Wacky Wednesday More

Wacky Wednesday More

In any relevé, dancers must always try to go higher than they think they need to go. This is especially true in pointe work, because so often the lift isn’t sufficient to get the feet fully pulled up. Scary.

Why does this happen? Probably because the amount of lift necessary for a good relevé in ballet slippers is less than the lift needed for a poor relevé in pointe shoes. When dancers first attempt this, it can feel daunting. But it gets easier.

This lift is always balanced by and equal and opposite energy downward. But you already knew that!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Secret #29b 

“In relevés, particularly on pointe, you must go higher than you think you need to go.”

Link of the Day:

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

Quote of the Day:

“Stop doing what is easy. Start doing what is right.”
― Roy Bennett

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

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

http://balletconnections.com/DebraWebbRogers

                                                                    Ballet Secret #

Technical Tuesday Turnout Factors

Technical Tuesday Turnout Factors

According to the article: Turnout for Dancers: Hip Anatomy and Factors Affecting Turnout: (https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.iadms.org/resource/resmgr/imported/info/turnout_for_dancers_anatomy.pdf ): “…contributions of the hip, knee, tibia, and foot create the dancer’s turnout. In most cases, dancers do not possess perfect turnout …”

Also from the same source:

“The small bones in the foot allow a gliding action to occur at the arch. It is not uncommon to see dancers force the lower limbs beyond the normal limits of the hip’s range of motion, creating a compensating action called pronation or “rolling in” of the feet to achieve the perception of greater or perfect turnout. This is also referred to as “forcing the feet”. Dancers are more prone to force the feet in 5th position than other leg positions. Naturally, abnormal alignment ensues, causing medial stress along the leg and knee, and is quite possibly linked to increased injury potential.”

This article goes into great detail about all the various anatomical factors that contribute to successful turnout. The condensed version is that  are five main things that influence turnout:

1.       The angle of the femur (thigh bone). An increase in this angle (anteversion) causes one to turn in – commonly called pigeon-toed. A decrease in this angle (retroversion) is what ballet dancers want to have since it increases turnout potential. Neither of these two factors can be changed by training.

2.       Orientation of the acetabulum (top of the femur). If the socket faces more sideways than front, there is more turnout potential.

3.       Shape of the femoral neck. The longer and more concave one has more turnout potential than a shorter and less concave one.

4.       Flexibility of the Y ligament.

5.       Flexibility of the muscle-tendon unit. Correctly stretching these muscles will  allow a dancer to reach their maximum turnout potential.

The article also has several good pictures illustrating these concepts. I recommend looking at them.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Secret #24m.:  

“ Turnout involves many different factors, some controllable, some not.”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq-iyFzHdPY

Quote of the Day:

“Love of knowledge is akin to wisdom.”
- Confucius

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

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

http://balletconnections.com/DebraWebbRogers

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Mad Monday Shelf

Mad Monday Shelf

The position of the arms in first, (or fifth en avant) is used constantly. It is important that this position be clean and accurate. The hands are level with the lower rib cage (some schools of training say the navel). 

The problem occurs when dancers “pull up” their posture, they also tend to pull up their arms. This puts the position somewhere around their clavicles (collar bones). Scary.

To fix this dilemma, imagine having a shelf that extends from the lower rib cage. It goes outward, parallel to the floor, and gives the edge of the hands a place to slide across - or gently rest upon.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Secret #6rr:  

“Imagine a shelf extending from the lower rib cage.”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOFYOH95BQc

Quote of the Day:

“Weary the path that does not challenge.”

-Hosea Ballou

                Help expand the knowledge base!

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

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

http://balletconnections.com/DebraWebbRogers

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

Sunday Go Ask Step

Sunday Go Ask Step

Today I present three simple ideas, or rules, for achieving goals. 

Number 1:  If you do not GO after what you want, you’ll never have it. This is similar to the saying: You can’t fail until you stop trying.  Although I prefer to think that in this sort of instance, you don’t fail, you simply change direction. And sometimes that can be progress.

Number 2: If you do not ASK, the answer will always be no. Dancers seem to be particularly at risk for this, since we are taught to stay quiet and accept correction. This works in a ballet class, but not in many other instances. For instance, have you ever asked for a scholarship, or something similar?

Number 3: If you do not STEP forward, you will always be in the same place. This is important in a dance class. You need to do a little more, stretch a little further, balance a little longer, etc. Otherwise you are only maintaining technique, not progressing with it.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Motivational Secret #29:  

“ Three simple rules: Go, Ask, Step.”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq0CL6ftL2I

Quote of the Day:

“The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.”
― Nikola Tesla

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

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

http://balletconnections.com/DebraWebbRogers

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Saturday Forehead Statute

Saturday Forehead Statute

Have you ever looked into the eyes of your dance partner and instead of maintaining your character you wanted to laugh – or did laugh? This is not unusual, largely because so many male dancers enjoy trying to “break up” their partner’s concentration.

To prevent this, here’s the secret: Instead of looking into your partner’s eyes, focus on the center of his/her forehead. It sounds silly, but it works. Somehow, if you aren’t staring directly into their eyes, it is easier to ignore any distractions they might send your way.

This also works if you have to work with someone you don’t particularly like, and you still have to play a character like Juliet. Just stare dreamily at your partner’s forehead and pretend he is actually Romeo.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Statute #81:  

“ Gaze at the center of your partner’s forehead.”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stghcug3zoQ

Quote of the Day:

“INTEREST. Here is the key to the whole thing. If and when you are truly interested in what you are doing, or are about to do, then you will center your attention on it with little or no effort, and almost irrespective of the attendant conditions.”
― Ralph Alfred Habas, The Art of Self-Control

                Help expand the knowledge base!

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

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

http://balletconnections.com/DebraWebbRogers

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