A dancer's training begins many years before they perform on stage as a professional. It takes eight to ten years of training to prepare for a professional career.
Dancers go into training much the same way as athletes do.
Great strength and flexibility and muscular control are necessary for a dancer to perform the steps that appear to be danced so easily. There are many special moves that must be practiced every day. Class begins with exercises to warm up and stretch the muscles, starting with simple exercises and progressing to more demanding strengthening moves. By the end of class the dancers execute intricate and exacting combinations of exciting dance moves. Nowadays dancers also supplement the work they do in ballet class with other strength and flexibility building exercise programs.