Why wear leotards and tights in class? Because...

...I said so - ha!

Whenever a new student contacts me about my classes, one of the usual questions concerns attire. While most people are familiar with the traditional ballet look (black leotard, pink tights and pink slippers for women; white shirts and black tights/leggings and black slippers for men), they often associate it with pre-professional schools for children and teens, rather than recreational adult classes.

My answer is most likely: wear what is comfortable for you. That could mean a t-shirt and yoga pants, leo and tights, socks instead of slippers. I want new students who are unfamiliar with being in a ballet class to be as unconcerned about their appearance as possible. That inhibits learning.

However, once a student has gotten comfortable with being in a room filled with mirrors - and strangers! - they often want to wear more classical attire. I encourage this, of course, but not for the reason you think.

Most teachers prefer their students wear leotards and tights so they can see their lines. They also want the students to see their alignment, which is harder to do when spines and pelvises are covered in baggy shirts and shorts.

That's true and very necessary, especially with younger students, who don't yet have body awareness and can't feel where their bones and muscles are.

But the reason I want you to wear a leotard is so you can feel how your body moves in the space, a/k/a dancing. Ballet is not just about alignment and poses. Ballet is movement in space; it is 3-dimensional, not 2-dimensional. When you wear a baggy shirt, you can't feel how your torso moves up and forward as you cambre or do a grand circular port de bras. When you're wearing loose shorts, you can't feel how your leg moves through space as you do a developpe ecarte derriere.

Yes, it is tremendously helpful to be able to look in the mirror and see where your leg is, whether your hips are tilted, if your shoulder is lifted. But you need to feel that. You need to feel movement. Baggy clothes or an extra shirt create a barrier between your body and the space around you. Now, no one is suggesting you dance naked (!) but a leotard and tights are the next best thing.

Happy dancing, everyone~

Always moving UP!

Hello beautiful dancers!

As I've mentioned in the past, lots of people (instructors included) want ballet to be a list of do's and don'ts, always and nevers, and for many things, we can accommodate that. For instance, a battement tendu always stretches to a point, you never sickle your foot, and so on. These are basics we can all agree on.

Depending on the school where you study, however, the foot might wrap in battement frappe or it might flex. The working leg might developpe during the execution of a fondu developpe or it might go through an attitude. New dancers are understandably confused when they take classes with teachers who don't allow for other styles of ballet.

That's why I share the "always" whenever I can. So here's an always:

Begin every action with an UP.

No matter what you do, start with UP.

Plie? Lift up in your torso before you descend.

Tendu? Lift up in your core and standing leg before you release the gesture leg.

Jumping? Turning? That's right - lift your center, take a breath - feel the up before you go down.

But why? you ask. Why wouldn't I concentrate on down if I'm about to move across the floor?

Many reasons, but the simplest is this: by lifting up, you engage your upper body and core muscles which makes you lighter and propels you across the floor faster and more smoothly. For a pirouette, focusing on the down means you're already falling out of the turn; by thinking UP, by breathing, by lifting, you're giving yourself a head start on staying up en releve. And we all know (or we can guess) what happens when dancers en pointe don't engage their core muscles: their ankles and feet do all the work.

When you watch a dancer with lovely port de bras, take a look at what she or he is doing with their arms. More likely than not, they are lifting up first with a breath under their arms (space for their pamplemousses!) before they start to move.

Next time you're in class, try to begin everything you do with the UP. You'll find that exercises are a lot easier and that you feel lighter throughout the class. I think you'll also discover you have more height in your jumps, more expression in your epaulement, and an easier time with turns.

Happy dancing - UP!

Are you coming back...to ballet?

For some reason, I've been getting a flurry of emails and phone calls this month from potential new students. Is it the weather, I wonder, the promise of spring ahead, with longer days and more hours to do things? Or better yet, to return to things...

The new contacts I've heard from are primarily returning students, those who took class when they were kids and want to come back. Maybe they miss the discipline of the barre or the camaraderie of a class. Perhaps they've tried various types of exercise and they realize nothing quite satisfies body and mind like ballet. Whatever the reason, I want to say a few things to them (or is it you?):

1. Give yourself room to fail. You may recall the perfect pirouettes you used to do when you were a kid and now you can't get over your leg. You could do a full split but now you're a mile from the ground. Heck, you once did fouette turns! And now? Well, now, time has passed and your body has forgotten all those things. BUT IT WILL REMEMBER. It will! You have to trust me on this. I see over and over again students who come back and flail a bit but the ones who don't get upset with themselves improve with consistent attendance. They do - I guarantee it. The ones who berate themselves or refuse to accept their bodies have changed don't stand a chance. Don't be that person.

