Saturday Sunshine

Saturday Sunshine

An element of posture that is sometimes problematic is the “opening” of the upper chest, along the line of the clavicles (collarbones).  There is a tendency for dancers to close up or cave in the area, especially when breathing hard, or simply concentrating.  

There are a number of images that can help with this.  For the ladies, imagining an expansive and wide necklace that is filled with gems and allowing the gems to twinkle in the light.  For everyone, I use the idea of the upper chest and lower neck being like the sun, and allowing the rays to extend outward in all directions.  Once this idea is introduced, all I need to say is “sunshine!” as a reminder.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #1m:  

“Imagine the upper chest (around the collarbones) as the sun, and send the rays out in all directions.”

                Link of the Day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kElu-YJUGM        

Quote of the Day:

“Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.”

-Helen Keller

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Fun Friday: No Squashing in Ballet

Fun Friday:  No Squashing in Ballet

According to the imaginary (so far) Big Beige Book of Ballet Statutes, there is no squashing, smushing, smashing or mushing in ballet.  Except perhaps for the movement of rolling down through the foot (which might be considered a type of slow, limited, squashing), there is no time when a dancer’s technique would involve squashing. 

Particularly in the area of posture where any action that might mash the spine, compress the joints, or drop the neck down into the shoulders is strictly prohibited – by statute #3.

From the Big Beige Book of Ballet Statutes:

Statute #3:  

“There is no squashing in ballet.”

                Link of the Day:

                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pTxqb7nQEY

Quote of the Day:

“Trying to squash a rumor is like trying to unring a bell.”

-          Shana Alexander

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Throwback Thursday: Ballet Girls of the 1800s

Ballet Girls of the 1800s

Back in the early days of ballet, one of the highest risk professions was that of a “ballet girl”.  This was due largely to the gas jet lighting of the pre-electricity days.  The lights added great atmosphere to the ballets, but were deadly to any young ballet dancer who got too close to the open flames.  The long romantic length tutus were a definite fire hazard and many young girls lost their lives in this manner.  A method was developed to make the tutus more fire resistant, but many dancers refused to use it.  They said it yellowed the skirt and weighed it down.

Other hazards abounded for these ballet girls:  trap doors used for ethereal exits and entrances sometimes got stuck or dropped too quickly.  Then there were the obvious risks associated with the common practice of suspending or “flying” dancers using wires.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Dance History Factoid #3:

“One of the highest risk professions in the 1800s was that of the “ballet girl”.

                Link of the Day:

http://michaelminn.net/andros/biographies/livry_emma/         

Quote of the Day:

“Ballet technique is arbitrary and very difficult.  It never becomes easy, it becomes possible.”

-          Agnes de Mille

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Hang It Up

Hang It Up

When performing a cambré, or port de bras back, there is a tendency for one side of the body to curve backward further than the other.  This twists the torso, and destroys the correct alignment of the body needed for the movement.  Some directives work well to correct this:  “Take both shoulders back together”;  “Feel as though you are doing a backbend over the back of a chair,” etc.   But for those students who are still having trouble, this image seems to provide consistent success:  “Imagine wearing a jacket that someone forgot to remove the hanger from… think of how that would feel if you tried to cambré with the hanger in place.”

A more concrete example would be to actually hold a hanger (preferably a non-bendable wooden one) against the dancer’s shoulder blades as they cambré. 

 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets: 
 Secret #6c:

“Imagine wearing a coat with the hanger still in it.  Feel the hanger against your shoulder blades as you cambré.”

 

Link of the Day:

 

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

 

 

Quote of the Day:

“Hanging onto resentment is letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head.”

-          Ann Landers

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Eye Focus

Eye Focus

It is important for a dancer to understand where the eye focus should be directed.  It varies according to the step or position being executed, but the general rule that applies when a dancer is simply standing at the barre is this:  The eye focus is slightly above eye level.  The focus is a distant one, like looking outward toward a mountaintop.  This distance concept can be harder to achieve at the barre, when standing behind another dancer.  I tell my students to imagine looking through the person in front of them.  This upwardly directed eye focus was mentioned briefly in a previous post on “polite arrogance”.

An upward, distant eye focus is particularly important because many students have the habit of looking down at the floor, especially when they are concentrating.  If the eye focus is down, the head is down and the posture becomes completely compromised – the seat will go out to counterbalance the head being down.  The body is now balanced, but hardly aligned in the right place!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #1f:  

“The eye focus is slightly above eye level.”

Link of the Day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4zHeVSQLoQ 

  

Quote of the Day:

“There is a road from the eye to heart that does not go through the intellect.”

-          G.K. Chesterton

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A New Ballet Term?

A New Ballet Term?

One essential element of good posture is a dancer’s ability to keep the pelvis level:   not tucked under, nor tipped backward.  Many years ago a student of mine coined the term “teotard line” meaning the area in the front of the torso where the leotard and tights meet, (where the torso meets the upper thigh), when the dancer is standing in a turned-out position.  This area can be envisioned as having a zipper – one running up each thigh/torso or “teotard” area – that is pulled up and held straight.  It’s like zipping up a pair of jeans.

I have found this image to be very helpful for students when they are attempting to maintain a level pelvis in tendu or dégagé derrière where it is particularly difficult to prevent tilting the pelvis (sticking the seat out or up).  In a future post I will discuss when and how the pelvis is allowed to tilt, in order to achieve a beautiful attitude derrière and arabesque.

 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #1j:  

“The “teotard” line is where the leotard and tights meet at the front of the upper thigh.”

 

                Link of the Day:

                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYt3pQ5Lei4

 

Quote of the Day:

“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.”

-          Lucius Annaeus Seneca

         

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Old Things in New Ways

Old Things in New Ways

When faced with the repetitive nature of a ballet class, day in and day out, it’s easy to fall into old habit patterns and old ways of thinking.  But if a dancer can come into each class with the goal of thinking about old things in new ways, it will help keep the class experience fresh and productive.  Do you always think of rond de jambes inscribing a half circle?   How about having them draw a giant “D” on the floor.  Working on elongating the neck?  Why not imagine wearing long dangling earrings and letting them catch the light.  A small change is all it takes.  You get the idea.

It works outside the classroom too.  I was reading recently about a woman who suddenly noticed that when leaves fall, every single one falls in a different and unique way.  We are all familiar with the notion that “no two snowflakes are alike”, but who thinks, or takes the time to notice the way leaves fall.  This is just one example of an interesting way to look at old familiar things with a new perspective.  It keeps life - and ballet class - interesting and fresh.

 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #7c:

“Think about old things in new ways.”

 

                Link of the Day:

                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbuHo8ypTeg

 

Quote of the Day:

“It is the function of art to renew our perception.  What we are familiar with we cease to see.  The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and, as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it.”

-          Anais Nin

 

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