Monday Shower

Monday Shower

Shaping the arms in à la seconde requires attention to the problem of drooping elbows.  This ruins the beautiful curve of the arms and makes the dancer look lazy.  I have blogged several times about ways to prevent this drooping elbow syndrome, suggesting ideas from marionette strings to pillows under the arms.

So now a test!  A way to find out if the arms are indeed, correctly shaped.  This test can be, and should be, done in the privacy of one’s own home – specifically the shower.

When the arms are correctly shaped, most of the water from a showerhead will flow down the shoulder, down the arm and finally, roll down off the first finger.  If the elbow is dropped, the water will run down at that point, rather like a broken gutter.

So try this test the next time you are in a shower, or perhaps under a waterfall! 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #6t:  

“When standing beneath the water in a shower, if the arms are correctly shaped in à la seconde, the water will run down the arm and off the first finger.” 

                Link of the Day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRlhfUvq8hQ

Quote of the Day:

“To learn something, to master something, anything, is as sweet as first love.”
― Geoffrey Wolff

 

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