Technique On A Tuesday; Rib Wrap/ Shoulder Press Down/ Plum Line {and the Pilates neck pull}.

Recently I have taken on teaching three one hour mat Pilates classes a week while the regular instructor is on a break. I'm grateful for the opportunity, especially since Pilates is somewhat in my wheelhouse and the classes are scheduled during school hours. Working three evenings a week as it is is enough for me and my family.

Outside of subbing mat Pilates on and off over the last year and a half I haven't really been doing classes that much. I sort of forgot how intense mat Pilates can be. How it can encompass the whole body. There are even movements that focus on upper body strength and form.

Mat Pilates ties in very nicely to some of the other formats that I teach; classical ballet technique and Balletone (a combination of fitness, ballet technique, yoga inspired movements and pilates).

One of the things that I love about Balletone is the teaching methodology that is an important part of the program. One major aspect of the methodology is placing focus on a specific part of a movement in a series of movements. It might be the quality of the movement (sharp or slow) or range of movement (low or wide) or applying extra focus on something technical. As was the case in what I focused on last week through much of what I taught.

The relationship between the rib cage and the shoulders as well as the center or what I like to refer to as the plum line of the body.

For Balletone I cued throughout the various movements for my students to imagine the muscles of the rib cage wrapping around the front of the ribs. Much like a corset. Then to imagine the shoulders as the plunger handle for a TNT detonator.

 I know it sounds kind of crazy, but I'm really into visuals. Sometimes the more cartoony the better.
Just think about it, a plunger on a detonator has a certain amount of resistance or hydraulics to it. It's that feeling I'm trying to illustrate. A controlled amount of downward pressure in conjunction with the wrapping of the rib cage muscles. Then, while all that is going on, think about the plum line of the body as a pole drilling up through the center of the body to the sky.

There is the wrapping of the ribs coming in from the sides, the sustained downward pressure or resistance of the shoulder complex, and then the ascending energy of the plum line "pole".

By shifting the focus to this trio of muscle controls on the posture of the body revealed new layers to movements we had done many times before in Balletone.

For one of the mat Pilates classes I wanted to apply this trio to breaking down the Pilates neck pull exercise.
I have done the neck pull a few times in the past. It is a rather advanced move, that despite its name, does not involve any pulling on the neck. Rather a sustained amount of pressure of the interwoven fingers against the back of the skull to create a lengthening effect.
I was a little intimidated to whip it out, so I made sure to prepare modifications for participants who were not quite ready for the full neck pull. I wanted to make sure everyone had something to work on. I also included builder exercises in the warm up that would pertain to the actual neck pull exercise.
When applying the rib cage/shoulder press-down/plum line lengthening, well, it made the exercise pretty intense. At least I thought so.

One long time student of Pilates mentioned after class that while doing the side line (a set of exercises done while balancing on the side of the body) portion of the class she felt exhausted. She usually found the side line portion of class very doable, but that day's class was really giving her run for her money. Aha! One of the great things about shifting the focus to a specific part of the body. Breaking out of the norm every now and again;
When shifting intense focus to just one or two parts of the body, other parts fire up in ways you never thought possible. Example; focusing on the rib wrap and shoulder set through various exercises made it less noticeable that the glutes and quads were working like crazy to support what you were asking of the ribs and shoulders. This becomes especially apparent when you shift back to focusing on what you would normally focus on. The muscles of the legs were probably working much harder and in a different way when we had our focus on the ribs and shoulders.

One of the first things I fell in love with about Pilates is that once you concur one challenge there is another one eagerly awaiting your efforts. Ballet technique is very similar. There is always something to improve upon. Pilates and ballet technique can often be like peeling back the layers of an infinity onion. No matter how many layers you peel back there is another one waiting to be peeled. And they might make you cry.

Simple exercise to engage the rib wrap/ shoulder press.  

Start by laying on your back on the floor, using a mat if you need extra cushioning. Knees bent, feet flat on the floor, legs hips width apart. Make sure hips, knees and ankles are all tracking.

Inhale. As you exhale feel the front of the ribs knit together as you pull the belly button towards the spine. Repeat 2-3 more times.

Next, inhale. As you exhale feel the backs of the shoulder blades slide down the back, as if you are trying to slide them into your back pockets. Repeat 2-3 more times.

Finally, inhale. As you exhale combine the rib wrap/shoulder press down as you pull the belly button towards the spine. Repeat 2-3 more times.

You can challenge this in a sitting position and while standing with feet in parallel.

Thanks for hanging out.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin.

Ballet Technique and Training; What To Work On This Year.

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The middle of August marked the start of a new Fall semester of dance classes at the studio I teach at.

While a handful of dance students take during the summer, our schedule gets scaled way back (usually a welcome break for me). So the focus during the short summer break is mainly fun and maintenance.

Each year I try to decide what I want to focus on in the skill building and refined movement departments. As well as working on the basics of perfecting the various steps, how they connect to one another, balance and transitions, strength and speed, sustained movement, grace and articulation.

It won't be until about mid-October that I have to worry about setting choreography for any performance opportunities around the holidays. After we return from winter break in January I will have to put a great deal more focus into choreography for our annual show in June.

For now though, here is a list of the things I want to focus on, lest I forget as the weeks roll by. Some of them are things that can be applied to other formats that I teach in the fitness world, namely Balletone and Mat Pilates.

