Mental Pictures

[TyneeDancer]

I find mental pictures work really well for me. My favorite is to pretend there is a big bowl of ice cream in front of me when I pirouette. It helps me spot and also gives me a pleasant expression. I was just curious what mental pictures other people use in class.

 

(sorry if this is the wrong place I wanted everyone to be able to see it and post)

[Mel Johnson]

Sure, that's part of dance acting. In the Stanislavsky Acting Method, it's called "Recollection of Emotion". It depends on what I'm supposed to be thinking while I'm in a part in a narrative ballet or selection. If you do it regularly, you can pull up that emotion almost as easily as punching a key on the computer.

 

When there is no specific emotion set by the ballet master or suggested by the music, I'm often thinking of "all my guests! Happy to see you!" I like social gatherings. Sir Michael Somes once advised dancers learning Sir Frederick Ashton's "Symphonic Variations", "Here you should look as though you're thinking about something. I don't care what it is, just think of [/u]something!

[Green Jelly Bean]

Funny, when I pirrouette, I think of Ritz Crackers

[DancingIsMyLife]

When we do arabesques or leans, our teacher always tells us that we have to imagine reaching out for something we REALLY want. Then she asked each of us what we were reaching out for - some chose their boyfriends, or chocolate. I imagine reaching for the stars or a large chocolate fountain Gives you a nice expression and helps you to look perfect in your position

[LilBalletDancer1993]

The arabesque one sounds good! I'll try that with my (very annoying, though excited about for some reason!! ) arabesque penché! I'll imagine something that I'm reaching out for as I lift my leg, and then imagine it drifting slowly to the floor as my back begins to drop- hopefully I will finally get the line I'm looking for!!!

I don't know whether this counts as a mental image (probably not, but it is useful, and it involves thought!!), but something I find that helps is to breathe in when you prepare to pirouette, and exhale strongly as you turn, whilst thinking about the most beautiful pirouette you have ever seen!! It helps you relax your shoulders, turn easier, and keeps your placement nice whilst doing it, because of the image!!!

LBDxXx

[balletgirl45]

I've never tried that before!!! it sounds really cool though!!!

[pinkerina]

i dont know if this really counts as a mental picture:

 

there is this commercial of this girl who has a place for everything, and wherever she goes there is this black outline of where her item will go, then later she places it inside the black outline. (i dont know what the commercial is for though)

 

^that is what i try to think about when i am dancing- having a set outline of where i should place myself, then trying to put myself in that outline.

[pointedancer6]

that's a really good idea.

=)

[LilBalletDancer1993]

That's a really really really good idea! Lately I've been trying to work more on use of space (like, using it all without going too far so it doesn't fit), so that could help A LOT. In future, I will look around wherever I'm dancing before I start my enchainement, and plan where each phrase should finish... Wow thanks!!! I think you just gave me an answer to a recurring problem!!!

LBDxXx

 

Ooh, I have another mental image!! Well, sort of... It's something to think about anyway... When you're doing pointe work, when you relevé (it doesn't matter if you're relevéing (is that a word? ) on two feet, one, or into a position) instead of thinking about just jumping up onto your toes, I find it better (for me, anyway!!) to think about clenching my gluteals (spelling?) (to hold my turnout), and to pull me up, thinkining about my calf muscle pulling up my lower leg. I fond this makes me more stretched, and my leg better extended, and also I find I'm using more of all of me to support me on pointe, rather than just my arch and shoes, so it actually makes you look more steady and pulled up and supported on pointe. As well as looking a lot better and more confident, it also hurts your feet a lot less, and your shoes don't wear out as fast because you're not relying on their support!!

LBDxXx

[Malaika]

I like mental pictures! My teacher uses quite a lot of them in class.

Things like imagining your legs rotating outwards like revolving doorways (turnout) or imagining you're digging a ditch in the floor when doing grand battements or imagining you're dancing through molasses.

 

I find these images help a lot.

[JudyBlue]

That you have headlights on your hips...and you want you "headlights" shining in one place when you are doing a certain move.

[LilBalletDancer1993]

That you have headlights on your hips...and you want you "headlights" shining in one place when you are doing a certain move.

My teacher uses that one too, especially for arabesques!! "Headlights forward!! Not one one way and one the other!!"

LBDxXx

[Mel Johnson]

But that's not good advice for an arabesque! The human body is bilaterally symmetrical left to right, but not front to back! When doing an extension to the front, there's nothing to impede the travel of the leg to the extended position. Ditto to the side. But when you go back, there are the original factory-installed seat cushions that are in your way, and they have to be given somewhere to go rather than be compressed by the working leg. While perfection in an extension quatrieme derriere would seem to demand that both hips keep facing front, we're not built that way! In order to take an extension to the back, the student must lift out of the supporting hip and let the other one open slightly in order to let the leg extend. Just think of the horror of doing quatrieme devant if those other structures were in the front, too!

 

Now, can we trim that signature line a bit, eh? Nine lines of sentiment or haiku or whatever seems a bit much of a muchness, and it makes our charges from the board host cost more.

[maddison]

when i ponche, i pretend i am reaching for a 100 dollar bill thats too far away, so if i could just reach it.....

 

it really helps. you can't just ponche straight down, but reaching out helps me stay on my balance!

[Victoria Leigh]

There is actually a good deal more to it than that, maddison. While slightly reaching forward is good, there has to be a counter pull from the leg reaching back or you will just fall on your face! A center must be established, and the abs, quads of the supporting leg, and back muscles must be working to maintain that center. An equal and opposite pull helps you to do that.

 

Yes, dancers, as Mr. Johnson said, the headlights image does NOT work for arabesque! At least not if you hope to have any rotation at all in the back leg.