March-April 2012 | 2 Tips for Ballet Teachers | Launching and Landing
Fully stretching the feet as they leave the floor is of utmost importance. There is no better way of strengthening the feet than battement tendu.
Tag Archives: ballet tips
February 2012 | 2 Tips for Ballet Teachers | Stretch and Focus
nly a few lucky dancers have natural elevation. Elevation depends on the Achilles tendon, the thigh muscles, the muscles at the back of the knee, and demi-plié.
January 2012 | 2 Tips for Ballet Teachers | Balance for Beginners
In order for students to develop good balance, instructors must teach correct posture and placement right from the beginning of training. It takes many years of training to develop the strength in the legs and the back needed to balance on demi or full pointe. Start early.
December 2011 | 2 Tips for Teachers | A Proper Attitude
Attitude, a pose that mimics a statue of Mercury, is difficult to achieve correctly. A good way to teach it is for the dancers to work in pairs. One performs the exercise and the other assists in getting the position correct.
November 2011 | 2 Tips for Teachers
A fouetté (short for fouetté rond de jambe en tournant) is a step of virtuosity. The first thing to be strengthened is the relevé.
September 2011 |2 Tips for Teacher| Attention to Detail
With the emphasis on high leg elevation, kids think that this is the epitome of technique. Teachers should explain that high leg elevation is only as important as other aspects of classical ballet.
July 2011 | 2 Tips for Teachers | Pointe Work
Beginning pointe work is always so exciting for young dancers. For teachers, it is a time of great responsibility.
March-April 2011 | 2 Tips for Teachers | Open Eyes, Open Minds
Unless we own or teach in a school that can audition and take physically perfect bodies for ballet, as teachers we have to work with students of all sizes and shapes.
February 2011 | 2 Tips for Teachers
Some young children find skipping very difficult while others just naturally perform the movement.
January 2011 | 2 Tips for Teachers | Sickling
Sickling inward is seen often in young children, especially in hops in attitude devant. To correct this, teach students to hop with the leg held straight out in front.
October 2010 | 2 Tips for Teachers | Illustrating Alignment
When teaching correct posture (stance), explain that the knees must be over the center of the foot, the hips in line with the knees, and the shoulders in line with the hips. Ask the dancers to walk as fast as possible with the weight over the heels, then with the weight forward.
August 2010 | 2 Tips for Teachers
Learning attitude en l’air is best done facing the barre. Have students stand slightly away from the barre, holding it with two hands. Have them raise the leg, derrière, and bend the knee slightly without altering the height of the knee. (A low position should suffice at the beginning.) As the height of the leg increases, the weight of the body moves forward. The shoulders and hips remain square to the barre.
2 Tips for Teachers | Pirouettes
It is important for young children to practice the head movement, and to spot, before starting to learn pirouettes. Here is a useful way to achieve this:
Two Tips for Teachers
To get the correct placement of the fingers, place a pencil under the dancer’s first (pointer) and ring fingers so that it passes over the middle finger. Make holding the pencil without dropping it a game.