Cleaner and sharper arm movements.

Our arms start from the back because they were once wings.
~Martha Graham
Often, the arms are the last part of the body to settle into strong technique. And no wonder, what with all the complexities of what the legs, feet and torso must do in such a large movement vocabulary as classical ballet. Even a torso well aligned with strong legs and feet under it can struggle through many complex movements, like pirouette turns, fouette turns and arabesques. Those, as well as many other steps, can be undone by the arms. This can be due to arm movements that are not well timed, or arms that "fly out" because the muscles surrounding the rib cage have released and the muscles of the shoulders and upper back are not properly engaged.

Here is a post about shoulder stability during a leg movement.
Another post; A New Way To Think About How Limbs Are Connected.

Locking in the proper placement of the shoulder in arabesque.

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Above are some beautiful examples of arabesques where the dancers' shoulders are engaged and properly placed. Clean and efficient.
Once a clean and efficient line is mastered, then a dancer can add more dramatic versions to their movement vocabularies. Always with the clean and efficient line as a home base. I like to tell my dancers, "Get the clean line. Then you have some place to go to."

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More articulate footwork.
 I don't promote cranking turnout through the feet (forcing the feet to be turned out more than what is realistically in the hips), because it is false turnout and very damaging to the ankles, knees, hips and back. I do promote clean foot positions. When a step is executed and finished in a clean position it usually means that the dancer has all the right muscles fired up.
Erg. The picture below is a no-no. The dancer has her feet cranked out and forced, the biggest clue being that there is a significant collapse of the insteps. I guarantee the knees are collapsed and rounded forward as well.

Some young dancers are naturally very flexible in their hips for turnout, and often they are naturally flexible through all the joints of their legs. For those students it's important for them to make the lifting up of their insteps second nature. This will help to make proper alignment through the torso, lower back and legs second nature as well.

"Don't let the glutes ruin your turnout party."
The leg has some isolated mobility inside the hip joint. You can rotate the leg inwardly and outwardly while at the same time not moving the hip, or rather, your butt. There are about six deep lateral rotator hip muscles responsible for this action, as well as other actions like adduction of the leg.

1. Piriformis
2. Gemellus Superior
3. Obturator Internus
4. Gemellus Inferior
5. Obturator Externus
6. Quadratus Femoris

Maintaining a turned out position of the leg or legs is very dependent on this group of muscles. For overall sustaining of a well aligned "ballet" posture, many muscles must work in unison. But not necessarily at the same intensities at the same times. Just standing in a first position is doable enough. What about when the leg must be lifted, whether for a quick move or sustained in the air? Those six small muscles can easily get bullied by a much large group of muscles. A group of muscles like the glutes, which are necessary for leg movements that require hip flexion and hip extension. To keep the glutes from taking over and thus tamping down the effectiveness of the internal rotator muscles, I like my students to think of the glutes as engaging and wrapping around the back of the hips. As opposed to being the main muscle to operate the leg, especially in moves requiring the leg to be lifted to the side of the body.
Nobody likes a bossy bully at their party.

Adding the nuance of the head and shoulders into movements.
Most dance forms, especially ballet, are dependent upon the use of the mirror. The mirror can be a valuable tool, issues of body image aside. As a dancer becomes more and more advanced they must learn to balance the utility of the mirror versus the habit of dancing to the mirror. At a certain level of accomplishment it is not enough to save dancing past the mirror to the "fourth wall". It is something that must be practiced in the classroom as well. Many nuanced movements of the head and/or shoulders require a dancer to lose eye contact with the mirror, while upping their reliance of their peripheral sight.On a more emotional and artistic note; it can be a blessing on those days that nothings "looks" right, and to just give way to the dance. Forget the mirror!


Keep your plies like warm taffy.
I am again blessed this year to be working with a few different levels. While the studio's oldest group of dancers has quite a repertoire of jumps in their movement vocab, the groups below will be learning some new steps, including jumps. The only safe way to execute all of these jumping steps (really any jump at all), is to start with a plie and end with a plie (whether on one leg or both legs). Bending the knees is not enough when one is talking about ballet technique. The quality of the plie becomes critical. A jerky, choppy or stifled plie can make a step more difficult to execute, and more importantly, cause injury to the dancer. I have been working on the concept of likening the muscles of the legs to taffy. If you have ever seen or handled cold or frozen taffy you will know what I mean. Difficult to move and even prone to shattering. Hot taffy becomes a hot mess! The plie should be like warm taffy. Pliable yet connected. It can still be manipulated and controlled.

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I think that's a pretty good list to start with.

Thanks for hanging out and reading. Feel free to share your thoughts. If you are interested in more from Miss Erin's DanceFit subscribe at the top of the page!

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

Technique Tuesday; A New Way To Think About How Limbs Are Connected. {And Maybe I Unload About The Past, Just A Little...}

How do dancers get that quality in their arms that makes their limbs appear to go on forever? They don't just move through the air, but rather they move the air around them.

One of the keys to employing this quality of movement is to rethink how the arms connect to the body. Yes, the arms are connected to the torso via the shoulders. But what if we think of arm movements originating in the center of the back. Now we are not just aware of the muscles, ligament and tendons of the shoulders, but we have tapped into the power supply provided by the muscles of our backs as well.



To be more specific; the trapezius (connecting shoulder and back), the latissimus dorsi and rhomboideus major.

