Mad Monday Head Weight

Mad Monday Head Weight

The head of an average human weights about 10 pounds. If you hold a 5 pound bag of sugar in each hand, you’ll get an idea of what that feels like – and why it is so important to have the head correctly placed in ballet.

If the head is not in the right place, imagine how far off your balance will go if 10 pounds of your body’s weight is pulling in the wrong direction. Even a single pound will unbalance the whole operation, so 10 pounds – whew!

That’s why the positions of the head are so important and why they should always be addressed as part of the whole – not as an afterthought. Not to mention that it just looks better when everything is correct.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #9f:

“The head weighs about 10 pounds, so make certain it is properly placed.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZYD8mCS5Vc

Quote of the Day:

“The major work of the world is not done by geniuses. It is done by ordinary people, with balance in their lives, who have learned to work in an extraordinary manner.”
― Gordon B. Hinckley

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Sunday Touch

Sunday Touch

Dancers work in one of the most ephemeral arts. The word ephemeral means “lasting a short time”. Once dance is created and performed, it is gone. Even on film or videotape, the essence of the performance is never exactly the same. It is ephemeral.

So many of our most memorable things are ephemeral. They are here and gone -but not completely. They live on in our memory. Most of these things are not something you can physically touch or hold – except in the heart and mind.

Give some thought to those things you cannot physically hold. Hope, love, the sun on your skin, a breeze against your cheek. Tune in to these things that make  our lives rich, and you will be happier for it.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Motivational Secret #176:

“Focus on the things you cannot touch.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p34Ecy948NY

Quote of the Day:

“I like the ephemeral thing about theatre, every performance is like a ghost - it's there and then it's gone.”

-         Maggie Smith

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My latest books are coloring books! They are available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/

https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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Super Saturday Knees Statute

Super Saturday Knees Statute

There is never, repeat, never, a time when the knees are not in alignment with the feet and ankles. But I see it all the time.

The knee is a place vulnerable to injury, and to keep the joint safe, this Ballet Statute must be observed. If the knee is allowed to roll in, twist, etc., the body is good at accommodating – at first. But this won’t last for long.

The result is usually an overuse injury, and something like this can also become chronic over time. Scary.

So keep the knees aligned with the feet, and all will be well.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Ballet Statute #85:

“The knees are always in alignment with the feet and ankles.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJDYvr5qNkI

Quote of the Day:

“It is necessary to build a system or a structure which will allow you to form your dream into reality.”
― Sunday Adelaja

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My latest books are coloring books! They are available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/

https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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Fun Friday Articulate

Fun Friday Articulate

Dancers know they must “roll through the foot”, and stretch all the way through and beyond the toes. This is all part of “articulating” the foot.

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of the word articulate is: “expressing oneself, readily, clearly, and effectively (an articulate teacher); also :  expressed in such a manner (an articulate argument)."

It helps to imagine what it is like when someone is learning to articulate their speech – like an actor, for example. Each and every word must be pronounced clearly and accurately.

It’s the same with the feet. Each segment of the foot is moved clearly and effectively, as though the feet could talk!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #8h:

“Articulate the foot like enunciating speech.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjWrI5ityFw

Quote of the Day:

“Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. The greatest problem with communication is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply. When we listen with curiosity, we don’t listen with the intent to reply. We listen for what’s behind the words.”
― Roy T. Bennett

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https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/

https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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Throwback Thursday and Evelyn Nesbit

Throwback Thursday and Evelyn Nesbit

She was born Florence Evelyn Nesbit on Christmas Day in 1884 in Pennsylvania.  After her father died, Evelyn Nesbit began modeling to help support the family. She always posed fully dressed, and worked for many different artists.

In 1900, she moved to New York, and her rise to fame began. She became the inspiration for several art pieces, including George Grey Barnard’s Innocence, and Charles Dana Gibson’s Women: The Eternal Question. Soon she was on the covers of many magazines like Harper’s Bazaar, and Ladies’ Home Journal. Her likeness is probably the one everyone thinks about when visualizing the fashions of the early 20^th century.

In 1901 she joined the chorus line for the Broadway play Florodora after which she left to accept a speaking role in another Broadway play, The Wild Rose.

But soon things began to unravel. She met Stanford White, New York architect and socialite, but their relationship was short-lived. She then married millionaire Harry K. Thaw, who was apparently a jealous man. He walked up to White one night at Madison Square Garden and, at close range, shot and killed him.

It became the “trial of the century” and Evelyn Nesbit was called as a witness. Due to the huge amount of publicity, the jury was sequestered- the first time in American history that this had been done. Thaw received a life sentence to a hospital for the criminally insane.

Evelyn went on with her life after the trial. She appeared in silent films and in vaudeville, and she penned two memoirs. In 1955, a movie was made about her life called The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing.

She died on January 17, 1967 in Santa Monica, California.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Dance History Factoid #176:

“Evelyn Nesbit was the first supermodel and chorus girl known for being involved in a murder.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIblVlz97Zo

Quote of the Day:

“Nobody can live in the past or the future without being something of a nut.”

-         Evelyn Nesbit

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https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/

https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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Wild Wednesday Hip Restriction

Wild Wednesday Hip Restriction

Turn-out can be an ever-elusive problem. There are as many different hip socket structures as there are dancers, and this is why achieving increasingly greater turn-out is daunting.

