Am I getting incorrect training?

[Guest alliecat93]

I have a question about several things. I have one teacher, we will call her (A) for almost all of my classes. I have another teacher ( for a few classes. A and B seem to contradict each other with the way they teach.

 

A tells us that when your arm is in arabesque, the wrist should flip up. B tells us that in arabesque, the wrist should go down slightly. A tells us that when you tondu devant, your leg should go to the side sort of. She wants an open position. The same goes for opening to the back. B wants us to sort of "cross" our position. In tondu devant you toes should be in line with your supporting arch. The same goes for the back position. There are some other things like this that are very different and it's getting very confusing.

 

Am I getting incorrect training or two different styles? I appreciate you help. Also, in first position port de bras, should you arms be at the level of your belly button or you chest? I have had lots of different teachers and bad training at the very beginning, and I just can't remember anymore! Sorry that it's kind of a silly question.

[Victoria Leigh]

Sounds to me like you are getting two very opposing methods of training, alliecat. And, I'm sure this can be very confusing. I can't say that either training is "bad", but only that it is different.

 

As far as first position of the arms is concerned, it is approximately opposite the belly button, not the chest

 

I will say this about the leg slightly side rather than front or back. When you are in the center, and you lift your leg front or back, it must be FRONT or BACK, meaning about 12:00 at the front, and close to 6:00, although not quite, at the back. It is behind the shoulder. Therefore, what would be the purpose of working tendu or anything else out of that alignment? Front is front, back is back, IMO. It's a waste of time and enery to have more than one front and back position.

[Guest alliecat93]

Thank you so much Ms. Leigh. So are you saying that they are both correct, but different methods?

[Victoria Leigh]

They might both be considered correct by some people, alliecat, however I happen to disagree with one of them. Read my post again. You might have read it before I added the last paragraph.

[ConstanzaElisabeth]

i get a lot of opposing viewpoints from my teachers, at the studio i attend now and summer intensives, but our teachers like to give us different things so that we are able to do whichever version a teacher or director calls for. its all about expanding your versatility! be thankful, and work hard to perfect both.

[Guest twinklehooves]

I get alot of that too. Except from Summer Workshop teachers. I guess all teachers have different methods and training!