The shoulders have enough to do, what with the complex structure of the shoulder complex, without having to be the "engine" of sweeping arm movements. The back however, well, just look at the size of those guys (muscles).

I first was introduced to this concept years ago (many, many years ago) at a Summer Intensive Dance Workshop. It was laid out for me in a kind of round about way though. (Cue "doodly, doodly, wavy going back in time" music).

It was back in the mid to late 80's. I was at a Summer Dance Workshop at Westside School Of Ballet in Santa Monica, Ca. Yvonne Mounsey was the founder. In her youth she was a much esteemed ballerina for the father of neo-classical as well as American ballet, George Balanchine.

It is very common at Summer Intensives to bring in guest teachers, as well as using a studio's own talent. This particular summer it was decided to bring in another of Balanchine's Ballerinas. Melissa Hayden. Okay, for starters, there is no question that that lady had credentials (may she rest in piece).  Pretty sane here. Here is a lovely article about her, It is a great tribute to her careers as both a highly esteemed dancer and dance teacher.

I believe all the words of the above article. But I tell you what, she was scary as HELL that summer. Even her friend who had danced with her long ago was taken aback at her approach to teaching students as a guest artist.

Now, I was a pretty shy young dancer. Frequently uncertain of my abilities, and frankly terrified by my own shadow half the time. Boy, I tell ya. She went after that like a dog after a rabbit.

Two incidences that have seared themselves into my memory from her week (2 weeks?) of teaching;

Standing at the barre (did I mention these were very populated classes?), I can't remember what step we were working on. Apparently I was rolling my shoulders in a bit. Okay, I admit it...I was slouching. It was most likely the kind of slouching that attracts bullies to their victims like bees to honey . Not a slouch of disinterest, but lack of confidence. Anyway, she came up to me, fairly close to my face. She proceeded to ask me, "Have you ever known happiness?" (What kind of question is that? and OMG, the guest teacher is talking directly to me!). "Um...yes. I think so", I answered timidly. CLAP!! Right in my face. A loud, invasive clap of thunder, mere centimeters from my nose. Well as you can imagine I did exactly what she wanted me to do. I stood up straight as possible. Chin up. Sternum presented in all its glory, despite my mortification and humiliation. Hey, I get it. Every teacher has their methods for getting their points across. But for frick'en frick's sake, we have a complex language for a reason. Lord knows I've come up with some pretty crazy analogies and metaphors to explain things to dance students. For me though, their intimidation and humiliation  do not serve any purpose to me. I'll let someone else in their life provide them with whatever bullsh*t baggage they are destined to drag along their journey through life. Questioning someone's ability to understand happiness in one's life to teach proper carriage of the torso seems rather personal and inappropriate. Performing arts is greatly comprised of smoke and mirrors anyways. "Pretend you are the happiest you've ever been child. Now never dance another way!" How hard was that? I'm no great scholar or word smith even. That was a great ice-breaker for the mighty leg-hip/arm-shoulder pin-grab-wrestle-wrangle-jam. So violent was she in her minstrations to the placement of my limbs during grand battements (she did not necessarily hurt me and OMG, the guest teacher is grabbing my limbs!), that one of the studio owners pulled me aside an hour later to make sure that I was okay.

I was not alone. Even the top dance students had stress related pains and injuries. I'm pretty sure that, to this day, I have a knot in my upper back with her name on it. Most of the class pianists grew apprehensive to play for her classes, due to her combative nature and abrasive approach to every interaction. She also exhibited some authentic O.G. dance teacher habits like smoking during rehearsals of Balanchine rep. Ah, the good old days...

Okay. Enough whining about the past. Thanks for letting me unload.



Let's get to the positive. Fortunately, somewhere along the way, I innately developed a sense of learning what I could from whatever teacher I happened to be working with. While I don't remember her exact words, Miss Hayden conveyed a very strong sense of moving your limbs, especially your arms, from a place more central to your core than just the limb's connecting joint. I didn't necessarily internalize and utilize this point of technique right away. But as my skills and technique grew, and challenges were presented to me, I would revisit the lessons presented to me.

I suppose I should be grateful for the attention I received from Hayden. In many ways I am. While I wouldn't clap in a student's face, getting an understanding of proper posture and presentation of the torso (carriage) is of the utmost importance to dancers. I prefer, as an instructor, a well constructed verbal instruction combined with gentle physical manipulations. While it felt awkward as hell to have my limbs pulled this way and that in front of my peers (where is that gaping, swallowing  hole in the ground when you need it?), it has contributed greatly to my understandings of body alignment for ballet technique. Here and here. Perhaps most importantly though, how I wish to convey information and ideas to my students.

Thanks for hanging out and reading.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Miss Erin

Technique Tuesday; Maintaining Framework Of The Torso Through Change In Pelvic Angle.

I've missed a Tuesday or two, but here is another installment of Technique Tuesdays.

Today the focus is on maintaining the structure or framework of the torso while the angle of the pelvis changes. The change in the pelvic angle is due to the moving the leg from a front extension, though side and then to an arabesque (straightened leg extending back). In classical ballet terms it would be referred to as a rond de jambe en dehors (circle of the leg, to the outside, or traveling away from the body). Rond de jambes can be done the other direction as well, en dedans ( inside, towards the body). I only show it en dehors for this video, as en dedans comes with it own challenges (a tutorial for another day).