Therefore, it can be helpful to identify the Area of Greatest Restriction. Here is a quote from the website https://www.theballetblog.com/portfolio/training-turnout-part-1-achieving-your-ultimate-range/ :

Many people blame the bony structure of their hips for a lack in turnout, but actually feel the block on muscular structures around the hips. When you go into a frog stretch, a grande plié, second splits or are standing in 5th, close your eyes and see if you can really feel what is actually stopping you from going further. Is it the front of the hips (TFL?), inside the hip (Iliacus or Psoas Major?), the inside thighs (Adductors and Pectineus), the sides of the hips (Gluteus Medius and Minimus?), the back of the hip (Hip Capsule or SIJ?), or perhaps even in your low back (Lumbosacral Junction).

Once you – or a physical therapist or other professional - have “diagnosed” the problem area, it will be easier to target stretches and use them for the greatest benefit.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #3v:

“Identify the Area of Greatest Restriction in your hips.”

Link of the Day:

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

Quote of the Day:

“You have had a dream for so many years. Let today be the day you make a plan for it. Just think about how much more likely you are to hit your target when you finally aim at it.”
― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience

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https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/

https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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Technical Tuesday Fingernails

Technical Tuesday Fingernails

Fingernails are interesting things. Did you know that the nails on your dominant hand grow faster than on your other hand? Or that fingernails grow more in a month than do toenails, and they grow more in summer (warmer temperatures) than winter?

The part of the fingernail you see is really only part of the nail. There are many others: Proximal nail fold, Cuticle (Eponychium), Lunula, Nail, Plate, Nail bed, Lateral Nail Folds, Distal edge of Nail Plate and Hyponichium. The picture above makes all this easier to understand.

For dancers, the hands and fingers are some of the most expressive parts of the body. Avoid painting your nails before a performance, as dark colors especially, can make the fingers look short.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Anatomical Secret #26u:

“Fingernails grow an average of 3.5 millimeters per month, but toenails grow an average of 1.6 millimeters a month.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pw2eV7QS9M

Quote of the Day:

You can tell a lot from a person's nails. When a life starts to unravel, they're among the first to go.”
― Ian McEwan, Saturday

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My latest books are coloring books! They are available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/

https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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Marvelous Monday Stretch

Marvelous Monday Stretch

Dancers seem to be constantly stretching. Constantly. This is usually a good thing, as long as the muscles are warm, and the dancer isn’t trying to stretch a cold muscle (scary).

But another common problem dancers have in stretching is breath holding. This is usually unconscious; because they are working so hard to stretch they forget to breathe.

The website https://www.rockettes.com/blog/stretching-tips-for-dancers/ says it well:

DON’T: Hold your breath. Instead, send oxygen to your muscles by breathing slowly and evenly. According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, even breaths help relax your body, increase blood flow and even remove the lactic acid that builds up when you exercise. Take a deep breath—it could be the easiest part of your dance fitness routine!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #21h:

“Remember to breathe during stretches.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X72bfm7Q6M8

Quote of the Day:

“Breath is the finest gift of nature. Be grateful for this wonderful gift.”
― Amit Ray, Beautify your Breath - Beautify your Life

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My latest books are coloring books! They are available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/

https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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Sunday Escalate

Sunday Escalate

There is no elevator to success. There’s not even an escalator. You must take the stairs. One bit at a time, consistently. And, there are days when you take one step up and two steps back. But gradually, over time, you will reach the top of the stairs if you just keep at it.

This is a good thing. Taking anything one step at a time, or one day at a time, makes life easier to handle. It prevents “borrowing trouble” and allows you to focus on just what you can accomplish today.

As long as the stairs are consistently climbed, regardless of setbacks, the top will be reached.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Motivational Secret #175:

“There is no elevator or escalator to success, you must take the stairs.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTNc2LblgGs

Quote of the Day:

“Curious that we spend more time congratulating people who have succeeded than encouraging people who have not.”
― Neil deGrasse Tyson

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My latest books are coloring books! They are available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/

https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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

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Silly Saturday Shoes

Silly Saturday Shoes

Dancers are a strange group. We are dedicated, passionate, hard working people. But we also seem to have a penchant for silliness.

I had a  wonderful roommate many years ago who said (with a grin), that if you put your shoes in a perfect fifth position every night when you take them off, that your turn-out will be improved by morning.

Silly, of course. But it is fun to do and anything that produces a laugh or a grin is always welcome – and can even promote good health!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Silly Secret #84:

“Put your shoes in fifth position whenever you take them off.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0dXgSxIV84

Quote of the Day:

“You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.”
― Colette

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https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/

https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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

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Fun Friday Pirouette Jeans

Fun Friday Pirouette Jeans

We have all had the experience of zipping up a tight pair of jeans. That sensation of lifting and sucking in the stomach is familiar to most of us.

Therefore, use this feeling during a pirouette preparation. As you plié, begin “zipping” up your jeans, and by the time you hit the top of the relevé, the jeans should be securely zipped and held there. This helps maintain the posture and alignment needed for successful turns.

For fun, you could even try wearing real jeans and try to zip them up during your preparation.

Have fun with ballet.

Pirouette jeans!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #15xxx:

“As you plié in a pirouette preparation, zip your jeans.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XPBXCz1oCc

Quote of the Day:

“I have often said that I wish I had invented blue jeans: the most spectacular, the most practical, the most relaxed and nonchalant.”
― Yves Saint-Lauren

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My latest books are coloring books! They are available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/

https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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

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