Attitudes?

[luv2luvballet]

Hello,

In class at the moment we are working on our attitudes, everyone elses seem to be really good but mine Just look awful. My ribs go all wonky, my legs seems to either be really flat and my knees dip down or my legs are too upright and my feet point down. Is there anything I can do to help this apart from just practicing loads??? Thanks!

[Mel Johnson]

Now, WHAT exactly are you doing? My unabashed dictionary doesn't have a ballet definition for "wonky". WHERE exactly are your legs? If it's the supporting one, it's supposed to be upright. What foot points down? The working one? And what loads are you practicing, and how exactly are you doing that?

[Victoria Leigh]

Attitude is one of those positions where it really helps if the teacher places the leg for you, whether it is front or back attitude.

[luv2luvballet]

My ribs seem to bend to the side of the supporting leg and the working leg is the one that the foot points down and the knee goes up. I have been trying to practice in front of a mirror but it still doesn't seem to help. Also my legs are derrière.

[Victoria Leigh]

Your ribs will bend or not bend according to what you make them do. They should not bend in attitude.

 

To get the shape of the leg and foot, practice it from tendu back. Make sure you are as rotated as you can be on both legs, making a really good line of the back leg and foot. Keeping the rotation and shape of the foot, bend the working knee and lift up under the thigh with the whole leg and the foot at the same time, to a relatively low attitude at first. If you can keep the line of the leg at a low level, then try a bit higher.