americanlostinUK Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 hi, i haven't said anything in ages, lately i've been getting a bit discouraged with petit allegro. it just goes so fast and i often feel like i'm only attempting to dance and in reality i'm making spastic little movements in random directions. my biggest problem is getting off the floor. i have hyperextended legs and i've read that this can be a problem. it just really depresses me when i watch everyone else do a super-fast glissade pas-de-chat and i do a sort of step step throw both legs into the air. it probably isn't actually this bad but it really bothers me. i'm not the lightest person around, i don't actually think this has much to do with it because its not as if im super fat or anything, i'm just not a balanchine body-type. are there maybe exercises i could do to help with this? Quote Link to comment
americanlostinUK Posted November 14, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 is anyone there? its only six over there, isn't it? Quote Link to comment
ami1436 Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 knock knock - yup, there is a time difference in the US, but most people will be in class! or driving... or eating.... hang on! Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted November 15, 2005 Report Share Posted November 15, 2005 Now, I made a perfectly good reply to this question, that for some reason or other, didn't post! What I said was along the lines of: What I feel your issue is, is not weight, so much as it is the use of the legs with that hyperextension. What you want to do is establish what is "straight" for your legs and use that instead of "full down and locked" position like an aircraft's landing gear. Just those couple of inches of travel on each knee can take just milliseconds, but those milliseconds have a nasty way of adding up fast, especially with the tempo at allegro (120/min.) or faster. Quote Link to comment
americanlostinUK Posted November 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2005 that absolutely makes sense! so i need to not over-straighten my legs. i don't mean to sound redundant but its difficult to simply 'establish' what is straight, no exercises? i like the idea of being able to work on this issue at home. Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 It's something that to begin with, you will need a "spotter", whether a teacher or a trusted friend, who can tell you when your legs look straight. The next step involves a lot of mirror time as you learn where straight is, and to "pull up" through the leg to get there, but no further. And yes, you can do this ANYWHERE, once you learn where "straight" is. It may feel weird to start with, as though you are dancing with bent knees, but persevere and you will have much more success. You will also avoid a lot of trouble that some dancers have from locking knees. Quote Link to comment
Guest pink tutu379 Posted November 22, 2005 Report Share Posted November 22, 2005 I don't have hyper-extended legs, but for some reason i can't do petti alegro as well as i would like to. I have trouble hitting my fifths and beating, as well as everything else! Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted November 22, 2005 Administrators Report Share Posted November 22, 2005 I believe you said that you are 13, right? If you were brilliant at everything right now, where do you go from here? There are reasons that it takes at least 10 years of excellent training to make a dancer! (And those years do not count anything prior to 8 years old.) Quote Link to comment
Guest pink tutu379 Posted November 22, 2005 Report Share Posted November 22, 2005 Yes, i guess that's very true. My mom aways tells me i need to clam down on trying to be perfect, and that I'm too hard on myself. I guess i should try to be perfextly satisfied on what i can do now! Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted November 22, 2005 Administrators Report Share Posted November 22, 2005 Well, maybe not "perfextly satisfied", pinktutu! Dancers never stop trying to improve every day, but the idea is to realize that ballet is not instant. It takes a long time, and it is wasted energy to be upset or frustrated when something doesn't work. Put that energy into doing the work and it will improve, but you must also ENJOY the work! If you are busy being TOO hard on yourself it creates a negative energy which is non-productive. We always keep striving to make everything better, and perfection is the goal, but remember that if we were perfect we would have nothing else to accomplish and nowhere to go from here! Quote Link to comment
Guest pink tutu379 Posted November 22, 2005 Report Share Posted November 22, 2005 Thank you Ms.Leigh for helping me relize what you just said! My new goal is to do exactly what you said. Thanks again for your time, Ballet alert is a WONDERFUL website, it helps so much! Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted November 22, 2005 Administrators Report Share Posted November 22, 2005 You are most welcome, pinktutu! That is what we are here for Quote Link to comment
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