Guest Kelsey Posted October 16, 2003 Report Share Posted October 16, 2003 I really have bad bad balance! I can't balance on releve for more than 3 counts. Is balance really a mind thing or a practice thing or a born-with-it thing? I've noticed that some girls in my class can stay on releve like forever, and it makes me wish i could do that too! Because of my lousy balance, I can't do triple pirouettes...I just do 2 and a bit and fall off. Argh! Also my ballet teacher mentioned that my bad balance may be because i'm not standing high enough on my releve. But I thought it only looked like that because i've got a real flat instep. Ok, whatever it is, I hope i can balance better! Any inspiring testimonies anyone? Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted October 16, 2003 Report Share Posted October 16, 2003 Kelsey, there is a simple rule about alignment that leads to balance: Shoulders over the hips, hips over the knees, knees over the toes, toes on the ground. There is something here that interests me. Do you have flat insteps AND flat arches? You can have high insteps and not high arches and vice versa. It complicates matters, but it's beatable. As for pirouettes, you may be flinching before your balance is really done, rightly or wrongly believing that you can't hold a balance that long. Link to comment
Guest Kelsey Posted October 16, 2003 Report Share Posted October 16, 2003 Well, i've got a flat instep but my arch is ok. My foot looks kinda strange actually..It's straight then it suddenly bends at my toes. It's like my toe knuckles stick out so it makes the line look funny. Like kinked feet, i suppose What's up? Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted October 16, 2003 Report Share Posted October 16, 2003 OK, that's even more complex than I thought. It sounds like you have the kind of foot that goes all bunion-y. You may need spacers in both your street shoes and dance shoes. You have a variety of foot that I sometimes call the "razor" foot. Low instep, high arch, and you have a situation where you don't have a lot of muscle on the inside of the foot. There isn't a lot there to push the foot over into a full point, but it is correctable with a lot of battement tendus, jetés, frappés, pas de cheval, and so forth. You have to work the feet so that the ankles and the midfoot should be on a straight line, and themselves over the toes on the floor when you're on relevé. Link to comment
Marjolein Posted October 17, 2003 Report Share Posted October 17, 2003 Wow, those are exactly the feet I have, and indeed, I have to wear spacers to prevent bunions. Good to know that it is correctable. Link to comment
Guest Kelsey Posted October 18, 2003 Report Share Posted October 18, 2003 Oh great YUp, that's my problem's that my midfoot and ankles aren't exactly over my toes, so when i try to get on demipointe i always just tip over. Thanks! Link to comment
Guest Arak Posted October 18, 2003 Report Share Posted October 18, 2003 Be sure you're engaging your lower abdominals when you balance. Link to comment
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