Sometimes you just have to go back to the basics. Even professional dancers sometimes go take a beginner class so they can focus on technique. Clean crisp technique is a must-have, especially considering the competitive job market for dance. Here are a few tips that will help every aspect of your dancing.

1.      Plie is your power-house, your beginning and end, your safe-haven. You can make it big or small, fast and powerful, or slow and sustaining. Plies can absorb shock from a jump, or propel you into your next one. Most steps have a plié in them in some way, shape, or form. Jumps, leaps, traveling steps, stationary movements, almost all of them have a plié. Make sure your plies are clean by keeping your heels from poping up, making sure your knees don’t push forward, and watching that your toes aren’t clawing at the floor.

2.      Head. You probably look at the floor more than you think you do. Figure out specific places for you to look for every movement in your dance or in a combination: a corner, a wall, a spot, your hand, your foot, whatever imaginary sylph is flying through the air at the time… but unless the choreography specifically calls for you to look at the floor, don’t look at the floor. It distorts the line and drastically changes your balance.

3.      Breath. Do you hold your breath while you dance?  Try to engage your breath and connect it to your movements. Exhale when you flex a muscle (or bring a limb away from your midline) and inhale when you extend (or bring a limb closer to your midline). Grand Battements, développés, or big rond de jambes are the ones that usually get you holding your breath. Remember that your muscles are connected to your diaphragm and your lungs, so they won’t work properly if you don’t breathe. Also, you could get dizzy or tired if you don’t breathe enough.

4.      Abs. We all know abs are important in dance, but do you know how important? Your abdominals are connected to your oblique’s, hip flexors, back, pecs, lats, and most importantly, pelvic floor, debatably one of the most important muscles in the body. Instead of pulling your stomach in like you’re “sucking in,” lift the bottom of the abdominals up towards the top ones, therefore flexing them and pulling them up. You’ll feel the difference in your stomach, back, and shoulders.

5.      Imagination. One of the biggest things people forget about technique is that it’s literally all in your head. If you fall in your head, you’ll fall when you do it. If your extension is stuck in your head, it’ll be stuck in your legs. If your legs get twisted up in your head, you’ll get confused when you dance it. If you find you’re having trouble with a certain step, rather than trying it over and over again, breaking it down over and over again, and going nowhere, try closing your eyes and doing it in your head until you can see yourself doing it right.

*this post was originally written for 8Count Audio*

Do you ever leave class or rehearsal and think “that was fun, but I don’t feel like I got anywhere new today?” That’s never a good sign. A good dancer is always trying and working to improve and raise their personal “best” to the next level. Sometimes we get tired, or frustrated, or stressed, and before we know it, class is over and we don’t remember anything we learned.

But don’t worry. There are ways to avoid that.

1.      Eat at least an hour before class. You can’t think or dance if you don’t have gas in the fuel tank. End of story. Complex carbohydrates and complete proteins are the best. So, pbj anyone?

2.      Before class, drink water. Water improves your brain function and keeps you from feeling sluggish and tired. It gives your muscles and shock absorbers more flexibility and life. It also starts the rehydration before you get too behind. Don’t forget to keep drinking water during class! Don’t wait until you’re thirsty: by then it’s already too late.

3.      Don’t let your mind wander. Studies have shown that people who go through the motions while thinking about something else don’t get nearly as much out of the exercise as those who are focused and attentive during their work-out. This is because you fully engage the muscles rather than just doing enough to accomplish the movement.

4.      After class, write it down. Try to remember the corrections your teacher or coach gives you, and write them down in a dance journal or diary. This forces you to recall what your teacher said, whether it be technique tips, or corrections on a number you’re rehearsing. Then, before your next session, go over your notes and keep them in your mind.

5.      Have your priorities straight. This is a tough one. For dancers who do a lot of competitions or performances, sometimes the line between being dedicated and being dangerous gets blurry. Don’t forget that if you fall apart because you aren’t getting enough sleep at night, you’re useless as a dancer. Don’t forget that if you get behind on your homework, you might not make it into dance college, no matter how flexible you are. It’s not the end of the world to skip a class to get important stuff done. With that in mind, don’t make excuses not to go to class! Figure out what the most important thing is, and make it your priority.

If for some reason you still feel like you aren’t getting anything out of dance class, talk to your teacher. You may need to go up a level—or even go down a level. If everything is too simple, you’ll get bored (however, don’t forget that even a professional dancer can get a good workout from a beginner class if they work hard). If it’s too advanced, you’ll get confused and you won’t be able to do your best because there will be too much to focus on.