2. Be consistent in attendance. When you were a kid, you could probably attend a class a week and everything would be in its rightful place. Your jumps would be high, your turns would be smooth - you didn't even need to warm up or cool down, am I right? That was me too! Rushing into class at the last second because my mom was late but still ready to do a grand battement. Now? Uh-uh. I need time to warm up. I need to be in class regularly to get my leg high. Even if you can't do everything in every class, try to be there at least a couple of times a week. It will help your technique pick up immensely, not to mention it won't feel like the only time you can do something. You need to believe, in your mind, that if you don't get something in one class, you will get it in the next. If you only take once in a blue moon, you will never have that peace of mind.

3. Have fun. Back in grade school or high school, you might have been in a studio where there were a few coveted roles each year, or you participated in competitive dance. There is no competition in my class. I give everyone equal attention. You don't need to be better than anyone but the person you were yesterday. My students encourage each other and support every new person who walks through the door. Attending my class is like going to the Cheers bar, where everyone knows your name and they're always glad you came. "Norm!"

4. Slow and steady wins the race. Race? What race? There is no race in ballet. It is one long continuous journey. No matter what level you are or how many years of experience you have, there is always something new to learn. And as we get older, there are new ways we need to approach dance. When we have a chronic injury, we need to work with it, not against it. When we can't jump, we need to express ourselves in other ways. When we have flagging energy levels, we need to learn to pace ourselves and not burn out. That's the slow and steady I'm talking about.

5. Don't give up. Please don't. And I'm not saying this because I want you in my class. I don't care if you end up going to another class that is better suited to you for whatever reason. There was a reason you contacted me. There was a reason you Googled "adult ballet classes." It's not like my face and email are plastered on bus stops. You had to actually seek me out. That's the first step - and it's a hard one. You called me; you asked my opinion on which class to take; maybe you came and took one. Don't stop. You are a busy person and you went through all that trouble - ballet means something to you. It's not a silly or selfish wish to want to get back into it.

Happy dancing~

Do's and Don'ts for the Ballet Newbie

This time of year, people attend Nutcracker performances and start to think about taking classes themselves. I love that! I too find myself wanting to dance when I see it - or even hear the music.  With that in mind, I'd like to welcome new students to my classes (or anyone's classes!), whether you give yourself the gift of dance at Christmas or Hanukkah or make a New Year's resolution for 2015.

If you're new to ballet or you have been away for a while, here are a few things to keep in mind when you take a class:

DO come with an open mind. You likely won't get every single thing right your first (or second) time in class so give yourself permission to flail a bit. It's okay: everyone else in your class has been there too.

DO wear comfortable clothing. If a leotard and tights are too formal or expose too much, then choose leggings and a long t-shirt or shorts and a tank top. As long as the teacher can see your hips and alignment, the point is to be comfortable with yourself, mentally and physically.

DON'T talk or ask questions during the barre. If I give you a personal correction during a barre exercise, that is not the time to engage in conversation or respond verbally. Also, it's important to be able to follow along so watch someone else at the barre if you don't get it immediately. Questions slow everything down; a barre needs to flow to get people warmed up.

However, DO ask questions in the center when given an opportunity to do so. Often, someone else is wondering the same thing.

DO watch other students, particularly students the teacher has called upon to demonstrate or has praised. Even if a student is not perfect, I may use him or her as an example to show you something specific I like that he or she is doing. Pay attention and ask yourself if you are doing the same thing.

DON'T stand and do nothing. If we are marking a combination (i.e. going through it step by step with or without music) that is your opportunity to walk through it and "test the waters." Following along as we mark will get the combination into your body. Even if you are confused, try to make your body do what I am doing.

DO stand behind someone who seems to know what he or she is doing, whether that means at the barre or in the center or across the floor. DON'T stand in front of them and try to look behind yourself. That is needlessly difficult.

