet—about persistence, grace under pressure, body awareness, and artistic expression—will stay with him for life. He’s already discovered what took me until grad school to learn: that understanding how to move through the world with both power and grace is one of life’s most valuable skills.

For all these reasons, I hope my son continues to pursue ballet alongside whatever other interests capture his imagination as he grows. The foundation he’s building now will support him in ways he can’t yet imagine, just as my own late discovery of dance transformed my life in ways I never expected.