 I show it both with the pointed toes of the foot skimming the ground (a terre) and the leg in the air (grand rond de jambe). Rond de jambes are often done with the standing leg straight, but for this video my standing leg is in plié, as that is often how I demonstrate it in  Balletone class. Didn't know you were getting a French lesson as well!

A good way to start the practice of this move would be to use the back of a chair to help you to stabilize your balance. Just maintain an awareness of what your "barre" arm is doing. Do not lose awareness of the placement of the shoulder and arm, thus potentially putting your shoulder girdle out of whack, or rather, proper placement. From there, you can progress to not using the chair (wall, or what have you) support. I find this progression ideal in that there will be nothing to cause a wrenching of the arm, and there is a greater reliance on the muscles of the core for stabilization through the movement.

Thanks for watching! Please feel free to ask me any questions if anything was unclear, or you'd like to know more about the moves covered in the video.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~ Erin

That's A Wrap! Post Show Reflections.

Yesterday was the final performance of Kinetics Academy of Dance's 2013 show, "Rose Red". A fairytale ballet It followed the classic Grimm tale Snow-White and Rose-Red. Not to be confused with the dwarf wrangler of Disney, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Although there is a very mean and grumpy dwarf in Rose Red.

 KAD's show encompasses pretty much all the classes offered at the dance studio, 2 yr. olds to 16 yr. olds, as well as all the styles- ballet, tap, hip hop and lyrical. We've done a storybook ballet format before, having a narration of parts of a story as a voiceover mixed with music. But this year we went bigger and bolder. We had more solos for our dancers on pointe and more elaborate dramatic sequences, bringing in a young male actor who submitted to being in a big bear suit (who then got to show that a handsome prince dwelled within the whole time!), and a young lady to play the part of the angry dwarf. She got the joy of wearing a long fake beard. Our actors used their bodies to tell the story, our dancers brought out their acting skills.

It took a lot of extra time and effort to pull this larger than previous years endeavor. But worth every second. I had forgotten how much I loved working on the dramatic sequences of ballets. Of course, I loved working on the ensemble pieces as well.

As for working on all the solos for the pointe girls, I really enjoyed the transitions between choreographer and dance/ performance coaching. Trying to pull the best out of each dancer and their given roles was an educating experience. Since no two dancers are alike, corrections, suggestions, challenges and the like must, at times, be custom fitted. They stepped up to the challenge. Each one grew. And the ones who had the extra challenges of acting grew in that aspect as well. I feel like we can do anything!

Here are some of the things I worked on the most;

Work those arms from the middle of your back! Don't work them from just the shoulders, but imagine that they are actually attached in the mid back. That way the muscles of the back help support the movements of the arms and give that strength + grace quality of movement (I sense a tutorial on that concept!).

Stay off your heels! Most of ballet work is done on the front to mid part of the foot, even if the dancer is not on releve (perched up and balanced on the ball of the foot or feet). The heels work more as an assisting stabilizer to the rest of the foot. This is true whether you are executing a dance step, walking or running. Even in jumps, while the heels should make contact with the floor to ensure lengthening through the lower leg, ankles and feet, the weight of the body should not sink into the heels. Rather, a lengthening of the lower leg should happen while simultaneously the rest of the body lengthens away from the floor.

Dance past the mirror. The people in the back row spent good money on their tickets too! Plus, as a dancer, it is a wonderful feeling to project your soul into the atmosphere of the universe.

Flirt with your audience. Don't dance at them. Take them on a journey that you have designed (or rather, your choreographer has designed).

Don't dance as if you are anticipating failure. Make success your expected reality. Every dancer has come upon steps they struggle with. And while one of the joys of solo work is that things can be customized to a dancer's strengths, not everything can be made easier. It's just not the dancer way! It's the struggles that we overcome that help us to grow. This doesn't mean that you must become the best turner if turns are something you struggle with. Improving from where you started is where the gold is.

Smile! Smile! Smile! Or at least maintain a pleasant expression if that is in line with your character.

Okay, and I may have said "Ribbon ends and bows are the nipples of ballet slippers and pointe shoes. Best to keep them out of sight!". Hey, bold statements get remembered!

The one down side to the whole production, the whole dance year really, was...


Having to say good-bye to this beautiful young lady.

Helene is a foreign exchange student from Germany, who stayed with one of our dancers family. She wanted to continue her dance studies and it fit perfectly for her join her host "sister's" classes.

She started pointe with us...

...look at those beautiful feet! Helene loved her little bows! They are pretty cute. But tuck them in we must!

I'm so grateful for Facebook.

I love these girls!! I am also so grateful to be able to do what I do! I'm also happy to say that they have some amazing moms and dads, who not only show their kids love and support, but they give us, their dance teachers, plenty as well!

Now what to focus on for summer...

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

Technique Tuesday! Using The Glutes In 2nd Position Plie.

This Tuesday's tutorial centers around maximizing the use of the glutes in a 2nd position plié. To go back to the basics of proper alignment during a 2nd position plié, click here for a tutorial.

I still haven't solved why the little Blogger elves (evil lil' buggers, they are!) won't link up directly to my You Tube channel. I'm sure if I appear frazzled and hopelessly inept enough my 12 year old son will come to my rescue (and I won't even have to pretend).