DO have fun and DON'T take yourself too seriously! No matter what class you try, whether it's with me or someone else, a basic class or something more challenging, remember that you are there to enjoy yourself. Class should not be an additional stressor in your already-stressed life. Let dance help lighten the load on your shoulders. The hour or hour-and-half you spend in class is YOUR time. Turn your phone off. Turn your problems off. Relax and let ballet flow over you and through you. Too philosophical for you? Then remember this: ballet is great for your brain. The challenge of learning choreography, of learning new ways of moving and expressing yourself, is not merely physical but also mental. It allows you to be creative as well as physical. There is more to take from dance than simply exercising your body. Enjoy it for friendship and support too.

Happy dancing and happy holidays~

A "point"-ed pet peeve and a student's question

1. From me:

When you're driving your car, isn't it annoying when the driver in front of you puts his turn signal on long before he needs to turn? You become fixated on that signal because you don't know when or where you will have to slow down in order to accommodate him.

The same is true when you dance, when you pique or balance or even chassee. Some dancers flex their toes in anticipation of stepping up to the turn or out to the balance and what do we see? An ugly flexed turn signal.

I'm going now!  Nope, here I go. Yes, here it is, here is my pique arabesque!

This is a particular pet peeve of mine, as a teacher and as an audience member. There is the esthetic of it (awkward and ugly) and the technical aspect (your foot isn't pointed or straight). Always - always -always point your feet all the way down to your toes.  The aim is to melt the foot into the floor with every step and to roll through the demi-pointe softly. When you pique, stab those pointed toes into the floor and only bend them when you absolutely have to. It will look much better and the line will be complete.

2. From student:

 Why would a teacher tell me to work in 3rd position instead of 5th? Which is better? Does it matter?

Third position is kind of a midway point: the heel of the working leg sits at the arch of the standing leg, rather than the toe. It can be useful if you are brand new to ballet (although I never use it with my new students) or are injured, as the turnout is not as forced and the knees can fit more comfortably, if necessary.

However, it is really more of a transitional position, as we usually think of working through 3rd on the way from 2nd or 1st to 5th when we do tendu or degage. It can help students feel the tops of the legs closing more tightly.  I use it to emphasize a closure on glissade for instance, which can often be quite wide and loose for new students.

Is it better? No. It's useful but not better. For one thing, when you do not close your feet to 5th, you are not engaging your inner thighs so center work like allegro will not be as smooth or as quick as you'd like. By working in 5th at the barre, you are more likely to feel and engage the muscles you need to use to stabilize yourself in the center for adagio as well.

Does it matter? If you are injured, by all means, work in 3rd until you can comfortably tighten to 5th. Teachers who insist on 3rd are concerned with forced turnout and about the potential for rotating the knees too tightly and ultimately developing tendonitis or other knee pain. But if you work in your turnout and do not force it, you should be able to work in 5th rather than 3rd.

"Why do you ask me so many questions, Leigh?"

You're new to my class. Perhaps new to the studio. I introduce myself to you.

"Hi, I'm Leigh. What's your name?"

"Um, Nancy Newbie."

"Hi, Nancy! What's your experience?"

At this point, most people respond with a variation of:

"I've been dancing for X number of years." Or "I danced as a kid and am just getting back into ballet."

"Great, great! Are you new to the area, new to LA?"

"Yes." or "No." (Duh.)

If you're brand new to dance, I'll probably put you between 2 students who know my class well. If you're not new, I'll probably introduce you to the students right near you and mention something about them.

Why do I want to know all these things about you? I mean, you're just there to take a class, not become BFF's with everyone. What do I care anyway whether you've been dancing a while or are new to the area, etc.?

The answers to these questions give me insight into the way you will take the class.  If you're super new, I'll be super supportive and make sure you're picking everything up.  If you look lost, I want to help you. If you're new to the area, I might step back a bit and give you some space, since you're probably looking around for classes and teachers and I don't want to overwhelm you. If you tell me you danced a long, long time ago, I'll observe for class placement -this might not be the best class for you. If you say you had an injury, I won't push you. If you mention you take classes all over or otherwise seem like you're very interested in dance and improving your technique, I'll give you corrections.

