How To Improve Your Ballet By Practicing In Pointe Shoes
Yes, men in ballet CAN dance ballet in pointe shoes. Learn how to do accurate ballet technique,ballet positions and ballet movements using your intrinsic foot muscles.
Contents at a Glance
- Even Men In Ballet Dance In Pointe Shoes
- Men In Ballet Working in Pointe Shoes
- Prevent Dance Injuries
Even Men In Ballet Dance In Pointe Shoes
Increase Your Ankle Flexibility With The Perfect Pointe Book
Men In Ballet Working in Pointe Shoes
Many men in ballet talk about dancing in pointe shoes and whether it is appropriate or even possible. Pointe shoes are made in men's sizes for the few classical ballets where pointe shoes for a male character are used. More importantly, developing foot muscles for ballet using pre-pointe exercises is an excellent idea for men in ballet classes.
For male adult beginners in ballet classes, there are many challenges.
Often strength in the large muscle groups is not one of them, especially if the men have been practicing high intensity interval training or weight resistance training.
However, the particular exercises for the intrinsic foot muscles do not show up often, even in ballet classes.
Here is where information about feet in general is needed for all dance students, and especially for men in adult ballet. Knowledge of foot muscles will prevent strain/sprain of the lower leg muscles and tendons, protecting the Achilles area. Developing awareness and strength in the foot muscles will prevent cramping and soreness in the feet.
If men in adult ballet classes wish to eventually get into pointe shoes to exercise and hone their footwork, they also need to know about foot types, and proper stretching of the ankle joint. Also, correct basic ballet technique - weight distribution on the feet, posture, turnout, and ballet positions, need to be understood completely. This education will give an adult dance student a better experience as well as faster progress.
Ballet is an excellent form of exercise. It compares to high intensity training. Ballet exercises are short, designed to challenge and completely load the muscles during the barre work. A well designed barre workout rests some muscle groups while engaging others, alternating, so as to warm up the whole body evenly.
For serious recreational ballet students, more is not necessarily better. Muscles need to recover properly, and several classes a week do not add strength. It would be better for an adult male ballet enthusiast to do an upper body training workout rather than another ballet class. If such a student feels unoccupied during off days - rent ballet movies, or ballet classes on DVD and study them while doing some gentle stretching on your floor.
Also do your pre-pointe foot exercises while watching your favorite ballerinas and their partners perform the amazing feats of classical repertoires. This trains your brain to assimilate the movement finesse it perceives, even when you are not active physically.
I think it is a great idea for men in ballet to eventually exercise in pointe shoes. It is not a necessity, and the pre-pointe routines can suffice. Bit if you are a an adult dance student who would like to, get started! It is a long slow process for many, but you can reach your goal with good training.
For male adult beginners in ballet classes, there are many challenges.
Often strength in the large muscle groups is not one of them, especially if the men have been practicing high intensity interval training or weight resistance training.
However, the particular exercises for the intrinsic foot muscles do not show up often, even in ballet classes.
Here is where information about feet in general is needed for all dance students, and especially for men in adult ballet. Knowledge of foot muscles will prevent strain/sprain of the lower leg muscles and tendons, protecting the Achilles area. Developing awareness and strength in the foot muscles will prevent cramping and soreness in the feet.
If men in adult ballet classes wish to eventually get into pointe shoes to exercise and hone their footwork, they also need to know about foot types, and proper stretching of the ankle joint. Also, correct basic ballet technique - weight distribution on the feet, posture, turnout, and ballet positions, need to be understood completely. This education will give an adult dance student a better experience as well as faster progress.
Ballet is an excellent form of exercise. It compares to high intensity training. Ballet exercises are short, designed to challenge and completely load the muscles during the barre work. A well designed barre workout rests some muscle groups while engaging others, alternating, so as to warm up the whole body evenly.
For serious recreational ballet students, more is not necessarily better. Muscles need to recover properly, and several classes a week do not add strength. It would be better for an adult male ballet enthusiast to do an upper body training workout rather than another ballet class. If such a student feels unoccupied during off days - rent ballet movies, or ballet classes on DVD and study them while doing some gentle stretching on your floor.
Also do your pre-pointe foot exercises while watching your favorite ballerinas and their partners perform the amazing feats of classical repertoires. This trains your brain to assimilate the movement finesse it perceives, even when you are not active physically.
I think it is a great idea for men in ballet to eventually exercise in pointe shoes. It is not a necessity, and the pre-pointe routines can suffice. Bit if you are a an adult dance student who would like to, get started! It is a long slow process for many, but you can reach your goal with good training.
Prevent Dance Injuries
Prevent dance injuries with Deborah Vogel's products on 'FUNctional anatomy'.
How to Improve My Ballet is a Big Issue For Dance Recital Prep
If you study dance for more than ballet fitness, and recital preparation bumps the stress levels, there are different ways to make this rehearsal period easier. Classical dance, hip hop dancing, jazz dancing and much more is now included in contemporary dance school demands. Avoid dance injuries by preventing over training, especially now.There are two main ways to get the most out of your rehearsal time and present the best of your ballet (or other dance) technique. Physical practice, naturally, and training your brain to rehearse by itself when you are resting.
Here are some tips to do your best in choreographic moves that are difficult for you:
*** check out the preparatory movement, like a demi plie, just before a difficult move. Are you losing turnout, posture or correct push-off (heel on the floor)?
*** does any particular muscle need strengthening for a new move? Instead of practicing it over and over, fatiguing your whole body, decide if you need a high intensity exercise with a weight perhaps, to isolate and build strength in one (or one group) of muscles. If so, you need only do this exercise once or twice a week to build that muscle up.
*** need more flexibility for a specific dance position? If so, do not over do it. Stretch whenever you are warmed up, for the position, without pain, and make sure you stretch a properly positioned muscle, and not the ligaments holding a joint. Ligaments just tear, they don't stretch. Hold any stretch position motionless, do not bounce or even pulse. You'll feel a release into a further stretch, bit by bit.
*** make time for some hot baths in Epsom Salts! Or Apple Cider Vinegar, which will pull wastes out of your muscles. Bathing is a lost art for many athletes.
Get some information on brain training. You can rehearse mentally and benefit physically. It's true, studies have been done. Also, get the brain training to manage stress and anxiety that seems to accompany competition for most performers. This in itself will improve your ballet and all your dancing.
And ultimately, send your self-critic self on a vacation. Accept all the praise you get, and enjoy your recital season!
Taking Advantage of the Brain Body Connection in Ballet/Sports/Fitness Training
Classical technique takes strong, long, lean muscles and a healthy brain. Ballet/sports/fitness goals are demanding and time consuming yet can be life's inspiration even on a recreational level.
Understanding and using a natural posture of the spine in any style of dance classes actually supports healthy brain function, which in turn governs many chemical messenger processes that result in body strength and elegance and the enjoyment dancers and fitness buffs seek.
While dance techniques use a lengthening of the spine, it is never meant for the natural curves to straighten. The back of the neck curving inward, the upper back curving back outward, the small of the back curving inward and the sacrum curving outward again, are all minor but necessary shapes.
Dancers and other athletes focus on eating a good diet. They want stronger muscles as they develop advanced technical movements, strive to get into pointe shoes or aim for excellence in sports. Partnering in all styles of dance demands another level of technique and coordination, spatial awareness and sensitivity. What do the natural spinal curves and spinal (muscle, bone, nerve, discs) have to do with this?
The spinal canal is like the information highway of your body/brain connection. CSF (cerebro-spinal fluid) is pumped to the brain, carrying the necessary nutrients for effective functions. These brain functions cause physical, intellectual and emotional wellness to the degree that your nutrition is good, and to the degree that the CSF reaches the brain.
This pumping action is initiated by the movement of the sacrum (the lowest portion of the spine) and the cervical spine (neck). So free, easy movement of the low back and neck allow nutrients to get to your brain.
If this canal is dammed up with spinal compression due to muscle spasms, the spine being forced straight or even into a reversed curve (which happens most commonly in the neck), then what is needed in the brain may get there in vastly diminished amounts. Muscles that never relax enough will decrease in movement, and the pumping effect of the sacrum and neck will be less.
The chronic diminishment of oxygen and nutrients to the brain can lead to disease and degeneration, physically, intellectually and emotionally (or socially, if you prefer). An extreme example is an incident underwater where the brain is deprived of oxygen too long, leading to serious damage.
Many people, as well as athletes, have undetected spinal imbalance and misalignments (subluxations), as they engage in their everyday activities. Gradually, this CSF pumping mechanism decreases.
When nutrients do not reach the brain in the proper quantity and quality, the brain can atrophy, or shrink and lose function, even as young as 25 years old.
Another factor in brain health is the proper function of communication signals that take place within the spinal column, specifically in the brain stem and spinal cord. Overexertion involving poor placement of the spine would affect the signaling to secrete important glandular chemical hormones, which govern our organs and how well they function. These hormones and chemicals also govern our moods, our perceptions and our expectations of the future.
The spinal nerves going to our organs can get compressed, or "pinched", affecting heart, lung, stomach, liver, adrenal, and many more functions. And, in turn, the body would fail to process and metabolize the nutrition that it is fed. This is an ongoing degenerating cyclical process.
Proper understanding and execution of ballet/sports/fitness form, along with good rest and recovery, relaxation and stretching, (safe, motionless positions), enhances the brain/body connection. The fit get fitter and the unfit get weaker.
It is easy to get an evaluation by a chiropractor for proper spinal alignment and correction of spinal posture. Better to have before a semester of training starts, or before class and rehearsal schedules intensify before ballet exams or performances. Why wait till something goes wrong with your precious brain/body connection.
Enjoy the abundance of education available for dancers, and learn about chiropractic.
While dance techniques use a lengthening of the spine, it is never meant for the natural curves to straighten. The back of the neck curving inward, the upper back curving back outward, the small of the back curving inward and the sacrum curving outward again, are all minor but necessary shapes.
Dancers and other athletes focus on eating a good diet. They want stronger muscles as they develop advanced technical movements, strive to get into pointe shoes or aim for excellence in sports. Partnering in all styles of dance demands another level of technique and coordination, spatial awareness and sensitivity. What do the natural spinal curves and spinal (muscle, bone, nerve, discs) have to do with this?
The spinal canal is like the information highway of your body/brain connection. CSF (cerebro-spinal fluid) is pumped to the brain, carrying the necessary nutrients for effective functions. These brain functions cause physical, intellectual and emotional wellness to the degree that your nutrition is good, and to the degree that the CSF reaches the brain.
This pumping action is initiated by the movement of the sacrum (the lowest portion of the spine) and the cervical spine (neck). So free, easy movement of the low back and neck allow nutrients to get to your brain.
If this canal is dammed up with spinal compression due to muscle spasms, the spine being forced straight or even into a reversed curve (which happens most commonly in the neck), then what is needed in the brain may get there in vastly diminished amounts. Muscles that never relax enough will decrease in movement, and the pumping effect of the sacrum and neck will be less.
The chronic diminishment of oxygen and nutrients to the brain can lead to disease and degeneration, physically, intellectually and emotionally (or socially, if you prefer). An extreme example is an incident underwater where the brain is deprived of oxygen too long, leading to serious damage.
Many people, as well as athletes, have undetected spinal imbalance and misalignments (subluxations), as they engage in their everyday activities. Gradually, this CSF pumping mechanism decreases.
When nutrients do not reach the brain in the proper quantity and quality, the brain can atrophy, or shrink and lose function, even as young as 25 years old.
Another factor in brain health is the proper function of communication signals that take place within the spinal column, specifically in the brain stem and spinal cord. Overexertion involving poor placement of the spine would affect the signaling to secrete important glandular chemical hormones, which govern our organs and how well they function. These hormones and chemicals also govern our moods, our perceptions and our expectations of the future.
The spinal nerves going to our organs can get compressed, or "pinched", affecting heart, lung, stomach, liver, adrenal, and many more functions. And, in turn, the body would fail to process and metabolize the nutrition that it is fed. This is an ongoing degenerating cyclical process.
Proper understanding and execution of ballet/sports/fitness form, along with good rest and recovery, relaxation and stretching, (safe, motionless positions), enhances the brain/body connection. The fit get fitter and the unfit get weaker.
It is easy to get an evaluation by a chiropractor for proper spinal alignment and correction of spinal posture. Better to have before a semester of training starts, or before class and rehearsal schedules intensify before ballet exams or performances. Why wait till something goes wrong with your precious brain/body connection.
Enjoy the abundance of education available for dancers, and learn about chiropractic.
Ballet slippers and men's dancewear on Amazon
Plus safe stretching for men and high intensity workouts to enhance your ballet training.
New York City Ballet: The Complete Workout, Vol. 1 and 2
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Men's Split-Sole Ballet Slipper - 2031WHT11.0M
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Classical Stretch - The Esmonde Technique: Stretching for Men
This 45-minute Classical Stretch workout is designed specifically for the needs of men. This workout is a general level workout that can be done by men of all levels of fitness. The workout includes stretches for shoulders, groin, hamstrings, hip release, posture, back pain relief, and more. It is easy to follow with exercises that progress as the participant advances.
Amazon Price: (as of 07/05/2009)
Body by Science: A Research Based Program to Get the Results You Want in 12 Minutes a Week
"In Body By Science, bodybuilding powerhouse John Little teams up with fitness medicine expert Dr. Doug McGuff to present a scientifically proven formula for maximizing muscle development in just 12 minutes a week. Backed by rigorous research....." time saving high intensity workout allows you time for ballet classes!
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/05/2009)
Each Ballet Barre Exercise Gets You Closer to Dancing in Pointe Shoes
If you are among the men in ballet who would like to use pointe shoes for developing finesse and strength in your ballet dancing, you can start preparing right now.
In the first couple of years dancing ballet, every little girl dreams of dancing in pointe shoes. Some of the boys in ballet and the adult beginner men in ballet consider that practicing ballet in pointe shoes can give them an extra advantage also.
Those students who have a good ability to concentrate have a head start at getting into pointe shoes with a better ballet technique. The better the foot muscles are trained, the better the whole leg functions. And the better your first pair of pointe shoes will feel.
Whether a ballet student is six years old, or is an adult ballet beginner between twenty and sixty years old, the first ballet lessons are extremely important.
Beginning ballet is very simple, as far as barre exercises go. The need for understanding and accuracy of ballet positions and ballet movements cannot be stated enough.
A teacher who believes she must make a class fancy and entertaining in some way, or too complicated, in order to challenge students or make them feel they're really doing something, is sacrificing any real achievement in later intermediate or advanced classes.
Varying the combinations in early ballet exercises, and introducing different musical rhythms keeps class interesting and challenging. If students understand what they are trying to do, they are mentally busy with the simplest of barre exercises.
If young or adult beginner ballet students understand correct posture, correct turnout and correct weight placement on their feet, not a lot will go wrong as they progress through their ballet class.
Correct battments tendus with less than half a dozen exercises for the foot muscles will prepare feet for dancing ballet in pointe shoes.
Any ballet dancer ten years old or older can investigate how ballet is somewhat anatomically incorrect and solve the mysteries of why "I just can't do it!". Taking advantage of the available analysis of arabesque or examining how the core muscles are needed in ballet (including correct turnout) can save years of frustration at the ballet barre.
Only in recent years has the volume of academic information on ballet technique become easily available to ballet teachers and students. The dance education obtainable via the internet far surpasses some of the data being only recently produced by some still secluded ballet societies.
So what does this all have to do with how to progress faster and better toward dancing ballet in pointe shoes......your ability to concentrate on your basic ballet barre exercises and your ability to find the information you need when you don't understand why YOUR body will not do a ballet movement or ballet position as easily as someone else's, is a big part of what will speed you toward your ballet goals. Each correctly done ballet barre exercise gets you closer to dancing in pointe shoes.
Those students who have a good ability to concentrate have a head start at getting into pointe shoes with a better ballet technique. The better the foot muscles are trained, the better the whole leg functions. And the better your first pair of pointe shoes will feel.
Whether a ballet student is six years old, or is an adult ballet beginner between twenty and sixty years old, the first ballet lessons are extremely important.
Beginning ballet is very simple, as far as barre exercises go. The need for understanding and accuracy of ballet positions and ballet movements cannot be stated enough.
A teacher who believes she must make a class fancy and entertaining in some way, or too complicated, in order to challenge students or make them feel they're really doing something, is sacrificing any real achievement in later intermediate or advanced classes.
Varying the combinations in early ballet exercises, and introducing different musical rhythms keeps class interesting and challenging. If students understand what they are trying to do, they are mentally busy with the simplest of barre exercises.
If young or adult beginner ballet students understand correct posture, correct turnout and correct weight placement on their feet, not a lot will go wrong as they progress through their ballet class.
Correct battments tendus with less than half a dozen exercises for the foot muscles will prepare feet for dancing ballet in pointe shoes.
Any ballet dancer ten years old or older can investigate how ballet is somewhat anatomically incorrect and solve the mysteries of why "I just can't do it!". Taking advantage of the available analysis of arabesque or examining how the core muscles are needed in ballet (including correct turnout) can save years of frustration at the ballet barre.
Only in recent years has the volume of academic information on ballet technique become easily available to ballet teachers and students. The dance education obtainable via the internet far surpasses some of the data being only recently produced by some still secluded ballet societies.
So what does this all have to do with how to progress faster and better toward dancing ballet in pointe shoes......your ability to concentrate on your basic ballet barre exercises and your ability to find the information you need when you don't understand why YOUR body will not do a ballet movement or ballet position as easily as someone else's, is a big part of what will speed you toward your ballet goals. Each correctly done ballet barre exercise gets you closer to dancing in pointe shoes.
Breaking Tiny Foot Bones and Getting Back Into Pointe Shoes
Ballet dancers and other athletes can develop shallow cracks, or stress fractures in their tiny foot bones. Inaccurate training, a suddenly increased practice schedule, badly fitting pointe shoes, or a change in flooring can cause this type of dance or sp
These injuries must be treated properly if you want to be getting back into pointe shoes as soon as possible.
The bones that commonly break from stress are in the forefoot, the section that extends from your toes to the middle of your foot. These tiny cracks do not extend through the bone, like most other types of fractures. They are typically stable, meaning no shift in bone alignment is caused. Nor do they displace bones so that the bone ends no longer line up.
Stress fractures often look like dark bruises. If the bone hasn't twisted and broken your skin, you might not suspect anything more than a bruising. This is referred to as a closed fracture.
The little toe, or fifth metatarsal seems to be an especially vulnerable area. Loss of control in pointe shoes such as a sharp fall off pointe with the weight twisting over to the outer edge of the foot (sickling in) may tear the tendon that attaches to this bone which results in a small piece of the bone pulling away.
A Jones fracture is a fairly serious injury. It occurs near the base of the little toe bone and interferes with the blood supply to the bone. This injury may even require surgery to heal correctly.
Pain, swelling, and often, discoloration, are the usual symptoms of a fracture in the foot. You may still be able to walk, but this usually increases the pain. If the pain and swelling do not significantly decrease in two or three days, or if the pain with walking doesn't stop, you should assume something is wrong.
See a doctor! Don't wait to get a diagnosis and treatment. You want to avoid developing chronic foot pain and arthritis. This could eventually distort the way you walk. Your body will always figure out how to compensate for a painful or weak area, but not in a way that will support ballet dancing or athletic training. The solution will become another problem.
Use an ice pack to reduce the pain and swelling, and put your foot up and rest. Wrap your ice pack so it doesn't touch your skin. Ice frequently, but not more than twenty minutes at a time.
Your doctor, chiropractor or physiotherapist is going to see you through rehabilitation. Even though you may feel extremely anxious about getting back into pointe shoes, be patient with your tiny foot bones and learn how to prevent further injury.
The bones that commonly break from stress are in the forefoot, the section that extends from your toes to the middle of your foot. These tiny cracks do not extend through the bone, like most other types of fractures. They are typically stable, meaning no shift in bone alignment is caused. Nor do they displace bones so that the bone ends no longer line up.
Stress fractures often look like dark bruises. If the bone hasn't twisted and broken your skin, you might not suspect anything more than a bruising. This is referred to as a closed fracture.
The little toe, or fifth metatarsal seems to be an especially vulnerable area. Loss of control in pointe shoes such as a sharp fall off pointe with the weight twisting over to the outer edge of the foot (sickling in) may tear the tendon that attaches to this bone which results in a small piece of the bone pulling away.