So whether you take ballet or a ballet flavored movement program or would just like to incorporate this into movements that you do at home or at the gym, you can easily do so.

Using The Glutes In 2nd Position Plie.

Throughout the week when I teach ballet or Balletone, I refer to the use of the glutes at the top, or completion of a second position plié. Especially when followed by a side port de bras, or side bend stretch. By emphasizing the maintaining of the gluteal engagement at the end of the plié into the side stretch the challenge of having the upper and lower halves of the body working together but separately is further illuminated. Bull on the bottom, Swan on top. As soon as any of my students are old enough to not fall apart into giggles at the words "butt cheeks", I try to instill this concept.

Thanks for hanging out!

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~ Erin

Technique Tuesday! Using The Inner Thighs In First Position Plie.

It's Technique Tuesday. Today' s tutorial talks about how to increase the effectiveness of the inner thighs at the end of a plié in first position, or the "pull-up" phase.

For a look at how to do a plié in first position, click here.

When straightening the legs from the plié, think of pulling the inner thighs together and up into the body. Similar to zipping a sweatshirt up.

*Note:
when I was trying to edit this video last night everything I have trained my Dino-tech self to do decide to not work. So I used the editing options on you Tube for the first time. I'm hoping it worked.

Thanks for watching!

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

A New Site I've Found; Fascia Freedom Fighters.

On Tuesdays I try to do a thing called "Technique Tuesdays", where I break down a small element of dance training. Yesterday I was going to type up a little something, but I really wanted to something more in depth. So, I'm going to just work on what I really want to do for next Tuesday.

Here are past 'Technique Tuesdays";

Placement Of The Leg In Tendu Side. A Simple Scarf Trick!

The "Pinned Butterfly".

More On The "Pinned Butterfly" {Placement For The Hips And Shoulders In Front Tendu.}

Opening Up The Collarbone...Upper Body Alignment For Ballet.

Pelvic Alignment In First Postion Plie.

Pelvic Alignment In Second Position Plie.



A new site I stumbled upon, Fascia Freedom Fighters, is proving to be awesome. I highly recommend you check it out.

A post I received yesterday was filled with links to other sites I love. A regular linked up love-fest.

DIY Friday: Piriformus Syndrome, The Literal Pain In The Ass.

I suffer from pain in the piriformus region (Oh, me arse!).


Where is the piriformus? Its location is explained in the link.

There was also this great video. I have done this exercise with a lacrosse ball, but I want what the woman has.

Click here to watch if you haven't already in the previous link.


Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

Technique Tuesday! Placement Of The Leg In Tendu Side. Plus, A Simple Scarf Trick!

Technique Tuesday!

I have a short tutorial about the placement of the leg for tendu side in a turned out position.

Once you find your turned-out ballet first position picture yourself in your own personal rectangle. Rather than stretching your leg and pointing your foot directly side, think of pointing the foot to the corresponding front corner (right foot, right front corner). In this way you can better maintain proper alignment of the pelvis over the standing leg without causing torque in the joints and causing the working hip to lift up.

Using a scarf or dish towel as an aide, you can practice finding the proper placement for balance and proper use of the muscle groups of the legs, hips and pelvis.

Thanks for watching!

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

Technique Tuesday; More On "The Pinned Butterfly". {Placement For the Hips and Shoulders In Tendu Front.}

Last Tuesday I posted about the concept of pinning the hips and shoulders to an imaginary mat, like a butterfly on display.

Today I have a short video to show it action.

 

I use a tendu front as an example move, but it applies to leg movements of any height that require stabilization of the hips and shoulders.

Hope this is useful!


Thanks for hanging and watching.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

Technique Tuesday; The Pinned Butterfly.

A visual that I rely on quite often when teaching classical technique is the "butterfly pinned to the mat".

 

How can this apply? And why do I gotta pin a poor butterfly?

First we must become the butterfly (or bug of choice). Just for pretend. Don't worry, nobody is getting pinned in a display case.

Imagine that you are standing in first position


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Now imagine that a pin is running through the front of each shoulder, where the arm connects to the torso, through to a mat or imaginary wall.
Now do the same for the front of each hip, where the leg attaches up into the pelvis.

Because the arms and legs are not "pinned", but rather where the connect to the center of the body, the limbs are mobile. The limbs are mobile but the torso is not.

The concept of the "pinned butterfly" is to illustrate how the core, including the ribcage and collarbone, can be stabilized through movements.

Try it! Imagine you are pinned to a mat in the spots mentioned above. Now try bringing your arms to a position where you would hold an imaginary beach ball, while keeping those shoulders "pinned".
You can try the same for the legs. You don't need to do anything crazy. Just pin those hips and allow some movement in the leg without letting "the hip go".

Next week I will give a videoed tutorial of this concept in action.

Thanks for hanging out and reading.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin.

Technique Tuesday; Pelvic Alignment In Second Position Plie.

A few weeks ago I posted a Technique Tuesday about pelvic alignment for plies in first position. You can review it here.


This Tuesday's tutorial is super short. Everything from the first position plies apply.

Pull the belly button towards the spine
Feel the glutes "wrap around" and gently squeeze

As the knees bend, imagine the back of the pelvis is sliding up and down an imaginary wall.

Knees stay opened out over the tops of the feet.

As you straighten the knees, feel those glutes do that wrap and squeeze.