I want you to have a good experience in my classes, no matter what level you are. While I can't tailor a class to a specific individual, I can direct it so the majority of the students are satisfied. I know not everyone does this, not every teacher bothers, and I get why: it's time-consuming and can feel like pandering. If the student doesn't come back, you wonder why, especially if you felt like it was a good fit for them.

Honestly, I do get disappointed sometimes when a good student doesn't return and I often vow to not bother to get to know someone in the future. But my classes are small and the students are tight. Every student who "sticks" fits in nicely with the group. That makes it more pleasant for all: you attend and see friendly faces and they like seeing you. I become ridiculously happy when my students socialize outside of class. That is success.

Happy dancing~

PS - a couple of housekeeping notes: There will be no Stretch class this Friday, 5:30. Also, I realized my calendar listed my Tues/Thurs classes as Adv/Beg. I changed that to Adv Beg - it is an Advanced Beginner class. I expect students to have the basics down and are looking for a challenge. ~ LP

10 Tips for Adult Newbies Who Aren't New to Ballet by Kathy Lu

Kathy Lu has a wonderful guest post at Dance Advantage which is one of my very favorite dance blogs. She discusses returning to ballet as an adult and having to absorb some harsh realities which she shares with other adults in a very amusing and honest way.

So many of my students are in this category. It can be a challenge as a teacher when someone comes back after years away and expects to be as good as they used to be. You know your body has changed in some measureable ways but there are some things you forget about when you're not dancing consistently (like using your inner thighs and pulling up your arches).

I think Kathy's list is tremendously valuable for teachers and for students themselves. If you are walking into my class after being gone for a while, I hope you will find some wisdom and encouragement in this list. If you're a teacher of adult students, it's a great reminder list of what is going through someone's head when they put their bodies and souls in our hands.

Thank you, Kathy, and thank you Nichelle, for letting me share this link with my students and friends.

Beginning Again in Ballet

Happy dancing~

Class 2 of Elementary Ballet Workshop

In the second week of the workshop - my "crash course" in ballet designed to give you the ultra basics in steps as well as class progression and typical etiquette - I teasingly pop-quizzed my students from the previous week about the steps they'd learned and then added more. (They passed with flying colors!)

For them, and for you, in case you are interested in any future workshops I may do, the following is the additional material we learned:

--Grand plies in 1st and 2nd positions
--Tendus from 5th position
--Degages from 5th position
--Grand battements from 5th position
--Retire facing the barre, balancing
--Sautes in 1st position facing the barre
--Cambre with arm facing the barre
--Tendus and degages from the 5th in center
--Chassees in efface on the diagonal with arms in first

Next week we will tackle changements at the barre, sautes in the center and on the diagonal, rond de jambes a terre, and a reverence. And then the final week will see us putting together short combinations, like a typical class would. Whoo-hoo!

13 Dance Resolutions for 2013

Even if you're not one of my students, you can use some of these. In 2013, I resolve to:

1. Think about dance in four dimensions (height, depth, length, and time).

2. Be generous with my plie for take-off and landings.

3. Keep my eyes wide open and my chin lifted when I spot.

4. Eat healthy foods, get plenty of sleep, and rest when injured.

5. Listen to every correction given to every person in class, whether I think it applies to me or not.

6. Accept feedback and criticism graciously and gratefully.

7. Reverse combinations whenever I can.

8. Train at the barre and entertain in the center.

9. Encourage others, especially beginners, and look for the artistry in everyone.

10. Choose one new thing to think about during every pirouette combination - but only one at a time!

11. Ditch the baggy clothes and appreciate the beauty that is my body.

12a. Never assume I can't do something that is new or unusual.

12b. Eliminate the word "Wait!" from my vocabulary and stop automatically raising my hand before a combination is marked with music.

13. Understand that progress can take many forms and as much time as it needs to.

Happy, healthy dancing in the New Year~

Ballet burnout

Burnout can happen to anyone at any level at any time. Even to me after (mumble, mumble) years of dancing!

As an instructor, I have seen burnout countless times, especially among students who begin ballet as adults.  As much as I love seeing passion in new students, the possibility of them flaming out quickly is very high.  This occurs for a number of reasons:

FRUSTRATION - Ballet is not easy.  I mean, not AT ALL. I know the general public thinks it's hard but it's even harder than that.  When a new student starts class, they often learn exponentially in the first couple of weeks and that's because they knew absolutely nothing so they improve monumentally (usually). But after a month or so, things start getting harder and that's when frustration and dropout happen.

