Exercises to help with balance?

[sarah_pirouettes]

I have extremely bad balance, and I was wondering if there were any tools or exercises I could do to help keep myself on my center. Thanks!

[Victoria Leigh]

Sarah, do you know why you do not have good balance? Balance is a matter of alignment, weight placement, and being able to feel your center in whatever position you need to balance. Is the problem on everything, or just on demi pointe or pointe?

[sarah_pirouettes]

It's basically demi-pointe. Pointe is easier, for some reason.

[Victoria Leigh]

It really doesn't seem too logical to me that balance would be better on pointe. Are you speaking about balance for all positions, or just for pirouettes? If you have a good center, and strength in your legs and feet, there is no reason you should not balance well on demi pointe. Do you have a problem with attaining a high demi pointe, due to a low arch and instep? If not, it has to be an alignment and weight placement problem, or the strength to maintain it.

[sarah_pirouettes]

It's mainly when I am on flat doing tendues in the center, especially with routines in fifth, where you tendue front and then back. It's hard for me to quickly shift the weight to be able to tendue. In second relevé on demi pointe, I can stumble over a bit. Thanks for your help!!

[Victoria Leigh]

Sarah, if you can't shift your weight quickly enough, then that weight is to far back and you not lifting up enough out of your legs as you close a tendu. As far as relevé in second, that is probably also a matter of your body weight being too far back. Try a smaller second until you find the balance point with your weight over your toes, then you might widen it a bit.

[Sararose]

I find it best to have my weight on the ###### of my feet at all times, but especially when changing from en avant to en arriere - i hope that helps!