A Jones fracture is a fairly serious injury. It occurs near the base of the little toe bone and interferes with the blood supply to the bone. This injury may even require surgery to heal correctly.
Pain, swelling, and often, discoloration, are the usual symptoms of a fracture in the foot. You may still be able to walk, but this usually increases the pain. If the pain and swelling do not significantly decrease in two or three days, or if the pain with walking doesn't stop, you should assume something is wrong.
See a doctor! Don't wait to get a diagnosis and treatment. You want to avoid developing chronic foot pain and arthritis. This could eventually distort the way you walk. Your body will always figure out how to compensate for a painful or weak area, but not in a way that will support ballet dancing or athletic training. The solution will become another problem.
Use an ice pack to reduce the pain and swelling, and put your foot up and rest. Wrap your ice pack so it doesn't touch your skin. Ice frequently, but not more than twenty minutes at a time.
Your doctor, chiropractor or physiotherapist is going to see you through rehabilitation. Even though you may feel extremely anxious about getting back into pointe shoes, be patient with your tiny foot bones and learn how to prevent further injury.
A Professional Attitude For Ballet and Dance Students
Teachers in any kind of child, teen, adult education or college classes need their students to have basic good manners. Listening, not disrupting the class in any way, are skills that teachers hope every child has before they come to kindergarten. If only.
In ballet and dance classes progress depends on quick understanding by the students, as the physical doing and repetition of a correct movement is what creates good technique. And good technique is the basic ability, then talent, style and other aspects of presentation follow.
So what is a professional attitude that would help ballet and dance students who do not even have professional aspirations? Should they care?
Many inherent factors in the performing arts trainings can bring out the bad attitude in many of us, naturally. Some teachers are drawn to teach and correct to the physically gifted and more charismatic students, even if they are not good workers. This can raise the resentment of other students. I understand this. However, the professional attitude of everyone is to just keep working hard. It is also alright to ask your ballet teacher, at least every few weeks, "what should I be focusing on the most right now to improve?" If you have to demand attention, you do, in a polite way.
Of course if this is a real problem in your ballet studio, go somewhere else.
Casting for performance roles is naturally an issue. Everyone hopes that she or he is ready for the lead or solo roles, or realistically knows that they are not. On the management end, it is true that those teachers doing the casting sometimes do consider students whose families support the school, or who have financial influence. Occasionally it is painfully obvious.
However you get cast, fairly or not, rehearse and dance every role like it is the most important role in the ballet. Because it is. It is YOUR role. That doesn't mean you demand any extra attention with superfluous smiling or any other kind of exaggeration. Do not distract yourself with envy (though it is a natural reaction to feel it, keep it under control), grief, or moping. You can cry on the right shoulder away from the studio, but in the studio you act with quiet pride in all that you do.
You come prepared for every class and rehearsal. You do the minimal socializing, and do not join in the complaining committee of the other unhappily cast ballet students. Just go about your business.
If your ballet studio is presenting excerpts from classical choreography rent the ballets, different companies if possible, and see how the professional dancers do the parts you are rehearsing. Different dancers have different interpretations, musicality and style. You can always learn something to adapt in your way to improve your presentation.
A professional attitude is largely about self-containment. Get advice outside of the studio from family or friends, even other teachers. Release your emotional disappointment somewhere safe. But in the studio, just work. Be helpful to others when needed, as long as it doesn't take away from your work.
Get an edge on your competition as well by studying the expert dance manuals that are available. Improve on your own, take care of aches and pains, eat well and sleep well. Everyone respects that, whether they say so or not. Become your own expert and be a pro, whatever you do.
In ballet and dance classes progress depends on quick understanding by the students, as the physical doing and repetition of a correct movement is what creates good technique. And good technique is the basic ability, then talent, style and other aspects of presentation follow.
So what is a professional attitude that would help ballet and dance students who do not even have professional aspirations? Should they care?
Many inherent factors in the performing arts trainings can bring out the bad attitude in many of us, naturally. Some teachers are drawn to teach and correct to the physically gifted and more charismatic students, even if they are not good workers. This can raise the resentment of other students. I understand this. However, the professional attitude of everyone is to just keep working hard. It is also alright to ask your ballet teacher, at least every few weeks, "what should I be focusing on the most right now to improve?" If you have to demand attention, you do, in a polite way.
Of course if this is a real problem in your ballet studio, go somewhere else.
Casting for performance roles is naturally an issue. Everyone hopes that she or he is ready for the lead or solo roles, or realistically knows that they are not. On the management end, it is true that those teachers doing the casting sometimes do consider students whose families support the school, or who have financial influence. Occasionally it is painfully obvious.
However you get cast, fairly or not, rehearse and dance every role like it is the most important role in the ballet. Because it is. It is YOUR role. That doesn't mean you demand any extra attention with superfluous smiling or any other kind of exaggeration. Do not distract yourself with envy (though it is a natural reaction to feel it, keep it under control), grief, or moping. You can cry on the right shoulder away from the studio, but in the studio you act with quiet pride in all that you do.
You come prepared for every class and rehearsal. You do the minimal socializing, and do not join in the complaining committee of the other unhappily cast ballet students. Just go about your business.
If your ballet studio is presenting excerpts from classical choreography rent the ballets, different companies if possible, and see how the professional dancers do the parts you are rehearsing. Different dancers have different interpretations, musicality and style. You can always learn something to adapt in your way to improve your presentation.
A professional attitude is largely about self-containment. Get advice outside of the studio from family or friends, even other teachers. Release your emotional disappointment somewhere safe. But in the studio, just work. Be helpful to others when needed, as long as it doesn't take away from your work.
Get an edge on your competition as well by studying the expert dance manuals that are available. Improve on your own, take care of aches and pains, eat well and sleep well. Everyone respects that, whether they say so or not. Become your own expert and be a pro, whatever you do.
Improving Basic Ballet Positions For Ballet Split Leaps
What ballet movements and ballet positions will result in clean accurate split leaps?
The first exercise at the ballet barre, demi and grand plie, your posture, the placement of your weight and the strength of your turnout, is the foundation of your ballet positions and ballet movements. Your split leaps, and even fancier allegro depends on it.
Starting with your primary level ballet classes, understanding and being able to execute correct posture as well as an accurate grand battment devant and derriere will eventually produce a good grand jete en avant, the well known ballet split leap.
A demi plie take off in a basic jump in first position without posture changing, or the turnout decreasing or the heel coming off the ground, is a secure take off. As you progress to more advanced jumps, this ballet technique will continue to support good positions and a good quality of balon, or easy bounce.
An effective brush of the foot on the floor,practiced hundreds of times in battment tendu, degage, and grand battment, will add power to your petit jete, and eventually your grand jete.
Being able to change from the upright back to a proper arabesque position (as in a grand battment derriere) will make for a good position in the air, and a good landing. Repetitive releves in arabesque at the barre will enable you to see if the position is being held well, and the demi plies are on balance and strong.
A chasse temps leve forward into arabesque is a good practice routine to also make sure the arabesque leg reaches its height at the height of the jump and can be held in the air. Much of the ballet I watch lacks a moment at the height of a releve or jump where everything freezes for a nano second, without stiffness or effort. In other words if someone wanted a snapshot, the position could be easily captured.
Brushing up into the devant position, releve, arms reaching their position at the same moment, holding the position , and then tombe forward, repetitively across the floor, helps too.
If all the basics are done with strength, it doesn't take too much to do a good ballet split leap, or grand jete. Positions that are not strong can be practiced at the barre in the usual exercises before the jumps will improve.
Starting with your primary level ballet classes, understanding and being able to execute correct posture as well as an accurate grand battment devant and derriere will eventually produce a good grand jete en avant, the well known ballet split leap.
A demi plie take off in a basic jump in first position without posture changing, or the turnout decreasing or the heel coming off the ground, is a secure take off. As you progress to more advanced jumps, this ballet technique will continue to support good positions and a good quality of balon, or easy bounce.
An effective brush of the foot on the floor,practiced hundreds of times in battment tendu, degage, and grand battment, will add power to your petit jete, and eventually your grand jete.
Being able to change from the upright back to a proper arabesque position (as in a grand battment derriere) will make for a good position in the air, and a good landing. Repetitive releves in arabesque at the barre will enable you to see if the position is being held well, and the demi plies are on balance and strong.
A chasse temps leve forward into arabesque is a good practice routine to also make sure the arabesque leg reaches its height at the height of the jump and can be held in the air. Much of the ballet I watch lacks a moment at the height of a releve or jump where everything freezes for a nano second, without stiffness or effort. In other words if someone wanted a snapshot, the position could be easily captured.
Brushing up into the devant position, releve, arms reaching their position at the same moment, holding the position , and then tombe forward, repetitively across the floor, helps too.
If all the basics are done with strength, it doesn't take too much to do a good ballet split leap, or grand jete. Positions that are not strong can be practiced at the barre in the usual exercises before the jumps will improve.
Ballet and Sports Fitness - Magnesium For Your Muscle Tone
For success in ballet, sports and fitness, strong muscle tone must also result in fluid movement.
This requires the minimal tension needed to execute a ballet movement, or ballet position, or a physical move as required in sports training. Magnesium is a nutritional super star. It improves function in the brain, bones and muscles. In team sports, advanced ballet in pointe shoes and pas de deux, magnesium is part of the nutrition that enhances ballet/sports/fitness success.
Magnesium is present in most of your body cells. It plays a starring role as a co-factor, meaning, it assists enzymes in catalysing (a catalyst is a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected) many necessary chemical reactions.
Magnesium affects many things that your ballet and sports require of you, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Here's a short list:
- nerve conduction, or the sending and receiving of messages affecting muscle response
- muscular movement affecting fluidity, accuracy and coordination
- bone metabolism, affecting your growth and development, as well as your immune system
- protein manufacture in the body which is extremely complex
- fat and carbohydrate metabolism. A new frontier being researched now is magnesium in relation to insulin resistance, which, once that condition begins, makes it harder to stay thin
- glucose utilization, affecting brain power and muscle power
Whether your goals in ballet/sports/fitness are personal and recreational, or professional, I'm sure you would want all the points made above functioning for optimum results in your muscles and brain.
Because magnesium allows the muscle contractions that occur to turn off, it helps control tension and spasms caused by over training, heavy practice or rehearsal days, and inaccurate technique.
Magnesium supplements can be bought in tablet or powder form. Always read labels, and select brands that do not have anything else added, except maybe fruit flavoring from natural sources that you recognize. Powdered magnesium digests faster. It's usually a good idea to take half the recommended dosage for a couple of days, to let your body get used to a nutrient that has been deficient. Magnesium can loosen the bowels at first, but that effect goes away within a day or so. Magnesium carbonate has the biggest affect this way. Magnesium citrate and magnesium lactate are known to digest better.
Because of the relaxing effect magnesium has, you may sleep more deeply, and high blood pressure may lower towards normal. Even irregularities of the heart muscle can be helped by magnesium.
Many flavoring foods are high in magnesium: dill, chives, celery seed, spearmint, sage, coriander and basil. Put fresh into salads or chopped and sprinkled on vegetables, meat or fish, these are all delicious.
So for strong bones, good muscle tone (which requires proper relaxation for strength), getting enough rest, and staying calm, eat magnesium! Best obtained from fresh foods, yet very helpful as a food-sourced supplement, it is a super star silent partner in your ballet/sports/fitness training.
Magnesium is present in most of your body cells. It plays a starring role as a co-factor, meaning, it assists enzymes in catalysing (a catalyst is a substance that initiates or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected) many necessary chemical reactions.
Magnesium affects many things that your ballet and sports require of you, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Here's a short list:
- nerve conduction, or the sending and receiving of messages affecting muscle response
- muscular movement affecting fluidity, accuracy and coordination
- bone metabolism, affecting your growth and development, as well as your immune system
- protein manufacture in the body which is extremely complex
- fat and carbohydrate metabolism. A new frontier being researched now is magnesium in relation to insulin resistance, which, once that condition begins, makes it harder to stay thin
- glucose utilization, affecting brain power and muscle power
Whether your goals in ballet/sports/fitness are personal and recreational, or professional, I'm sure you would want all the points made above functioning for optimum results in your muscles and brain.
Because magnesium allows the muscle contractions that occur to turn off, it helps control tension and spasms caused by over training, heavy practice or rehearsal days, and inaccurate technique.
Magnesium supplements can be bought in tablet or powder form. Always read labels, and select brands that do not have anything else added, except maybe fruit flavoring from natural sources that you recognize. Powdered magnesium digests faster. It's usually a good idea to take half the recommended dosage for a couple of days, to let your body get used to a nutrient that has been deficient. Magnesium can loosen the bowels at first, but that effect goes away within a day or so. Magnesium carbonate has the biggest affect this way. Magnesium citrate and magnesium lactate are known to digest better.
Because of the relaxing effect magnesium has, you may sleep more deeply, and high blood pressure may lower towards normal. Even irregularities of the heart muscle can be helped by magnesium.
Many flavoring foods are high in magnesium: dill, chives, celery seed, spearmint, sage, coriander and basil. Put fresh into salads or chopped and sprinkled on vegetables, meat or fish, these are all delicious.
So for strong bones, good muscle tone (which requires proper relaxation for strength), getting enough rest, and staying calm, eat magnesium! Best obtained from fresh foods, yet very helpful as a food-sourced supplement, it is a super star silent partner in your ballet/sports/fitness training.
Making Progress With Dance Fitness Or Ballet Tutorials to Enhance Your Ballet Instruction
In the quest to learn how to do ballet better, get into pointe shoes faster, or get cast in better roles for ballet recitals, many ballet students seek coaching from ballet tutorials.
It is simple to improve your dance fitness with the wealth of information available. I didn't say easy, but simple. The following tips may help you.
Sometimes it is a little stressful thinking about the things that are wrong in your ballet positions, ballet movements, or other dance steps. Yet, if you do some analysis for yourself and develop a plan, I think you'll feel optimistic with an organized long term view.
Making a checklist to sort out things that you want to change and improve. It might look something like this:
***"the most basic correction I get - related to posture, flexibility, turnout or weakness?"
In other words if your corrections are directed to your demi plies, that is basic. It is going to affect nearly everything else you do in dance class. Is your most basic correction related to something you can change, or related to your physique?
If related to your physique, you may or may not be able to change something. Or, you may be able to change it over several years, so you have to give up being frustrated about it and get very patient and methodical.
If your correction is about something you do wrong, but you cannot seem to change it, why not? Is it related to a lack of understanding about it? Or you understand it but your body just doesn't seem to do it when everyone else's does? In classical technique, it's important to understand that certain ballet movements and ballet positions defy the human anatomy.
Sometimes ballet technique means "the safest and most aesthetic way to cheat", be it fifth position, or your arabesque. Ballet teachers do not like to talk about cheating, and it's not really cheating. It's calculated, educated compensation.
If you have to release the hip placement to get an extension of ninety degrees in a la seconde, there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. If you learn the right way to do it, you will be able to do turns a la seconde without falling off pointe or demi pointe. You will still have a postural plumb line, and you'll look correct, aesthetically.
So back to making a checklist:
*** "things I can change by improving my ability to concentrate on doing it correctly every time"
*** "things I can change over a few years"
*** "things I don't understand how to change"
*** (a sublist) "things I need to research to simplify my practice"
Ballet and other dancers tend to just work harder, do more and more repetitions. However, practicing until your muscles burn is worse than not practicing. Ballet training does not usually accommodate what sports and fitness trainers consider a realistic recovery period, so burning out your muscles is harmful.
Professionally prepared ballet tutorials and guides are written with moderate practice routines, and self-assessment tests so you know when you have improved. You can get progress charts with some of these, or make up your own.
Adding to how you make your checklist:
*** "my weakness is because of muscle power and I need to......" understand and add nutrition, hydrate better, sleep better, rest more, learn to release more tension. Once you've figured this out, you will start improving.
If you are still growing, growth spurts can bring on muscle pain and awkwardness. Your body doesn't fit anymore! However, this passes.
Let your ballet teachers know that you are practicing for better dance and ballet fitness, the ballet tutorials you are using, and ask for feedback. If your teacher is not that approachable, work with another student and you'll learn some valuable ballet coaching skills as a bonus, and you'll be making faster progress.
This is just a way to get started. I haven't dealt with many details. I'd have to write a book. Thankfully, some excellent dance educators already have. With you in mind.
Sometimes it is a little stressful thinking about the things that are wrong in your ballet positions, ballet movements, or other dance steps. Yet, if you do some analysis for yourself and develop a plan, I think you'll feel optimistic with an organized long term view.
Making a checklist to sort out things that you want to change and improve. It might look something like this:
***"the most basic correction I get - related to posture, flexibility, turnout or weakness?"
In other words if your corrections are directed to your demi plies, that is basic. It is going to affect nearly everything else you do in dance class. Is your most basic correction related to something you can change, or related to your physique?
If related to your physique, you may or may not be able to change something. Or, you may be able to change it over several years, so you have to give up being frustrated about it and get very patient and methodical.
If your correction is about something you do wrong, but you cannot seem to change it, why not? Is it related to a lack of understanding about it? Or you understand it but your body just doesn't seem to do it when everyone else's does? In classical technique, it's important to understand that certain ballet movements and ballet positions defy the human anatomy.
Sometimes ballet technique means "the safest and most aesthetic way to cheat", be it fifth position, or your arabesque. Ballet teachers do not like to talk about cheating, and it's not really cheating. It's calculated, educated compensation.
If you have to release the hip placement to get an extension of ninety degrees in a la seconde, there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. If you learn the right way to do it, you will be able to do turns a la seconde without falling off pointe or demi pointe. You will still have a postural plumb line, and you'll look correct, aesthetically.
So back to making a checklist:
*** "things I can change by improving my ability to concentrate on doing it correctly every time"
*** "things I can change over a few years"
*** "things I don't understand how to change"
*** (a sublist) "things I need to research to simplify my practice"
Ballet and other dancers tend to just work harder, do more and more repetitions. However, practicing until your muscles burn is worse than not practicing. Ballet training does not usually accommodate what sports and fitness trainers consider a realistic recovery period, so burning out your muscles is harmful.
Professionally prepared ballet tutorials and guides are written with moderate practice routines, and self-assessment tests so you know when you have improved. You can get progress charts with some of these, or make up your own.
Adding to how you make your checklist:
*** "my weakness is because of muscle power and I need to......" understand and add nutrition, hydrate better, sleep better, rest more, learn to release more tension. Once you've figured this out, you will start improving.
If you are still growing, growth spurts can bring on muscle pain and awkwardness. Your body doesn't fit anymore! However, this passes.
Let your ballet teachers know that you are practicing for better dance and ballet fitness, the ballet tutorials you are using, and ask for feedback. If your teacher is not that approachable, work with another student and you'll learn some valuable ballet coaching skills as a bonus, and you'll be making faster progress.
This is just a way to get started. I haven't dealt with many details. I'd have to write a book. Thankfully, some excellent dance educators already have. With you in mind.
The Many Exercise Benefits of Ballet As a Natural Remedy
If we review all the benefits of exercise, ballet provides them all, with many bonuses. Studies have shown that high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and inflammatory conditions such are improved with exercise.
Gaining muscle mass and losing weight is another great side effect.
Why does exercise help almost any ill-health condition? And by ill-health, I mean inflammatory (diabetes, Ulcerative Colitis, IBS or irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, joint pain and many more) conditions.
Exercise increases your muscle exertion, including your heart muscle, therefore your oxygen intake, therefore your metabolism, and therefore your circulation. Increased circulation means more nutrients and body-manufactured hormones and enzymes going to body cells, and also, increase of waste products from metabolism getting OUT of your cells.
Perspiring washes many toxins we create naturally (or eat, accidentally) out through our skin. While the purpose of exercising is not to overheat the body, it happens. While cooling down, we detoxify.
Exerting your muscles on your bones stimulates bone growth and density. Healthy bones are part of our overall health. Many body processes occur in our bone tissue, including our immune system functions.
In fact our body is, under normal conditions, a factory of excellent health results, if we treat it properly.
Another way that exercise helps us is to DECREASE STRESS. This happens on a physical, emotional and mental level. The physical level entails all that I mentioned above, and more. The emotional level is involved because we are doing something good for ourselves, maybe just for the enjoyment and benefits, and maybe because it is an ambition being fulfilled. Mentally exercise is a challenge requiring concentration, and increases our ability to concentrate.