 

Because second position puts you in a wider stance, it gives a great opportunity to feel those thighs stretch out to the side, making sure to keep those knees over the feet.

 

In the video I start off by showing the pelvis out of proper alignment for plies, by showing the hips go behind the feet. When doing a squat you want the hips to go behind the heels, but not in a turned out plié.

Doing properly aligned plies in second is, of course, a necessity for classical ballet technique, but it is also a great move to add to any fitness regiment where you do squats. I'm a big fan of the squat. I do them all the time and I have my young dancers do them as well. Knowing how to properly align the pelvis for various moves can only make you stronger and more agile.

Thanks for hanging out and reading.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

Who Is That In The Mirror?

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So at the dance studio where I teach Ballet and lyrical/contemporary dance it has been a long standing practice that the pre-teen and teen girls can wear those little athletic spandex shorts or chiffon ballet skirts over their tights and leotards.
  

The reason the studio owner (whom I have a great amount of respect for and gratitude towards) put this into effect many years ago was because, as many of us women know, pre-teen and teen girls tend to start to feel more modest and self conscience about their changing bodies. Over the years, as a dance teacher, I've really never thought much about it either way. Spandex shorts and short, flowy skirts are form fitting enough that it's pretty easy to visually assess pelvic alignment. I can tell when a student is engaging their glutes and core simultaneously, because that level of muscular engagement can be seen along the entire torso, including the shoulders and neck.

I do understand the aura of strict discipline in attire; dressing the part. I've been to studios where there was a very strict dress code. Every student in the program wears the same style, brand and shade of pink tights and the exact same color, style and brand of leotard. I've nothing against that. If that's how a school wants to kick it, then that's how they should do it. I've also been to studios, very successful, sought after studios, that just required pink tights and a solid color leo. Some teachers wanted all extras like cover up shorts and skirts shed after the first few combos. Others didn't really mind the extra wardrobe pieces as long as everything was fairly snug and didn't obscure a clear view of what the student's body was doing. Honestly, I learned more at the studios where the attire was less militant. They tended to be a little less about the prestige of being at their school and more about sound technique and artistry of dance. On the other hand though, I did not spend as much time at the studios with a "policed" dress code. So to be fair, I don't want to declare one right and the other wrong. If it works for the school and their students...

For me, as a teacher, I love discussing dance technique and strategies with my students, adjusting my comments to their age appropriate levels of understanding. I don't necessarily want them all to look like a specific dancer. I want them to learn how to be the best dancer they can be. I want them to learn to challenge themselves and to fall in love with the art of peeling back layers of understanding and enlightenment for the tasks they are handed. I want them to learn to think on their feet, take a risk here and there. Learn how to entertain and move an audience, as well as learning to be true to themselves as burgeoning artists and technicians. I believe that's how dancers learn about themselves. I also believe that most dance teachers that value the health and safety (physical, mental and emotional) of their students view dance instruction in a similar way. So, speaking solely for myself as an instructor, the "strictness" of a dress code can easily become an arbitrary point. There are so many other ways to foster a sense of discipline in a student. Mind you, I'm speaking mainly about the teen age group. Little ones, I believe benefit from the mystic of putting on a uniform for a specific activity. Plus, having to don a required outfit for dance class can be a help on those mornings when your little ballerina wants to be a cowgirl all day. No pink tights and black leotard = no dancing in Fairy Princess Land with all the other Fairy Princesses.

Things start to get a little more complicated and dicey when your Fairy Princess becomes (gasp) an adolescent.

So back to the spandex and chiffon of the studio I teach at. A few weeks ago I was at the studio on an evening that I'm normally not. The group of teen dancers that I instruct were having their class with the studio owner. They take from both of us each week. Both of us love the idea that they are getting instruction from more than one teacher. What I don't catch, another teacher can. A student just learns more. Anyhow, my colleague waved me in to watch a dance she had been working on with the girls.
After the dance, she made mention that she was going to declare Tuesdays "No Pants Tuesdays". How could anyone help not laugh at the thought. Of course the "No Pants" referred to the not wearing of shorts or dance skirts. My fellow dance teacher said that she had made them do most all of the class in just their tights and leos, and that it was quite enlightening for all involved, especially the young ladies (13-16 being the age range). The group of students all had looks of agreement, and maybe a little relief to have survived the ordeal. By the time I was in the room, towards the end of the class, the previously shed items were back in place.

The funny thing was that, a day or so prior I had been thinking about something very similar. The thought of them possibly going to various auditions for summer dance programs being among my thoughts. I thought about how, as young female dancers, they would need to not be distracted by how they would look in just the lines of tights and leotards. Even though spandex shorts are skin tight, they have a different line than that of the basic uniform. Dance style shorts sort of break up the lines, or rather curves of the hips and upper thighs.

I expressed my thoughts.  - "Ya know, Ladies. That's actually a really good thing for you guys to do and get used to seeing. There will be times that you will have to present yourselves in just tights and leos, and you need to get used to knowing what that looks like. Get comfortable with it, and not let it be a distraction." The looks on their faces were pretty much this- "Yeah. It's a sucky reality, we know we can't escape (sigh)." It's impotant for me to point out that this is a group of lovely young ladies. While their body types vary from one another, they are each beautiful.

Oh, and by the way...Those lines and curves, as subtle as they may be given their youth, have every right to be there. More so than any lines demanded by any dance form ever created. I'll get to what I told them the next day in a minute.

