We explored some new steps and imagery for use in alignment. We explored sissonne, contre temps, saute entournaut. We now have head strings and rib cage support. We also thought about lengthening our spines. What worked for you? What helped the most with your ballet knowledge?
Louis
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I thought the exercise we did at the beginning of class was really helpful in envisioning our head and ribs being in the correct, upright position. I also appreciated what was said about lengthening up and back; that you didn't go back intentionally, but that it followed naturally as your spine lengthed. In thinking about lengthening my movements, I think it will help me to make my moves more precise and strong.
Actually, for me the imagery we used in class only helped cause Wednesday when i was informed of my posture something clicked inside and i all of a sudden had a lot more enthusiasm towards my posture. I can't really describe it that well but whatever it was it was damn good! Like everything that I was being told just made sense and i was able to execute all of the images much to my excitment!
This week has been difficult with new techniques but enjoyed the challenge and getting one step closer to getting it. Lengthening our spines always helps me to keep my vertical straight. I really enjoyed learning sissonne, contre temps, and saute entournaut. I wish we have more time spending on these techniques to clean up my poses and movements but I shall try that on my own. The imagery head strings and rib cage support kept me thinking about keeping my shape and alignment straighter and firm. This week's exercises were challenging but I loved those challenges.
I was really grateful for the bit of advice about plieing during the sissones. I've had to do sissones before and I knew looked ridiculous, but I couldn't put my finger on what I was doing wrong. It is definitely the plie that I was missing. As soon as I incorporated that it suddenly looked like a sissone! Of course, as soon as we started doing it faster I immediately regressed to my more embarassing technique, but it's something that I can work on now that I know what the problem was.
I also noticed that the emphasis on a straight spine has improved my ability to stay straight up and down during a saute entournaut (at least I hope it has, maybe I'm going crooked without realizing it...). As we work on different steps and motions at the barre, it helps with muscle memory during combinations.
What I learned this week that was most valuable was the hip stretches. Generally I only think about my muscles but stretching out my hips helped me to relax at the bar.With my hips stretched out more I was able to think more about posture and placement and less about forcing my hips out.
I really enjoyed learning the hip stretches like Amanda said. I felt like having a greater turnout made my movements feel easier and more correct.
The supermodel poses were also interesting because that's exactly what ballet was, right? It was the high society thing where people showed off their skills. It makes more sense when we think of our ballet figuire if I imagine it as a posture to assume for other people to applaud. :)
I enjoyed having the longer phrase as well, since I felt tons of satisfaction from being able to put all of the exercises into a dance, to know what I'm working for when I do bar work and practice turns or jumps.
I feel like a lot of things helped me this week.
The discussion about having a neutral pelvis really made me think about the position of my pelvis during my plies, especially in second.
The strings and stretching of the head and ribs made me feel my long spine, as did the idea of reaching long as I do a port de bras.
When we moved across the floor and did the chasse (enter rest of name here), the first time I had a hard time controlling my horizontal. Once Louis told us part of our focus at the bar is staying straight, I tried harder the next day to recognize it and I felt like I saw results when we went across the floor with it again.
This was a very informative week, and I know I can learn a lot and try as much as I can to implement those tips and tricks given to us. I feel this week was a success because I learned a lot and attempted to use everything I learned.
I really enjoyed the focus on stretching in Monday's class. I feel like that is an integral part of becoming a successful dancer, knowing how to prepare and protect your body for the ensuing activities. Especially as a beginning dancer, I don't necessarily know what stretches I should be doing or how to do them, so when we get instruction on that, I am very appreciative.
Although I didn't get to actually do them, the new moves that the class learned this week looked amazing. Challenging but really fun to do. I am sad I can't really try them out, they seem to glide and flow in such a pretty way.
For me the theme of last week was lengthening and I though about that a lot in nearly all the things we did. I think keeping it in mind helps with my posture. Stretching back at the bar is something I'm working on, it still doesn't feel quite right and I think it's because I have not learned to lengthen my spine enough.
Last night before falling asleep I was actually going through the steps and arms of contra temps in my head. For some reason it's just really difficult for me, and I was really grateful when we took the time to do the arms separately. I'm looking forward to trying it again this afternoon...
By the way, I went to see New Works at the Pacific Northwest Ballet on Saturday and I loved it, especially the piece called M-pulse was amazing. Go to see it!
Because dance is at the end of the day I am super tierd, especially when I work before school early in the morning, I definatly don't always put 100% into my movement. One thing that I have learned of late is the how to focus my remaining energy of trying to make my technique clean and smooth. The rolling spheres in our hips idea has kept "turn out" more constant in my consciousness. This has helped my balance and my stability on my feet.
We learned a lot last week--a lot of new steps and new imagery. I actually didn't feel like I was dancing very well last week so it was hard for me to respond to the question of what worked for me. However, now that the new information has had time to settle, what I noticed myself focusing on most was length in the spine. I love that image of trying to reach above and out, reaching further than you think you can go. That kind of imagery has added more feeling and, I think, another dimension to my dancing.
I thought both the corsette and strings helped a lot, but I feel like the corsette and lengthening the spine helped the most. (though the rolling sphere of the head helps me more than the strings). I tried to use the idea of strings during port de bras. But it wasn't until today that I actually felt like I took the corsette to the bar with me. ;)
I think its just a matter of getting these ideas of alignment integrated into my routine on a consistent basis... which will only be achieved with time and effort....