High intensity exercise will increase muscle mass, though not necessarily bulk, which helps us to maintain or lose weight.
So why dance ballet? In a ballet class, almost every exercise is a full body workout. At the same time, each exercise exerts more on a specific muscle group than it does on the supporting muscle groups.
Ballet increases reflexes and develops incredible coordination. Because of the demands, taking ballet classes and perhaps dancing in pointe shoes, leads to learning about anatomy and dancing smart as well as nutrition, for the more curious students.
It is wonderfully satisfying to work on a difficult combination, maybe all year. Then one day, what was a disjointed conglomeration of efforts and concentration, suddenly becomes a smoothly executed grand jete en tournant, a fouette battu saute or an effortless series of chainee turns. Your friends wonder "how do you DO that?"
If they only knew, the blood, the sweat and the tears. I'm just kidding. Well, maybe not.
Regular ballet training or other exercise training will also PREVENT high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and many other degenerative physical conditions. Another huge bonus.
So ballet is a natural remedy for less than optimum health conditions that benefit from exercise. If you're ill, ask your doctor if there is any reason that you should not exercise. Unless you are an exceptional case, you will likely be encouraged to do so.
Why does exercise help almost any ill-health condition? And by ill-health, I mean inflammatory (diabetes, Ulcerative Colitis, IBS or irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, joint pain and many more) conditions.
Exercise increases your muscle exertion, including your heart muscle, therefore your oxygen intake, therefore your metabolism, and therefore your circulation. Increased circulation means more nutrients and body-manufactured hormones and enzymes going to body cells, and also, increase of waste products from metabolism getting OUT of your cells.
Perspiring washes many toxins we create naturally (or eat, accidentally) out through our skin. While the purpose of exercising is not to overheat the body, it happens. While cooling down, we detoxify.
Exerting your muscles on your bones stimulates bone growth and density. Healthy bones are part of our overall health. Many body processes occur in our bone tissue, including our immune system functions.
In fact our body is, under normal conditions, a factory of excellent health results, if we treat it properly.
Another way that exercise helps us is to DECREASE STRESS. This happens on a physical, emotional and mental level. The physical level entails all that I mentioned above, and more. The emotional level is involved because we are doing something good for ourselves, maybe just for the enjoyment and benefits, and maybe because it is an ambition being fulfilled. Mentally exercise is a challenge requiring concentration, and increases our ability to concentrate.
High intensity exercise will increase muscle mass, though not necessarily bulk, which helps us to maintain or lose weight.
So why dance ballet? In a ballet class, almost every exercise is a full body workout. At the same time, each exercise exerts more on a specific muscle group than it does on the supporting muscle groups.
Ballet increases reflexes and develops incredible coordination. Because of the demands, taking ballet classes and perhaps dancing in pointe shoes, leads to learning about anatomy and dancing smart as well as nutrition, for the more curious students.
It is wonderfully satisfying to work on a difficult combination, maybe all year. Then one day, what was a disjointed conglomeration of efforts and concentration, suddenly becomes a smoothly executed grand jete en tournant, a fouette battu saute or an effortless series of chainee turns. Your friends wonder "how do you DO that?"
If they only knew, the blood, the sweat and the tears. I'm just kidding. Well, maybe not.
Regular ballet training or other exercise training will also PREVENT high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and many other degenerative physical conditions. Another huge bonus.
So ballet is a natural remedy for less than optimum health conditions that benefit from exercise. If you're ill, ask your doctor if there is any reason that you should not exercise. Unless you are an exceptional case, you will likely be encouraged to do so.
How to Set Priorities With Your Corrections in Ballet Classes
Whenever you get corrections in class, how do you set priorities for fixing them? For example, if you get a correction while doing demi or grand plie, that's a priority to fix, because it will affect everything else you do.
Especially in pointe shoes, a flaw in how you do a plie will affect your posture, balance, strength of turnout, and go on to affect pirouettes and more.
It will also affect your allegro, or jumps.
If you get a correction later in the ballet barre work, that may be where your ballet teacher first noticed the error, in that class.
However, if your dance teacher does not address it further, it is up to you to figure out where in the basic ballet positions, ballet movements, or ballet technique, you need to go, to fix your correction.
As an example, if your teacher corrects tense or "spiky" fingers during a ronde de jambe a terre combination, you need to (after class) back-peddle mentally to figure out why your fingers are tense looking.
Relaxed hands and fingers are the result of strength in the core muscles. If the core muscles are strong enough to support posture, turnout and ballet positions, then there will not be any extra tension traveling to the neck, shoulders, and down the arms to the hands.
So, as your own experiment, see if there is any strain in your plie exercises in class. Do you understand what muscles should be working hard, and relaxing, at what point during the exercise? Tension in ballet is FLUID. It is always changing.
Understanding plies and tendus, in ballet, will lead to your understanding every aspect of ballet technique. Posture, turnout and balance are all equally important parts of ballet technique (including the proper use of the intrinsic foot muscles for demi pointe and full pointe). And most other dance techniques, not to mention football, tennis and more. (Tennis pros and football teams study ballet to develop footwork and prevent sports injuries). It's all about doing what the body can do, and not trying to make it do what it cannot do.
Try to relate all your corrections back to your basic ballet movements. If you can fix the most basic flaws in your ballet technique, you will fix many things that can go wrong in a ballet class.
Dancing ballet successfully does not depend on perfection. It does depend on you understanding how close to the ideal you are. And, what keeps you from the ideal - physique, muscle weakness, or lack of technical comprehension. I've taught ten year olds who had this sorted out within months of starting training in classical ballet. Something just clicked for them that way.
So wherever you are in your ballet training, start right now to analyze and set your priorities with your corrections in ballet class. Pick the most basic correction that you get, and focus on it. Get more dance education at The Ballet Store.
It will also affect your allegro, or jumps.
If you get a correction later in the ballet barre work, that may be where your ballet teacher first noticed the error, in that class.
However, if your dance teacher does not address it further, it is up to you to figure out where in the basic ballet positions, ballet movements, or ballet technique, you need to go, to fix your correction.
As an example, if your teacher corrects tense or "spiky" fingers during a ronde de jambe a terre combination, you need to (after class) back-peddle mentally to figure out why your fingers are tense looking.
Relaxed hands and fingers are the result of strength in the core muscles. If the core muscles are strong enough to support posture, turnout and ballet positions, then there will not be any extra tension traveling to the neck, shoulders, and down the arms to the hands.
So, as your own experiment, see if there is any strain in your plie exercises in class. Do you understand what muscles should be working hard, and relaxing, at what point during the exercise? Tension in ballet is FLUID. It is always changing.
Understanding plies and tendus, in ballet, will lead to your understanding every aspect of ballet technique. Posture, turnout and balance are all equally important parts of ballet technique (including the proper use of the intrinsic foot muscles for demi pointe and full pointe). And most other dance techniques, not to mention football, tennis and more. (Tennis pros and football teams study ballet to develop footwork and prevent sports injuries). It's all about doing what the body can do, and not trying to make it do what it cannot do.
Try to relate all your corrections back to your basic ballet movements. If you can fix the most basic flaws in your ballet technique, you will fix many things that can go wrong in a ballet class.
Dancing ballet successfully does not depend on perfection. It does depend on you understanding how close to the ideal you are. And, what keeps you from the ideal - physique, muscle weakness, or lack of technical comprehension. I've taught ten year olds who had this sorted out within months of starting training in classical ballet. Something just clicked for them that way.
So wherever you are in your ballet training, start right now to analyze and set your priorities with your corrections in ballet class. Pick the most basic correction that you get, and focus on it. Get more dance education at The Ballet Store.
Don't Get Depressed Because You Can't Study Ballet Yourself and Learn At Home
I hear significant discussion about learning ballet dance at home without a teacher. Even by persons who aspire to professional ballet performance, starting at a late age. This is thinking in a bubble. Instructional ballet videos, and ballet theater perfo
I hear significant discussion about learning ballet dance at home without a teacher. Even by persons who aspire to professional ballet performance, starting at a late age. This is thinking in a bubble. Instructional ballet videos, and ballet theater performances are excellent learn-at-home guides, if your own ballet is done in a dance class.
You cannot learn ballet at home without a ballet teacher. Experience with gymnastics, Pilates, or martial arts, will not help you learn ballet by yourself. It WILL help you learn ballet, in a ballet class, and help avoid dance injuries.
Body awareness, physical strength, balance, flexibility, all contribute to learning ballet. But not without a ballet teacher. Don't get depressed about this, every problem has a solution.
If you love ballet, and if you love yourself, take ballet with a teacher. Don't waste time with instructional ballet videos or dance manuals if you don't have a ballet class.
Ballet teachers also buy teaching manuals to learn the finer details from. Does this mean anyone with no dance background can buy one and start ballet teaching? Of course not. Same for ballet training. You need someone to be watching your ballet positions, ballet movements, and ballet technique, and correct you.
If you have gained discipline and strength from some other training, that is wonderful. Look back on that former training and ask yourself, could you have learned all that by yourself at home from a DVD?
If your problem is lack of money for dance classes, ask your parents if you can find a way to change their budget, as in, what they spend on you. Would you be willing to wear cheaper clothes, or do you have to have the finest fashions? Would you be willing to get a job? Do some local babysitting? Even if you are under age to work, in most places your parents can get you a work permit. Is it astonishing that I would suggest this?
Would you be willing to learn to make pizzas for your family instead of ordering in? Or anything else like that? These ideas may sound silly to some, but if you're really serious about ballet classes and you show a mature approach ("I am willing to give in order to get") to your parents, they will probably respond more enthusiastically.
So, I have not given any instant solution here, but you will find one. Don't waste time feeling depressed if you think you cannot get into a ballet class and have to accept that you cannot learn ballet yourself at home. Just get a strong focused intention started toward getting what you want. Once you are in a class, gradually build a library of instructional ballet videos, and expert ballet manuals that will help you progress faster and avoid dance injuries.
You cannot learn ballet at home without a ballet teacher. Experience with gymnastics, Pilates, or martial arts, will not help you learn ballet by yourself. It WILL help you learn ballet, in a ballet class, and help avoid dance injuries.
Body awareness, physical strength, balance, flexibility, all contribute to learning ballet. But not without a ballet teacher. Don't get depressed about this, every problem has a solution.
If you love ballet, and if you love yourself, take ballet with a teacher. Don't waste time with instructional ballet videos or dance manuals if you don't have a ballet class.
Ballet teachers also buy teaching manuals to learn the finer details from. Does this mean anyone with no dance background can buy one and start ballet teaching? Of course not. Same for ballet training. You need someone to be watching your ballet positions, ballet movements, and ballet technique, and correct you.
If you have gained discipline and strength from some other training, that is wonderful. Look back on that former training and ask yourself, could you have learned all that by yourself at home from a DVD?
If your problem is lack of money for dance classes, ask your parents if you can find a way to change their budget, as in, what they spend on you. Would you be willing to wear cheaper clothes, or do you have to have the finest fashions? Would you be willing to get a job? Do some local babysitting? Even if you are under age to work, in most places your parents can get you a work permit. Is it astonishing that I would suggest this?
Would you be willing to learn to make pizzas for your family instead of ordering in? Or anything else like that? These ideas may sound silly to some, but if you're really serious about ballet classes and you show a mature approach ("I am willing to give in order to get") to your parents, they will probably respond more enthusiastically.
So, I have not given any instant solution here, but you will find one. Don't waste time feeling depressed if you think you cannot get into a ballet class and have to accept that you cannot learn ballet yourself at home. Just get a strong focused intention started toward getting what you want. Once you are in a class, gradually build a library of instructional ballet videos, and expert ballet manuals that will help you progress faster and avoid dance injuries.
Ballet Positions, Use of the Eyes in Ballet Training and Revealing Your Talent
Ballet dancers don't usually think like other entertainers. They don't think in terms of "sell yourself".
Belief in talent starts inwardly for a ballet dancer. All the long years of training, enduring corrections from good teachers and criticism from less nurturing teachers shows belief in one's talent. How to mesmerize your audience is a quality some are born with, and yet doing a good ballet audition is not necessarily a result of that.
What is the performance presence? Where does it originate from? How does it affect doing a good ballet audition?
Observing a ballet class, I notice that when concentrating on ballet positions and ballet movements, the gaze of many ballet students is aimed downward, or aims in a fixed a point forward.
As teachers gain experience, they learn ways to keep the students focused, literally, on points in the room, as they concentrate. This allows expression to flow more naturally throughout ballet training, but it also has a different purpose, related to ballet technique.
Visual information is essential for the maintenance of balance and posture. The brain perceives from information received by the inner ear, eyes, and the soles of the feet, exactly where we are in space. And we therefore constantly adjust our posture and balance, whether we are mid-plie or mid-pirouette or mid-overhead lift.
After years of practicing posture and balance correctly for ballet technique, will an artist be able to express her/himself with total freedom of movement, offering the best and revealing talent?
Once a ballet student moves from barre work to the center, more emphasis on movement rather than posture is needed. Proper use of eye focus is even more essential now. Body awareness keeps perfect placement in the class structure, as it does in the corps de ballet on stage. Students who have learned to concentrate while focusing outwards, with attention on everything around them, have an extra advantage.
Every time a ballet position calls for inclining or turning the head, the eyes should focus instantly in the new direction, on the most distant physical object. A spacey or otherwise unfocused expression does not grab the attention of those watching, or allow them to feel included in what is going on. As in, your audience, auditioners or examiner.
So focus is part of both visual stabilization, as in doing turns, and also part of being an entertainer, catching those eyes watching you. I have also found that reminding students to focus their eyes delivers more natural head movements, completing ballet positions beautifully.
Ultimately, to do a good ballet audition, mesmerize your audience, and excel amongst entertainers, the use of your eyes has a place in your classical ballet training.
Click here and find out how a would-be ballerina and men in ballet get exactly the right fit in ballet shoes and pointe shoes, prevent dance injuries, get The Perfect Pointe Book, The Ballet Bible, and Deborah Vogel's products on injury prevention and functional anatomy.
What is the performance presence? Where does it originate from? How does it affect doing a good ballet audition?
Observing a ballet class, I notice that when concentrating on ballet positions and ballet movements, the gaze of many ballet students is aimed downward, or aims in a fixed a point forward.
As teachers gain experience, they learn ways to keep the students focused, literally, on points in the room, as they concentrate. This allows expression to flow more naturally throughout ballet training, but it also has a different purpose, related to ballet technique.
Visual information is essential for the maintenance of balance and posture. The brain perceives from information received by the inner ear, eyes, and the soles of the feet, exactly where we are in space. And we therefore constantly adjust our posture and balance, whether we are mid-plie or mid-pirouette or mid-overhead lift.
After years of practicing posture and balance correctly for ballet technique, will an artist be able to express her/himself with total freedom of movement, offering the best and revealing talent?
Once a ballet student moves from barre work to the center, more emphasis on movement rather than posture is needed. Proper use of eye focus is even more essential now. Body awareness keeps perfect placement in the class structure, as it does in the corps de ballet on stage. Students who have learned to concentrate while focusing outwards, with attention on everything around them, have an extra advantage.
Every time a ballet position calls for inclining or turning the head, the eyes should focus instantly in the new direction, on the most distant physical object. A spacey or otherwise unfocused expression does not grab the attention of those watching, or allow them to feel included in what is going on. As in, your audience, auditioners or examiner.
So focus is part of both visual stabilization, as in doing turns, and also part of being an entertainer, catching those eyes watching you. I have also found that reminding students to focus their eyes delivers more natural head movements, completing ballet positions beautifully.
Ultimately, to do a good ballet audition, mesmerize your audience, and excel amongst entertainers, the use of your eyes has a place in your classical ballet training.
Click here and find out how a would-be ballerina and men in ballet get exactly the right fit in ballet shoes and pointe shoes, prevent dance injuries, get The Perfect Pointe Book, The Ballet Bible, and Deborah Vogel's products on injury prevention and functional anatomy.
Adult Ballet Brings the Ethereal and the Grounded Together With Ballet Exercises
A common response to why adults seek ballet as an exercise to reduce stress, anxiety, or feeling spaced out, is "to get a sense of my body". Ballet is ethereal, yet taking adult ballet classes is a great way to get grounded.
If you take the big step and find a dance studio that provides adult ballet classes, how do you prepare yourself?
First, go and visit the ballet school, and observe the dance instruction in the adult ballet section. Before you buy any ballet wear, you can find out the dress code, and the the type of ballet leotards and tights most frequently worn. Check out the ballet shoes that are either required, or free for you to choose. Black or white, for men in ballet, and black or white tights, so on. Also, since many men in ballet ask me, I will mention the 'dance belt' that needs to be worn, not the normal jock strap.
Whether you have a huge performing arts school, or a small neighborhood ballet studio, visit, watch a couple of classes and get a feel for the place. Ballet wear includes clothes you might want to wear over your leotards and tights, if allowed. Even if you want to hide a less than a trim figure under a sweater, or dance pants, always wear a leotard and tights.
This classic ballet wear allows the ballet teacher to see what your muscles are doing, if she/he wants. This is only to your benefit, since especially in the beginner adult ballet classes, you want to know that you are learning correct ballet technique and getting into correct ballet positions.
Some adult ballet classes use Pilates to help warm up. This is excellent for developing the core muscles. Feeling your core muscles gives a good sense of the body. It is grounding. Feeling the core muscles and having correct posture in the low back/pelvic area will help you develop your turnout muscles without needless tension.
Feeling the soles of the feet flat on the floor, not slanting in (pronation) or out (supination) is essential. That in itself is a grounding effort. If you have been advised to exercise for stress or anxiety control, I think ballet is excellent. Ballet gives you control over something which you can indeed control. Your own body.
You cannot be spacey in ballet class. The music, the sound of the teacher's voice, and the sense of your body working, enhances your presence. You cannot be somewhere else. While getting grounded, you are learning an elegant and ethereal style of dancing. The best of both ideas.
By the way, presence is IT. If you ever wonder why professional ballet dancers work so hard for little money and lots of aches and pains, for so long, maybe because it creates more of their own presence so often. Because presence is Presence. You know what I mean.
So if you have always wanted to take adult ballet classes, go. Get the best teacher you can, and benefit from all the wonderful ballet manuals available now that will tell you all the finer details of ballet technique. That extra understanding will get you even more grounded in adult ballet technique.
The Ballet Store site provides a free ballet glossary so you can learn the French words for ballet quickly.
The Perfect Pointe Book gives practice routines you can do safely at home, after a few months of beginner adult ballet classes. Even if you never dance ballet in pointe shoes, the exact details of this manual will answer many questions you may have and never get to ask in ballet class.
If you take the big step and find a dance studio that provides adult ballet classes, how do you prepare yourself?
First, go and visit the ballet school, and observe the dance instruction in the adult ballet section. Before you buy any ballet wear, you can find out the dress code, and the the type of ballet leotards and tights most frequently worn. Check out the ballet shoes that are either required, or free for you to choose. Black or white, for men in ballet, and black or white tights, so on. Also, since many men in ballet ask me, I will mention the 'dance belt' that needs to be worn, not the normal jock strap.
Whether you have a huge performing arts school, or a small neighborhood ballet studio, visit, watch a couple of classes and get a feel for the place. Ballet wear includes clothes you might want to wear over your leotards and tights, if allowed. Even if you want to hide a less than a trim figure under a sweater, or dance pants, always wear a leotard and tights.
This classic ballet wear allows the ballet teacher to see what your muscles are doing, if she/he wants. This is only to your benefit, since especially in the beginner adult ballet classes, you want to know that you are learning correct ballet technique and getting into correct ballet positions.
Some adult ballet classes use Pilates to help warm up. This is excellent for developing the core muscles. Feeling your core muscles gives a good sense of the body. It is grounding. Feeling the core muscles and having correct posture in the low back/pelvic area will help you develop your turnout muscles without needless tension.
Feeling the soles of the feet flat on the floor, not slanting in (pronation) or out (supination) is essential. That in itself is a grounding effort. If you have been advised to exercise for stress or anxiety control, I think ballet is excellent. Ballet gives you control over something which you can indeed control. Your own body.
You cannot be spacey in ballet class. The music, the sound of the teacher's voice, and the sense of your body working, enhances your presence. You cannot be somewhere else. While getting grounded, you are learning an elegant and ethereal style of dancing. The best of both ideas.
