Leigh's pet peeves...arms!

...because I certainly do have pet peeves in other parts of the class.  Okay, here are a few to watch yourself for next time you're in class:

Egregious Error #1. "Flicking" the hands in an allonge line. Ooh, does this one bug me!  I will see a dancer fondu or pique to a lovely arabesque and then, rather than roll the shoulder back and stretch her arm, she merely flicks her wrist as if to say, "Voila!"

Why this happens: Typically, the hands are whisked back when a dancer is losing her balance. She may be at the barre or in the center and attempting to hold an arabesque but when she takes both hands off the barre or raises them over her head, she starts to fall.  She throws the hands up and away.

How to avoid this: Remember that allonge comes from the French meaning "to lengthen," so you want to start your line from the back.  Gather the impetus for the stretched line from behind the shoulder, under the blade, and then roll the shoulder down and back; the arm stretches behind the head from there and continues to the fingertips. Think 3-dimensionally with the arm so it does not skip fifth en haut. Do not break the line at the wrist and be sure to turn the head to follow the arm as it moves.

Egregious Error #2: "Magic arms" during grand jete developpe. More "Voila!" arms.  As a dancer throws her leg in front of her for a jete, she also throws the arms out in front of her, jutting them as a magician might when he gestures to a lady cut in half.

Why this happens: The dancer is concentrating so hard on the leg doing a grand battement developpe that she "develops" the arms as well. The arms and hands merely mimic what is happening with her front leg.

How to avoid this: Again, think 3-dimensionally with your arms and let the gesture begin with the middle of the back.  Gather the arms in fifth en bas as you plie before your jete, bring them through the 3rd position via 1st position so they take up more space.  This way the arms will not look like crocodile jaws either.

Egregious Error #3: "Magnet hands" in petit allegro.  Imagine your thighs have magnets and so do your hands and when you jump, they attach themselves to each other.  Not pretty and not efficient, either.

Why this happens: Well, you want to get high off the ground, don't you?  Contrary to popular belief, your shoulders do NOT help you jump higher.  I joke, of course, but it's true.  Many times, a dancer will push very hard off the floor with her feet but rather than use her plie to get a greater lift or spring her toes for more impetus, she uses her shoulders. Then the arms stiffen and the hands go straight down to her legs.

How to avoid this: When you do petit allegro steps like changements or entrechat quatres (or trois, etc.), remember to bend your knees and push your heels off the floor. Roll through your demi-pointe and spring with your toes.  As for your arms, when holding them in a low fifth, be sure to keep space between them and your legs - once more, think 3-dimensionally.  Leave some breath under your elbows and imagine a cloud of air lifting you under your elbows and upper arms.  And yes, engage your upper back!  There are muscles there too, remember, and they will help get you off the ground.

Happy dancing~

Haley's Pre-Pointe Workbook (a guide for all dancers!)

This weekend, ballet instructor and dancer Haley Mathiot posted a wonderful and comprehensive guide for her pre-pointe students on her blog, Beyond the Barre, and generously invited readers to share it.  So I am!

BUT!  I don't think this is a resource solely for pre-pointe students. I believe it's a terrific resource for ALL dancers.  She covers the bones and muscles of the feet and hips, exercises to work on turnout and lift, plus reminders for ALL of us about how the body works. Using diagrams and photographs, she visually represents what is happening in our bodies when we dance, and specifically when we go en pointe.

Please read, absorb, share - and thank Haley for the effort she put into this guide!

PP1

Teaching at CalTech This Sunday, November 11th!

Dance friends in the LA and Pasadena area: this Sunday, November 11th, I will be teaching an Int/Adv Ballet class at CalTech for its Ballet Club.  I've taught for them a couple of times before and it was a blast each time.  The studio is very large so there's plenty of room to move - and you know me, I love to give combinations that travel!

So if you're in the area and looking for a ballet class on Sunday morning, come on over to CalTech.and take with me!

What: Int/Adv Ballet
Where: CalTech Braun Gymnasium
When: Sunday, Nov. 11th, 11AM-12:30PM
Cost: $8 (plus $5 gym fee)

Lots of free street parking too!  For more information, check out CalTech Ballet Club's website.

Happy dancing~

Another pirouette post: Using your plie

Caveat: I am not a natural turner.  There are beautiful dancers who can simply move their heads and they spin like tops. That is not me. But I am consistent. I know what I have to do in order to perform a double pirouette en dehors or en dedans - and if I am not performing it properly, I know how to fix it for my body.

This is my goal for you.  Consistency.  Knowledge, as the saying goes, is power, and the more knowledge you have of proper pirouette techniques, the better able you will be to control your turns.

Let's talk plie in the en dehors pirouette. First of all, we will assume that you are:

1 - pulled up in your abdominals
2 - engaging your upper back muscles
3 - elongating your neck and arms

Now, let's try the pirouette. From a 5th position, left foot front, either tendu or chassee to a 4th position tendu with no weight on that right foot.  All of your weight is on the left foot.

Hold the tendu for 4 counts, stretching the arms and back and toes even further, then do a quick plie on the "and" count, reach the right arm even longer, pull the arms to first position, bring the right leg up to retire,  and turn on 5. End the turn nicely with a soft fondu to a 4th position.

There are several advantages to trying the pirouette with this timing.  For one thing, it avoids "sitting" in your 4th, which usually redistributes the weight incorrectly to the back foot or between both feet.  For another, it takes advantage of the snap of the "and" count. And most important of all, it eliminates the anxiety many dancers feel when they turn.  So many of us think, "Oh no, now I have to turn!" Then we sit in our plie, wind up our arms, and hope for the best. By using the power of the "and" count and the quick plie, you can remove anxiety from the pirouette equation.

Try it next time you're in the studio.  And keep in mind that this preparation is not necessarily appropriate for all combinations but it can get you re-thinking your plie so you can use it more efficiently.

Happy dancing~