| Internet dance forums and chats can create a | | | | attitude. Strength is more important than height of |
| wonderful community for students, especially those in | | | | leg, for these showy spins. |
| smaller towns with fewer dance studios to choose | | | | Understanding the finer details of the basics of |
| from. | | | | classical ballet technique will allow you to build |
| One drawback, however, is the transfer of incorrect | | | | strength faster, without developing over worked |
| technical information that may lead to zero progress, | | | | muscles that gradually become too tense to maintain |
| or even injury. | | | | good muscle tone. Learning to train your brain to |
| For example, the basics of posture depend on | | | | improve your ability to envision your dance moves, |
| enough flexibility for a dancer to stand with a neutral | | | | and stay in a positive frame of mind will give you an |
| spine (normal curves and good abdominal support). | | | | edge. Yet, you must know what is accurate in order |
| This requires thigh muscles at the front of the leg, or | | | | to envision it for the best results. |
| hip flexors, and thigh muscles at the back of the leg, | | | | Learning the tips and tricks of safe stretching, and |
| the hamstrings, that are long and flexible enough to | | | | proper muscle care and relaxation will result in a |
| allow the pelvis to retain a natural position. This is | | | | steady progress and optimum results. |
| simply, neither tilted forward nor back in response to | | | | Study, in particular, the pre-pointe routines, including |
| a short or tense muscle of the leg. | | | | proper self-assessment, and well-paced home |
| While flexibility allowing a ballet dancer to do the splits | | | | practice. Whether you are a would-be ballerina or are |
| may seem like the ideal, a strong technique is | | | | among the men in ballet, pre-pointe regimens benefit |
| required to hold the traditional ballet positions and leg | | | | balance, foot strength, and lead to virtuoso |
| extensions in a stable position. Without a strong core | | | | professional footwork. Men and boys in pointe shoes |
| and uncluttered ballet exercises to build more | | | | is not a freak phenomenon, it's wise study, and more |
| strength, both adagio and grand allegro will be clumsy | | | | and more dance teachers allow the males to join |
| or result in injury. | | | | basic barre work on pointe. |
| A clean and accurate ballet technique benefits greatly | | | | Pointe work should always be supervised. Problems |
| from a student learning the basics of anatomy in | | | | with pointe work usually need to be corrected off |
| regards to turnout, foot structure, the spine, and | | | | pointe first. General technical weaknesses can be |
| large muscle groups. The all too common knee injuries | | | | improved throughout class work, and then work on |
| and sprained ankles can be prevented with | | | | pointe will be accurate and can be done without a |
| understanding what is at stake when a dancer forces | | | | struggle. |
| turnout, for example, or goes onto pointe too soon. | | | | If you would like to improve your ballet dancing |
| Dance students who are not ideally flexible, long and | | | | beyond your local training, all the information you |
| lean, or highly arched in their foot structure can still | | | | need is readily available. Give yourself some quiet |
| be strong. Holding the turnout you have means you | | | | time to study and learn some self-assessment tests |
| can move and jump safely. Having strong extension | | | | to isolate your weaker areas. The basics of ballet |
| positions and a strong core can mean you will do a | | | | training are well explained and are in your reach, even |
| fabulous series of turns in second, arabesque or | | | | if you are far away from a professional ballet school. |