Wild Wednesday Arabesque Formula

Wild Wednesday Arabesque Formula

Remember Ballet Secret #18f? It is: “When viewed from the side, the working foot in an arabesque should not appear to have a giant pimple”. That visible “pimple” would be the heel of the arabesque leg. Scary.

Here is a formula that can help with this pesky problem: Knee up, heel down. Simple. The knee faces side (up), and the heel goes down. This is accomplished by rotating the leg in the hip socket, but also by a lift in the hip (gasp!) This lift is due to a human’s skeletal anatomy. A high arabesque cannot be achieved without  a slight, accompanying lift in the hip. 

If this lifting of the hip seems “wrong”, try doing a beautiful arabesque without it!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Secret #18w:  

“Formula for arabesque: knee up, heel down..”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jllL1iSt4Y&list=PLf41mw2pIfv_vlM58E25UFD-cZXqMzUFn&index=6

Quote of the Day:

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”
― Dr. Seuss

                Help expand the knowledge base!

 Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas, or images that worked best for you!

My latest book is a coloring book! It is available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476964804&sr=1-1&keywords=Family+Tree+coloring+book

Want to know more about me? Read my interview at Ballet Connections:

http://balletconnections.com/DebraWebbRogers

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Technical Tuesday Gracilis

Technical Tuesday Gracilis

The gracilis muscle extends from the groin to the upper shaft of the tibia (shinbone). It is one of those often discussed “inner thigh muscles”.

This muscle assists with bending the knee (think pliés), stabilizing the knee, and is responsible for hip adduction - moving from the outside toward the center of the body – for example: taking the leg from à la seconde to attitude devant. (Hint: To remember what adduction means think of “adding” to the center of the body). You also use this muscle every day when you cross your legs.

There are four other muscles, besides the gracilis that assist in hip adduction: pectineus, adductor brevis, adductor longus, and the adductor magnus. But I’ll save those for another day.

There is a nerve that supplies this muscle: the obturator nerve. If it is impinged (pinched) it can cause pain that radiates from the hip to the knee.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Anatomical Secret # 31

“The gracilis is one of the ‘inner thigh muscles’.”

Links of the Day:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=265T4ywr6uY

Quote of the Day:

                Help expand the knowledge base!

 Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas, or images that worked best for you!

My latest book is a coloring book! Family Tree Coloring Book is now available at Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477396007&sr=8-1&keywords=family+tree+coloring+book

Want to know more about me? Read my interview at Ballet Connections:

http://balletconnections.com/DebraWebbRogers

Mad Monday Massage

Mad Monday Massage

I noticed some advertisements this week suggesting that a gift certificate for a massage would make a perfect Christmas gift. It made me think about how dancers could use the image of  a massage during each tendu.

The tendency of tendus to leave the floor (thus becoming a dégagé) is a common problem, and this negates the whole purpose of the exercise. Instead, imagine massaging the bottom of the tendu foot with the floor. This keeps the necessary contact, and warms up the muscles of the foot in the process.

A foot massage with every tendu!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Secret #4w:  

“Imagine massaging the bottom of the foot with the floor in a tendu.”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb568QLbAls

Quote of the Day:

“Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

                Help expand the knowledge base!

 Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas, or images that worked best for you!

My latest book is a coloring book! It is available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476964804&sr=1-1&keywords=Family+Tree+coloring+book

Want to know more about me? Read my interview at Ballet Connections:

http://balletconnections.com/DebraWebbRogers

Or "Like" me on my Facebook Author Page:

https://www.facebook.com/Violet-Rightmire-256648280108/timeline/

Sunday Growing Thankfulness

Sunday Growing Thankfulness

This isn’t usually the time of year when we put our thoughts on gardening and growing beautiful flowers and vegetables. It is the time when, at least for one day, we pause and focus our thoughts on being thankful for everything we have.

But what if we decided to make this a “gardening” season, too? Only this time we gradually grow an awareness of things around us that we are grateful for. This awareness grows until it is second nature to notice, pause, and be grateful. It takes time to grow an indelible habit, but as dancers know, good indelible habits are priceless!

So plant a garden of thankfulness this month, weed it and tend it and harvest it a little bit every day, until it produces a harvest all year long.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Motivational Secret #42:

“Cultivate an attitude of thankfulness all year.”

                Link of the Day:

http://happierhuman.com/benefits-of-gratitude/

Quote of the Day:

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”
― Marcus Tullius Cicero

                Help expand the knowledge base!

 Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas, or images that worked best for you!

My latest book is a coloring book! It is available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476964804&sr=1-1&keywords=Family+Tree+coloring+book

Want to know more about me? Read my interview at Ballet Connections:

http://balletconnections.com/DebraWebbRogers

Or "Like" me on my Facebook Author Page:

https://www.facebook.com/Violet-Rightmire-256648280108/timeline/

Saturday Sit Down

Saturday Sit Down

Yes, I have touched on this subject before, but it bears repeating: There is no sitting down during class. Simple. 

Dancers spend the beginning of class (barre), meticulously warming up and honing their technique, and sitting down negates much of the warm-up. The body cools and if they decide to get up and rejoin the class, a risk of injury is now present. That’s why there is no sitting down during class.

Another reason: if a dancer feels ill, or injured, etc., and they do sit down, they need to stay there for the duration of the class. Then, the reason they sat down needs to be evaluated. Is the class too taxing for them? Are they in a level that is too difficult for them? Or did they suddenly feel ill? This is often a problem during flu season. Whatever the reason, the question is, is it a passing problem, or a serious issue? Serious things may require a visit to a doctor.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Statute #93:  

“There is no sitting down during class.”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJJ54fFZGXE

Quote of the Day:

“Each mistake teaches you something new about yourself. There is no failure, remember, except in no longer trying. It is the courage to continue that counts.”
― Chris Bradford

                Help expand the knowledge base!

 Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas, or images that worked best for you!

My latest book is a coloring book! It is available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476964804&sr=1-1&keywords=Family+Tree+coloring+book

Want to know more about me? Read my interview at Ballet Connections:

http://balletconnections.com/DebraWebbRogers

Or "Like" me on my Facebook Author Page:

https://www.facebook.com/Violet-Rightmire-256648280108/timeline/