Guest meliss83 Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 okay, i try sooo hard to keep my posture in Ballet, my teacher is constantly coming up behind me and yanking my neck and head up and my hips/butt down and in. and it's wonderful when he's holding it there.... but then he lets go and i can not keep that same length and awesome posture. and i think that is causeing me to have trouble balancing as well. is there anything i can do? My teacher says i have a slight curvature in my neck, which i need to fix with proper placement, he has me put my hand on the back of my head and push my head back, but after i let go my hand it is hard to keep my head there. I was just wondering if anyone had any advice for keeping posture, as i stated before i have not been trained in ballet for many years so maybe that is part of the problem. But any help anyone can offer would be much appreciated!! thanks so much! -melissa Link to comment
Guest Tarantella Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 Your teacher said that you have a curvature? Did you ever check to see if you have scoliosis? I am probably completely off but you never know right? Link to comment
Guest Tarantella Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 Oooops! Sorry but I forgot that I am on the YD 16-22 and not YD13-16 forum!! I tried deleting the other post but I didn't know how. Sorry! Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted November 18, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 Melissa, if you have not yet had a lot of training, it's possible that you just have not had enough time to correct your alignment problems. Understanding them is one thing, and getting your body to maintain the corrections is another! However, you can help yourself A LOT by practicing your posture constantly OUTSIDE of class as well as when you are in class. Poor postural habits are usually from all the hours you are not dancing, and you have to make your NEW posture the habit. The more you do this, the faster it will improve in class. You mentioned the neck and head alignment. This is a major problem, and, although it could be a curvature that is structural, it is far more likely that it is habitual, and also very likely caused by carrying a heavy backpack. IF you are doing this, I strongly recommend that you STOP immediately! Correcting the head alignment is very, very difficult. If it is constantly being aggravated by the way one stands when carrying a backpack, then it will never get corrected, and you could look like a hunchback at a very young age. Definitely NOT a good thing! If it is not being caused by a backpack, then I would check with a doctor and see if there is a structural problem in the neck area. In the meantime, PRACTICE keeping your head aligned all the time, not just when you are in ballet class. Link to comment
Guest meliss83 Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 thank you so much for your response! i do try to have good posture even when not in class, but then i am scared that i am over correcting, or i THINK i am correcting, yet i'm not... but i will continue to try and stay aligned. THANKS AGAIN!! -melissa Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 Your problem is called "jutting head", and it's not uncommon at all. As Ms. Leigh said, it's far more likely to be habitual than structural. You have no idea how hard Sergeants have to work to get recruits to a correct position of "attention" with regard to the head. It's in the same place as for ballet, but a lot of other things are different! Link to comment
Guest meliss83 Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 i am relieved to know that i am not the only person with this problem! misery loves company! ;) but just so i understand correctly, if i practice like while i am driving or sitting in class as well as in ballet class pushing my head back and aligning it right eventually my muscles will automatically keep it there? or it will just get easier for me to keep it there? just want to make sure i do everything right! but thank you SO much i appreciate everything! -melissa Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted November 19, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted November 19, 2003 Melissa, the more you practice it, the more "normal" it will become. But not just sitting in school or driving, as you are not sitting when you are dancing. Practicing it when you are standing and walking is even more important! In my post I stressed the backpack problem.....but you did not say whether you use one of those or not. Link to comment
Guest Angel2Be Posted November 19, 2003 Report Share Posted November 19, 2003 I used to jut my neck out all the time, probably because I'm such a nerd and constantly staring at the floor. I wasn't even aware that I did it until a dance teacher corrected me. In my case, it helped to stop carrying heavy books around on my back and start doing my homework / reading / computing at a desk, instead of cross-legged on the floor. Walking with proper posture really feels nice. Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted November 19, 2003 Report Share Posted November 19, 2003 Melissa, it doesn't take much to correct. I once had a little girl who not only had the jutting head, she also inclined her head forward and looked straight forward with her eyes. Very earnest, and hardworking, but it's nearly impossible to dance in that position. So I taped a small thread to her nose, and when I pulled up on the thread, she remembered and corrected the whole head/eyes placement thing. After a rather short time, it became instinctive. I love tape and thread/string! Link to comment
Guest meliss83 Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 Ms Leigh, sorry i forgot to respond to the back pack issue. Actually i don't use a back pack, i use a bag i just carry on my shoulder. I haven't used one since... probably my freshmen year of highschool (5 years ago). So this may be a lingering problem since then because i carried a lot of books with me at the time, but i have been working on it while i walk to class and what not... i feel like i look kind of silly, but i'm alright with that hehe thanks again so much!! -melissa Link to comment
Guest meliss83 Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 and Mr. Johnson thank you for that idea! maybe i will make my roomates do that to me in order to practice! very creative idea Link to comment
coffee Posted November 21, 2003 Report Share Posted November 21, 2003 Is a shoulder bag better than a backpack? becasue it seems that both would have their problems, with a shoulder bag only putting pressure on one side. I have a tough class load this year and there are a lot of books to cary. I don't have time to go to my locker much. Usually I cary one or two books in my arms to put less strain in my back. Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted November 21, 2003 Report Share Posted November 21, 2003 Yes, a shoulder bag does pose a problem, and you've identified it neatly. A backpack, WITH THE CHEST STRAP FASTENED, provides better carrying capacity, and carrying extra books in front to counterbalance is not a bad idea. It may be worthwhile to note that at the United States Military Academy at West Point, "class baggage" may only weigh 15 pounds. There are upperclassmen with scales about the place, making plebes' lives hell, and this is one of the ways they do it. If these magnificent specimens of physical health are limited to that weight, think of what a 40 pound pack will do to a young woman of 100 pounds or so. Link to comment
lampwick Posted November 21, 2003 Report Share Posted November 21, 2003 My head juts a bit as well. I think it's related to having the weight too far back (in my case b/c of hyperextension) Your head is trying to compensate. Neck tension can contribute as well. From my understanding, it's an entirely correctable muscular thing. What you DON'T want is a flat neck. Chiropractors like to see a nice curve on an X-ray. It means the neck still has good shock absorption. oops sorry..just realized I posted on the YD board Link to comment
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