Guest a bee blu 426 Posted August 11, 2003 Report Share Posted August 11, 2003 I need serious help. I am very flexible and can lift my leg 180 degrees to the front, side and back- as long as I am holding it up with my hand. At the barre, I can do developes to the side very nicely. However, whenever I attempt to do an adagio in centre, I lose my balance during the side developes: my hips get misaligned, my working leg turns in, and I fall off my standing leg. It would be funny if it weren't so frustrating/pathetic. About a week ago in class, my ballet teacher started yelling that I shouldn't be having problems with this step because I am so turned out usually. He tried to push me over on my leg but I couldn't do it! I ended up falling completely over. It was so embarrassing and frustrating that I started hysterically crying. It seems like nobody understands. I'm one of the more advanced students in my class, and it is so annoying to see younger kids doing developes better than me. Am I the only one who has problems with this step? Any advice on how to make it better? Please let me know![/font] Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted August 11, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted August 11, 2003 Hello a bee blu, welcome to Ballet Alert! Online, and especially to the Young Dancers' forum It sounds to me like you are not placed properly at the barre, and you are probably using too much rotation. Then, when you try to do the same thing in the center it doesn't work because in order to balance you need a center, and if you are not placed correctly and working within your own control zone at the barre, you do not develop a center. Work at the barre on your alignment and balance point, and do your developpés within that alignment and with your weight on your standing leg, hardly touching the barre. Do NOT take your leg to a side position that is beyond your control zone of rotation. Quote Link to comment
Guest a bee blu 426 Posted August 11, 2003 Report Share Posted August 11, 2003 Thanks so much. I'll be sure to work on what you've mentioned. It really makes sense! Quote Link to comment
Guest JRSDANCER87 Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 a bee blu 426, I've gotten a correction about that before. When in the center, one really needs to use the stomach mucsles (as well as other mucsles) to help lift the legs, stay standing strong, and not tip over. I have an issue with using my stomach mucsles correctly...and I never used them right at barre, so then when I got into the center, I still didn't use them. As Ms. Leigh said, barre prepares you for center, whatever we do at the barre we end up doing in the center as far as our technique goes, but I just have to remind myself all the time that the barre is there to help you, and if you use it TOO much, you are doing "tricks" because with poor alignment and imperfections of technique, one uses the barre to still hold them self up (at least that's what I think I've been doing). Then when I would get into the center, my technique was still the same as it was at the barre (not using stomach mucsles at all) but then there was no barre to hold me up, and so I couldn't do what I could do at the barre! See what I mean? I can't say its your stomach that you need to work on...but whatever it is, start at the barre...I did that with my stomach and it has helped me alot in the center these past few weeks! Good luck to you Quote Link to comment
Guest a bee blu 426 Posted August 23, 2003 Report Share Posted August 23, 2003 thank you so much for your consideration and your reply. while practicing at my barre at home, i did exactly what you and Ms. Leigh suggested. my developpes have become very stable both on and off the barre. i always used to grab onto the barre like it was my life support whenever i did developpe a la seconde, but now that i know to stay on my standing leg and support my working leg with my stomach muscles and my gluteus maximus muscles, i don't need the barre anymore. this step has always been the biggest problem for me, but thanks to you and Ms. Leigh, it is no longer a major difficulty. thanks again! Quote Link to comment
Guest Dancergal92 Posted September 17, 2003 Report Share Posted September 17, 2003 I am sorry to bring back an old post, but I figured my question was in the same lines as this one. In class today, my teacher told me I was opening up my hip during tendu a la seconde. She fixed me during the exersize and mentioned it to me afterwards. I asked her to clarify, and I still didn't understand quite clearly. Is it that I may be using too much rotation? When she corrected me, it felt as if I was standing crooked, like not facing the front. If this is the case, would the same excersizes you gave work for me? Thank you. Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted September 17, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted September 17, 2003 Dancergal92, it sounds like you were working out of your "control zone", like probably taking the leg too far to the side for your rotation. While we all work to improve our rotation constantly, we still have to work within the limits we have at this moment in time. If you take your leg too far side there are two things that can happen, either you twist the hips, or you turn in the leg. The hips must be square in à la seconde, and the leg must be turned out. Therefore, you have to place the leg where you can maintain the hips and also turn out the leg. If you try for 180º and you don't have that much rotation, it won't work. Quote Link to comment
Guest Dancergal92 Posted September 17, 2003 Report Share Posted September 17, 2003 Thanks Ms. Leigh. I understand now Quote Link to comment
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