THRIVE -Elegant Dance Steps

White Vs Red

Not all Ballets are the same. Some of them have plots, so you will know what is exactly going on in the scenario. Some others are variations and serenades and they will require you to concentrate more on the music to understand their movements. Anyway, there are some basic points that can help you appreciate it.

1. Read the plots. Choose the classics at first, since they are about popular tales, you can follow up the story and it will be easier for you to become familiar with the movements and the music.

2. Read about the dancers. Knowing all the hard work and devotion they have put is a good way to appreciate their performances.

3. Listen to the critics. Reading them will help you appreciate what you are about to see and they can be guides to different aspects of classical dance that you didn’t know of (and that can make you see things differently from someone who goes to a recital without knowing anything about it.) A great source for this information: http://danceviewtimes.com/

4. Choose where to sit. Sitting very close to the stage is not always the best option, because, as in The Nutcracker, there will be very elaborate scenes and many dancers at once. Sitting very close will not allow you to appreciate everything in a very complete way. Critics usually sit in the first balcony, but the center of the orchestra is also an excellent place to sit at.

That’s a question that goes beyond the physical changes that any sport or activity will undoubtedly give you.  Ballet can be a mental game, as incredible as that may sound. It will make you learn that if you want something, you have to work hard for it. Dedication and ambition will come along, making you understand that setting goals and achieving them is a part of everything you do.

The second thing you learn is self-discipline along with the sense of priority, respect, and time-management: scheduling dance classes with school, work, and social life will be enough of a lesson about that.  All the efforts you put into bettering your technique, class etiquette, and overall improvement will expand to real-world scenarios. You will want to improve in all aspects of your life, just as you do in your ballet classes.

Most think that ballet teacher is to be feared, always with their scolding glances and criticism. What they do not know is that having someone who constantly fixes your mistakes and corrects you until you do it right, will give you the drive to succeed. You will never be satisfied by doing something fairly well. You will always have the ambition of wanting to do your best because you are already used to it. the most invaluable lesson left by your ballet teachers is that hard work pays off.

As much as people like to think, not all the dancers are the same. They have different personalities, traits, and preferences. Some are outgoing; others prefer hanging out with familiar faces. Some love watching movies in spare time, others love playing games. After all, dancers are just humans. They are not perfect. However, it is possible that most dancers share the same values and act in a certain way that distinguishes them from non-dancers. With that in mind, we think these tips might help you identify a dancer in the crowd at a first glance. 

 1. Are they actually walking?

Spotting a dancer in the crowd is probably much easier than you could possibly think because you’ll know when you see one. And it will probably look like this.  

You’re on the street and everybody is minding their business; looking bored and tired. But, all of a sudden, a person is coming your way. You and everyone around you are hypnotized. You just can’t take your eyes of that person. The person has such a marvelous posture with a chin up high in the air and perfect control of their every move. This person doesn’t just walk as all the other mortals do. It looks more like gliding with grace and elegance you’ve never seen before. Well, ladies and gents, that’s how a dancer walks. And when that person stops walking, you can take a quick look at their feet – how they’re positioned, because that’s another thing that gives the dancer away.

2.Wow, I wish I had their confidence  

Think about all those hours of serious work that dancers put in. How many times do you think they went through the same step or pose to make it better? And how many times they had to fail at learning that same step or pose in order to master it?

You’re right, a countless number of times. Throughout this process and of course, numerous dance performances, dancers learned to have faith in themselves and also to be confident – even when they aren’t at their best.

Well, this is why dancers are usually those people in the crowd that laugh aloud and aren’t afraid to say something silly or to look silly in front of others. They simply bring good energy with them and enjoy themselves even when they aren’t perfect.

3. Friendly or not?

Contrary to what most people think, dancers don’t hate each other. In fact, they support one another and love to help when they have an opportunity to do that. Moreover, dancers are friendly, open and love to hang out with other fellow dancers. This is a great chance for them to loosen up a little, have some fun, but also to share their thoughts with like-minded people. So, if you spot a group of people in the club that is cheery and dance like crazy (and show some serious moves) they’re likely to be dancers.

