#ballet tip

This is to train better preps and more controlled finishes. Each step takes one count:

1.) Tendu side

2.) Rond de jambe to back

3.) Lower the heel in 4th position, but keep the back knee straight, so you're in a small (and rather uncomfortable, I dare say) lunge. This is to train yourself to keep your weight over your front foot.

4.) Bend the back knee. Keep your weight forward.

5.) Releve to retire (no turn, just releve)

6.) Plie the standing leg, but stay in retire. Keeping that foot up in your pirouette longer gives the illusion of a more sustained turn.

7.) Lower the working leg to 4th position

&-8.) Tendu the back leg, close to 5th

Dance classes start next week for me, so this will be my final Revolutionary Ballet Tip post for the summer. I hope these have helpful to you. I’m always happy to share the things I learned the hard way so the rest of you don’t have to struggle to learn the same things.

This final ballet tip is one I can’t do to save my life: DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO THE OTHER DANCERS IN THE ROOM.

Seriously. Your mental state reflects in your physical health, for one thing, and if you feel icky, your technique won’t come as easily to you. Not to mention, it’s so hard to want to keep trying to improve when there’s a little voice in your head whispering evilly, “You’re never going to be as good as them. Your extensions suck. You can do maybe a double pirouette on a good day. Don’t bother trying.”

“But how, exactly, do you stop comparing yourself to others?” you might be asking. Like I said, I’m still trying to figure out how not to compare myself to other dancers, too, so I don’t really know. It might help to get to know the dancers who make you the most jealous. That way, you’ll see them as a friend rather than as a rival. Plus, they might give you helpful tips if you ask nicely!

Let me tell you something: dancing alone in an empty studio is the most amazing thing. You can see your true talent when there’s no dancer better than you around. You’ll find that your turnout, jumps, or whatever really aren’t as bad you thought they were. If you feel down about yourself and you ever have a studio to yourself, definitely take advantage of it.

I hear that trying to focus solely on yourself and ignore everyone else helps a lot of people. I personally can’t do that. My brain likes to catch on to, say, that one girl’s amazing arabesque line, because there’s such a strong emotional attachment to such things. It’s not a good emotional attachment, but the point stands.

I wish I could be of more help in this matter. I added it as a revolutionary tip despite my lack of expertise because confidence really does make a huge difference. If any of you have found a way that helps you maintain a positive view of yourself despite the competitive atmosphere of dance, feel free to reblog and add it on!

Honestly, one of the best tips I have for balancing en pointe is not to lift up on your standing hip as much as you would on flat. It's very slight, but if you sit relax the standing hip just the tiniest bit, as if you were standing casually, it brings your center of balance over your toes instead of the ball of your standing foot. I find it makes me feel more grounded, too.

Frappes, degages, extensions, jumps...all of them look a million times cleaner if you get to the position you need to be in. It sounds like common sense when I put it like that, but it’s surprisingly difficult.

Us Cecchetti-trained dancers have an advantage when it comes to this (and I think the same goes for Balanchine style. IDK, I’ve never done Balanchine technique). We’re all about quick and sharp. Vaganova technique focuses more on fluidity, and I’ve noticed that it’s harder for Vaganova-trained dancers to get to a position in the snap of a finger.

Think of it like there’s someone snapping photos of you. Say you’re doing tendus. You want to make a clear pause in the fully outstretched position and in 5th position so the photographer can get a clear picture. In battement en cloche, you want to pose for the camera at the outstretched position. Brush front, *click!*, brush back, *click!* Get there, stay there, THEN move to the next position.

This technique does amazing things for jumps. The sooner you get to the proper in-air position, and the longer you hold it, the higher your jump will look. Sustaining that position creates the illusion that you’re in the air longer.

And I mean really listen, not just pick out the counts. Take note of what the music sounds like, what it feels like, and express it with your dancing. This makes a big difference in making you an artist, not just a dancer. I would guess that in an audition, it also makes you seem more well-rounded.

I’m really bad at this. My specialty is quick and sharp movements, so my adagios look jerky and awkward. If I were to pay more attention to the music during adage--which is soft and flowing--I could likely fix this easily.

I took a whole class about musicality in college, and here are some of the things I learned to think about:

Anticipate the highs and lows in the music--accents, increases/decreases in volume, etc.--and time your movements so that you, for example, hit the highest point of your developpe right at the highest moment in the music. No procrastinating! It makes a huge difference in your technique as well at your musicality. If you get to a position on time, you’ll have time to think about, “Are my toes actually pointed? Can I straighten my knees more? Can I lift my leg higher?” You won’t feel so rushed, either.

In rond de jambe (especially en l’air) and fondu combinations in particular, there’s often a “push and pull” sound to the music. Try to add some resistance and release into your movement to match it.

DON’T LAND A GRAND ALLEGRO JUMP UNTIL THE MUSIC SAYS TO!! Grand allegro music is made to create that feeling of suspension. Ignore it and come down too early, and it makes the jump seem heavy. It’s not as hard to stay up as you might think. Sometimes all it takes is a little extra attention and willpower. It makes you jump higher, too.

How does the music make you feel? What does the style remind you of? Try to express that. Think of 2-3 adjectives to describe the music and make your dancing match. Boom! Instant artistry.

They extend from your back. Any time you move your arms, imagine that the motion originates from your back, right in between your shoulder blades. The results are:

Your back muscles are engaged, which gives you greater core stability, and therefore, better balance and turns.

Your port de bras will be much more fluid and graceful. Your arms won’t feel as stiff, either, giving you a wider range of motion.