letting weight drop into heels

[lexicon]

**Not sure if this is the right forum for this question; since I am not a teacher, I didn't want to post in the teachers forum.**

 

I was reading a post in the teachers forum where a teacher had a question regarding a student of hers who was hyperextended and let her weight drop into her heels. I was interested in the response given by Ms. Leigh as she said that the way a student stands, walks, and sits on a regular basis will greatly affect how she is able to maintain work in class.

 

This is my dd's issue. She is regurlarly corrected for not getting forward enough, letting her weight drop into her heels, and for not pulling up out of her hips. She is also very hyperextended. Her director has said that it does make for a nice line, but it must be tamed or it can be a hinderence. So, I was wondering if Ms. Leigh, or anybody who is knowledgeable in this area, could elaborate on how to work on this issue 24/7, i.e. when standing, walking, sitting, etc. I know my dd gets the corrections in class, but anything she can be doing out of class in addition would help.

[Victoria Leigh]

What she has to be doing out of class is what she should be learning and practicing in class in terms of how one stands, walks, sits, etc. She does not need to use the turnout when outside of class, but her alignment and weight placement needs to be adjusted so that she does not ever give in to the hyperextension and sit in her heels.

 

The point is that one gets rid of a bad habit by creating a new one. She needs to create a new habit of always standing correctly, and not just trying to do it when in class.

[lexicon]

Thank you, this makes sense. Based on your experience I was wondering if this a bad habit that is not easily broken.

[Victoria Leigh]

It's a bad habit, but I think it can be rather easily broken, as long as the student is totally committed to breaking it and creating a new one.