As early as 5th or 6th grade I remember developing a sincere hatred for my upper thighs. As I matured into early adolescence my body shape developed into one of a small waist, hips that went straight down with extra curves in the upper thighs. Think saddlebag region. In retrospect, I had just a regular female shape. Women tend to carry important fat stores in the upper thighs. It's a design feature for our, and our offsprings' survival. Overall, I was, for the most part, evenly proportioned. But for whatever reason, those damn inner thighs became my nemeses. It's like I couldn't see past them. I let them define me. They became my art, my technique, my measure of success. Failures were both stored there and sprung from there. Through much of my adolescence and early adulthood my obsession with controlling that specific part of my body was the very thing that tore away at the fabric of my art, my technique and my success. It wasn't until one summer afternoon, while in Richmond, Virginia, that I first really saw how much it had torn.

I was in the last week of an 8-week summer intensive dance camp. Things were wrapping up. End of program performances were going through final rehearsals. Students still in high school were getting ready to go home. Dancers like myself, high school grads interested in dancing as a profession, were hoping for company apprenticeships. In this case, with the Richmond Ballet company. The dancers of the company were all settling back in after being away for their summer breaks.

Many of the workshop students had high hopes for their next opportunities. I was not one of them. I knew I was in bad shape. I barely had any jump in my legs, no length in any of my lines (think dried out Thanksgiving turkey), as well as an ever deepening depression. I barely had enough strength to manage my own limbs, let alone negotiate maneuvers with a partner, which was very unfortunate, as partnering was always one of my favorite aspects of dance. I finally saw myself in the mirror for what I actually looked like. I looked like a drowned rat. My hair was thin, limp and dull. My eyes were sunk and almost completely void of any spark. My skin was the horrible color that comes with emaciation. I had the slim upper thighs I'd always thought I wanted, but the rest of me looked like a corpse. I realized that I looked like the walking dead. I had gone too far a field. I was lost. I needed to find my way back. Not just to dance, but to live. I was at a crossroads. Fight to survive or just accept a slow, painful act of wasting away. Who or what did I have to wage war against? I had a seriously distorted view of my body image. I had had it for so long that it had invaded every fiber of my being.

The story of my way back is for another day. But fight my way back I did.

So it's pretty safe to say that I have some pretty strong feelings when it comes to issues of body image.

Before I go further...Something amazing happened...

While I was in Virginia preparing for battle with myself, something happened that would fuel my fight for years to come and contribute the feeding of my soul, as well as my body.

The professional dancers of the ballet company had trickled back into town after their summer break. They had a performance coming up, sort of a heralding of the upcoming season. They were works from the previous season.

One of the pieces consisted of three pas de deux. Each of the partnered sections represented different stages of a relationship. I can't remember the name of the original piece. Poorly nourished body = poor memory and cognitive skills. Anyhow, there were two main female, or principle, dancers in this company. One of them had stuck around for most of the summer. Quintessential ballerina would be the best way to describe her. Painfully slender, blonde, long limbed, aloof. Seared into my memories of my summer in Virginia are of her stretching those long limbs and doing arm exercises with dainty 1 lb. weights in between cigarette breaks (think ballet dancers are beacons of healthy choices? Think again. At least in the 80's). She was indisputably beautiful to look at. Ballerina Q.

The other principle female dancer had a very different body. Tall with a sturdy structure, she had a good 20 pounds on Ballerina Q. My first thought on seeing her in pedestrian mode was, "This is their Prima Ballerina? Somebody enjoyed their time off." Ballerina E (soon you'll learn the what the E stands for).

We, as workshop students, got to watch their rehearsals. The first two pas de deux did their thing. One of the couples included the beautiful Ballerina Q. Exquisite in her waifish aloofness.

Then came Ballerina E and her partner. Watching her and her partner rehearse in the studio that day would become what can only be described as my first religious experience. She moved with a confidence and grace that defines artistry. Her presence was bold and commanding, yet capable of giving the comfort and security that only Gaia herself could provide. Her curves served to bring life to mere steps that meant nothing till she executed them.

25 years later I still feel intense emotion threaten to overwhelm me when I think of the first time I saw her dance that day. I think because she represented the elixir to my ailment. The enlightenment (there's the E) to my disillusionment. The promise of a cure for my disease. The Ballerina Q in me would need to be sacrificed, because the Ballerina E in me, the part of me that truly wanted to survive, had been awoken. The Valkyrie had given her cry of war. Ballerina E was, in addition to being an amazing artist and dancer, a very kind, congenial and enlightened person. Damn, did I have my work cut out for me.

I would have liked to get to know Ballerina E better, but my time in Virginia had come to an end. The scholarship that had been granted me for the 2 month program would not be renewed for a longer stay. Most likely due to my declining health and performance abilities. It was time to return home, lick my wounds and get on track. I had to put the dream of dancing professionally on hold so that I could start addressing the realities of survival.

"Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans" -
                                                                                                              John Lennon.

No regrets. I love how my life has turned out. While I have my battle scars I have wisdoms to pass along because of them.

So what did I tell my adolescent students about how they should regard the images of themselves that they see in the mirror? In essence, I encouraged them to disregard.

