By Maggie Ritchie

THWARTED as a child by being told I was too tall to be a ballet dancer, I’ve always loved it and have been hooked ever since on dance films such as Dirty Dancing, Strictly Ballroom, and, of course, Fame.

Who could fail to be thrilled by formidable dance teacher Lydia Grant, who told her students in the 1980s TV adaptation of Fame: “You’ve got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs. And right here is where you start paying … in sweat.”

Imagine, then, my excitement when I found out that it’s not too late to don a leotard and pair of footless tights – legwarmers optional – and release my inner ballerina.

Adult ballet is a fast growing trend, thanks mostly to the revived interest in dance sparked by the reality TV series Strictly Come Dancing.

There are now adult classical ballet classes for Absolute Beginners at Scottish Ballet, where you can learn how to do a plié without the pressure of feeling like a failure if you don’t make the corps de ballet.

Anybody of any age, shape or fitness level can and does take part in these classes. Ballet is great for fitness, boosting cardio, strength and flexibility, co-ordination and balance and is weight-bearing so it helps build muscles and bones. Ballet burns 460 calories an hour – more than a spin class – and is fantastic for posture and is also a known stress buster.

There are waiting lists to get on the Scottish Ballet 11-week courses for absolute beginner, beginner and intermediate dancers and I found out why when I signed up for an absolute beginners’ class there.

Dance teacher Preston Clare is not quite as strict as Debbie Allen’s character Lydia Grant in Fame, but he does insist on correct technique with his students, who range in age from 16 to late 70s.

“I want everyone to be safe, so I teach them how to bend with their knees over the toes and the proper way to move through the foot against the floor so there aren’t any injuries,” he says.

One of the joys of teaching this class, Preston says, is watching the transformation in his students.

“There’s one man who is quite heavy. He had such a curved spine and hunched shoulders that when he lay flat on his back, his head couldn’t touch the floor. After a few weeks of ballet, he can now lie flat and he’s lost a lot of weight.”

One of the reasons ballet is such an effective way to change your body, he explains, is the music – classes at Scottish ballet are accompanied by pianist Michael Barnett.

“Professional ballet dancers have the physiques of athletes but dance is an art form, not a sport. The music lifts you up – it helps you reach that bit further.”

Preston shows me into the large, bright studio at Scottish Ballet’s headquarters at the Tramway in Glasgow. I gaze longingly at a pile of colourful tutus stacked outside the class but have to content myself with what I’m wearing: gym gear I usually wear to pilates. I notice the other women are in black leotards and tights with flippy little ballet skirts, but at least I have proper soft ballet shoes.

I’ve always been hopeless at learning new steps and I’m a little nervous about looking like one of the dancing hippos in Disney’s Fantasia. However, Preston reassures me that everyone starts out the same.

“Relax and have fun,” he says. “My students know they are not going to join a ballet company; they are here to enjoy themselves. I love teaching adult beginners because they are so dedicated.”

Alexandra Lesley, an actress in her early 60s, and her partner, Keith Hooley, 79, are certainly committed: they travel from Thornhill in Dumfriesshire to attend the class once a week, a round trip of three hours.

“I love it. I get such a buzz and come out walking on air,” says Alexandra. “Ballet keeps me fit and flexible.”

Keith, a retired quality controller, says: “Alexandra encouraged me to go with her and I really enjoy it. My sciatica cleared up after one class and I don’t slouch any more. It also helps to keep my mind sharp – ballet doesn’t just exercise your muscles, joints and ligaments. At home we practise in the kitchen, using the counter tops as a barre.”

Josh Polson, 28, a teacher from Glasgow, has been impressed by how much more flexible and stronger he is playing American football since starting ballet last year. He was inspired to take up ballet after seeing his girlfriend, who is with Scottish Ballet, on stage.

“I’d never done anything like this before and wanted to see how difficult it was. Now I have even more respect for my girlfriend and how hard she works.”

Josh, too, finds the benefits aren’t just physical.

“I have a stressful job teaching children with behavioural difficulties. Ballet is very calming and allows me to switch off because I’m focusing so much on the steps.”

It’s time for me to join the class. We start off with some simple barre exercises and I soon get into the swing of things, despite wobbling when we have to let go the barre and balance on tiptoe on one leg. Preston keeps the atmosphere light with some teasing and jokes and I’m soon having fun.

“This is easy-peasy,” I think, dreaming of skipping straight to beginners. But it soon gets harder as we move into a Polonaise – a skipping, sliding dance invented by Louis IV, to allow men at his court to show off their calves. I soon get mixed up with the steps but manage to keep up. The pirouette is trickier to master as you have to whip your head around as you turn to avoid being dizzy. I end up dizzy – and hot and sweaty.

Ballet is much harder than I expected and the next day my calf, arm and stomach muscles ache.

A beginners’ over-50s class, surely, will be easier. But the class at Dance Factory on Glasgow’s Southside, is also demanding. After a few simple barre exercises, I end up tripping over two left feet during the dance sequence. I can sort of do the graceful arms, though, and channel Margot Fonteyn. The other women skip about with confidence, landing softly when they jump, their backs straight and arms properly swan-like. They may be in their 50s and 60s, but there isn’t a middle-aged spread or dowager’s hump to be seen.

“Ballet is excellent for strengthening your core and improving posture,” says dance teacher Olivia McLay. “It’s good for menopausal women because it builds bone mass – bones begin to thin at that age. It improves physical and mental agility, helps with balance, co-ordination and memory because you have to learn a sequence of steps.”

“I sleep better, I’m stronger and feel more stretched and mindful,” says Linda Weir, 56, from Glasgow. ‘I just love it and would recommend it as a way to be stronger and fitter. I’ve also made friends.”

Alison Lock, 62, from Glasgow said: “It’s a physical and mental workout. It’s much more fun than going to the gym, and it has stopped me feeling isolated.”

Linda Trainor, 67, was a talented ballerina as a child who won a scholarship at to the Royal Academy of Dance, but had to leave when her mother died.

“I always felt there was a hole in my life and it’s been wonderful to go back to ballet, even this late in life. It makes me happy.”

The many physical and mental benefits are the reason Scottish Ballet has classes for people with dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, and a class for the elderly called Regenerate. Soon there will a class for people with multiple sclerosis.

“There are proven benefits,” says Catherine Cassidy, director of engagement at Scottish Ballet, who has seen a growing interest in the adult beginners’ classes since they started three years ago.

“Ballet improves balance, co-ordination and fluidity of movement. The music and rhythm combined with visualising unfolding your wings like a swan, for example, helps people with neurological conditions to move.

“Ballet is also relaxing and gives you a sense of achievement as you master new skills. The mental health benefits are huge.”

Kerry Livingstone, head of the associates’ programme at Scottish Ballet and head of Ballet at the Royal Conservatoire, says: “In these fast-paced days of social media and constant interruptions from emails and text messages, ballet forces you to concentrate fully and is great for mindfulness. It gives you self-discipline and because it’s an art, it’s uplifting and creative.”

Undeterred by my clumsiness and encouraged by Preston and Olivia, I’ve signed up for an Absolute Beginners course at Scottish Ballet – and I’m absolutely loving it.

I'll never be the next Darcy Bussell but I’ll hopefully be stronger, more flexible and have the poise and graceful posture of a ballerina.

See www.scottishballet.co.uk and www.dancefactory.co.uk