Saturday Ceiling Statute

Saturday Ceiling Statute

Dancers are often reminded to keep their eye focus off the floor. Unfortunately, students sometimes go too far and end up looking at the ceiling. This produces a facial expression that shows the whites of the eyes, or shows the underside of the chin – not good!

Looking up doesn’t mean looking all the way up. It means looking up and outward. Remember Ballet Secret #1f: The eye focus is slightly above eye level, with a “politely arrogant” expression. Another way to think about it is to imagine focusing toward the back of the theater. I sometimes tell my students to dance toward the balcony, but if this makes them focus too high, I suggest the back of the theater

Most importantly, the eye focus should be natural, follow the movement of the arms, and not focus on the hands if they are overhead.

                                                                       

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Statute #73  

“Never focus on the ceiling.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjqSA0I_B54

Quote of the Day:

“The soul, fortunately, has an interpreter - often an unconscious but still a faithful interpreter - in the eye.”
― Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre

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