December 20, 2012

Beginner Ballet Tips: How Not to Get Kicked In Class (and other things you should know)

Barre and mirror

Grown-Ups at the Barre is one of the best resources out there for those looking to start ballet as an adult, and I’ve linked to their post before about balletiquette. They’ve got another great one up entitled: Lessons about Ballet Class: How to NOT get Kicked in Class. Often, spacing in adult beginner ballet classes tends to be a mess, and this post gives advice on what you  can do to help space yourself out (both at the barre and in the center) and ultimately reminds the reader that it is your responsibility to do your part to make sure you don’t get kicked (Rule #1). Some of my other favorite rules include:

5. I know you like your little piece of heaven (your own personal private claimed barre space) but be prepared to move if you have to… consider it a challenge to try a different place at the barre and in the studio.

I know I’m personally guilty of this one. I like my space at the barre. But if I get moved, or someone steals my space, I suck it up and accept the challenge. Continue Reading

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December 19, 2012

Beginner Ballet Tips: What to do Over the Holidays

As I’ve written about recently, many of us won’t be able to make it to ballet classes over the holidays. I’ve made plans to stretch and do a few at home DVDs a few times a week, even though I know it won’t be the same as going to the classes I normally go to throughout the week. But it’ll have to do, especially as I visit friends this week and head to relatives houses in the middle of no where next week.

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December 18, 2012

Beginner Ballet Tips: Improving Your Turnout

First position of the feet, turned out; intend...

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In my ballet class, we’ve recently been working on improving our turnout, and I’m always looking for new stretches and exercises to help improve my turnout (in addition to working on stretching out my splits). Turnout in ballet refers to the outward rotation of the feet and hips.  One of my favorites is the frog stretch. Even though it looks a bit ridiculous, it stretches really well. NextDance.com describes the frog stretch as

 This is the popular stretch where you lay on your stomach with your knees bent, legs turned out, and feet pressed together. This stretches your inner thighs, which will help enable better turnout, especially in pliè.

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December 17, 2012

Beginner Ballet Tips: Advice on Tendus

tendu

tendu (Photo credit: jahansell)

No matter what level you are in ballet, tendus are exercises that are essential in practice in any ballet class. DanceAdvantage.net has an excellent article on why tendus truly are important, which says:

It is through tendu that dancers become conscious of directing and eventually expelling energy through a stretched (or pointed) foot. It is also where strength is developed in the foot for taking off and landing with cushion in jumps. Without tendu (and its partner tendu jeté or dégagé) there would be no assemblé or grand jeté or entrechat quatre. Movements would lack the finish of a pointed foot and jumps would land awfully hard. But that’s not all that would be missing from classical or contemporary dance technique without tendu (Nichelle from Dance Advantage).Continue Reading

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December 11, 2012

Do you take classes over the holidays?

English: A ballet dancer doing barre work.

.(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the things we discussed on Tweetchat on Saturday was how we weren’t sure what we were going to do over the holidays–most of us don’t go to studios that offer classes over the holidays. The studios I attend do (with the exception of Christmas Eve and Day and New Year’s Eve and Day), however, I will be away at families’ houses for the majority of the holidays since I have a winter break at college. I plan on doing my ballet workout DVD and well as my modern dance DVD, in addition to lots of stretching and theraband exercises.

Do your studios offer classes over the holidays?

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