20 Celebs Who Got Their Start As Ballet Dancers

Ballet is a captivating art form, drawing together enthusiasts and admirers from all across the globe. With sky-high leaps and dizzying spins, experienced ballerinas have a magical way of making everything look fluid. While the dancers themselves might make it look so effortless, training in the art form can be a grueling experience.

Inspired by ballet movements, barre exercise classes have been a popular fitness trend lately. Featuring a whole-body approach, barre classes are a specialty type of group exercise classes that have taken the world by storm. The classes often focus on core work, along with incorporating movements from ballet and pilates. After seeing this list of flexible, lithe artists, you'll feel inspired and ready to get moving.

Whether you're a seasoned vet or simply an admirer, ballet has enchanted fans for centuries. Maybe you're obsessed with everything to do with Misty Copeland's work, or simply watched The Nutcracker once or twice, you'll be surprised at how many famous celebrities actually kicked off their careers as dancers. Sadly, many of these celebs on the list faced countless difficulties, including tragic injuries which offset their dreams of continuing as professional dancers. This list of celebrities also includes successful examples who have balanced both careers, as well. We've rounded up a list of beloved celebrities who actually have experience with dance, and it just might make you want to jump in a barre class, stat!

Here are 28 Celebs Who Started Out As Ballet Dancers

28 Zoe Saldana

Actress Zoe Saldana nabbed her first ever movie role in Center Stage back in 2000. A dance classic, the movie highlights dancers from the American Ballet Academy located in New York. While growing up in the Dominican Republic, Saldana fell in love with dance, and she often cites ballet as her first passion. While being interviewed by Vanity Fair, Zoe said that she decided to stop ballet because "she did not have the feet and had too much pride and ambition to just be in the corps de ballet".

27 Neve Campbell

In the nineties, actress Neve Campbell was all over, starring in the popular television series Party of Five, and even horror movies like Scream. The actress first kicked off her career as a professional dancer in Canada, but later turned to acting. In 2010, Campbell decided to revisit some of her ballet roots with a project called The Company. According to Today, Neve trained for over eight hours a day to play a member of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago.

26 Jessica Brown-Findlay

British actress Jessica Brown Findlay stars as Lady Sybil Crawley in the popular television series, Downton Abbey, but she also started off as a dancer. At the young age of three, Jessica Brown-Findlay was enrolled in ballet. Throughout her childhood and into adolescence, Jessica trained with the National Ballet, the Kirov Ballet and the Associates of the Royal Ballet. Findlay suffered two painful ankle surgeries, leading towards her acting career instead. She has also spoken up about experiencing an eating disorder in her young age.

25 Jenna Elfman

Actress Jenna Elfman has starred in many television shows, including dramas and comedies. Originally from Los Angeles, Elfman was perfecting her pirouettes at a young age, having started ballet when she was five years old. She trained with the Westside School of Ballet on a full scholarship. Jenna also danced in several music videos early in her career, including Depeche Mode and Anthrax. Unfortunately, due to a torn tendon, Elfman decided to take her career in a different direction towards acting.

24 Amy Adams

Academy Award-nominated actress Amy Adams initially launched her career as a ballerina. With a background in gymnastics, Adams trained ballet with the David Taylor Dance Company for years. Although Amy had wanted to pursue dance as a career, she discovered musical theater at the age of eighteen and didn't turn back. Amy Adams has starred in a slew of films, including Catch Me If You Can, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Enchanted, American Hustle and Arrival. She also won two Golden Globe awards, and has been nominated for several British Film Academy Awards in her acting career.

23 Audrey Hepburn

The late Audrey Hepburn is an iconic actress who has mesmerized audiences for decades. Originally born in Brussels, Hepburn trained ballet with Sonia Gaskell and Marie Rambert in her youth. Audrey also worked as a chorus girl and continued to balance her interest in theater and film. After starring in Roman Holiday, Audrey Hepburn became a well-known star. Known for her work in Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sabrina, and My Fair Lady, Hepburn's work has been immortalized through her roles in film.

22 Nina Dobrev

The gorgeous Canadian actress Nina Dobrev is best known for her work in Degrassi: The Next Generation and as Elena in the popular series, The Vampire Diaries. While growing up, Dobrev took classes in ballet, jazz, and rhythmic gymnastics. Dobrev loves to share her passion for working out. According to Women's Health, Dobrev loves feeling strong and lean. As a Reebok ambassador, Nina currently stays fit with yoga, running, strength training and boxing.

21 Jenna Dewan

Originally kicking off her professional career as a dancer, the lovely Jenna Dewan has worked with major recording artists like Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott and Christina Aguilera. In 2006, Dewan charmed audiences with her work as Nora Clark in the film, Step Up. Although Jenna recently split from her husband, Channing Tatum, she has been rumored to be dating. With a background in cheerleading, Jenna starred in Janet Jackson's "Doesn't Really Matter" and "All For You" music videos. Two years ago, Dewan was chosen to be the model for Danskin, where she showed off her dancing prowess.