PAIN - Ballet is a constant fight against what your body wants to do.  99% of the world's population does not have naturally-gifted turnout. Making your legs do things in a non-parallel position comes with certain discomfort and that discomfort is, well, uncomfortable.  Most people also don't rise up on their toes a lot (unless they wear high heels!) so calves get tight and sometimes painful. There is, admittedly, some pain involved in dance at all levels - and most people who have danced their whole lives have learned to live with it.  If you aren't prepared for that, any pain will send you to the couch instead of class.

LACK OF SUPPORT - Face it, ballet is of real interest to a very small number of people.  Although millions watch the dance shows on television, a fraction of a percentage point actually pursue it on their own and fewer still stick with it.  When you don't have friends who dance, it can be lonely.  You have to be the one to push yourself to get to class.  You have to be the one to pencil in the time.  You have to be the one to encourage yourself to keep going.  Of course I'm there too but I'm not at your house, urging you to dress and hurry to class. It's more likely than not that you don't have lots of friends who take ballet so that puts a lot of pressure on you to be disciplined and get to class, rather than join happy hour after work or a book club on Saturday mornings.

So if you feel yourself on the verge of burnout, what can you do?

1. Recognize that it's probably temporary. Often people reached plateaus in their technique and assume this is as far as they are going to get and that they won't improve at all.  Not true.  NEVER true.  At least not as far as I'm concerned.  A plateau is a temporary thing and if you push through and allow yourself to be patient and find the thing that will get you to the next level, you'll feel a true sense of accomplishment.

2. Create a goal for your dance technique and focus on that for a period of time. Burnout can happen when you feel like you're doing everything over and over again and not progressing (there's that plateau again!).  So choose one thing to work on - pirouettes en dehors, batterie, performance - and that can help you through the down time.

3. Reduce the number of classes you're taking.  If you're dancing every day, you may be expecting a lot from yourself.  Keep in mind that professional dancers take one day off per week! Give yourself a little more time between classes so you can adjust your expectations per class.

4. Take a complete break from dance, from ballet, or from your studio. If you feel like you've exhausted yourself and burnout is inevitable, let it happen.  Don't feel like you've let yourself or your teacher down. It's important to recharge your internal batteries and regain your perspective.  Rediscover your love of ballet when you're away from it and then return newly-energized.

Remember that ballet is different for everyone.  The reasons for keeping it in one's life are as varied as the individuals themselves.  For me, dance has always been a part of my life from the time I was a small child.  Take a moment to understand what place is has in your life before you abandon it.

Happy dancing~

For all of my local students, please note my holiday schedule plus special price breaks through the end of the year at both Le Studio in Pasadena and at Dance Arts Academy in LA.

At Le Studio:
--ALL of my classes continue through the holidays
--**Special price: morning classes on Saturday, Dec 24th and Saturday, Dec 31st are only $10 each!
--New Stretch class for strengthening and flexibility on Thursdays, 5:30-6:30PM

At DAA:
--Class continues through the holidays
--**Special price: if you buy a 5-class card before the end of 2011, you will get one class free! Can be used thru 2/2012.
--**Special price: if you bring a friend in during the month of January (a new student), you each pay only $11!

I want you all to stay fit and stay sane through the holidays! 

Be well and happy dancing~

Ballet Class Etiquette

Everyone knows the basics of classroom etiquette. They go back to our kindergarten days: arrive on time, no talking, no chewing gum, no food, etc. Some studios ask students to turn their cell phones off. Some require that you remove hard-soled shoes, that you bring only water with you to the studio, that you leave your coats and bags in a dressing area, and so on.

But what about the unwritten rules? You know, the ones everyone else seems to know but you. Why is everyone lined up there? Why is she in front? What hand do we start with on the barre? Heaven help you if you break these rules: you'll bring the wrath of Anna Pavlova's ghost upon you! It can be intimidating to a new student and is often a reason why some people don't go to class. So here are a few do's and don'ts to help you before (and after) you go to ballet class:

A ballet class is structured in 3 general parts: barre, centre, and allegro.

The barre's exercises alternate so that you will perform one side with the left hand on the barre, then turn around and do the same exercise on the other side.