By the way, presence is IT. If you ever wonder why professional ballet dancers work so hard for little money and lots of aches and pains, for so long, maybe because it creates more of their own presence so often. Because presence is Presence. You know what I mean.
So if you have always wanted to take adult ballet classes, go. Get the best teacher you can, and benefit from all the wonderful ballet manuals available now that will tell you all the finer details of ballet technique. That extra understanding will get you even more grounded in adult ballet technique.
The Ballet Store site provides a free ballet glossary so you can learn the French words for ballet quickly.
The Perfect Pointe Book gives practice routines you can do safely at home, after a few months of beginner adult ballet classes. Even if you never dance ballet in pointe shoes, the exact details of this manual will answer many questions you may have and never get to ask in ballet class.
Joint Pain and Pointe Shoe Pain Solutions in Nutcracker Season
Ballet dancing pains like joint pain and muscle pains and strains from partnering can seem worse in cold weather.
If you are doing lots of rehearsals for the Nutcracker or some other holiday season dance concert, you need to take special care of your joints, muscles, and feet. Wool legwarmers, snug sweaters and water-proof snow boots all contribute to a better holiday season if you are a ballet dancer.
Rehearsing classical ballet concerts takes a lot of organization. Most ballet dancers get good at this in their young years. If they haven't caught on to the need for methodical self-preservation in the long process of rehearsing and staging a show, the experience may be uncomfortable to say the least.
Starting with extra ballet wear, packing some sweats to wear in long rehearsal days is a must. Sweaters, scarves, and even toques help a lot to keep cool drafts off neck and shoulder muscles.
Leg warmers save the day to help warm up and to stay warm while waiting for your turn on stage.
In long technical rehearsals, the wait can be exasperating while lighting cues are tested. Fatigue can be challenging when repeated run throughs are needed for the stage crew and stage manager, or for dancers who are thrown into the dance at the last minute because of another's injury, or winter sickness. Especially if you end up with a last minute change in a pas de deux partner, the challenge is intense.
Anything can happen! If your mother puts some vitamin pills at your plate, take them! Stay healthy and be smart!
Long hot baths with Epsom Salts followed by icing sore spots will help a lot. Even ice the not-so sore spots, the tired muscles and joints. Give them an extra boost at recovery.
Drink enough water - sip all day. Don't fill up with those frankenstein neon so-called sports waters, or sodas. Green juices and real fruit drinks are so much better, but water is best. Fruits for a snack are great. And one of the best snacks is celery. Celery is full of the mineral salts that you lose in perspiration. Losing those mineral salts decreases your muscle strength and your thinking power! Just the opposite of what you need to dance your best all day long.
You must take care of minor aches and pains, to make sure that they remain minor. Nerves and adrenaline get you through a lot, but be careful not to get drained. Your muscles and nervous system need real fresh foods to be replenished with.
The repetitive motion of rehearsing can lead to joint pain, raw ballet shoe blisters and deep aches in your muscles. Don't let these conditions dull the thrill of your Nutcracker ballet performances.
Go to this online ballet store for last minute ballet wear and dance accessories.
Rehearsing classical ballet concerts takes a lot of organization. Most ballet dancers get good at this in their young years. If they haven't caught on to the need for methodical self-preservation in the long process of rehearsing and staging a show, the experience may be uncomfortable to say the least.
Starting with extra ballet wear, packing some sweats to wear in long rehearsal days is a must. Sweaters, scarves, and even toques help a lot to keep cool drafts off neck and shoulder muscles.
Leg warmers save the day to help warm up and to stay warm while waiting for your turn on stage.
In long technical rehearsals, the wait can be exasperating while lighting cues are tested. Fatigue can be challenging when repeated run throughs are needed for the stage crew and stage manager, or for dancers who are thrown into the dance at the last minute because of another's injury, or winter sickness. Especially if you end up with a last minute change in a pas de deux partner, the challenge is intense.
Anything can happen! If your mother puts some vitamin pills at your plate, take them! Stay healthy and be smart!
Long hot baths with Epsom Salts followed by icing sore spots will help a lot. Even ice the not-so sore spots, the tired muscles and joints. Give them an extra boost at recovery.
Drink enough water - sip all day. Don't fill up with those frankenstein neon so-called sports waters, or sodas. Green juices and real fruit drinks are so much better, but water is best. Fruits for a snack are great. And one of the best snacks is celery. Celery is full of the mineral salts that you lose in perspiration. Losing those mineral salts decreases your muscle strength and your thinking power! Just the opposite of what you need to dance your best all day long.
You must take care of minor aches and pains, to make sure that they remain minor. Nerves and adrenaline get you through a lot, but be careful not to get drained. Your muscles and nervous system need real fresh foods to be replenished with.
The repetitive motion of rehearsing can lead to joint pain, raw ballet shoe blisters and deep aches in your muscles. Don't let these conditions dull the thrill of your Nutcracker ballet performances.
Go to this online ballet store for last minute ballet wear and dance accessories.
Too Old to Start Ballet? - Don't Underestimate Yourself
The discussion about when you're too old to start ballet is ongoing. If you want to do ballet, don't underestimate yourself. If you have no dire medical condition, and are under 75, I say go for it. Many things in life are about finding the appropriate challenge. If you can find the right ballet classes, dance and enjoy!
I hear the same concerns from 14 year olds and 30 year olds. "Am I too old to start ballet?"
Properly taught, ballet is precise, and not dangerous in any way. Many dance studios have adult ballet classes or classes for older teen/adult beginners. Most adult ballet classes include some floor work with ab crunches and other core muscle exercises. Many teachers include them hoping that their students will practice them at home, so the classes can concentrate on ballet. Other teachers may just recommend core muscle exercises, Pilates work-at-home DVDs, or anything that will help adults or older teens to do ballet with more strength.
If you really love ballet and want to progress to more advanced classes there are ways to do that. The internet provides download ebooks with illustrations, photos and videos of correct ballet positions, ballet technique, and ballet movements. These sources of information can give you the opportunity to see and hear details over and over again, which you just do not get out of a ballet class.
For example, if you feel you need to gain an extra advantage so that you can get ahead, you could focus on strengthening your foot muscles. This will result in less muscle cramps, and better ballet positions and movements. Eventually, if you progress to an intermediate level, and acquire an accurate technique, you may want to do some ballet exercises in pointe shoes. The muscles in the sole of the foot play a major role in pointe work. The Perfect Pointe Book provides safe and detailed routines you can learn and practice yourself.
DVDs are also available for increasing your flexibility. Yoga is excellent for stretching and avoiding injuries. "Classical Stretch" DVDs show you ways to stretch in a balletic way, and can be found here. The Classical Stretch exercises are a well-illustrated series of strengthening and stretching routines.
If you seek a deeper understanding of the mechanics involved in ballet technique, The Body Series publications and DVDs by Deborah Vogel are an excellent source of information. The different ballet techniques (R.A.D., Cecchetti and Vaganova, for example) approach some ballet movements differently. I recommend that the one closest to anatomically correct be chosen. Ballet, however, is not anatomically correct!
Even though the opportunity to be a professional ballerina may have passed you by, learning ballet for the sake of elegance and grace is made accessible by those ballet studios which offer adult dance classes. So don't underestimate yourself, and don't assume you're too old to start ballet.
I hear the same concerns from 14 year olds and 30 year olds. "Am I too old to start ballet?"
Properly taught, ballet is precise, and not dangerous in any way. Many dance studios have adult ballet classes or classes for older teen/adult beginners. Most adult ballet classes include some floor work with ab crunches and other core muscle exercises. Many teachers include them hoping that their students will practice them at home, so the classes can concentrate on ballet. Other teachers may just recommend core muscle exercises, Pilates work-at-home DVDs, or anything that will help adults or older teens to do ballet with more strength.
If you really love ballet and want to progress to more advanced classes there are ways to do that. The internet provides download ebooks with illustrations, photos and videos of correct ballet positions, ballet technique, and ballet movements. These sources of information can give you the opportunity to see and hear details over and over again, which you just do not get out of a ballet class.
For example, if you feel you need to gain an extra advantage so that you can get ahead, you could focus on strengthening your foot muscles. This will result in less muscle cramps, and better ballet positions and movements. Eventually, if you progress to an intermediate level, and acquire an accurate technique, you may want to do some ballet exercises in pointe shoes. The muscles in the sole of the foot play a major role in pointe work. The Perfect Pointe Book provides safe and detailed routines you can learn and practice yourself.
DVDs are also available for increasing your flexibility. Yoga is excellent for stretching and avoiding injuries. "Classical Stretch" DVDs show you ways to stretch in a balletic way, and can be found here. The Classical Stretch exercises are a well-illustrated series of strengthening and stretching routines.
If you seek a deeper understanding of the mechanics involved in ballet technique, The Body Series publications and DVDs by Deborah Vogel are an excellent source of information. The different ballet techniques (R.A.D., Cecchetti and Vaganova, for example) approach some ballet movements differently. I recommend that the one closest to anatomically correct be chosen. Ballet, however, is not anatomically correct!
Even though the opportunity to be a professional ballerina may have passed you by, learning ballet for the sake of elegance and grace is made accessible by those ballet studios which offer adult dance classes. So don't underestimate yourself, and don't assume you're too old to start ballet.
Want To Be Among the Boys and Men In Ballet?
Check out the link below...it deals with....
Following your heart.
Dreaming your dream.
Staying inspired.
Looking to the best.
Surviving ridicule - it's your life.
Knowing dancers just dance and that you are a dancer.
If the above sounds interesting, you'll really enjoy the dancers/choreographers/dance organizers who write their stories on this site.
Dreaming your dream.
Staying inspired.
Looking to the best.
Surviving ridicule - it's your life.
Knowing dancers just dance and that you are a dancer.
If the above sounds interesting, you'll really enjoy the dancers/choreographers/dance organizers who write their stories on this site.
Prevent Ballet and Dance Injuries in Your Nutcracker Season
Learning how to minimize the chance of dance injuries is an acquired skill. Warming up, having healthy snacks in your dance bag, and perhaps having an extra pair of pointe shoes ready to wear, will help you avoid ballet injuries.
Rehearsal schedules intensify as the Nutcracker season approaches. Everyone wants to do their best.
Muscle aches and pains after classes and rehearsals should not be ignored. Soaking sore and exhausted muscles in epsom salt baths, ( a form of magnesium) elevating your legs while sitting, and using a pinkie ball to rid your muscles of tension is exactly what your muscles deserve.
Knee injuries, sprained ankles and shin splints all result from inaccurate technique, that do not necessarily show up until dance schedules intensify. A little fatigue, emotional distractions, anxiety, poor sleep or poor diet all contribute to that moment of error or mis-timing when an accident happens.
Fresh foods are necessary to keep your strength up. Sugar weakens muscles and also contributes to inflammation. Do your best to eat well. Magnesium is a nutrient that helps relax muscles and can lead to better sleep. Green vegetables and salad foods are full of trace minerals that help carry lactic acids and other cellular wastes out of tired muscles. Lean proteins, and whole grain carbohydrates will put more nutritional support in your diet.
Dance medicine specialist and "Dancing Smart" author Deborah Vogel writes:
"Four Warning Signs of an Injury
* Pain that gets progressively worse during class, rehearsal, work out, etc.
* Pain that comes after your class, rehearsal, or work out, and comes back the next day after less movement is done.
* Pain that appears when executing certain movements (e.g. during arabesque or landing a jump).
* No real sense of "pain" but a definite restriction of movement."
Pay attention to your body's signals. Ice tired and tense muscles even if they don't hurt. Take some deep breaths when you sit down to relax, or when you go to bed. Use a pinky ball to ease out tension, then do some very gentle stretching afterwards. Have a real day of rest, and catch up with non-dance activities.
Even when you are a recreational dance student, you get the most out of it if you act like pro. Ask your family graciously for extra help or rest time that you need, and let them know how much you appreciate their support.
This way you will really get to enjoy your experience of performing in ballet shoes and pointe shoes.
Read more about injury prevention, strength for pointe work, and muscle care here.
Muscle aches and pains after classes and rehearsals should not be ignored. Soaking sore and exhausted muscles in epsom salt baths, ( a form of magnesium) elevating your legs while sitting, and using a pinkie ball to rid your muscles of tension is exactly what your muscles deserve.
Knee injuries, sprained ankles and shin splints all result from inaccurate technique, that do not necessarily show up until dance schedules intensify. A little fatigue, emotional distractions, anxiety, poor sleep or poor diet all contribute to that moment of error or mis-timing when an accident happens.
Fresh foods are necessary to keep your strength up. Sugar weakens muscles and also contributes to inflammation. Do your best to eat well. Magnesium is a nutrient that helps relax muscles and can lead to better sleep. Green vegetables and salad foods are full of trace minerals that help carry lactic acids and other cellular wastes out of tired muscles. Lean proteins, and whole grain carbohydrates will put more nutritional support in your diet.
Dance medicine specialist and "Dancing Smart" author Deborah Vogel writes:
"Four Warning Signs of an Injury
* Pain that gets progressively worse during class, rehearsal, work out, etc.
* Pain that comes after your class, rehearsal, or work out, and comes back the next day after less movement is done.
* Pain that appears when executing certain movements (e.g. during arabesque or landing a jump).
* No real sense of "pain" but a definite restriction of movement."
Pay attention to your body's signals. Ice tired and tense muscles even if they don't hurt. Take some deep breaths when you sit down to relax, or when you go to bed. Use a pinky ball to ease out tension, then do some very gentle stretching afterwards. Have a real day of rest, and catch up with non-dance activities.
Even when you are a recreational dance student, you get the most out of it if you act like pro. Ask your family graciously for extra help or rest time that you need, and let them know how much you appreciate their support.
This way you will really get to enjoy your experience of performing in ballet shoes and pointe shoes.
Read more about injury prevention, strength for pointe work, and muscle care here.
A Cosy Little Chat About Pointe Shoes With a Nice Cup of Tea
I hear a lot from students whose local ballet store does not stock more than a couple of brands. Their pointe shoes feel terrible. So who's in control - your pointe shoe or foot muscles?
If you are one of these troubled pointe shoe ballet dancers, get a nice cup of tea or a Starbucks latte if you prefer, and we'll have a cosy little chat about pointe shoes.
Of course you want to get exactly the right fit. So say your ballet store only sold Freeds, for example. Lengths and widths are commonly available. Freeds are hard shoes. They are wonderful for the higher arch, giving lots of support. They come in low and high vamps, good for short or long toes, so really they could be okay for everyone.
If you have a low arch and less flexible ankle joints, you need to break in your Freeds more. Same with Capezio's. Gambas are lighter shoes, go easy on them. Probably the first couple of classes will break them in fine.
I don't understand "good pointe shoes for beginners". If that means a softer shoe, does it also mean the beginner is not quite ready to go onto pointe?
I know that any dancer knows what I'm getting at - your foot muscles are in control, not the pointe shoes.
If your core muscles are weak, if you are still hyperextending your knees, if you haven't strengthened the sole of the foot muscles, then your pointe shoes will be in control.
If they don't fit perfectly (no shoe does, unless it's made for you), if you are wide at the metatarsal area, or forefront of the foot, and narrow at the heel, or vice versa, you will always have a little situation.
Here's some suggestions - always fit the pointe shoes for the larger foot. You may do the opposite with leather soft shoes, because they will stretch to fit. You are going to pad the shoe for the smaller foot a little more, rather than crunch the bigger foot and get bad blisters or an injury.
If you need wide pointe shoes for the metatarsal area, leaving the choice of pointe shoes too wide at the heels, then use a drug store brand heel grip or get a big bag of makeup wedgies and cut them to the exact size you need and glue into your shoes. Or roll your heels into the rosin box and then put them into your shoes.
I'm not going to go through every nuance of a shoe fit. Your foot muscles have to be strong enough to control the shoe. Your basic posture has to be correct so that you can be on balance.
If you get a pair of shoes with a slight deviation or a spot on the top of the box that presses into your foot, work on it with your hands, or use extra padding. Whether you stick a little foam, corn pad, or adhesive tape on your foot or on the shoe, it doesn't matter. Whatever works.
After two to three pairs of the pointe shoes that you can get still don't work out, you may have to try ordering a different brand on line. You are not going to waste a pair of shoes. If the length and width are correct, you may still have to work on the feel of it to suit yourself.
You have to get your muscles in charge. That's exercising every day, not doing bunches of releves or retires releves, but doing the basic sole of the foot exercises. Also, making sure you are using the floor and elongating your toes with every tendu and degage.
In other words, if you have a problem, look at your foot strength first, and your shoes second. Pick a pair a little too large rather than a little too short if you are in between. Too short, and too narrow, can lead to injury.
I'm not being sarcastic about the cosy little chat. There is a dazzling choice of pointe shoes in many ballet stores. If you don't have the variety in pointe shoes to select from, learn to adapt what you can get, or order online. If your foot muscles are strong and in control, you are unlikely to get injured from your shoes.
The Perfect Pointe Book provides you with all the details for developing foot strength.
Of course you want to get exactly the right fit. So say your ballet store only sold Freeds, for example. Lengths and widths are commonly available. Freeds are hard shoes. They are wonderful for the higher arch, giving lots of support. They come in low and high vamps, good for short or long toes, so really they could be okay for everyone.
If you have a low arch and less flexible ankle joints, you need to break in your Freeds more. Same with Capezio's. Gambas are lighter shoes, go easy on them. Probably the first couple of classes will break them in fine.
I don't understand "good pointe shoes for beginners". If that means a softer shoe, does it also mean the beginner is not quite ready to go onto pointe?
I know that any dancer knows what I'm getting at - your foot muscles are in control, not the pointe shoes.
If your core muscles are weak, if you are still hyperextending your knees, if you haven't strengthened the sole of the foot muscles, then your pointe shoes will be in control.
If they don't fit perfectly (no shoe does, unless it's made for you), if you are wide at the metatarsal area, or forefront of the foot, and narrow at the heel, or vice versa, you will always have a little situation.
Here's some suggestions - always fit the pointe shoes for the larger foot. You may do the opposite with leather soft shoes, because they will stretch to fit. You are going to pad the shoe for the smaller foot a little more, rather than crunch the bigger foot and get bad blisters or an injury.
If you need wide pointe shoes for the metatarsal area, leaving the choice of pointe shoes too wide at the heels, then use a drug store brand heel grip or get a big bag of makeup wedgies and cut them to the exact size you need and glue into your shoes. Or roll your heels into the rosin box and then put them into your shoes.
I'm not going to go through every nuance of a shoe fit. Your foot muscles have to be strong enough to control the shoe. Your basic posture has to be correct so that you can be on balance.
If you get a pair of shoes with a slight deviation or a spot on the top of the box that presses into your foot, work on it with your hands, or use extra padding. Whether you stick a little foam, corn pad, or adhesive tape on your foot or on the shoe, it doesn't matter. Whatever works.
After two to three pairs of the pointe shoes that you can get still don't work out, you may have to try ordering a different brand on line. You are not going to waste a pair of shoes. If the length and width are correct, you may still have to work on the feel of it to suit yourself.
You have to get your muscles in charge. That's exercising every day, not doing bunches of releves or retires releves, but doing the basic sole of the foot exercises. Also, making sure you are using the floor and elongating your toes with every tendu and degage.
In other words, if you have a problem, look at your foot strength first, and your shoes second. Pick a pair a little too large rather than a little too short if you are in between. Too short, and too narrow, can lead to injury.
I'm not being sarcastic about the cosy little chat. There is a dazzling choice of pointe shoes in many ballet stores. If you don't have the variety in pointe shoes to select from, learn to adapt what you can get, or order online. If your foot muscles are strong and in control, you are unlikely to get injured from your shoes.
The Perfect Pointe Book provides you with all the details for developing foot strength.
Indulge Your passion For Ballet With Amazon Movies
Men In Ballet In The Movies
![Moretti: Caravaggio [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41zox-z3mJL._SL75_.jpg)
Moretti: Caravaggio [Blu-ray]
Superb moderrn ballet but might not suit all tastes. No story line, but emotional and interpretive.
Amazon Price: $26.99 (as of 07/05/2009)
The Paris Opera Ballet: Seven Ballets
This DVD of seven original dances is set to music from acclaimed composers such as Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, and Greg, choreographed by Norbert Schmucki and Marius Petipa, and features the stars of the Paris Opera Ballet!
Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 07/05/2009)
Born to Be Wild - The Leading Men of American Ballet Theatre
This DANCE IN AMERICA performance/documentary explores the lives of the ABT's four lead male dancers: Cuba's Jose Manual Carreno, Spain's Angel Corella, Ukraine's Vladimir Malakhov, and the U.S.'s Ethan Stiefel. Concludes with the four dancers performing.
Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 07/05/2009)
Bizet - Carmen Ballet / Mikhail Baryshnikov, Zizi Jeanmarie
There's never been a Carmen like this one - there's never been a Don Jose like Baryshnikov! Ballet superstars Mikhail Baryshnikov and Zizi Jeanmaire sizzle in this erotically charged ballet set to the music and story of Carmen.
Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 07/05/2009)
Maurice Bejart: l'Amour - La Danse
"If you love the skill, beauty and graceful art of contemprary ballet, you will be enthralled by Bejart's outstanding choreography and some of the most beautiful, talented dancers of our time."- Paul Skellon on Amazon review.
Amazon Price: $15.99 (as of 07/05/2009)
Don't Waste Time!
For Every Young Ballerina and Men In Ballet
You CAN learn to do pointe work! Get The Perfect Pointe Book.
The Man Who Traded a Jets Uniform for Ballet Shoes
The New York Times story.
The story is here. It is an entertaining and detailed narrative about a day of gruelling classes.
How to Prevent Foot Injuries in Ballet Shoes and Pointe Shoes, Or Without Shoes
How to use the foot properly in ballet should begin with the first lesson. With small children this can be taught sitting on the floor with the legs stretched out in front. The proper line in the stretched foot can be seen and understood easily. With older children, a short anatomy lesson on the foot explains why classical ballet technique is finely detailed and exacting, in order to build strength and prevent foot injuries throughout dance training.
Here is some basic anatomical facts about your feet:
*** The support is provided by 28 bones
*** 19 muscles attach to these bones by tendons
*** 30 different joints held together by up to 117 ligaments allow finely detailed movement
*** There are many yards of blood vessels and a complex nerve system
*** Each foot has 125,000 sweat glands
*** Everything is covered by sheets or bands of tough connective tissue called fascia
When you consider that a ballerina or a male ballet dancer spends years training, and then performing, and each time their feet hit the ground they are impacted by three to four times their body weight, that's amazing! Proper training and care of the feet is essential. Even beyond preventing injuries, accurate technique will contribute to preventing early arthritis as well.
Shin splints, a burning stinging pain in the front calf muscles, sprained ankles, bone bruises, and blisters from pointe shoes, are foot injuries that can be prevented by building strength specifically in the sole of the foot.
Weakness in the foot muscles causes the lower leg muscles to over work, leading to chronic tension and loss of muscle tone. This will develop into tendonitis in the Achilles tendon which can become chronic and end a career, at the worst. Chronic tension in any set of muscles in the body will cause mis-alignments, and strain, in the next joint/muscle group, and the next, and so on.
Prevention then, is understanding your foot's construction. Look at photos or drawings, and x-rays of feet. How to use the fact of repetitive motion in ballet (just try to count the number of times you point your foot in a ballet or modern dance class) as strictly a plus, and not a danger to your feet, requires extra study and awareness.
Listening to your body, and paying attention to pain, should be considered part of your training. Aches and sorenesses should go away with warm soaks using epsom salts, ginger or apple cider vinegar, followed by icing. But pain of a sharp, burning or stinging nature must be addressed.
Your foot is brilliantly structured to prevent harmful movement - such as sickling in, and then landing that way, and lo - you have a sprained ankle. However, this can be treated immediately and properly and never cause future discomfort.
Understanding your foot shape and bone structure tells you exactly what your potential is, to increase flexibility, or control hyper-mobility to your best advantage.
For example, if you think you should have more arch to your foot, the shape of your individual bones determine that. You can increase your ankle flexibility to get up onto pointe better, and improve the line of your foot and leg. The shape of your bones will limit the actual arch shape, to some degree.
Famous athletes and dancers actually buy insurance for their body parts. Your insurance is how you take care of your feet.
Soaking or rolling a pinky ball around under your feet, while you study or watch tv, takes up no extra time.
Letting your parents know that you have a persistent pain and that you need to have it checked by a professional is important. A visit with a physiotherapist or chiropractor and an x-ray is not terribly expensive, and the completion of your training may depend on it.
Obtaining the finer details of strengthening the feet for ballet and any kind of dance, is easy now. There is an almost worship in ballet for getting into those beautiful pink satin pointe shoes, or of the ballerina in them, you would love to partner. If you are going to worship, please worship your feet first! They are designed by a perfect intelligence and will serve you perfectly if you understand how to prevent foot injuries.
Click here to view a comprehensive collection of books on dance and injury prevention.
Here is some basic anatomical facts about your feet:
*** The support is provided by 28 bones
*** 19 muscles attach to these bones by tendons
*** 30 different joints held together by up to 117 ligaments allow finely detailed movement
*** There are many yards of blood vessels and a complex nerve system
*** Each foot has 125,000 sweat glands
*** Everything is covered by sheets or bands of tough connective tissue called fascia
When you consider that a ballerina or a male ballet dancer spends years training, and then performing, and each time their feet hit the ground they are impacted by three to four times their body weight, that's amazing! Proper training and care of the feet is essential. Even beyond preventing injuries, accurate technique will contribute to preventing early arthritis as well.
Shin splints, a burning stinging pain in the front calf muscles, sprained ankles, bone bruises, and blisters from pointe shoes, are foot injuries that can be prevented by building strength specifically in the sole of the foot.
Weakness in the foot muscles causes the lower leg muscles to over work, leading to chronic tension and loss of muscle tone. This will develop into tendonitis in the Achilles tendon which can become chronic and end a career, at the worst. Chronic tension in any set of muscles in the body will cause mis-alignments, and strain, in the next joint/muscle group, and the next, and so on.
Prevention then, is understanding your foot's construction. Look at photos or drawings, and x-rays of feet. How to use the fact of repetitive motion in ballet (just try to count the number of times you point your foot in a ballet or modern dance class) as strictly a plus, and not a danger to your feet, requires extra study and awareness.
Listening to your body, and paying attention to pain, should be considered part of your training. Aches and sorenesses should go away with warm soaks using epsom salts, ginger or apple cider vinegar, followed by icing. But pain of a sharp, burning or stinging nature must be addressed.
Your foot is brilliantly structured to prevent harmful movement - such as sickling in, and then landing that way, and lo - you have a sprained ankle. However, this can be treated immediately and properly and never cause future discomfort.
Understanding your foot shape and bone structure tells you exactly what your potential is, to increase flexibility, or control hyper-mobility to your best advantage.
For example, if you think you should have more arch to your foot, the shape of your individual bones determine that. You can increase your ankle flexibility to get up onto pointe better, and improve the line of your foot and leg. The shape of your bones will limit the actual arch shape, to some degree.
Famous athletes and dancers actually buy insurance for their body parts. Your insurance is how you take care of your feet.
Soaking or rolling a pinky ball around under your feet, while you study or watch tv, takes up no extra time.
Letting your parents know that you have a persistent pain and that you need to have it checked by a professional is important. A visit with a physiotherapist or chiropractor and an x-ray is not terribly expensive, and the completion of your training may depend on it.
Obtaining the finer details of strengthening the feet for ballet and any kind of dance, is easy now. There is an almost worship in ballet for getting into those beautiful pink satin pointe shoes, or of the ballerina in them, you would love to partner. If you are going to worship, please worship your feet first! They are designed by a perfect intelligence and will serve you perfectly if you understand how to prevent foot injuries.
Click here to view a comprehensive collection of books on dance and injury prevention.
Better Self Care in Ballet Training
The virtue of patience sounds like one of the many spiritual gifts we may have, or an element of character education, or just one of those things our parents and teachers like to bother us about. If the quest for art drives you toward toward seeking perfection, being the best, or unreasonable weight loss, I hope the following body image tips and self-education tips help you improve and modify your self care in your ballet training.
All of this applies to young athletes as well. The individual's achievement orientation of athletics in high school, or ballet schools is supplemented by the dance team competitions, and the competition to get on a team, cast in a ballet performance or included in an exam class. This is an exciting, positive thing. It will, however, inevitably complicate your life,
Body image, diet, time planning, sounds like you need a staff of ten. But your self care is all up to you.
Avoiding or overcoming depression, or striving for weight loss is also a positive thing. The healthier dancer will communicate with parents, get medical advice if needed, and also do their own research.
For instance, it may seem that a growing teen dancer has a sugar addiction. This is not uncommon in our culture, but also can show up as a temporary condition if a growth spurt coincides with extra classes, rehearsals, and final exams. More lean protein, omega 3 fats, vitamins and minerals are needed, every day, to accommodate growth.
Sugar addiction can also result from an attempt at overcoming depression - sugar is a drug and changes the way we feel. All too temporarily. It leads to adrenal exhaustion which leads to more sugar or carbohydrate craving, and goes round and round until a different behavior interrupts the process.
Also, factor in the respect needed for your own process of growing up. Your body will continue to change and develop shape and bone mass according to how you feed it, rest it, and work it. Your growth stage will not always fulfill your body image ideas, but have faith, it will change and it will be okay.
Fast food will deprive you in so many ways it would take a book to describe it, and many have been written already.
"Fast life", like fast food, will also deprive you of growth and health. While attending to your ambition at ballet school, or in sports training, create simplicity. The aspects of our culture that govern viewpoints on social standing, sexiness, body image, being cool, having the best toys, car, clothes, are not created for your benefit.
So who DO these social pressures benefit? Think about that.
Think about the time you put into it.
It may be a struggle to deal with the whole issue, but in standing a little detached from all those issues for a few minutes every morning, could be a great survival strategy for you. Give to your priorities as much as you can, without neglecting family or other obligations.
This might sound like a crash course in becoming an immediate social outcast, but my experience is that teens that practice some detachment from following the crowd and pursuing reasonable self care often end up being followed themselves. Ironic, life is.
Being independent this way may bring you more support and respect for your ambitions. Again, it may not, but hopefully there are some smart and loving people in your life.
Save your stress for things that matter. Decide what matters. Decide what the best self care is for you, in your ballet training, art training and sports training. Or academic training, any training. The virtue of courageous patience will grow with you, regardless of what you call it.
All of this applies to young athletes as well. The individual's achievement orientation of athletics in high school, or ballet schools is supplemented by the dance team competitions, and the competition to get on a team, cast in a ballet performance or included in an exam class. This is an exciting, positive thing. It will, however, inevitably complicate your life,
Body image, diet, time planning, sounds like you need a staff of ten. But your self care is all up to you.
Avoiding or overcoming depression, or striving for weight loss is also a positive thing. The healthier dancer will communicate with parents, get medical advice if needed, and also do their own research.
For instance, it may seem that a growing teen dancer has a sugar addiction. This is not uncommon in our culture, but also can show up as a temporary condition if a growth spurt coincides with extra classes, rehearsals, and final exams. More lean protein, omega 3 fats, vitamins and minerals are needed, every day, to accommodate growth.
Sugar addiction can also result from an attempt at overcoming depression - sugar is a drug and changes the way we feel. All too temporarily. It leads to adrenal exhaustion which leads to more sugar or carbohydrate craving, and goes round and round until a different behavior interrupts the process.
Also, factor in the respect needed for your own process of growing up. Your body will continue to change and develop shape and bone mass according to how you feed it, rest it, and work it. Your growth stage will not always fulfill your body image ideas, but have faith, it will change and it will be okay.
Fast food will deprive you in so many ways it would take a book to describe it, and many have been written already.
"Fast life", like fast food, will also deprive you of growth and health. While attending to your ambition at ballet school, or in sports training, create simplicity. The aspects of our culture that govern viewpoints on social standing, sexiness, body image, being cool, having the best toys, car, clothes, are not created for your benefit.
So who DO these social pressures benefit? Think about that.
Think about the time you put into it.
It may be a struggle to deal with the whole issue, but in standing a little detached from all those issues for a few minutes every morning, could be a great survival strategy for you. Give to your priorities as much as you can, without neglecting family or other obligations.
This might sound like a crash course in becoming an immediate social outcast, but my experience is that teens that practice some detachment from following the crowd and pursuing reasonable self care often end up being followed themselves. Ironic, life is.
Being independent this way may bring you more support and respect for your ambitions. Again, it may not, but hopefully there are some smart and loving people in your life.
Save your stress for things that matter. Decide what matters. Decide what the best self care is for you, in your ballet training, art training and sports training. Or academic training, any training. The virtue of courageous patience will grow with you, regardless of what you call it.
How to Avoid Overuse of the Achilles Tendon in Sports and Ballet
One of the too-common dance injuries is that of the achilles tendon. Runners and other athletes in sports training also suffer some over use inflammation, and even rupture of the achilles tendon. This tendon depends on muscle strength in the calf and the foot, to retain proper use. Following are some self-care tips that will help you avoid overuse and injury of your achilles tendons, and encourage courageous patience in better rehabilitation.
Tendonitis is all too-prevalent in dance injuries and sports injuries. In fact, when someone says "I have tendonitis" it usually refers to the achilles tendon, without being explained, it is that common. Inflammation, or "itis" can occur in any area of the body.
The achilles tendon comes from the lower end of the calf muscles, and inserts, or is attached, to the heel bone. The calf muscles above, and the intrinsic foot muscles below, are supposed to do all the actual work in moving the foot flexed, or extended (pointed, in ballet).
If the foot can flex and stretch without changing its angle (curving outward, or sickling out in ballet, or curving inward, sickling in or 'pigeon toes'), in most cases the tendon will not get irritated.
This is presuming that when you are standing on an even surface, the foot is not sloping inward, what people think of as "fallen arches", or is not sloping outward toward the little toe edge of the foot.
Runners and other athletes often work on uneven surfaces and depend on both strength and supportive shoes to minimize the variation in foot angle as it strikes the ground or pushes off. Ballet dancers absolutely depend on foot strength to prevent misuse, as they do not generally wear supports in their ballet shoes and pointe shoes. If needed, however, orthotics, or foot levelers, can be worn in dance shoes.
If a dancer or athlete has bowed legs, or hyper-extended legs, there will be an angle created just to have the feet flat on the floor. If this situation is understood, the student can be taught how to avoid inflammation of the achilles tendon through understanding, and correction of, or accurate compensation for, this particular anatomical detail.
Correcting the stance of hyper-extended legs by stacking the skeletal joints (ankles, knees, hips and on up) and holding turnout, will correct the natural pronation (fallen arches) of the feet on the floor. Sometimes this is not even visible to a glance in dancers, due to a strong built-up muscle structure that is deceptive. Even chiropractors and physio therapists have to test dancers' muscles extensively, in order not to miss this observation, until they gain experience with it.
As more and more athletes are studying ballet principles of turnout and footwork to gain an extra advantage in their performance, and prevent sports injuries, hopefully the area of hyper-extension will also be addressed.
Bowed legs require an angle of the foot, for it to be flat on the floor. In ballet, correct use of turnout, developing the intrinsic foot muscles, and always having the body weight placed correctly on the feet (hyper-extension and bowed legs tend to throw the weight back) minimizes the overuse and irritation of the achilles tendon.
Both ballet dancers and athletes need the understanding that poorly developed foot muscles lead to exhausting the calf muscles. This in turn creates tension, loss of muscle tone and strength, and the achilles tendon develops tendonitis.
Once inflammation has set in, rest, and icing must be applied. A courageous patience is needed in recovery, as the pressure to stay in the daily competitive drive for a an upcoming exam, performance or team try-out, must be resisted. You long term persistence in your chosen field depends on avoiding a chronic situation.
Ballet, dance, and sports injuries can be prevented. If you are a pre-pro, a would-be ballerina, a dedicated recreational dancer or athlete, study all you can about how to avoid overuse and injury of your achilles tendon.
Click here and find out how a would-be ballerina and men in ballet get exactly the right fit in ballet shoes and pointe shoes, prevent dance injuries, get The Perfect Pointe Book, The Ballet Bible, and Deborah Vogel's products on injury prevention and functional anatomy.
Tendonitis is all too-prevalent in dance injuries and sports injuries. In fact, when someone says "I have tendonitis" it usually refers to the achilles tendon, without being explained, it is that common. Inflammation, or "itis" can occur in any area of the body.
The achilles tendon comes from the lower end of the calf muscles, and inserts, or is attached, to the heel bone. The calf muscles above, and the intrinsic foot muscles below, are supposed to do all the actual work in moving the foot flexed, or extended (pointed, in ballet).
If the foot can flex and stretch without changing its angle (curving outward, or sickling out in ballet, or curving inward, sickling in or 'pigeon toes'), in most cases the tendon will not get irritated.
This is presuming that when you are standing on an even surface, the foot is not sloping inward, what people think of as "fallen arches", or is not sloping outward toward the little toe edge of the foot.
Runners and other athletes often work on uneven surfaces and depend on both strength and supportive shoes to minimize the variation in foot angle as it strikes the ground or pushes off. Ballet dancers absolutely depend on foot strength to prevent misuse, as they do not generally wear supports in their ballet shoes and pointe shoes. If needed, however, orthotics, or foot levelers, can be worn in dance shoes.
If a dancer or athlete has bowed legs, or hyper-extended legs, there will be an angle created just to have the feet flat on the floor. If this situation is understood, the student can be taught how to avoid inflammation of the achilles tendon through understanding, and correction of, or accurate compensation for, this particular anatomical detail.
Correcting the stance of hyper-extended legs by stacking the skeletal joints (ankles, knees, hips and on up) and holding turnout, will correct the natural pronation (fallen arches) of the feet on the floor. Sometimes this is not even visible to a glance in dancers, due to a strong built-up muscle structure that is deceptive. Even chiropractors and physio therapists have to test dancers' muscles extensively, in order not to miss this observation, until they gain experience with it.
As more and more athletes are studying ballet principles of turnout and footwork to gain an extra advantage in their performance, and prevent sports injuries, hopefully the area of hyper-extension will also be addressed.
Bowed legs require an angle of the foot, for it to be flat on the floor. In ballet, correct use of turnout, developing the intrinsic foot muscles, and always having the body weight placed correctly on the feet (hyper-extension and bowed legs tend to throw the weight back) minimizes the overuse and irritation of the achilles tendon.
Both ballet dancers and athletes need the understanding that poorly developed foot muscles lead to exhausting the calf muscles. This in turn creates tension, loss of muscle tone and strength, and the achilles tendon develops tendonitis.
Once inflammation has set in, rest, and icing must be applied. A courageous patience is needed in recovery, as the pressure to stay in the daily competitive drive for a an upcoming exam, performance or team try-out, must be resisted. You long term persistence in your chosen field depends on avoiding a chronic situation.
Ballet, dance, and sports injuries can be prevented. If you are a pre-pro, a would-be ballerina, a dedicated recreational dancer or athlete, study all you can about how to avoid overuse and injury of your achilles tendon.
Click here and find out how a would-be ballerina and men in ballet get exactly the right fit in ballet shoes and pointe shoes, prevent dance injuries, get The Perfect Pointe Book, The Ballet Bible, and Deborah Vogel's products on injury prevention and functional anatomy.
Understanding Muscle Function and Correct Posture in Ballet
Understanding how one can build strength in ballet class, stretch safely, and get the core muscles correctly applying classical ballet technique, enhances the amazing potential you have to enjoy and effect health and weight loss or gain. Every ballerina and the leading men in ballet have done the same things you can do in ballet, to progress as far as your physique and dedication will allow. Ballet is a full body workout, but some aspects of technique are commonly not presented with clarity as to what the anatomical factors are.
Easy learning is possible if you have a little extra time. Without having to study like a kinesiologist, you can learn what a muscle is and how to get the best use out of it. Correct skeletal placement and flexibility are needed to develop the core muscles that lead to the elegance of a ballerina and the precise professional footwork of a male virtuoso.
Muscles have certain behaviors. They can stretch long, like an elastic. With repetition and patience, the muscle will shrink back a little less. On the subject of stretching, it's good to be warmed up because collagen, in your connective tissues, becomes more fluid when you are warmed up and allows more movement in your body.
Stretching a muscle requires knowing the correct position to stretch it in.
