| Are you a ballet dancer, thinking about
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| | obstacles which are inherent in the build
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| taking ballet dancing to the next level?
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| | of the body...
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| First, let me say that I truly believe
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| | The neck line is important, rather more
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| that whatever you put your mind to, and
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| | on aesthetic grounds than from anatomical
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| become completely focussed on that goal,
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| | point of view. To conform to the ideal
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| you can achieve...
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| | physique the neck should not be too
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| This article is just highlighting some of
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| | square, and above all not too short; the
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| the centuries-old beliefs as to what
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| | head should not be disproportionately
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| constitutes an ideal physique for a
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| | large nor too small...
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| ballet dancer...
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| | The ideal ballet physique embodies a
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| It is well recognized that a ballet
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| | perfect balance between the upper and
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| dancer MUST possess a physique that can
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| | lower halves of the body. A good guide
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| be trained to the finest degree of
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| | for the best proportions may be taken
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| coordination, combined with complete
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| | from ancient Greece where the length from
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| flexibility, endurance, and great
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| | the crown of the head to the pubic arch
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| strength from head to toes. In spite of
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| | or fork is equal to that from the fork to
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| this all important fact, some students
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| | the ground. Following the same pattern,
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| train till well on into their teens
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| | the length from the fork to the lower
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| before being defeated by some physical
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| | border of the knee cap should be equal to
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| characteristic which undoubtedly existed
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| | that from the lower border of the knee
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| at ten years old, but overlooked or
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| | cap to the ground...
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| ignored by their trainers at that time...
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| | According to the classical tradition, the
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| So what is the ideal physique, you ask?
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| | shoulders of the man are broader than the
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| Well, most experts agree that your body's
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| | hips, in the woman they are somewhat
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| proportions are critical to having an
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| | narrower. Here we diverge somewhat, for
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| ideal physique. Apart from aesthetic
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| | it has been found by experience that the
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| considerations, a well proportioned body
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| | ideal ballet figure is the better for
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| will weather the stresses and strains of
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| | some slight extra width across the
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| the exciting work required of it with
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| | shoulders, whether male or female...
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| greater ease than one in which there is
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| | Limbs are next on the list. Pretty arms
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| some disparity in the relative length for
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| | and hands are naturally an asset; extra
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| instance, of limbs to torso, of width to
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| | arm length or lack of it is not a really
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| length of the body, or of the relative
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| | a problem, but for the lower limbs the
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| size of shoulders to hips and so on...
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| | standard of beauty is set high. The ideal
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| Unlike the musician, the ballet dancer
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| | leg will of course be straight and
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| cannot tune their instrument by
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| | shapely, showing little or not muscular
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| lengthening or shortening their strings,
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| | development when standing, with smooth
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| increasing or decreasing the tension
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| | line from the back view, and knees which
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| until the exact pitch is achieved. In the
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| | do not protrude too much from the
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| world of ballet dancing, your body is
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| | front...
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| your instrument, infinitely complicated
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| | There will be a straight line down the
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| and it becomes your servant only after
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| | center of the thigh, through the center
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| many years of desperately hard
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| | of the knee, down the front of the leg to
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| training...
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| | about the middle of the foot. The foot
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| At best it becomes an instrument of great
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| | will be flexible, showing at least a
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| beauty, but it will fall short of this if
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| | potential arch. With toes of medium
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| it is endowed with that extra inch here
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| | length only and preferably with the first
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| or too short a length there to fall into
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| | two or three approximating the same
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| that perfection of line and form that the
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| | length...
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| art demands. In the well-informed,
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| | Finally the perfect candidate will have
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| well-proportioned physique there is less
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| | an upright carriage and well-poised head.
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| likelihood of muscles thickening in
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| | Hopefully this gives you a little insight
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| unwanted places, and less proneness to
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| | into some age-old views on the physique
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| the minor and sometimes major mishaps
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| | of ballet dancers and the art of ballet
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| caused by the effort to overcome
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| | dancing.
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