20 Mia Wasikowska

Australian actress Mia Wasikowska is certainly known for her titular role of Alice in Disney's Alice in Wonderland, but she is also a former ballerina. Wasikowska first started training ballet at age eight, and continued on the path towards becoming a professional dancer. She has revealed that she used to train ballet after school for over 35 hours a week. However, she encountered a severe ankle injury, and life had other plans for the young dancer. Instead, Mia decided to pursue a career in acting, and she hasn't looked back since.

19 Charlize Theron

With a slew of film credits under her belt, Charlize Theron is pretty synonymous with the definition of girl boss. The South African actress also had a fruitful career as a ballerina. Before becoming an actress, she moved to New York and took classes at the Joffrey Ballet School. Theron was balancing being a dancer and modeling, up until she suffered a knee injury. Much like Mia Wasikowska, Charlize Theron wanted to be an actress, and her life went in a totally different direction.

18 Penelope Cruz

Originally from Madrid, Spain, the beautiful actress Penelope Cruz first started off her career as a dancer. For nine years, Cruz studied classical ballet at the National Conservatory in Spain. Later, she trained for three years of Spanish style ballet and an additional four years of theatre at the school of Cristina Rota. Cruz often credits ballet for teaching her about discipline, a lesson that transferred over to her acting career. When she was a teenager, Penelope decided to pursue acting, and started out by appearing in a music video for the group, Mecano.

17 Emma Dumont

Actress Emma Dumont might be best-known for her current role as Lorna in The Gifted. Her comic book alter-ego aside, Dumont is also a talented dancer, and she also starred in the comedy series, Bunheads. Emma first began training ballet at the tender age of three, studying at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Cornish College of the Arts and Spectrum Dance Theatre School. Later, Dumont continued to dance at American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet School and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy.

16 Zhang Ziyi

You might remember actress Zhang Ziyi for her graceful performances in films released during the early 2000s. Ziyi's effortless presence and fluidity on screen was frequently displayed in movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers or Hero. The Chinese actress started training gymnastics and dance when she was eight years old. Later, she joined the Beijing Dance Academy at age 11, and was lauded with awards throughout her career. When she was fifteen, she won a national youth dance championship, and her skills have helped the actress successfully translate to her transition into film.

15 Amanda Schull

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, actress Amanda Schull started her training at the Hawaii State Ballet with John Landovsky. Schull continued to pursue ballet and received a scholarship for dance at Indiana University. The talented dancer also received a scholarship to study at the San Francisco Ballet School, where she later was offered an apprentice role. While apprenticing, Amanda assumed the role of Jody in the movie, Center Stage, and she later joined San Francisco Ballet as a full-time member. Schull has retired her ballet shoes, but she continues to act.

14 Diane Kruger

In an interview with IndieWire, Diane said that dance was a way to express her angry emotions as a girl. Kruger studied ballet at the Royal Academy in London, but after a complicated knee injury, she decided to become a model and turn to acting. To date, Kruger has starred in movies like Troy, National Treasure and Inglorious Basterds. The actress has been happily married to The Walking Dead star, Norman Reedus, and just recently gave birth to a baby girl.

13 Christian Bale

Known for his iconic role as Batman, actor Christian Bale donned another type of suit before jumping into the Batmobile. According to Dance Informa Australia, Bale took ballet classes when he was a young child. There are even rumors circulating around that the actor was even extended an invitation to study at the Royal Ballet School, but instead, Bale turned towards acting. In 1987, Christian Bale starred in director Steven Spielberg's film, Empire of the Sun. Bale also went on to perform in films such as American Psycho.

12 Madonna

Now a pop culture icon, some might be surprised to learn that Madonna actually considered being a professional dancer at a young age. Although her father first made her take classical piano classes, Madonna soon made the switch to ballet. Mixing things up with cheerleading, Madonna received a scholarship to pursue dance at the University of Michigan. However, she later dropped out and decided to move to New York City. While she continued to dance and perform with modern dance groups, she became more seriously interested in singing full-time.

11 Sarah Jessica Parker

While many fans will always know her as Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City, actress Sarah Jessica Parker began singing and dancing ballet at a young age. While growing up, SJP took roles in musical theater performances and continued to pursue an acting career. Sarah Jessica Parker studied at the School of American Ballet located in New York City, along with her experience in the other forms of performing arts. Over the years, SJP has amassed ten Emmy Award nominations for her work in Sex and the City.