Don’t be afraid to dialogue with your teacher or coach about it: they’re here to help, and they want to challenge you. And as a dancer, you need to step up to the challenge. 

Yesterday I thought I was going to die.

Back in High School, I spent 25+ hours a week dancing, teaching, rehearsing, and walking around the studio in a pair of ballet slippers. Now that I'm in college and I have a life, a career, and two jobs, I don't have the time to spend that many hours working out for myself. So yesterday when I started my regular teaching schedule, suffice it to say my body was not prepared.

I mean, 4 classes isn't that many, is it? Not really. And they were all only an hour long. It wasn't that my muscles were exhausted, or even that I was mentally exhausted: Rather, it was my feet that were killing me.

And my feet don't usually hurt, because as a dancer, my feet are pretty strong! But I learned something yesterday: I can dance in flats for six hours a day, but I can only walk around in them for three before my feet start to ache. I can almost guarantee it has something to do with the way we dancers use the muscles in our feet when we dance as compared to when we walk. 

But I'm pursuing teaching, and this is going to be my life. Miss Laura used to teach seven or eight classes a day, half of them to ages 2-5. I'd better get used to it, right?

So I've compiled a list of ways to save your feet, strengthen arches, and relieve pain. 

1. Tennis Ball. Every dancer should have at least one tennis ball. I have three, and a golf ball. Many dance companies sell a device similar to a tennis or golf ball. Just put it under your arch, and push and roll gently and slowly. 
2. Tape your Arches. There is some controversy about this, but it all boils down to arch support. There is no arch support in ballet shoes (unless you buy an insert and put it in your shoe). If you need the arch support to save your knees and ankles, tape your arches and do some strengthening after class or in your free time.
3. Ice/Heat Treatment. As a dancer, one of the best feelings in the world is getting out of bed and standing on a freezing cold tile floor... I know that sounds strange, but seriously, try it some time. It sucks the aches right out of your feet. Of course if you only ice your feet, the muscles will get hard, and that won't help you much. So if your feet are really killing you, twenty minutes on ice and twenty in a hot water foot bath or heating pad will ease the pain away.

Also. Ibuprophen is an amazing thing.

*this post was originally written for 8Count Audio*

Fouetté: the word inspired fear into the hearts of ballet students everywhere. The uncontrollable nightmare that whirls you off your feet and sends you flying across the room into embarrassment and humiliation.

Okay, maybe you’re not as terrified about fouettés as I was. But honestly, that’s how I used to think of them.

Until I figured them out.

There are a few key secrets to mastering fouettés. I’ve done my 32, and I got up to about 24 en pointe (that was in High School when I was dancing every day) and really, once I figured them out, they were a lot of fun.

The turn. There are two basic ways to actually do your turn. The French method is to plié in your battement front, then relevé in second, passé to turn. I’ve found that this method is good for people who have shorter legs—but if you have long legs, it will whirl you around so fast you’ll probably lose control. My suggestion is to try the Russian method: plié in your battement front, carry to the side while still in plié, and then relevé passé. Some people even skip the battement to the front and just go side/passé/side/passé.

The heel. Don’t slam your heel down when you plié. It makes you completely lose all control over your balance. Instead, imagine you are squishing an orange or a bouncy-ball under your heel every time you plié, and lift up in your spine as you go down.

The energy. Energy is extremely important in fouettés. When you plié and battement (either front or side) visualize shooting beams of energy up out of your head, straight out of your arms, down into the floor from both of your hips, and out of your extended leg. Your sacrum is your center of balance, so imagine a glowing ball of light that creates those beams of energy. This “cross” of power will keep you centered and keep you from falling, losing control, or traveling across the room.

The timing. Don’t try to do fouetté to a 2/4 or a 4/4 beat: do it to a very fast waltz. Count off to three a few times, and use the 1 as your whip, the 2 as your turn, and the 3 as your plié. Once you get the rhythm, fouettés are not the nightmare they used to be!

The spot. Don’t forget your spot. It’s still the most important part of your turn. Without it, you completely lose yourself. Remember those beams of light you’re shooting? Shoot them out of your eyes at your spot as well!

The mind. If all else fails, don’t be intimidated by fouettés. They’re just like any other turn, just a little harder. Don’t think too hard, and let your body do what it knows to do. If you can’t seem to master them, try visualizing yourself doing six or eight—if you fall in your head, you will fall in the studio. Your problem may be in your mind!