new to here

[bobo]

Hi, I just have some question brought on by an experience I had recently. I'm a guy in my senior year of high school.

 

While my ballet classes won't start until next month after the show I'm in has opened and I don't have rehearsals every night, I've still got some questions.

 

A few nights ago before rehearsal at the studio, my choreographer was teaching an intermediate ballet class and invited me in to do barre work as a warm up. I was a little intimidated, as I've never had any dance training at all. But I figured that I just wouldn't try to do anything my body said it couldn't, and I needed to warm up anyway.

 

So I was in there, doing my best, without any real slippers I was just in my socks, and she stopped the class for a moment and said to me, "Look at you! You have natural turn out, body position, natural line! It's disgusting! You should have been taking ballet all these years!"

 

Afterwards, some girl from school were saying that my..releve(?) was amazing and that I seemed to be up there "forever", but to me it was just standing on my tip toes!

 

So, now I'm sort of confused. Turn out is something I've always been able to do. Is it uncommon in people who don't dance? And what is natural line, and body position? And is being able to stand on your tip toes really that amazing for a non-dancer?

 

The whole thing was really positive, because now I've decided that I want to take ballet (barre work is really fun, but maybe that's because it's brand new! )

[Hans]

Hi, and welcome to Ballet Talk for Dancers!

 

It sounds as if you are one of the few people with a natural talent for ballet. Very good turn-out is indeed rare in people who are not ballet dancers, as is the ability to balance on demi-pointe (tip toes) for a long time. I would imagine that "body position" refers to standing the correct way for ballet, with a straight back, abdominal muscles pulled in and up, knees straight, etc. (That's the Cliff's Notes version--it's more complex than that, but you'll find that out in your classes.) Line is just what it sounds like--the lines your body makes as you dance. Ballet dancers need a smooth, slender, graceful line, and it sounds as if you already have that.

 

I hope you continue to enjoy your ballet classes. Ballet is a lot of fun, a LOT of work, and very rewarding. Good luck!

[olddude]

...Ballet is a lot of fun, a LOT of work, and very rewarding. Good luck!

I would say "Ballet is a lot of fun, a lot of work, and VERY rewarding.