10 Jennifer Garner

Originally from Texas, actress Jennifer Garner started performing in musicals at a young age. While growing up, Garner took ballet classes, and eventually received her Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree in Theater Performance. The star has certainly charmed audiences since her aww-inducing Thriller performance in the rom-com, 13 Going On 30. On Instagram, Garner professes her love of ballet often. Recently, the Peppermint star was all smiles while attending an American Ballet Theater event. While at the holiday benefit event, Garner snapped pictures with the beautiful dancer, Misty Copeland.

9 Sasha Radetsky

Dancer and actor Sascha Radetsky boasts an extensive resume, beginning with his studies in the San Francisco Bay Area. Radetsky reportedly began to be interested in dance after waiting for his sisters to finish their ballet classes, amazed by the turns and leaps. As a teenager, he trained at the Bolshoi Academy in Russia, and later at the Kirov Academy. As an actor, Sascha starred as Charlie in the classic, Center Stage. Along with Emily Tyra, Radetsky played Ross in the television mini-series Flesh and Bone.

8 Summer Glau

Known for her role as River Tam in the films Firefly and Serenity, actress Summer Glau is no stranger to pointed toes. Originally born in Texas, Glau began dancing ballet as a child. While at a young age, Summer was awarded a scholarship to begin training with a professional ballet company. In order to balance out the rigorous training schedule, Glau had to become homeschooled from grades three through twelve. During her training, Summer learned ballet, tango and flamenco. After experiencing a grueling toe injury, Glau chose to move to Los Angeles and become an actress.

7 Lea Thompson

Actress Lea Thompson is famous for her role in the Back to the Future films, and more recently for her work in the television series Switched at Birth. While growing up, Lea loved to dance ballet, and eventually trained with professional ballet companies. At fourteen, she was awarded a scholarship to the American Ballet Theater, the Pennsylvania Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet. When she was twenty, Mikhail Baryshnikov, who was the artistic director of ABT II, told her that her body frame wasn't right for ballet. Thompson promptly decided to dive into acting, instead.

6 Emily Tyra

With a background in dance, theater, and television, actress Emily Tyra has credits in season two of HBO's Boardwalk Empire for her dance work. In addition, Tyra has performed on Broadway in Hugh Jackman Back on Broadway, Chaplin the Musical, and Nice Work If You Can Get It. Created by Moira Walley-Beckett, Flesh and Bone was a psychologically-themed television mini-series focused on the challenges faced by a ballerina in New York City. In the Golden Globe-nominated series, Tyra starred as Mia Bialy.

5 Mila Kunis

Actress Mila Kunis also worked with Natalie Portman for the rigorous training to prep for Black Swan. In the movie, Kunis stars as Portman's rival, and she has said she lost twenty pounds for the role. While getting ready for the film, Kunis would take ballet classes for four hours a day. In an eyebrow-raising move, Mila noted that she dropped to 95 pounds in under five months, eating only 1,200 calories a day. While working on the film, Mila went through a series of injuries, including a dislocated shoulder.

4 Jamie Bell

Born Andrew James Matfin Bell, the English dancer is best known for his charming role in the beloved dance classic, Billy Elliot. His performance landed him the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Much like Christian Bale, Bell started to take ballet classes after seeing his sister's lessons. According to IMDB, Bell first started dancing when he was six, and many members of his own family dance. After being spotted practicing the movements outside of his sister's dance classes, he eventually joined in himself. Part of what made Bell's work so powerful in Billy Elliot was that his own life story was quite similar as well.

3 Elisabeth Moss

While many might known Elisabeth Moss for her roles on television shows like The West Wing or as Peggy from Mad Men, but the actress also has an extensive dance background. As a teen, Moss trained at the School of American Ballet in New York City and pursued her knowledge of Ballet with Suzanne Farrell while at the Kennedy Center located in Washington, D.C. In an attempt to balance her love of acting and dance, she was homeschooled. Expressing her love for dance, Moss worked as an Executive Producer for Ballet Now, a documentary project released on Hulu.

2 Michelle Yeoh

A former Miss Malaysia beauty pageant winner, actress Michelle Yeoh also shares Chinese descent. After starting her ballet training at four years old, she eventually moved to England as a teenager. Yeoh followed her heart and trained in ballet a the Royal Academy of Dance in London, but after a spinal cord injury, she shifted her priorities to acting and drama. The actress has starred in a variety of films, including Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Tomorrow Never Dies, and the television series Star Trek: Discovery. Yeoh also starred in the film Crazy Rich Asians, playing Nick's mother, Eleanor Young.

1 Natalie Portman

Based off of her role in Black Swan many would assume that Portman might have been cast because of her previous ballet experience. Unfortunately, there was some serious controversy that Natalie Portman faced because of her lack of dance training. For most of the film, Sarah Lane, a soloist from the American Ballet Theater, starred as a body double. While working on the film, Portman fell in love with her husband, Benjamin Millepied, and the pair has been married since 2012.

Do you know any other celebrities who started as ballet dancers? Let us know in the comments!