For instance, stretching the hamstrings, the long muscles running from the sits bones to below your knee, requires that you stand correctly with one leg in second on the barre, the kitchen counter, or whatever you've got as a support. Or, you can sit on the floor in your widest comfortable second position, with your pelvis in neutral, as though you were standing.
If standing, your posture must be as correct as possible. Spine neutral and elongated by the lengthening support of the abdominal and spinal muscles, turnout held in the deep rotators, and the gluteals or butt muscles not over-supporting, allowing your hip bone and pelvis of the working side to relax down. This way you will do a side bend towards your working leg, or a demi plie remaining straight in the spine, and if you maintain your placement, the hamstring will begin to stretch like a piece of elastic.
That's just one example, you could be in a devant position, or an arabesque position. Once you reach your maximum stretch, before you get to a point of pain, you can hold that stretch for up to 90 seconds. During that time, you'll feel the muscle (and other muscles that are also getting a stretch), let go a little, and a little more, and then relax into the stretch fully. Every dancer has a different point in the stretch time where they will feel it's time to return to the initial position. At some point, the muscle will start pulling back, and that's the time to stop.
Bouncing doesn't help, although after your first stretch is over, you don't have to return to your initial position. You can release out of the stretch and go into it again. It requires some almost meditational attention to sense when you're doing too much, as opposed to pushing to the sharp pain signal that you get from being too demanding of your muscles.
Sore muscles come from tiny tears in the muscle fibers. A hot soak followed by icing, good nutrition and sufficient water intake helps your body recover and maintain a muscle that responds quickly to your brain, and has the strength to do what you want it to do.
Muscle spasms must be attended to with massage or use of a rubber ball, to work them out. Lactic acids remaining in the muscles create chemical damage. Massage and ice stimulate the circulation needed to carry away the lactic acid and other waste products in the muscles tissue.
So - in relation to the correct use and build up of strength in the core muscles, you must have correct placement. If you don't have correct placement, you stretch until you do. Then you are in the ballet positions required to work anatomically correctly. It is a process, longer for late starters in ballet, but still with potential.
Ballet and the people who do it are amazing. Whether you are a ballerina, a late starter, or a pre-professional, understanding something as simple as a muscle, and how to take care of it gets you the most out of your full body ballet workout. For a career builder, to lose weight, gain muscle or "just" to dance, keep being amazing!
Click here and find out how a would-be ballerina and men in ballet get exactly the right fit in ballet shoes and pointe shoes, prevent dance injuries, get The Perfect Pointe Book, The Ballet Bible, and Deborah Vogel's products on injury prevention and functional anatomy.
Easy learning is possible if you have a little extra time. Without having to study like a kinesiologist, you can learn what a muscle is and how to get the best use out of it. Correct skeletal placement and flexibility are needed to develop the core muscles that lead to the elegance of a ballerina and the precise professional footwork of a male virtuoso.
Muscles have certain behaviors. They can stretch long, like an elastic. With repetition and patience, the muscle will shrink back a little less. On the subject of stretching, it's good to be warmed up because collagen, in your connective tissues, becomes more fluid when you are warmed up and allows more movement in your body.
Stretching a muscle requires knowing the correct position to stretch it in.
For instance, stretching the hamstrings, the long muscles running from the sits bones to below your knee, requires that you stand correctly with one leg in second on the barre, the kitchen counter, or whatever you've got as a support. Or, you can sit on the floor in your widest comfortable second position, with your pelvis in neutral, as though you were standing.
If standing, your posture must be as correct as possible. Spine neutral and elongated by the lengthening support of the abdominal and spinal muscles, turnout held in the deep rotators, and the gluteals or butt muscles not over-supporting, allowing your hip bone and pelvis of the working side to relax down. This way you will do a side bend towards your working leg, or a demi plie remaining straight in the spine, and if you maintain your placement, the hamstring will begin to stretch like a piece of elastic.
That's just one example, you could be in a devant position, or an arabesque position. Once you reach your maximum stretch, before you get to a point of pain, you can hold that stretch for up to 90 seconds. During that time, you'll feel the muscle (and other muscles that are also getting a stretch), let go a little, and a little more, and then relax into the stretch fully. Every dancer has a different point in the stretch time where they will feel it's time to return to the initial position. At some point, the muscle will start pulling back, and that's the time to stop.
Bouncing doesn't help, although after your first stretch is over, you don't have to return to your initial position. You can release out of the stretch and go into it again. It requires some almost meditational attention to sense when you're doing too much, as opposed to pushing to the sharp pain signal that you get from being too demanding of your muscles.
Sore muscles come from tiny tears in the muscle fibers. A hot soak followed by icing, good nutrition and sufficient water intake helps your body recover and maintain a muscle that responds quickly to your brain, and has the strength to do what you want it to do.
Muscle spasms must be attended to with massage or use of a rubber ball, to work them out. Lactic acids remaining in the muscles create chemical damage. Massage and ice stimulate the circulation needed to carry away the lactic acid and other waste products in the muscles tissue.
So - in relation to the correct use and build up of strength in the core muscles, you must have correct placement. If you don't have correct placement, you stretch until you do. Then you are in the ballet positions required to work anatomically correctly. It is a process, longer for late starters in ballet, but still with potential.
Ballet and the people who do it are amazing. Whether you are a ballerina, a late starter, or a pre-professional, understanding something as simple as a muscle, and how to take care of it gets you the most out of your full body ballet workout. For a career builder, to lose weight, gain muscle or "just" to dance, keep being amazing!
Click here and find out how a would-be ballerina and men in ballet get exactly the right fit in ballet shoes and pointe shoes, prevent dance injuries, get The Perfect Pointe Book, The Ballet Bible, and Deborah Vogel's products on injury prevention and functional anatomy.
Free Ballet Classes for Boys 7 and Up
Ballet San Jose SCHOOL
If you aspire to be one of the men in ballet, here's some news:
from the San Jose Ballet July newsletter:
"Free Ballet Classes for Boys 7 and Up
Ballet San Jose SCHOOL is trying something new this summer...FREE CLASSES FOR BOYS.
A free series of four ballet classes for boys, age 7 years old and up will be offered July 12 through August 2. No previous dance experience is necessary. For boys who have always wanted to give dancing a try...this is the opportunity. All classes will be held in the Ballet San Jose studios located at 40 North First Street in downtown San Jose.
Ballet San Jose School Ballet Master, Peter Brandenhoff, will teach the boys Class. Mr. Brandenhoff studied at Royal Danish Ballet before embarking on an illustrious international dancing career. You can read more about Mr. Brandenhoff here. Boys Class will take place on Saturdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., July 12 - August 2. Because this class is free, Ballet San Jose School asks that students make the commitment to attend all four classes - this is not an open "drop in" class.
The required dress code is a plain white t-shirt (not too long, or baggy - must fit well), black shorts, white socks, and black or white ballet shoes. The school has black ballet shoes in some sizes available for purchase. Shoes can also be purchased at Bay Area dance supply stores including Victoria's Dance and Theatrical Supply in San Jose, or Dance Attire in Mountain View.
For additional information, or to register for Boys Class, contact Kristin Bertrand, School Administrative Director, Ballet San Jose School at (408) 288-2820 x 218". E-mail:kbertrand@balletsanjose.org".
from the San Jose Ballet July newsletter:
"Free Ballet Classes for Boys 7 and Up
Ballet San Jose SCHOOL is trying something new this summer...FREE CLASSES FOR BOYS.
A free series of four ballet classes for boys, age 7 years old and up will be offered July 12 through August 2. No previous dance experience is necessary. For boys who have always wanted to give dancing a try...this is the opportunity. All classes will be held in the Ballet San Jose studios located at 40 North First Street in downtown San Jose.
Ballet San Jose School Ballet Master, Peter Brandenhoff, will teach the boys Class. Mr. Brandenhoff studied at Royal Danish Ballet before embarking on an illustrious international dancing career. You can read more about Mr. Brandenhoff here. Boys Class will take place on Saturdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., July 12 - August 2. Because this class is free, Ballet San Jose School asks that students make the commitment to attend all four classes - this is not an open "drop in" class.
The required dress code is a plain white t-shirt (not too long, or baggy - must fit well), black shorts, white socks, and black or white ballet shoes. The school has black ballet shoes in some sizes available for purchase. Shoes can also be purchased at Bay Area dance supply stores including Victoria's Dance and Theatrical Supply in San Jose, or Dance Attire in Mountain View.
For additional information, or to register for Boys Class, contact Kristin Bertrand, School Administrative Director, Ballet San Jose School at (408) 288-2820 x 218". E-mail:kbertrand@balletsanjose.org".
How to Maintain Emotional Intelligence and Positive Thinking in the Ballet World
Author Deborah Vogel has written many books for the student ballet dancer. Most of them have to do with anatomy, and solving the conflicts between ballet's anatomical farfetchedness and the capabilities of the human body."Train Your Brain: A Teen's Guide To Well Being" goes beyond tissue and bone into the wondrous creative realm every student experiences, and sometimes loses direction in. Deborah sets forth with help for you, the would-be ballerina or male ballet dancer, to gain more understanding and control over the demanding world you live in.
Any student of music, writing, and performing of any kind, needs to know some survival techniques to maintain emotional intelligence, and stick with positive thinking. Every new class, with new exams, and fierce competitions, can instigate implosions of self-doubts. How do you take command of your mental and emotional space before that important event? Or so you can sleep well every night?
Deborah designed this book so that teens and pre-teens could discover that there is a way to begin a dialogue about self-sabotaging beliefs and thoughts that so influence their patterns of behavior and success. This 48 page book introduces eight teens with common problems and challenges such as how to take charge of your feelings and how to perform like a pro in the dance studio or anywhere and everywhere. You will learn techniques such as Mental Rehearsing, Creating a Feeling, Refocusing and a very powerful Acting as If. These fun (but seriously amazing) activities will help to train your brain - whether a teen or an adult late starter in ballet - towards success.
As a ballet teacher, I've always recommended to students to look outside the dance classes for ways to help manage their frustrations, fears and struggles with the competitive and perfectionist aspects of the performing arts. I think that private and independent study is best for people - contemplation with direction, and applying uplifting creative techniques to maintain a positive perspective, in one's own way.
That in itself is the challenge - finding one's own way. "Train Your Brain: A Teen's Guide To Well Being" is a wonderful first step on that path.
Go here to see this and all of Deborah Vogel's "Dancing Smart" books and DVDs.
Men In Ballet - How To Get The Most Out Of Your Foot's Demi Pointe - And Then Your Pointe Shoes
If you are among the men in ballet, you may choose to try some work in pointe shoes.
I am going to cover a few of the finer details in strengthening, stretching, and maintaining your foot mechanics, and health. You want to get the most out of the joints and muscles that you have in your foot for your demi pointe.
I'm not referring to demi-pointe shoes in the title above, but your own demi pointe, your foot.
Whether male or female, I recommend that you view some drawing or x-ray of an ankle joint, and the foot bones. It is good to know what is under your skin.
If your ankle joint is flexible enough for you to point a straight line, or more, you can probably get up onto demi pointe so that your toes are a ninety degree angle to your instep.
If you do not have this ninety degree angle, first you can work on the big toe joint. There is a muscle going under the big toe that can be gently massaged and stretched. Just working this joint can get you a gain on the angle you need to be fully on demi pointe, and therefore able to complete the postural plumb line of the body. That means getting the metatarsal joints under your ankle joint, regardless of how the arch in between shows up curve-wise.
To maximize the ankle joint flexibility, consider the tension that builds up in the tibial, or shin muscles, practicing ballet, that could detract from your ankle joint flexibility. This tension can be released, daily, with the help of a soft rubber ball. Kneel, then sit back on your feet, making sure there is no inward sickle. Roll the rubber ball just below the knee joint, into the top of the shin muscle. Lean on it, easing down the leg. Press into the tender spots until you feel some tension release. Don't lean too heavily on it, it is just to get a release of the tension.
Get all the way down to the ankle joint. You have now resolved some of the work-related tension and can do a stretch for the top of the ankle/foot area. Place the ball under the foot above the metatarsal joints (and you can do more than one spot here), between the big toe and second toe, and you'll feel a wonderful stretch. You can move the ball a little more in between the second and third metatarsal area, only if it does not cause the foot to sickle. And stretch again, gently holding the stretch for 10 seconds at first. You can increase the hold time, but not to the point of pain.
Then start on the other leg. I have Deborah Vogel to thank for that rubber ball use and foot stretch.
Using a rubber ball or a golf ball on the sole of the foot releases tension in those muscles. Roll it and push gently. You don't want to exert too much pressure on the foot joints, just feel for tension release. Do this daily, or after every class.
Soaking your feet in warm water and Epsom Salts or mineral salt (sea salt) and then icing tired and aching foot muscles is a treatment your feet deserve.
Especially if you plan to dance classical ballet in pointe shoes, attend to these few daily routines. They are not pampering, but needed care for all women and men in ballet.
Click here for a resource on ballet wear, pointe shoes, ballet technique articles and The Perfect Pointe Book.
I'm not referring to demi-pointe shoes in the title above, but your own demi pointe, your foot.
Whether male or female, I recommend that you view some drawing or x-ray of an ankle joint, and the foot bones. It is good to know what is under your skin.
If your ankle joint is flexible enough for you to point a straight line, or more, you can probably get up onto demi pointe so that your toes are a ninety degree angle to your instep.
If you do not have this ninety degree angle, first you can work on the big toe joint. There is a muscle going under the big toe that can be gently massaged and stretched. Just working this joint can get you a gain on the angle you need to be fully on demi pointe, and therefore able to complete the postural plumb line of the body. That means getting the metatarsal joints under your ankle joint, regardless of how the arch in between shows up curve-wise.
To maximize the ankle joint flexibility, consider the tension that builds up in the tibial, or shin muscles, practicing ballet, that could detract from your ankle joint flexibility. This tension can be released, daily, with the help of a soft rubber ball. Kneel, then sit back on your feet, making sure there is no inward sickle. Roll the rubber ball just below the knee joint, into the top of the shin muscle. Lean on it, easing down the leg. Press into the tender spots until you feel some tension release. Don't lean too heavily on it, it is just to get a release of the tension.
Get all the way down to the ankle joint. You have now resolved some of the work-related tension and can do a stretch for the top of the ankle/foot area. Place the ball under the foot above the metatarsal joints (and you can do more than one spot here), between the big toe and second toe, and you'll feel a wonderful stretch. You can move the ball a little more in between the second and third metatarsal area, only if it does not cause the foot to sickle. And stretch again, gently holding the stretch for 10 seconds at first. You can increase the hold time, but not to the point of pain.
Then start on the other leg. I have Deborah Vogel to thank for that rubber ball use and foot stretch.
Using a rubber ball or a golf ball on the sole of the foot releases tension in those muscles. Roll it and push gently. You don't want to exert too much pressure on the foot joints, just feel for tension release. Do this daily, or after every class.
Soaking your feet in warm water and Epsom Salts or mineral salt (sea salt) and then icing tired and aching foot muscles is a treatment your feet deserve.
Especially if you plan to dance classical ballet in pointe shoes, attend to these few daily routines. They are not pampering, but needed care for all women and men in ballet.
Click here for a resource on ballet wear, pointe shoes, ballet technique articles and The Perfect Pointe Book.
How to Avoid Developing Chronic Joint Pain
It is vital to understand the role of inflammation in the body, for anyone, but especially would-be ballerinas, men in ballet, and athletes. Whether you are looking for a career builder or just enjoy the challenge of training, it is important to know how to maintain the soft tissues of the body that get worn out on practically a daily basis. To prevent ballet and sports injuries, good training and good work habits are required. For better rehabilitation, once an injury occurs, adding omega 3 oils to your nutrition is a tremendous help to diminish the natural inflammation response.
Inflammation occurs naturally as a response to injury or immune attack. It is temporary, and we recover. In a healthy body, damaged tissues are removed and replaced with new tissue.
In a body that has a low grade chronic inflammation, in the blood and soft tissues, better recovery may not be as speedy, and may never be complete. Joint injuries are supposed to give you trouble for the rest of your life, although maybe not until you are older, then you are to expect arthritis in a damaged joint, if not in every joint. Why is this?
What causes chronic inflammation in your body? Why would a young vibrant person in a developed country who has access to good food, good water, vitamin and mineral supplements have a low grade (or not so low) chronic inflammatory condition?
Sugar is one issue. And artificial sweeteners. Don't eat them. Sorry.
Bonnie C. Minsky has an excellent article with more detail about this.
Andrew Weil, holistic health M.D., Nicholas Perricone, M.D., an anti-aging expert, Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D, an allergy nutritionist, all write about inflammation as a major cause of disease. But you can avoid it.
Think a moment about all the good stuff you eat - lean beef, chicken, cold water fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines. Salads, vegetables - are you not doing everything right? How could you not rehabilitate quickly and completely from a minor dance or sports injury? You are eating all the right stuff! You are working out in pointe shoes or shooting baskets daily. Why would you not recover one hundred per cent?
Here's the reality. We eat beef and poultry and eggs from the poultry, that are grain fed. That means that the fats from those foods are predominantly omega 6 fatty acids. They are not bad fats. However, omega 6 oils in the body support pro-inflammatory pathways. They promote inflammation.
But grass fed beef and poultry do not fill us with so much omega 6 fats. And as lean as you want to eat, for weight loss, or weight maintenance, some daily animal fat is crucial for your health. Eat the grass fed as much as you can.
More bad news - fast foods and processed foods contain omega 6 oils. So much for that convenience.
More bad news - you cannot eat too much cold water fish because of the pollutants in them, mainly mercury. But the good news is, you can now get ultra purified or pharmaceutical grade, fish oils as a nutritional supplement.
You can also decrease your ingestion of omega 6 fats by avoiding all the bottled salad dressings and most bottled vegetable oils that you find at the grocery store. Except for olive oil, avocado oil, walnut oil and flaxseed oil, (and I'm only including here the more typically available oils, there are more), vegetable oils too are omega 6 oils and will promote inflammation in your body.
This sounds pretty hopeless, but here is the good news. Omega 3 oils are anti-inflammatory and are also readily available. If you are willing to make a small lifestyle change, or get your mother/child/wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/cook, or whoever does the shopping and food prep at home to do so (they will thank you big time), you can switch to omega 3 oils,
If your current training is a career building plan, this information is crucial. If you are training for personal enjoyment, it is important for health too. Being athletic doesn't make arthritis a given in your future. Joint pain can be relieved by decreasing inflammation. Inflammation can be decreased by diet. It is really pretty simple.
I hope that if you are a young ballerina, among the men in ballet, or a young athlete, that you will have your parents read this article. I can only touch the tip of the iceberg here, in the topic of omega 3 oils and their anti-inflammatory properties. But the facts seem to indicate that balancing omega 6 fatty acids in your diet with omega 3 oils, would affect your family health for the better. Dance and sports injuries may be in their past or present too.
Bonnie C. Minsky's article is at http://www.consciouschoice.com/2004/cc1706/healthconscious1706.html.
For an excellent source of omega 3 ultra purified fish oils, click here.
Inflammation occurs naturally as a response to injury or immune attack. It is temporary, and we recover. In a healthy body, damaged tissues are removed and replaced with new tissue.
In a body that has a low grade chronic inflammation, in the blood and soft tissues, better recovery may not be as speedy, and may never be complete. Joint injuries are supposed to give you trouble for the rest of your life, although maybe not until you are older, then you are to expect arthritis in a damaged joint, if not in every joint. Why is this?
What causes chronic inflammation in your body? Why would a young vibrant person in a developed country who has access to good food, good water, vitamin and mineral supplements have a low grade (or not so low) chronic inflammatory condition?
Sugar is one issue. And artificial sweeteners. Don't eat them. Sorry.
Bonnie C. Minsky has an excellent article with more detail about this.
Andrew Weil, holistic health M.D., Nicholas Perricone, M.D., an anti-aging expert, Jeffrey Bland, Ph.D, an allergy nutritionist, all write about inflammation as a major cause of disease. But you can avoid it.
Think a moment about all the good stuff you eat - lean beef, chicken, cold water fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines. Salads, vegetables - are you not doing everything right? How could you not rehabilitate quickly and completely from a minor dance or sports injury? You are eating all the right stuff! You are working out in pointe shoes or shooting baskets daily. Why would you not recover one hundred per cent?
