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; 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

I Love It When Students Ask Questions!

 After my Monday morning Zumba class I was chatting with some of my Zumba participants. Ones who have been with me for about a year or so.

One of my participants asked the question of why do I sometimes face the mirror for certain dances vs. facing them for others. So, in exploring this question, may be I can give some insight into the fun challenges of group instruction. Notice I used the word fun. Challenge doesn't always have to be negative!

I love these types of questions! Conversations of technique and the art of delivery light my fires. Anyone who has taken beginning adult ballet from me can tell you that I can go on and on.

Is it because I have all the answers? Dear God no!

Many things in dance technique did not come easy to me. Not that I begrudge anyone that absorbs dance technique like sponge (a dry, ready to absorb at max levels sponge), because each and every one of us has our own personal battles, when revealed, usually makes us count our own blessings. But because of and through my own personal struggles (nothing epic, mind you) I have found a passion in trying to decode dance movement. At least for the dance styles that I engage in.

Okay, back to the earlier question. Facing the mirror vs. facing my students and/or participants.

Like I mentioned at the beginning, sometimes I face my Zumba participants and sometimes I face the mirror. Actually I face the mirror most of the time.

Why all the switching?

Facing participants definitely fosters a more connective feeling. Its more intimate and friendly. For me, its fun and thrilling (sometimes challenging). I love looking into someones eyes and sharing a big ol' smile!

Why would I ever do anything but face participants?

Sometimes a certain series of steps are just easier to follow from the back, or with the instructor facing the mirror. A clearer image of both the front and the back of the instructor are available. There is no doubt that when the instructor moves their left arm that's it is indeed their left arm.

As an instructor, I can get a more panoramic view of the room at large. I can easily scan all four corners and everything in between.

There's another reason why I might prefer to face the mirror. Sometimes I need to cue off of myself! It's kind of a crazy visual-learner sort of thing. My memory will be quicker with the next step change if I have the visual of the instructor (myself in this case0 in front of me. Sort of a security blanket for myself if a routine is very new to me.

Every time I assess adding a new routine to my Zumba line up, I always first decide if it should be done facing the class or the mirror.

To challenge myself, I like to try and find routines, whether I am using someone elses choreography or creating my own, that I can do facing my participants. There will always be dances that just work better facing the mirror. If I benefit from the challenge than my participants do too. And isn't conquering new challenges what keeps us on our toes!

Another reason to be able to operate both ways is that not every location will have a mirror at all. Also, sometimes we will do dances that will take on different group formations; group circle, conga lines, "battle" groups. Being flexible with which direction you can face and follow makes it easier to join the party and the fun!

I have heard that fitness industry standards prefer instructors to face their participants. But with so many different formats in group exercise it seems best left as a strong suggestion for instructors as opposed to a mandatory across the board rule. My opinion.

Now when I teach ballet or lyrical I am much less flexible.

For myself, I want to keep a much closer eye on my students if I am doing the steps along with them. I also use much more vocal cueing- "Tombe  pas de bourree right, turn left..." I don't trust myself to reverse my sides while calling out the opposite. My brain just might explode on the spot!

 Thanks for reading.

Enjoy the dance that is life!
As a participant, which direction do you like the instructor to face? The mirror or the participants?
If you're an instructor, which way do you prefer to face?