There are a lot of things in the dance world that are out of date (forcing turn out) or that we've recently learned more about (bouncing stretches). Sadly, a lot of out of date teaching methods are still being used. In fact that's what I'll be talking about during the conference - how we need to change the way we dance and teach for longevity.

There's another out of date method that almost every single teacher uses.

OK, I'm going to get a lot of hate for this but here it goes... *takes deep breath.*

The ballet barre.

Sorry guys... but the ballet barre is over-rated, over-used, and almost non-essential.

(Please note I did not say completely useless. I would never say that. And I don't think Eileen would either.) But there's a reason only my intermediate/advance dancers ever do barre, and even though we do some stuff, most of our class is done on the floor or in the center.

Why?

There is one reason. Just one.


Seriously. How often do we see our dancers gripping, leaning, pulling, pushing on the barre? Or we tell them their standing leg needs to stay activated, and not just hang out while their working leg works? It's just too easy to cheat, leave your hip open, lose your turn-out, or stop engaging the body fully.

Photo credit: quinn.anya via Visualhunt / CC BY-SA

Do your dancers find it impossible to use their arms and their legs at the same time? They've learned to "hold the arm" in a position while the leg moves. That's not how ballet works! Instead, they need to learn to use their arms to help their legs, and vice versus.

Photo credit: fingle via VisualHunt.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Are your dancers significantly stronger on one side than the other? Many times, it's because the body compensates on the weaker side, and because barre is so easy to do it wrong, it doesn't get corrected. Another reason is because we do things once on each side, rather than working the weaker side extra.

Imagine doing your hardest barre combo without the barre.

Now imagine that it's actually easier to do with without the barre than with.

Because if you are utilizing your muscles correctly and efficiently, it will be!

OK Haley, what is this amazing phenomenal program you're about to sell me?

Well first of all let me be super clear about something: I am not being compensated in any way to share or promote PowerDance Technique. I do not gain affiliate payment. I don't get a lump sum. There's no link exchange. I'm sharing the program with you because I believe in it.

OK so now about the program.



Here are the amazing things that you will discover after working through these exercises:

• You will understand where rotation comes from
• You will feel resistance to movement, and take on a whole new level of elongation
• You will feel how to "squeeze your butt" the right way.
• You will feel your back - all of it
• Your neck tension will go away
• Your ankle tension will go away
• You will feel how your arms and your legs are connected
• You will be in control of your body
• You will experience opposition in a whole new way
• You will see the connection between different dance steps (how are glissade, petite jeté, grand jeté, developpé, and ballancé all related?)
• You will stop making the same mistakes over and over and over, instead being able to understand and be in control of the correction.
• You will revolutionize your turns. Pun fully intended.

All of these things are automatically corrected when you are put in a position where you have no choice but to do the step correctly, otherwise you will fall flat on your face. You can't pronate, because you're activating the right muscles. You can't force your turnout because you're on the ground with nothing to force it against. You can't help but use your arms because if you don't, you'll fall.