In the centre, we do adagio, turns and petit allegro. Most of these exercises are done in groups. Usually the teacher will decide how many students will go in each group - often, half and half for adagio and smaller groups for turns and allegro. When you are not in a group, step aside and watch until it's your turn.

For grand allegro and other locomotive steps like pique turns, etc. we usually conduct exercises in specific groups of 3 or 4 and we begin from the upstage left side of the room (the mirror is downstage) and travel on a diagonal downstage to exit stage right. The exercise is repeated group by group perhaps 2 or 3 times and then everyone moves to the upstage right side of the room to go downstage left.

And now some specifics--

DO find a spot at the barre behind a student who obviously knows what she's doing. Even better, get one between 2 good students; that way, when you turn around, you will have another person to follow.

DO line yourself up with your left hand on the barre. Traditionally, each exercise in class leads with the left hand on the barre, using the right arm for port de bars and the right leg working. Very rarely you will be in a class that begins with the right arm on the barre.

DO turn in to the barre if the class is crowded. This means angle your body slightly toward the barre if there are a lot of people in your class.

DO alternate hands on the barre. For classes with free-standing barres in which students line up on both sides of the barre, please situate yourself like so: first person at the barre usually stands in the center of it. Second person is on the other side to the person #1's right or left. Third person usually stands on the side of person #2 with their hand on the other side of person #1. A fourth person on the barre stands on person #1's side behind person #1, alternating with person #3. It looks like this:

This photo shows 5 girls at the barre but what's important is how they arrange themselves.

DO continue to stretch while the teacher talks. Never stand/talk/lean/daydream while the teacher demonstrates an exercise. Mark it along with her using your hands or feet and if there is a break while she talks to the accompanist or figures it out for herself, just stretch: legs, arms, etc.

DO watch for corrections that are given to other students. Even if the correction does not specifically apply to you, pay attention. You may be able to use it for yourself elsewhere. Plus it's rude not to.

DON'T interrupt the teacher by shouting at her. Just as we learned back in kindergarten, a slightly raised hand to call attention to yourself will likely get you a better response. And please, please refrain from saying things like, "Wait, wait! I don't get it." Most teachers react very badly to this sort of comment.

DON'T talk to the accompanist during class except during the brief break between barre and centre. She might be having fun but she's working and trying to pay attention to the teacher.

DO stand behind the teacher when she is demonstrating in the centre. If you stand in front of her or directly to the side, it will be harder to see the exercise.

DO stand behind better students in the classroom. Unless the teacher specifically places you (and some do!) opt for a spot behind someone who clearly knows what she's doing. But---

DON'T stand directly behind anyone ever in the centre. It's distracting when you're looking into the mirror to see a random arm or leg poking out from behind your reflection. Likewise, if you're in the front of the class, please DON'T take a spot directly in front of the person behind you. You need to separate yourselves both on the floor and in the mirror.

DO pay attention to the music and the intros. Not all intros are 8 counts. Some are 4. Some are 2. Sometimes there is no intro at all and the second group directly follows the first. Always be prepared to go.

DO mark the exercise on the side of the room. Rule of thumb: if there is a marley floor atop a wooden floor, do not stand on the marley unless you are dancing. Think of it as a stage.

DO be aware of students exiting the centre, especially if you are the next group to go. Always take note of where people are leaving - stage right, stage left. When YOU are leaving the space, ALWAYS go downstage toward the mirror and then off to the right or left to allow for the next group to come in and follow you.

NEVER simply stop dancing in the middle of an exercise. If you suddenly forget or get flustered, carefully exit - downstage and then off to the side. It's very difficult to go around someone who has stopped dead. And it can be dangerous!

Whew! That's a lot of information, isn't it? Don't worry - it's not that overwhelming. And Anna Pavlova really won't curse you if you don't remember them all.

Added 6/25...one more thing:

EVERY class usually ends with a reverence, which is a short port de bras or battement or other combination which ends with a bow to the accompanist and to the teacher, after which everyone applauds. You are not expected to know the combination but simply follow along with the teacher who will do it in front of the class with you. Traditionally, we thank the accompanist for playing for us and we also thank the teacher for sharing her knowledge with us. It's a respectful and formal way to end the class. Very old-fashioned but I like it.