Here's the reality. We eat beef and poultry and eggs from the poultry, that are grain fed. That means that the fats from those foods are predominantly omega 6 fatty acids. They are not bad fats. However, omega 6 oils in the body support pro-inflammatory pathways. They promote inflammation.
But grass fed beef and poultry do not fill us with so much omega 6 fats. And as lean as you want to eat, for weight loss, or weight maintenance, some daily animal fat is crucial for your health. Eat the grass fed as much as you can.
More bad news - fast foods and processed foods contain omega 6 oils. So much for that convenience.
More bad news - you cannot eat too much cold water fish because of the pollutants in them, mainly mercury. But the good news is, you can now get ultra purified or pharmaceutical grade, fish oils as a nutritional supplement.
You can also decrease your ingestion of omega 6 fats by avoiding all the bottled salad dressings and most bottled vegetable oils that you find at the grocery store. Except for olive oil, avocado oil, walnut oil and flaxseed oil, (and I'm only including here the more typically available oils, there are more), vegetable oils too are omega 6 oils and will promote inflammation in your body.
This sounds pretty hopeless, but here is the good news. Omega 3 oils are anti-inflammatory and are also readily available. If you are willing to make a small lifestyle change, or get your mother/child/wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/cook, or whoever does the shopping and food prep at home to do so (they will thank you big time), you can switch to omega 3 oils,
If your current training is a career building plan, this information is crucial. If you are training for personal enjoyment, it is important for health too. Being athletic doesn't make arthritis a given in your future. Joint pain can be relieved by decreasing inflammation. Inflammation can be decreased by diet. It is really pretty simple.
I hope that if you are a young ballerina, among the men in ballet, or a young athlete, that you will have your parents read this article. I can only touch the tip of the iceberg here, in the topic of omega 3 oils and their anti-inflammatory properties. But the facts seem to indicate that balancing omega 6 fatty acids in your diet with omega 3 oils, would affect your family health for the better. Dance and sports injuries may be in their past or present too.
Bonnie C. Minsky's article is at http://www.consciouschoice.com/2004/cc1706/healthconscious1706.html.
For an excellent source of omega 3 ultra purified fish oils, click here.
Does Recreational Ballet Dancing Exclude Dedication in Dance?
Recreational dancing and recreational ballet dancing come up in the top ten of many national sports and recreational lists.
World wide, people love to dance. There is intense dedication in dance with students, including adult ballet students, that adds quality to their lives, and quality to our cultures in general.
Ballet training is a kind of boot camp. Especially a summer or other holiday intensive. There is no complaining about heavy schedules, schedule conflicts, demanding teachers, sore toes or aching legs. Everyone is jubilant to be there.
No one has to explain to another dancer why they are there, why they love dance. Everyone else understands the blood, sweat and tears of it. The agony and the ecstasy...shall I go on? The good, the bad and the....nitty gritty.
I spent many years in ballet schools where the chosen very few got picked to be trained. In fact, as time progressed, the ballet staffs I worked with knew less and less about how to train all but the very few, because it was no longer required of them.
Gradually evolution swung back again in favor of the recreational ballet dancer, and as schools grew, non-professional courses were accommodated better than before. And the fact that there are now so many full-time teachers' courses, that shows the cultural appreciation for well-taught classical ballet and other dance styles.
Many adult late starters choose ballet for fitness classes. They get a full-body workout, a kind of pace, or interval training, and stretching. Along with all of that, women and men in ballet get to experience their own capacity for artistry and elegance.
Dedication in dance shows up in all of these individuals who make the base of dance in our cultures. After all, who is putting out $150+ for the tickets every season? While I occasionally read a snarky comment on the fans' forums, the general attitude toward the favorite ballerinas and premiers danseurs is more like worship.
I went to a local dance recital and saw the most amazing accomplishments on stage, by students who would have been considered totally unteachable in a more elite school. Which proves the point I've always made - if you don't tell someone they cannot do something, they will, in their ignorance, go ahead and learn how to do it.
It takes special teachers to draw the talent and finer details of artistry out of a highly strung, perfectionist, self-doubting top-talent professional student.
It also takes special teachers who will get a whole school of lesser or "ugly-duckling" ballet students, motley crews of physiques and late starter men in ballet, to perform excerpts from the classical ballets in their recitals with considerable polish.
If you love ballet or dancing in general, how to dance ballet your best is what matters. If you study recreational ballet dancing, your dedication in dance is your dedication to yourself, and the inner world where you dance. Thanks for letting us catch a glimpse of it.
Prepare for pointe work safely and correctly. Get The Perfect Pointe Book.
Ballet training is a kind of boot camp. Especially a summer or other holiday intensive. There is no complaining about heavy schedules, schedule conflicts, demanding teachers, sore toes or aching legs. Everyone is jubilant to be there.
No one has to explain to another dancer why they are there, why they love dance. Everyone else understands the blood, sweat and tears of it. The agony and the ecstasy...shall I go on? The good, the bad and the....nitty gritty.
I spent many years in ballet schools where the chosen very few got picked to be trained. In fact, as time progressed, the ballet staffs I worked with knew less and less about how to train all but the very few, because it was no longer required of them.
Gradually evolution swung back again in favor of the recreational ballet dancer, and as schools grew, non-professional courses were accommodated better than before. And the fact that there are now so many full-time teachers' courses, that shows the cultural appreciation for well-taught classical ballet and other dance styles.
Many adult late starters choose ballet for fitness classes. They get a full-body workout, a kind of pace, or interval training, and stretching. Along with all of that, women and men in ballet get to experience their own capacity for artistry and elegance.
Dedication in dance shows up in all of these individuals who make the base of dance in our cultures. After all, who is putting out $150+ for the tickets every season? While I occasionally read a snarky comment on the fans' forums, the general attitude toward the favorite ballerinas and premiers danseurs is more like worship.
I went to a local dance recital and saw the most amazing accomplishments on stage, by students who would have been considered totally unteachable in a more elite school. Which proves the point I've always made - if you don't tell someone they cannot do something, they will, in their ignorance, go ahead and learn how to do it.
It takes special teachers to draw the talent and finer details of artistry out of a highly strung, perfectionist, self-doubting top-talent professional student.
It also takes special teachers who will get a whole school of lesser or "ugly-duckling" ballet students, motley crews of physiques and late starter men in ballet, to perform excerpts from the classical ballets in their recitals with considerable polish.
If you love ballet or dancing in general, how to dance ballet your best is what matters. If you study recreational ballet dancing, your dedication in dance is your dedication to yourself, and the inner world where you dance. Thanks for letting us catch a glimpse of it.
Prepare for pointe work safely and correctly. Get The Perfect Pointe Book.
How to Define Talent Vs Knowing Your Talent
There is a great deal of argument on how to define talent. When investigated, the topic is more discussed amongst management (whether artistic or business) than among artists.
For an artist, the thoughts on this topic are very personal. Between awareness of their gift, and awareness of functioning in a huge arena of gifted colleagues, the challenge for you, the artist is one of knowing yourself and knowing your talent.
I believe that humans all have a part of themselves that is "In reserve". It is a part of us that not everybody sees right upfront, and often we don't either. But as life demands unexpected things of us, "more of us" shows up to meet the demands. Part of this is growing up and learning, but part of it is our own unique energy, or personal power, that comes forth to deal with life in a new and creative way.
I think that for some reason artists know about this part of themselves more than other people. Usually as a small child, an artist starts to either drift in a certain direction, or KNOWS exactly what they want to do, and won't do much else. Adults can be quite impressed - or distressed! - when a child is focused this way.
You, a dancer, you have a special challenge. A dancer must learn all the corps de ballet roles and blend into the style of the company she or he is in. And at the same time, the dancer must be able to show that she/he is somehow "more" unique than the other dancers in the corps. How is that supposed to be revealed?
Usually the talent shows up when a child is selected for training. Being physically gifted helps, but teachers and choreographers spot talent because some students you just can't help but watch. There is a magnetism present.
Many teachers instruct students to project out to the audience - what does that mean? I would say to a student performer, just completely do what you are doing - if you are dancing Giselle, it is your whole world while you are doing it. In other words, you are not a dancer in front of an audience, you are totally Giselle, where she is. You are completely young, naive, and defenseless with this sophisticated prince, and you can't hide it. You create this anew, every time, and the audience is enthralled.
If you are dancing an abstract part - say like the corps de ballet in Balanchine's Serenade - you can dance the steps like everyone else - but you can also give yourself a story - who are these ladies dancing behind the leads and why are you with them? You are physically not going to do anything different, but what you are thinking and being while you are there, your intensity and focus on that, is magnetic.
Everyday when you go into class, you work as hard as you can, and the teacher sees a student working hard. But, just as an example, if you are thinking as you work "Giselle, Swan Queen, Coppelia", or "Siegfried, Romeo" (etc. etc.) "all are inside of me just waiting to get out!" - the teacher is looking at something else besides you - but she/he doesn't know what it is, it's that "extra" thing. You are building up an energy and an intention, and one day the situation will be able to accommodate it. Ambition may be present, but this is something else.
This may sounds like it's confidence I'm describing, but I'm not. If confidence is present, it's still more than that. (and many gifted students lack confidence). It's an energy in you that you almost have to restrain, until you get into one of those big roles. The audience, and an experienced director knows exactly what they're looking at when they see it.
If you are not physically capable of becoming technically adept to do the roles that your talent, or gift, can accommodate, you should go into a field of performance where you do not need that technique. Why waste yourself?
I trained with two students who each had an almost perfect body for ballet. Flexible, long legs, nice arches and all that. One was spotted as a prima ballerina when she was 12, it was so obvious. The other was capable, and became a soloist after a few years, but didn't really shine. She was well trained and could do everything, but - not special. A few years before she retired she decided to take acting lessons. After that she came out on stage and everything disappeared but her, when she danced her solo. She just stole the scene, so to speak. Something "got out" that she had not been able to release before. I don't know how she would describe it, but that's what I saw. I thought then, that if she had been able to do that as a child, she would have become a principal dancer before she retired. She learned how to "be more" and let the audience in on it. It's something that an audience feels. "She was just electric". "He is mystical".
The more you feel, the more the audience feels. If you feel SO MUCH that you restrain it, the audience feels that too. And they love it. Because they know about the "reserve", they have it too. And they have to restrain it sometimes too. But they experience its expression through you, the dancer. That's the reason someone will pay $200 a seat for the ballet. You allow them to experience themselves. Even in a non-dramatic role. Because we are all "more" but someone working in a non-creative field can't express it, or thinks he/she can't.
Of course there are those who are uniquely creative in a perceived non-creative line of business. They are known as "the talents", or "the giants".
If you stop for a few seconds before every class and just think about this, it is going to start becoming more visible. You don't have to push it. "She's just got this thing about her". Isn't that what people say? "He's got IT". There is no word for it, so we call it talent.
People who don't have that much ability or opportunity, love the arts and will do something on an amateur level their whole life. They are expressing themselves, though they may make their living doing something else.
How to define talent will continue as an ongoing discussion with those who have a requirement to describe it and measure it and link it to artists' prosperity (and their own). But knowing yourself and knowing your own talent is your private sphere.
Click here for more on the performing arts, men in ballet, ballet shoes and pointe shoes, and ballet wear.
I believe that humans all have a part of themselves that is "In reserve". It is a part of us that not everybody sees right upfront, and often we don't either. But as life demands unexpected things of us, "more of us" shows up to meet the demands. Part of this is growing up and learning, but part of it is our own unique energy, or personal power, that comes forth to deal with life in a new and creative way.
I think that for some reason artists know about this part of themselves more than other people. Usually as a small child, an artist starts to either drift in a certain direction, or KNOWS exactly what they want to do, and won't do much else. Adults can be quite impressed - or distressed! - when a child is focused this way.
You, a dancer, you have a special challenge. A dancer must learn all the corps de ballet roles and blend into the style of the company she or he is in. And at the same time, the dancer must be able to show that she/he is somehow "more" unique than the other dancers in the corps. How is that supposed to be revealed?
Usually the talent shows up when a child is selected for training. Being physically gifted helps, but teachers and choreographers spot talent because some students you just can't help but watch. There is a magnetism present.
Many teachers instruct students to project out to the audience - what does that mean? I would say to a student performer, just completely do what you are doing - if you are dancing Giselle, it is your whole world while you are doing it. In other words, you are not a dancer in front of an audience, you are totally Giselle, where she is. You are completely young, naive, and defenseless with this sophisticated prince, and you can't hide it. You create this anew, every time, and the audience is enthralled.
If you are dancing an abstract part - say like the corps de ballet in Balanchine's Serenade - you can dance the steps like everyone else - but you can also give yourself a story - who are these ladies dancing behind the leads and why are you with them? You are physically not going to do anything different, but what you are thinking and being while you are there, your intensity and focus on that, is magnetic.
Everyday when you go into class, you work as hard as you can, and the teacher sees a student working hard. But, just as an example, if you are thinking as you work "Giselle, Swan Queen, Coppelia", or "Siegfried, Romeo" (etc. etc.) "all are inside of me just waiting to get out!" - the teacher is looking at something else besides you - but she/he doesn't know what it is, it's that "extra" thing. You are building up an energy and an intention, and one day the situation will be able to accommodate it. Ambition may be present, but this is something else.
This may sounds like it's confidence I'm describing, but I'm not. If confidence is present, it's still more than that. (and many gifted students lack confidence). It's an energy in you that you almost have to restrain, until you get into one of those big roles. The audience, and an experienced director knows exactly what they're looking at when they see it.
If you are not physically capable of becoming technically adept to do the roles that your talent, or gift, can accommodate, you should go into a field of performance where you do not need that technique. Why waste yourself?
I trained with two students who each had an almost perfect body for ballet. Flexible, long legs, nice arches and all that. One was spotted as a prima ballerina when she was 12, it was so obvious. The other was capable, and became a soloist after a few years, but didn't really shine. She was well trained and could do everything, but - not special. A few years before she retired she decided to take acting lessons. After that she came out on stage and everything disappeared but her, when she danced her solo. She just stole the scene, so to speak. Something "got out" that she had not been able to release before. I don't know how she would describe it, but that's what I saw. I thought then, that if she had been able to do that as a child, she would have become a principal dancer before she retired. She learned how to "be more" and let the audience in on it. It's something that an audience feels. "She was just electric". "He is mystical".
The more you feel, the more the audience feels. If you feel SO MUCH that you restrain it, the audience feels that too. And they love it. Because they know about the "reserve", they have it too. And they have to restrain it sometimes too. But they experience its expression through you, the dancer. That's the reason someone will pay $200 a seat for the ballet. You allow them to experience themselves. Even in a non-dramatic role. Because we are all "more" but someone working in a non-creative field can't express it, or thinks he/she can't.
Of course there are those who are uniquely creative in a perceived non-creative line of business. They are known as "the talents", or "the giants".
If you stop for a few seconds before every class and just think about this, it is going to start becoming more visible. You don't have to push it. "She's just got this thing about her". Isn't that what people say? "He's got IT". There is no word for it, so we call it talent.
People who don't have that much ability or opportunity, love the arts and will do something on an amateur level their whole life. They are expressing themselves, though they may make their living doing something else.
How to define talent will continue as an ongoing discussion with those who have a requirement to describe it and measure it and link it to artists' prosperity (and their own). But knowing yourself and knowing your own talent is your private sphere.
Click here for more on the performing arts, men in ballet, ballet shoes and pointe shoes, and ballet wear.
Elegance in Ballet Depends on How You Build Strength in Core Muscles
Making classical ballet dancing look effortless is the goal of ballet dancers, including for men in ballet. Men in ballet must strive for elegance while showing muscle as a rescuing prince, or villainous charisma.
A ballerinas strives for fluidity in her arms, upper back, and other movements requiring suppleness, yet depends on the strength of her core muscles.
Naturally, for both men and women in ballet, elegance also depends on the finesse and finer details of professional footwork and strong leg muscles. The whole body works as a coordinated unit, and this coordination depends more on the core muscles than any other area of muscle.
As a student is developing and learning the ballet body positions and the many port de bras (French words for arm movements) he or she must also have core muscles that can support the elegant and floating movements required, just like a tree trunk supports a tree when it sways in the wind. Or a swan's long neck is supported by its sturdy body weight. (perhaps that is a better metaphor!)
Classical ballet dancers easily have the abs of steel, buns of steel and all those things. But they don't want to look like it!
Daily routines in ballet training usually produce what is required to do classical ballet choreography. But unusual body proportions, starting training later, and other factors lead dancers to cross train to catch up, get ahead or get an edge on the competition. And, always, prevent dance injuries.
There are several Pilates gurus promoting their DVD courses so that anyone can work at home. Mat work courses, stretchy band work courses, and even Pilates machine courses are available, with small light weight home-version machines.
So if you are too busy to get to a Pilates studio, that is no problem. Pilates is a wonderful type of cross training for ballet dancers, as it produces the balletic elongation of muscle and builds strength. It also contributes to the fluid quality of movement that dancers strive for.
Slow motion weight training can help dancers too. The slow motion speed is to trigger the best use of the muscles, and also prevent injury. No sudden or jerky movement is done, and this protects the joints and soft tissues around the joints. Slow motion weight training has also shown to contribute to a healthy metabolism and the release of enzymes into the body that is rejuvenating in many ways. It is a detailed and fascinating subject unto itself.
Whatever stage of classical ballet training you are in, or aspire to, you can achieve elegance in your ballet dancing. How well you build strength in your core muscles will also affect your work in pointe shoes, and for the men in ballet, your partnering skills and princely or villainous virtuosity.
Go Here for more information on building strength and refining your ballet technique. Including your pointe work!
Naturally, for both men and women in ballet, elegance also depends on the finesse and finer details of professional footwork and strong leg muscles. The whole body works as a coordinated unit, and this coordination depends more on the core muscles than any other area of muscle.
As a student is developing and learning the ballet body positions and the many port de bras (French words for arm movements) he or she must also have core muscles that can support the elegant and floating movements required, just like a tree trunk supports a tree when it sways in the wind. Or a swan's long neck is supported by its sturdy body weight. (perhaps that is a better metaphor!)
Classical ballet dancers easily have the abs of steel, buns of steel and all those things. But they don't want to look like it!
Daily routines in ballet training usually produce what is required to do classical ballet choreography. But unusual body proportions, starting training later, and other factors lead dancers to cross train to catch up, get ahead or get an edge on the competition. And, always, prevent dance injuries.
There are several Pilates gurus promoting their DVD courses so that anyone can work at home. Mat work courses, stretchy band work courses, and even Pilates machine courses are available, with small light weight home-version machines.
So if you are too busy to get to a Pilates studio, that is no problem. Pilates is a wonderful type of cross training for ballet dancers, as it produces the balletic elongation of muscle and builds strength. It also contributes to the fluid quality of movement that dancers strive for.
Slow motion weight training can help dancers too. The slow motion speed is to trigger the best use of the muscles, and also prevent injury. No sudden or jerky movement is done, and this protects the joints and soft tissues around the joints. Slow motion weight training has also shown to contribute to a healthy metabolism and the release of enzymes into the body that is rejuvenating in many ways. It is a detailed and fascinating subject unto itself.
Whatever stage of classical ballet training you are in, or aspire to, you can achieve elegance in your ballet dancing. How well you build strength in your core muscles will also affect your work in pointe shoes, and for the men in ballet, your partnering skills and princely or villainous virtuosity.
Go Here for more information on building strength and refining your ballet technique. Including your pointe work!
Technique For Pointe Work - Including For Men In Ballet
There are several famous male ballet dancers who have practiced classical ballet in pointe shoes.And many men in ballet want to take advantage of the opportunity to stretch their ankles and build strength.
I know many dance teachers would love to see some boys/men in ballet take pointe classes. Men in ballet actually can get exactly the right fit in pointe shoes, or let's say most can.
Why would men want to put on pointe shoes and do those cruel-looking exercises?
Some men in ballet might have the ambition of getting into Les Trocs (Les Ballets Trockaderos du Monte Carlo, all men, many ballerina roles). Pointe work is an absolute necessity.
The majority of men in ballet do not have the mobile ankles that typically females have. A high curve, or ANY curve on the top of the ankle and instep is a plus, to meet the ballet fashion.
Female dance students quickly learn how to use pointe shoes to stretch the top of the ankle and instep, if they need more flexibility in the ankles. In second position, rise onto pointe, and plie, allowing the weight to go over the platform of the pointe shoe. If the ankle is not flexible, the weight of the body, supported by the pointe shoe, gives it a fabulous stretch.
