For decades ballet was locked inside theatres and conservatories, reserved for those who started at six. Now more and more adults are walking into a room with a mirror and a barre, not to perform, but because their body told them something was missing.

The trigger is Rosalia, who posted footage from rehearsals for her tour in which she practises classical steps, with tutus and pointe shoes on stage. That is good publicity, but it is also a dangerous message if taken literally: what looks like aesthetics has years of technique and control behind it. Dancing on pointe is one of the hardest disciplines in classical dance - it is not just about holding your body weight on the tips of your feet, but about strength, balance, stability and awareness of your own body.

What actually changes

Claudia Hinojosa Nocete, a professional ballerina and specialist in classical dance pedagogy, says ballet is not formally considered a sport but an artistic discipline, though it involves extremely demanding physical work with numerous biomechanical and neurological benefits.

The list is not short: improved joint mobility, flexibility, strength in the arms and legs, core stability and control, balance, posture and body awareness. "It improves muscular endurance and helps prevent injury by developing an efficient movement technique," she explains. In other words - this is not stretching, it is building.

The part nobody advertises

Neurologically, ballet stimulates memory through learning and recalling movement sequences, improves coordination, laterality, spatial orientation, rhythm and the ability to synchronise different parts of the body. It strengthens concentration, attention and the capacity for motor learning.

There is an emotional part too, the one usually skipped in the Balkans as unnecessary: the chance to express and channel emotion through movement. Hinojosa Nocete says this encourages creativity, artistic sensitivity and self-confidence, and helps release tension. How many people around us have carried tension for years simply because they never had anywhere to put it down?

How long it takes

Here is the answer the quick-results industry does not want to hear. The benefits come gradually. "From the very first classes many people quickly notice improvement in posture, coordination and body awareness," the ballerina says. But from her teaching experience, it takes roughly a month for more significant changes to become visible, particularly in those starting from zero. That is when clear progress appears in body control, mobility, strength, balance and confidence in execution.

The conclusion is boring and correct at the same time: consistency is the key factor. Pointe work is the product of years of effort, but its benefits are available to anyone who walks into a first class - with no expensive gym membership and not a single powdered supplement.