I noticed today that the idea of lengthening the spine works better for me in more moves than does the string idea. Louis really helped me feel the idea of lengthening the spine during port de bras, by saying that it's the lengthening that makes us go forward or bend backward instead of just going forward/down and back, but an emphasis on extending and reaching during the move helped me a lot.
I can relate this to today's penche technique, that lifting the leg is what makes us go forward, and lift our back is what makes us go up. Though it was difficult to do it helped my thoughts toward what is creating the movement and it definitely changes the appearance of the move. THANK YOU, Louis once again for the great pointers and new ways of thinking about moves.
I thought both the corsette and strings helped a lot, but I feel like the corsette and lengthening the spine helped the most. (though the rolling sphere of the head helps me more than the strings). I tried to use the idea of strings during port de bras. But it wasn't until today that I actually felt like I took the corsette to the bar with me. ;)
I think its just a matter of getting these ideas of alignment integrated into my routine on a consistent basis... which will only be achieved with time and effort....
I noticed today that the idea of lengthening the spine works better for me in more moves than does the string idea. Louis really helped me feel the idea of lengthening the spine during port de bras, by saying that it's the lengthening that makes us go forward or bend backward instead of just going forward/down and back, but an emphasis on extending and reaching during the move helped me a lot.
I can relate this to today's penche technique, that lifting the leg is what makes us go forward, and lift our back is what makes us go up. Though it was difficult to do it helped my thoughts toward what is creating the movement and it definitely changes the appearance of the move. THANK YOU, Louis once again for the great pointers and new ways of thinking about moves.
Although I still don't know how my technique is coming along, and I don't feel as though I've improved drastically on any particular step, my attitude in general has changed. Before this week, I was very hard on myself for not doing well, not having perfect technique, etc., and it made the class more terrifying than fun. However, since the contra dance, I have loosened up a bit. Although I still have high expectations and want to learn and do well in this class, I am now relaxing and just enjoying the feeling of the dance. I think this has actually helped my technique become less stiff, as well.
I found the saute entournaut especially hard, I am doing a myriad of things wrong, & somehow managed to pull a muscle practicing them. Still I at least now know how to keep my rib cage lifted and head pulled up to the ceiling! I also think I am getting a hang of the contre temps which had alluded me before. They certainly have a way to go, but I can do them slow which is the first step.
The hip stretches were very useful especially since that is where I pulled a muscle. I have noticed one side of my hips is stiffer than the other and tends to get in the way when dancing. I try to use the same turn out on that side as I have on the other and it just isn't there. I think doing the exercises regularly will definitely help me be more symmetric.
The imagery or the exercise that helped me the most was the thought of the corset. That exercise where we lifted our partners ribs worked and made me feel at least a couple of inches taller. I noticed that when you reminded us of the corset that I always tended to straighten my alignment.
That week was the hardest for me since I couldn't dance for a while. When I was watching the class, I could see that everyone was struggling about the sissonne, contre temps, and saute entournaut, so I tried to learn those by wathing... however, it didn't work well...
From watching people dancing, I couldn't remember those steps although I thought I remembered them while watching...
But I understood that by trying those new steps, bar lessons are very important. Everything relates to bar lessons.
The imaginary head strings and rib cage helped me to stand up straight and change my bad posture and walk effectively. Every morning as soon as I wake up, I have been trying to feel these imaginary strings...
I am very happy to dance now!!
For me being lengthened or not is really dependent on whether I remember or not. So doing these exercises helps me remember what I should be doing and what it feels like to do that. It is really helpful. Also it helps to have different ways to think about length. It was helpful when you described streching back as extending the front of our bodies because I focused on a different part of my body during those movements.
The corset idea works for me. I think when I imagine myself flowing as if I am in water I am able to elongate and be graceful in my moves. Gravity gets me down sometimes, so it is easier to be a pretty mermaid or something.
Vanessa Williams
Katrina Hamilton
The corset idea is what helped me the most. I've been lectured on my posture many times before, but always about being up, going up, staying straight. This is the first time I've been told to move in first. I think it's a great way to trick myself into engaging my deep, slow twitch muscles that are designed for posture, rather than just letting myself slump over or hold myself up by putting tension where it doesn't belong.
I think that lengthening to stretch was one of those things for me that people have said and I've been storing for later use... because I've heard it forever, but I think there was something in the explanation that you gave that really made it click for me. It feels way better now.
Also, it was nice to have to much time to work on contre temps. It's a step that I've always had some trouble with, and I'm still not quite getting it right, but doing so many repetitions of it in class I feel like it's improved a lot.
Nicole Boutillier
I really love the visualisation of having a string through the top of my head.And the corset helps me to think of stringing my ribs together. It helps me to imagine my body in a more lengthened way. I feel so much longer when I think in these terms. It is a challenge though for me to remember to keep my body upright, especially when I am trying to dance and have so much is going through my mind and there is so much to remember. This remained a challenge.
I loved all that stuff dealing with corsettes and headstrings, and actually found myself (along with another friend who knows a bit about Skinner technique) showing our friends at lunch how to do it--they *loved* it, particulalry because they were mostly conductors who end up with alot of tension in their upper body. But that feeling of weightlessness and lift is so wonderful, it makes movement feel so easy...It has been yet another way to really get in touch with what my body is doing, rather than being some sort of disembodied arm or leg or foot.
Sissonne, contre temps, and saute entournaut. I am learning a totally new language in dancing that incorported both body and mental ability.
Sissonne works the best for me so far. I have seen "people" done a sissonne and I am always jealous that I could never achieve that. Yet, your tip about plie and so forth before a sissonne works wonder.
Oscar Milano MAI
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