I reminded them that they are beautiful and perfect the way that they are. I reminded them that it's not all about how you look but rather about how you present yourself. Take a 90 lb. waif who is shrunken in on her self, slumped shoulders, arms folded across her stomach (I. Hate. That. Stance. I have been known to ban it in my classes), a meek look on her face. Oh, she's tiny and thin and dainty. Now take her counterpart- maybe she is 20 or 30 lbs. heavier, but she is alive and vibrant, brimming with confidence. Which light will garner the most moths? Who will complete the loop of energized interaction? Focus on building confidence in yourself. Be strong and brave, because that is how the world will see you and regard you. That is the image that you want looking back at you in the mirror. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise can go...Oh yeah, I'm talking to young'ins! You get the idea.

Thanks for reading.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

Here are a couple of resources for information and help in regards to eating disorders, HelpGuide.org and National Eating Disorders Assoc. (NEDA).

A Couple of Pilate Moves; Swim and Grasshopper.

I used to attend Pilates Mat class pretty regularly. Between changes in my schedule and life in general, over the last few years I haven't gone as much. I incorporate many Pilates exercises in what I do with my teen dancers and last summer I had the opportunity to sub a handful of Pilates Mat classes. I still sub here and there. But teaching isn't always the same as doing. Even though I frequently do the exercises along with my students and attendees, the focus is very different. Because I'm cuing the breath patterns, for me at least, means I'm not fully utilizing the power of the breathing patterns throughout a given exercise. Which is kind of ironic, since aside from the close relation to movements found in Ballet technique I was drawn to the art of learning how to breath through movements that is an important aspect of Pilates training.. Breathing was always something I struggled with as a young dancer. It wasn't long after my fourth kiddo was born that I started Pilates. At that point in my life I realized that by midday I had usually replaced breathing with hollering. So learning how to breath through movements, especially during the most strenuous parts, was a sort of awakening for me.

So with all that said, when I slip into a Pilates class I usually get my butt kicked in some fashion. In a good way of course.

In between subbing some classes the other day I was able to do just that, and catch the second half of a Pilates mat class from one of my favorite instructors, the lovely Amy. I always learn something new. Whether it's an exercise or a new layer of technique revealed.

Before attempting these, or any exercises for that matter, make sure you are warmed up. Don't go into them cold. Do some squats or jog in place for a bit to get heat to your muscles. Push ups are a good body heater upper. One of these days I will post some quick warm ups.

"Swim" is not a new mat exercise to me, but this particular combo was.

Laying prone (stomach down) on the mat, legs parallel, feet pointed. Arms lengthened overhead. Core, as well as quads and glutes engaged. Shoulders pulled and set down away from the ears.

Inhale; lift and lengthen R leg and L arm. Hold for 2-3 counts.

Exhale; lower

Repeat other side.

Go through that 2-3 more times.

Then stay on one side. With the breathing pattern lift and lower just the R leg/L arm.

Repeat other side.

Repeating on just one side made me see where I had to fire up a bit more on the supporting side of my body.

"Grasshopper" was completely new to me.

Laying prone on the mat, legs are straight and about hip width apart. Feet are pointed and legs are turned out (insides of the thighs should be rotated toward the ground and heels are touching). Place hands under forehead, hand over hand.

Inhale; keeping the front of the pelvis pressed into the mat, lengthen and lift the legs, keeping them straight and feet pointed.

Exhale; using 3 short, quick exhalations, flexing at the knees, cross and gently beat the ankles R L R.

Inhale; straighten the legs, still lengthened and lifted off the mat.

Exhale; lower legs to the mat. Control the movement so the legs don't just fall to the mat. Keep the pelvis pressed to the mat throughout the movements.

Each repetition change the pattern of the ankle beats. So the next one you would beat L R L. Do a 3-5 sets.

I had a pictorial breakdown of keeping the knees level, but I just couldn't reconcile the "crotch head on" angle. The words below are much better!


So what I loved about this exercise was the focus on the knees. During the beating action of the ankles the challenge is to keep the knees in their exact spot from the leg lift. This requires stabilizing the hip, pelvic and glute muscles, while simultaneously isolating the lower legs for freedom of movement. Try to keep the knees at the height of the initial leg lift and level, as if they are set on a tabletop. For me that's the sweet spot of this exercise. Feet staying pointed keeps everything from head to toe engaged.
I instantly saw a dozen ways this exercise could shed light on aspects of Ballet technique, as well as muscle and movement control through a sequence of movements.

This next bit isn't necessarily an exercise as much as it is a reminder of proper placement.
When on all fours (think "Cat and Cow"), it is important to maintain hip over knee/shoulder over wrist alignment. It's all to easy to stray a little out of proper placement, as I was reminded of the other day. Oh, it's those tiny layers that can be so grueling. But oh so important to go back to and review!

The problem is shifting, even a small amount, of the weight from a neutral tabletop position to one where there is too much weight into the arms and wrists. This happens when the hips are shifted in front of the knees.

I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but my hips are not aligned over directly over my knees, and I'm straining in my arms because of to much weight shifted into them.

Here my hips (from the point of where the hip joint is and not my booty) are better placed over my knees. Less strain through the arms and better alignment over the wrists.

Using a mirror can help with set up, then internalizing the feel of proper placement so the image in the mirror becomes an image and feeling in your "mind's eye". Then of course, checking in with your technique, as I discovered, is important.

Thanks for reading.

Enjoy the dance that is life!