Guest coppelia Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 I am very small and muscular and I was wondering how possible it is for me to make it in the dance world? I will be about 5 feet when I a full grown... but I have the ability to do everything the other girls are doing. I don't know of any dancers that fit that description. I guess my question is: Can I make it in the dance world, and who of my description has made it in the past??? Please help me Quote Link to comment
aletheia146 Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 I remember an article in Dance magazine a while ago about a girl in ABT - either a corps girl or even a soloist - and she was very small but a good dancer. Viviana Durante, one of my favorite dancers, is 5'2". I think if you have good technique, there's no reason why you can't make it in the dance world I would think it would be much harder for very tall girls, rather than short girls. Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted December 24, 2005 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 Aletheia has it right. The farther you go from average height, the better you have to be. So get out there and become soloist material, I have a funny feeling you'll be doing a lot of them, and also be highly sought-after in pas de deux class! Quote Link to comment
Pointeyourfeet Posted December 25, 2005 Report Share Posted December 25, 2005 One of my old friends at dance was VERY short and muscular....... She is now a great dancer in a company and is really, really strong! Don't worry, you can use your figure to your advantage! Quote Link to comment
Guest deliriousdancer24 Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 yeah, im short 2 im about 5" and im am 15 years old. But i am extremely muscular!! my teacher tells me that i have as much muscules as a male dancer. if this is true then why are my jumps semi low? i have a lot of power but i dont understand fully how to use it. help me please!!! Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted January 4, 2006 Administrators Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Using the power in your legs is a matter of understanding the timing and the pattern of the movement, and of how to move your body in space. Also, the theory of rebound is important for your jumps. Quote Link to comment
americanlostinUK Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 what is the theory of rebound? Quote Link to comment
dancemaven Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 Excuse the intrusion . . . But 5" ??!!!! Now THAT IS short! Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted January 5, 2006 Administrators Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 Yes, but she is only 15! There is still time for more growth The theory of rebound is really very simple. It's based on one of Newton's Laws of action/reaction. Think of the jump as a reaction and not an action. It is a reaction to the downward thrust, ie, the plié, which causes an upward movement, ie, the jump. But the downward movement requires an upward movement to give it the thrust to create the rebound. Think of a rubber ball. If you just drop it, it will bounce a tiny bit, but, if you lift it up and throw it down, it will rebound very high. Quote Link to comment
aletheia146 Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 In an interview with Gelsey Kirkland in a recent Dance Magazine, she was talking about how to achieve higher jumps and look of lightness by pushing off the ground and having a feeling of heaviness. It's a lot harder, but you do get higher! And you probably already have the muscular capacity to do it, deliriousdancer24. Quote Link to comment
dancemaven Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 yeah, im short 2 im about 5" and im am 15 years old. Yes, but she is only 15! There is still time for more growth 5 inches at age 15, I definitely think there is room for growth! I'm sorry, , it just made me giggle! I'll stay out now. Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted January 5, 2006 Administrators Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 Ooops! I missed that " too....read it as 5'! Quote Link to comment
Rhapsody Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 Knock, knock parent here: Ms. Leigh, I want to thank you for explaining the theory of rebounding so well. It gave me an immediate visual of pulling up to go down (into plie) and jump. So I printed it out and showed dd who then tried her petite allegro. What a difference that makes! When dd read this she said it was like a light going on. Thanks for turning on the light! Quote Link to comment
Guest deliriousdancer24 Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 haha... sorry i meant 5 feet lol thanks for the advise im going to try it Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted January 6, 2006 Administrators Report Share Posted January 6, 2006 Rhapsody, very glad to hear that my description worked for your daughter! Quote Link to comment
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