4. I want to dance like that!  

Probably the easiest way to recognize dancers is in the club. You can tell by the moves and the way they dance they know what they’re doing. Even if they’re just goofing around with some silly dance moves, you can still tell they are professionals. But, when they are not goofing around and they dance to their favorite songs, it looks like they are a million miles away from non-dancers. They just don’t seem to care if there are other people in the room or not, and they simply give in to the rhythm. This is where dancers’ confidence, elegance, grace, creativity, and passion all come into play – after all, that’s what dancing is about.

5. Classiness above all.

Another thing you might want to know about dancers is that they know how to treat other people and their dance partners. They’re classy - men are gentlemen (think Richard Gere) whereas women are true ladies (kind of ‘Audrey Hepburn’ elegance). This is probably due to the fact that dancers learned to not think only about themselves but to also be kind and respectful to the person they are dancing with.

Ballet shoes are divided into three categories. The first is soft shoes. Soft shoes are also divided into two categories, full-sole, and split-sole.

It is recommended that beginners wear full-sole ballet shoes. This has a better training effect on the instep. After the instep is more and more powerful, you can wear split-sole soft shoes, and you can also show beautiful instep lines. The shoes upper has elastic with one strap and some with criss-cross.

Soft shoes are also available in a variety of materials, mainly leather, satin, and canvas. The leather is relatively durable, the satin looks better, but it is not durable. The canvas feels comfortable and breathable, which is also the most mainstream soft shoes.

The second category is the demi-pointe shoes. From the outside, it is the same as the pointe shoes. Because the soft pointe shoes do not have a hard sole, it is absolutely impossible to stand on the tip. Otherwise, it is easy to get hurt.

The third category is that everyone's favorite pointe shoes. Pointe shoes require strong ankle strength, external control, instep lines and a part of the natural leg type.

Ballet is probably the most known form of dance and it is also a very complex art with many aspects that are unknown for the common eye (non-dancers), and they are likely to feel some curiosity as to what the internal world of ballet is like. Today we will satisfy their curiosity with some questions and answers.

1. There are some notable differences in the way that dancers execute their movements and overall basic positions. Why is that?

Ballet has different learning methods, and each one focuses on something different. The two most known are the Russian and Italian schools. The most popular one is the Russian Vaganova school, and it’s the one with the highest demands on the students. Russian ballet is known for showing very clean, beautiful and precise lines with softness beneath, giving them that characteristic graceful expression and execution of movement (“suspended on air”, as most call it).

The Italian Cecchetti school centers a lot in the student understanding the elements of ballet so they don’t have to rely on imitating the teachers. In these schools, the movements are studied on both sides separately, practicing one side per week. They don’t follow the hands with their gazes like the Vaganova students and their basic positions and arabesques are also different.

2. What does a ballet class consist of?

It has two distinct parts: barre and center, and dancers have to follow protocols during both. The barre is used to execute the warming up exercises and to strengthen the core and leg muscles.  The barre is essential for all ballerinas, whether they are novices or professionals. It refines and deepens the technique and develops important skills such as balance and coordination. The sequence of the barrel goes according to the teacher. The center is about placing in the middle of the studio, learning steps, poses and positions without the support of the barre. This is where the dynamic movement combinations and the movement vocabulary are learned. There’s also reverence at the end of class, where students perform a short combination to thank the teacher and the musicians.  

3. What is the ballet Dress Code?

The DC is important because it makes the students understand that they are going to a structured class, and to make sure their clothing will allow them to move and show enough for the teacher to see if the movements are properly executed. The Ballet DC rules are: Hair pulled up in ballet bun, no jewelry, fashion accessories, and loose clothing. The uniform is black leotards, salmon-colored tights, half-pointé or pointé shoes, (fitted) warm-up clothing for cold weather, and in some cases, skirts for the pointé class. For men, it is usually a black leotard with tights over them (women wear the leotard over the tights) and demi-plie shoes, since they don’t use pointé shoes. They may also wear a dance belt, an undergarment to support their genitals. 

4. What does “break into pointé” means?