torso length

[Her Royall Highness]

Some friends and I were recently having a discussion and we pondered the question: Do dancers with longer torsos have an easier time getting a higher arabesque? It seemed to be the trend we had all observed, but I wanted to pose the question to a wider population of dancers. What do you think? And why do you think this could be (or not)?

[Victoria Leigh]

Actually, no. Normally those with longer legs tend to have a better arabesque. There are always exceptions, of course, but in general, the shorter torso/longer legged dancer has a better line.

[Mel Johnson]

And WAY back in the day, we're talking Taglioni here, when the longer-waisted dancer was the fashionable silhouette, the arabesques were very low. Fanny Cerrito, a short-waisted dancer, was noted not only for her speed, but for the height of her extensions.

[Her Royall Highness]

That's what I'd always been told, too. but once it was brought up, I did notice that the girls with longer torsos seemed to have an easier time getting their arabesques higher. I was thinking maybe the elongated back would have more muscle area to draw power from, or something of that sort. Perhaps it's just an isolated phenomenon.

[Mel Johnson]

Aha! A new demographic for the Census Bureau! A "long-waisted high-arabesque" pocket!

[LooseLegs2]

i know that my torso tends to be on the longer side, but my arabesques are quite high (actually they are kind of my "signature"). but i know other girls at my studio with long torso's that have low arabesques. and then i know girls with short torsos with low arabesques as well! quite strange. but it goes along the line of the wider the hips the better the turnout, which is actually more proven to be true! there are exceptions to everything i guess!

[CKdance3]

This is often a topic of conversation at my school as well! Many of the girls with shorter torsos claim their legs won't go as high without really letting their back go forward because they feel as if there simply isn't enough room for their back to be held straighter, if that makes sense. However like what the others have said I know people with short and long torsos with high and low arabesques.

[balletobsessed]

I have a long torso and a flexible back, and there is NO advantage to this combination. It makes it extremely hard to have correct placement.

[kellyisthebestintheworld]

I have a long torso, flexible back, and not really long legs. my arabesque is the best in my class and my friend said it was because of my back and torso but I think it just depends on the person. my teacher has a short torso and long legs and hers is UP there.