And to build strength, if ankle flexibility is sufficient, rise onto pointe, and plie but stay on the platform of the shoe. This requires restraining the ankle joint and holding it exactly where you want it. For ballerinas, this is a requirement for control in general, and a necessity for the repetitive tiny hops on pointe found in classical ballet choreography.
While there are perfectly good exercises to strengthen the intrinsic muscles of the feet without using pointe shoes, basic exercises on pointe are excellent for strengthening the feet. I recommend strengthening the feet before going onto pointe, but keep it up once you have started pointe classes. A simple exercise like rising onto pointe, slowly pressing down to demi pointe (as opposed to dropping down) and then pressing back up onto full pointe, will build strength. Adding repetitions as you can, you will develop strength and control.
Getting back to men in ballet - you will need to learn all about foot and toe types, and all the tips and tricks of toe leveling, toe spacers, and toe padding. No suffering needlessly. You are surrounded by experts - all the girls you study with!
I think many boys and men in ballet need to hear it from their teachers - that this would be a good idea! Not for the lucky men with the hyper-mobile arches, necessarily. Even for them, however, it would introduce an understanding of what ballerinas need, to check out the delicate balance that men learn to support, as a partner.
If you are among the men in ballet and already learning technique for pointe work - good for you!
Go here for more information on excelling at pointe work and all the relevant technique details that you need.
Why would men want to put on pointe shoes and do those cruel-looking exercises?
Some men in ballet might have the ambition of getting into Les Trocs (Les Ballets Trockaderos du Monte Carlo, all men, many ballerina roles). Pointe work is an absolute necessity.
The majority of men in ballet do not have the mobile ankles that typically females have. A high curve, or ANY curve on the top of the ankle and instep is a plus, to meet the ballet fashion.
Female dance students quickly learn how to use pointe shoes to stretch the top of the ankle and instep, if they need more flexibility in the ankles. In second position, rise onto pointe, and plie, allowing the weight to go over the platform of the pointe shoe. If the ankle is not flexible, the weight of the body, supported by the pointe shoe, gives it a fabulous stretch.
And to build strength, if ankle flexibility is sufficient, rise onto pointe, and plie but stay on the platform of the shoe. This requires restraining the ankle joint and holding it exactly where you want it. For ballerinas, this is a requirement for control in general, and a necessity for the repetitive tiny hops on pointe found in classical ballet choreography.
While there are perfectly good exercises to strengthen the intrinsic muscles of the feet without using pointe shoes, basic exercises on pointe are excellent for strengthening the feet. I recommend strengthening the feet before going onto pointe, but keep it up once you have started pointe classes. A simple exercise like rising onto pointe, slowly pressing down to demi pointe (as opposed to dropping down) and then pressing back up onto full pointe, will build strength. Adding repetitions as you can, you will develop strength and control.
Getting back to men in ballet - you will need to learn all about foot and toe types, and all the tips and tricks of toe leveling, toe spacers, and toe padding. No suffering needlessly. You are surrounded by experts - all the girls you study with!
I think many boys and men in ballet need to hear it from their teachers - that this would be a good idea! Not for the lucky men with the hyper-mobile arches, necessarily. Even for them, however, it would introduce an understanding of what ballerinas need, to check out the delicate balance that men learn to support, as a partner.
If you are among the men in ballet and already learning technique for pointe work - good for you!
Go here for more information on excelling at pointe work and all the relevant technique details that you need.
The " Too Old To Start Ballet " Age - And Build Strength To Dance In Pointe Shoes
Who is too old to start anything? How to choose a ballet teacher is more the right question.
Some dance studios have classes for older teens and adults to start ballet, and some do not. Some teachers enjoy teaching older beginners and some do not. So maybe an older teen/young adult can start and even build strength to dance ballet in pointe shoes. Do not let fears about weight, age and muscle tone hold you back.
Whatever art or workout you choose, you start just where you are. How to choose a teacher is what deserves the first careful focus of your time.
If there are several studios in your area, check out their site, and then phone and visit them. Ask if you can watch part of a class.
While most older students will not immediately produce the right look or execution of any ballet position or movement, the teaching should be the same. Accurate technique should always be explained.
The pace and presentation of 'late starter' classes will be different. There may be an assumption that certain aspects of ballet will never be achieved, and working safely is the priority. The more imaginative teachers will be able to present an adult beginner class with simple, artistic and elegant exercises.
Fears about weight should be dealt with from a health point of view. Ballet is definitely more difficult if you are overweight. If you are still growing, cut out the junk food and extra breads and carb snacks. Eating real fresh food is best, and you need never be starving.
An adult who wishes to lose weight might add an aerobic workout to their daily routines, 2-3 times a week. And if eating fresh whole foods without breads, potatoes and pasta does not achieve weight loss within a few weeks, see a medical doctor. Low thyroid, blood sugar irregularities and other hormone imbalances, and medications may be playing a part in this. (This could be true for teens too).
If you want to eventually do classes in pointe shoes, you simply must persist with the basics of ballet technique until your work is correct and strong. How long this will take depends on the teacher, how many classes you take per week, and your ability to concentrate.
So not being too old to start, choose a ballet teacher, build strength, deal realistically with fears about weight, and perhaps you will study in pointe shoes one day.
Go here for many articles on ballet technique and how to choose a ballet teacher and for all the ballet wear you need.
Whatever art or workout you choose, you start just where you are. How to choose a teacher is what deserves the first careful focus of your time.
If there are several studios in your area, check out their site, and then phone and visit them. Ask if you can watch part of a class.
While most older students will not immediately produce the right look or execution of any ballet position or movement, the teaching should be the same. Accurate technique should always be explained.
The pace and presentation of 'late starter' classes will be different. There may be an assumption that certain aspects of ballet will never be achieved, and working safely is the priority. The more imaginative teachers will be able to present an adult beginner class with simple, artistic and elegant exercises.
Fears about weight should be dealt with from a health point of view. Ballet is definitely more difficult if you are overweight. If you are still growing, cut out the junk food and extra breads and carb snacks. Eating real fresh food is best, and you need never be starving.
An adult who wishes to lose weight might add an aerobic workout to their daily routines, 2-3 times a week. And if eating fresh whole foods without breads, potatoes and pasta does not achieve weight loss within a few weeks, see a medical doctor. Low thyroid, blood sugar irregularities and other hormone imbalances, and medications may be playing a part in this. (This could be true for teens too).
If you want to eventually do classes in pointe shoes, you simply must persist with the basics of ballet technique until your work is correct and strong. How long this will take depends on the teacher, how many classes you take per week, and your ability to concentrate.
So not being too old to start, choose a ballet teacher, build strength, deal realistically with fears about weight, and perhaps you will study in pointe shoes one day.
Go here for many articles on ballet technique and how to choose a ballet teacher and for all the ballet wear you need.
Improve Your Classical Ballet Work The Simplest way
If you want to improve your classical ballet work, the simplest way is to first check your normal standing position. Before you put on your pointe shoes or soft ballet shoes and go to the barre, try this.
In ballet wear, so that you can see your posture, just stand in front of a mirror, relaxed. You'll see the qualifying factor and know if there is something basic to correct to improve your ballet classes.
Sometimes the simple things are the hardest to explain, but here goes:
Stand with your chest lifted, your shoulders relaxed, and your feet hips' width apart. Get your weight positioned evenly at the ball of the foot, the outside near the little toe, and the center of the heel (like a tripod). Notice how your hips and legs are positioned, naturally. If your pelvis is neutral and your ankles, knees and hips stack up symmetrically, you have the minimal requirement to proceed with nothing to fix.
If a hip or shoulder is lower than its opposite, you may have a skeletal misalignment, residual tension, or both. See a chiropractor, or you will be fighting this condition with lots of unnecessary tensing. It is also possible that one leg is shorter than the other, and it is good to know that, so you know how to work properly and use foot levelers if needed.
If your knees rotate in a little, causing a slight bow shape to the legs, then you need to use your thigh muscles to get your thighs and knees facing front, and over the ankles. Also note where your pelvis is here.
Now keep that placement and turn sideways. Turn your head, relaxed neck, and see if you have a plumb line going down through your body, from the top of your head, through the natural curves of your spine, hips, legs, and to your ankles. See if anything is pulling out of line. This can be very subtle if you are already trained. Your skeleton should be able to line up well without much work. If you are feeling a little tense, shake everything out and then place yourself again.
If your knees over-straighten and curve backwards, you have hyper-extended knees. You must learn to hold them straight so they can support you with strength. If your knees are bent a little forwards you can work on stretching and relaxing your all your hip and leg muscles and you will get gradual improvement.
Regardless of your training level, you can always check this basic posture to see if there is any misalignment or extra tension. It truly affects the finer details of the quality of your work. It also affects your risk of getting injured.
Checking postural habits and skeletal alignment is how you know if your good work, or talent, is hiding a potential problem. The qualifying factor may be the need to build strength in your core muscles, or do better relaxing and stretching.
To improve your classical ballet work, the simplest way is to fix a problem where it starts, rather than trying to see what is wrong in awkward multiple turns or struggling in grand allegro.
Visit us here for your ballet wear, pointe shoes, more ballet technique articles, and manuals on how to improve faster and safely.
Sometimes the simple things are the hardest to explain, but here goes:
Stand with your chest lifted, your shoulders relaxed, and your feet hips' width apart. Get your weight positioned evenly at the ball of the foot, the outside near the little toe, and the center of the heel (like a tripod). Notice how your hips and legs are positioned, naturally. If your pelvis is neutral and your ankles, knees and hips stack up symmetrically, you have the minimal requirement to proceed with nothing to fix.
If a hip or shoulder is lower than its opposite, you may have a skeletal misalignment, residual tension, or both. See a chiropractor, or you will be fighting this condition with lots of unnecessary tensing. It is also possible that one leg is shorter than the other, and it is good to know that, so you know how to work properly and use foot levelers if needed.
If your knees rotate in a little, causing a slight bow shape to the legs, then you need to use your thigh muscles to get your thighs and knees facing front, and over the ankles. Also note where your pelvis is here.
Now keep that placement and turn sideways. Turn your head, relaxed neck, and see if you have a plumb line going down through your body, from the top of your head, through the natural curves of your spine, hips, legs, and to your ankles. See if anything is pulling out of line. This can be very subtle if you are already trained. Your skeleton should be able to line up well without much work. If you are feeling a little tense, shake everything out and then place yourself again.
If your knees over-straighten and curve backwards, you have hyper-extended knees. You must learn to hold them straight so they can support you with strength. If your knees are bent a little forwards you can work on stretching and relaxing your all your hip and leg muscles and you will get gradual improvement.
Regardless of your training level, you can always check this basic posture to see if there is any misalignment or extra tension. It truly affects the finer details of the quality of your work. It also affects your risk of getting injured.
Checking postural habits and skeletal alignment is how you know if your good work, or talent, is hiding a potential problem. The qualifying factor may be the need to build strength in your core muscles, or do better relaxing and stretching.
To improve your classical ballet work, the simplest way is to fix a problem where it starts, rather than trying to see what is wrong in awkward multiple turns or struggling in grand allegro.
Visit us here for your ballet wear, pointe shoes, more ballet technique articles, and manuals on how to improve faster and safely.
Ballet Versus Football Or A Pas De Deux Without Pointe Shoes?
Correct ballet moves involve the elements of physics in terms balance, center of gravity, leverage and rotational mechanics among others.
Many people think that ballet is only heavily stylized dancing, and that especially male dancers are not very strong outside of their art. However, it is actually a complicated practice that involves advanced physics and mathematical principles. Although the years of ballet exercises allows the dancers to make it look effortless, it is an extremely difficult, disciplined, and enchanting art form. "American football is a sport hardly known for its grace and poise, but many players have swapped their pads for points, to do ballet."
Ballet is actually the foundation of most western dance forms, since ballet teaches good work habits, and a safe technique that enables the dancers to perform for many years with less chance of injury.
The graceful dance moves and combinations of movements in classical choreography are taught nowadays with increasing awareness of movement analysis.
The result of accurate ballet training is the ability to balance in a complex position, over a small area and support on the floor. Such as the tiny platform of the pointe shoe.
Physically, in ballet a condition of balance exists when a dancer retains her/his postural plumb line both in a motionless pose, or while moving on a vertical line.
"American football is a sport hardly known for its grace and poise, but many players have swapped their pads for points, to do ballet. Ballet dancers are renowned for their agility; they are able to leap, land and turn with, well... with balletic grace. This has led researchers and sports team players and coaches to experiment with ballet and other dance forms as a conditioning method. Superbowl winner and former top high-hurdler Willie Gault was one such player who believed his on-field performance and resistance to injury was enhanced by ballet. Ballet has in fact been used within American football since the 1970s."
The entire article is here: http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/can-athletes-dance-their-way-to-agility.
If a dancer's or football player's center of gravity isn't in line with other equilibrium state forces, they will be unbalanced and experience an angular acceleration towards the ground, causing them to fall to one side.
Turning movements are common in all forms of dance, which also requires a great deal of physical, as well as scientific awareness that helps achieve the mastery of a perfect turn, or, pirouette. Football players rely on well-trained reflexes to dodge, spin suddenly, maintaining balance and speed. Ballet training enhances these abilities. It also breaks down many basic movements football players use, allowing them to understand how to prevent muscle and joint injuries.
"Ballet versus football" might be more correctly referred to as a pas de deux in training forms for many athletes.
Whether you are a football player and/or a dancer in training, you might want to see some of the most strength building basic ballet exercises in The Perfect Pointe Book that will tell you all you need to start. It is written by a physiotherapist and will train you for injury prevention.
Ballet is actually the foundation of most western dance forms, since ballet teaches good work habits, and a safe technique that enables the dancers to perform for many years with less chance of injury.
The graceful dance moves and combinations of movements in classical choreography are taught nowadays with increasing awareness of movement analysis.
The result of accurate ballet training is the ability to balance in a complex position, over a small area and support on the floor. Such as the tiny platform of the pointe shoe.
Physically, in ballet a condition of balance exists when a dancer retains her/his postural plumb line both in a motionless pose, or while moving on a vertical line.
"American football is a sport hardly known for its grace and poise, but many players have swapped their pads for points, to do ballet. Ballet dancers are renowned for their agility; they are able to leap, land and turn with, well... with balletic grace. This has led researchers and sports team players and coaches to experiment with ballet and other dance forms as a conditioning method. Superbowl winner and former top high-hurdler Willie Gault was one such player who believed his on-field performance and resistance to injury was enhanced by ballet. Ballet has in fact been used within American football since the 1970s."
The entire article is here: http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/can-athletes-dance-their-way-to-agility.
If a dancer's or football player's center of gravity isn't in line with other equilibrium state forces, they will be unbalanced and experience an angular acceleration towards the ground, causing them to fall to one side.
Turning movements are common in all forms of dance, which also requires a great deal of physical, as well as scientific awareness that helps achieve the mastery of a perfect turn, or, pirouette. Football players rely on well-trained reflexes to dodge, spin suddenly, maintaining balance and speed. Ballet training enhances these abilities. It also breaks down many basic movements football players use, allowing them to understand how to prevent muscle and joint injuries.
"Ballet versus football" might be more correctly referred to as a pas de deux in training forms for many athletes.
Whether you are a football player and/or a dancer in training, you might want to see some of the most strength building basic ballet exercises in The Perfect Pointe Book that will tell you all you need to start. It is written by a physiotherapist and will train you for injury prevention.
Train Your Brain and Activate the Body Mind Connection by Watching the Best Ballet Movies
When schedules are tight, dvd movies can offer a wonderful form of entertainment and escape. Whether you're in the mood for action adventure, romance, comedy, drama or the grueling technical moves and ballet positions, the world of ballet movies provides all.
Knowing that you can watch a movie in the spare time you choose for that, can give you something to look forward to. Even if, like many ballet students, you use the same time frame to sit on the floor and stretch, ice sore muscles or sew your ballet shoes or pointe shoes.
You can buy dvd movies nearly anywhere-many supermarkets, book stores, computer and gadget stores or specialty movie stores. Ebay and other online stores such as Amazon sell ballet movies.
Typical movie and game chain stores rent them by the day or week. But it is even more convenient to rent dvds through a mail-order service. These services allow you to drop the movies into a mail box. Many dvd movies contain added sections that show "the making of", interviews and out-takes - the mistakes that are made while filming the movie.
One of the reasons I encourage students to watch ballet DVDs is because they can view the technique they are trying to learn. Most teachers do not demonstrate with the finesse of a ballerina (unless they are one, and I mean at the top of the profession, since the term ballerina can get very loosely applied), and some teachers believe they should demonstrate very little, in advanced classes.
Firstly of course, you want to view the ballet story for its drama or comedy. Get swept away. That's what you want to do as a performer. Stop time, suspend thought, take your audience on a dramatic journey, or hypnotise them with spell-binding choreography and its flawless rendition.
Secondly, view it again and focus on the best technical parts. Maybe the dancers you admire have not trained the way you are training now. They execute dance in a different technical style. However, you can train your brain by watching and feeling the steps you focus on. Training your eye to spot technical points and excellent ballet positions is part of training your brain.
Another quality to watch for and enjoy is musicality. Professional dancers changed musical phrasing to hide technical shortcomings in some cases, and to highlight their strengths. Some good jumpers need more time in the air. Some ballerinas can do more turns. There is an art in their phrasing of the preparation steps, which then give the time they need.
Being sensitive to this element will improve your own work, ultimately.
The historical element of ballet is viewable now. Dance on film, particularly from old Russian productions, is available. You can watch the teachers of your teachers' teachers. One of my favorites is The Ballets Russes, a newer production with old footage and interviews with surviving ballerinas who escaped Bolshevik Russia and regrouped in Europe under Diaghilev.
The new productions and modern ballets are all there in the stores - particularly the online libraries.
So enjoy!
This online ballet library is exceptional.
Knowing that you can watch a movie in the spare time you choose for that, can give you something to look forward to. Even if, like many ballet students, you use the same time frame to sit on the floor and stretch, ice sore muscles or sew your ballet shoes or pointe shoes.
You can buy dvd movies nearly anywhere-many supermarkets, book stores, computer and gadget stores or specialty movie stores. Ebay and other online stores such as Amazon sell ballet movies.
Typical movie and game chain stores rent them by the day or week. But it is even more convenient to rent dvds through a mail-order service. These services allow you to drop the movies into a mail box. Many dvd movies contain added sections that show "the making of", interviews and out-takes - the mistakes that are made while filming the movie.
One of the reasons I encourage students to watch ballet DVDs is because they can view the technique they are trying to learn. Most teachers do not demonstrate with the finesse of a ballerina (unless they are one, and I mean at the top of the profession, since the term ballerina can get very loosely applied), and some teachers believe they should demonstrate very little, in advanced classes.
Firstly of course, you want to view the ballet story for its drama or comedy. Get swept away. That's what you want to do as a performer. Stop time, suspend thought, take your audience on a dramatic journey, or hypnotise them with spell-binding choreography and its flawless rendition.
Secondly, view it again and focus on the best technical parts. Maybe the dancers you admire have not trained the way you are training now. They execute dance in a different technical style. However, you can train your brain by watching and feeling the steps you focus on. Training your eye to spot technical points and excellent ballet positions is part of training your brain.
Another quality to watch for and enjoy is musicality. Professional dancers changed musical phrasing to hide technical shortcomings in some cases, and to highlight their strengths. Some good jumpers need more time in the air. Some ballerinas can do more turns. There is an art in their phrasing of the preparation steps, which then give the time they need.
Being sensitive to this element will improve your own work, ultimately.
The historical element of ballet is viewable now. Dance on film, particularly from old Russian productions, is available. You can watch the teachers of your teachers' teachers. One of my favorites is The Ballets Russes, a newer production with old footage and interviews with surviving ballerinas who escaped Bolshevik Russia and regrouped in Europe under Diaghilev.
The new productions and modern ballets are all there in the stores - particularly the online libraries.
So enjoy!
This online ballet library is exceptional.
Are You Among the Men in Ballet? Stop and say hello!
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by dianbee
Dianne M. Buxton is a graduate of The National Ballet School of Canada, a ballet teacher, and a writer. She also works in non-medical healthcare, and... (more)
