Vero Classical Ballet

One of the funny things in the dance world is an overblown sense of pride in many dance teachers. Some athletes, in the interest of improving their abilities have sought out ballet training (notably Lynn Swan, formerly with the Pittsburgh Steelers). Dance teachers tend to believe that they are more aware of the physical capacity for movement of the human body than athletes and coaches and in some cases they are correct. One thing I have been inspired to do is learn from athletes, coaches and sports physiologists. The logic of looking in this direction for knowledge is obvious: millions of dollars are at stake with a college or professional sports teams so millions of dollars have been poured into research in sports physiology to help make athletes and coaches better. One thing I have learned from my studies in this field is what is called "preflexing" the ankle. I was taught by my ballet teachers to "go through" the foot when landing from a jump, articulating each joint in the many bones of the feet. This was, unfortunately, bad advice. By "going through" the foot you dissapate strength and elasticity in the muscles and tendons and add to the risk of injury. You will land with more noise as well. When landing from a jump you should actively pull the toes back and flex the ankle from the pointed position just before or right as (depending on the jump) you hit the floor. The same thing applies with the knees. You actively bend the knees just before you hit the ground. You will notice the best dancers doing this intuitively if you watch them in slow motion. The nice thing about this is that it is not my opinion. It is proven science, paid for by sports teams and universities.

Happy Jumping!!

Barry

Comments (0)     

When will your little dancer get her first pair of point shoes?  Well, this is determinded by the teacher.  The biggest thing that the teacher will be looking for is if the feet and ankles are strong enough?  The earliest that girls get their first pair of pointe shoes is 9 years old, this is when the calcification of the bones in the feet are sufficent enough to support the entire body's weight when standing on pointe (standing on toes).  

To gain the strength needed for this exciting event in a young dancers life, it is important to take class at least 3 days a week, preferably more.  Every exercise in class, when performed correctly, will build strength in the ankles and lower legs and also improves balance and stability needed when standing on the very small platform (tip) of the pointe shoe.  Jumping, surprisingly is great for building strength needed for point work. 

Feet and ankles very greatly with each dancer, not just size but flexablity in which can play a big role in the strength.  Dancers with really flexable feet and ankles ("banana feet" as dancers call it) will have a harder time with strength.  Dancers with stiff feet and ankles will tend to be stonger but will have difficulty "getting up on pointe."  When up on pointe, the platform or tip of the pointe shoe should be flat on the floor putting it in line with the ankle and hip.

Next blog will include the anatomy of pointe shoes and how they work. 

Comments (0)     

There is probably nothing that distinguishes classical ballet more than the pointe shoe. It is a characteristic element that everyone recognizes. While everyone may recognize a pointe shoe for what it is they may not know that there are different techniques for getting on pointe. The two basic techniques are: 1) the "spring" - a very small jump where the toe comes to the place where the arch used to be when the whole foot was on the floor, and 2) the "roll up" - lifting the heel until the weight is on the ball of the foot and then "rolling" to pointe from there. Conversely, you can come down from pointe using either of the two techniques as well. The "spring" method, originating from the Italian School, circa 1870, is quick, strong, secure and allows for the confident execution of the most difficult steps in the reperatory of classical ballet. The "rolling up" method, originating from the French School, circa 1840, is more subtle and smooth but is weaker and provides greater odds of slipping while attempting advanced steps. This method is the original technique as the pointe shoe was invented during the romantic period of ballet and the steps of pointe work were very simple.

I teach the "spring" method as this is the best technique to produce strong and consistent results. The students develope confidence quickly as they learn speed and attack with their pointe work. I also teach the "rolling up and down" method, but sparingly. This technique is useful when performing reperatory from the romantic era.

Comments (0)     

This will be the first post in a series I will call Footwork. The purpose of this and most of my posts will be primarily to educate the general public about important elements of teaching and performing the art of classical ballet. Knowledge will empower parents to make good decisions regarding finding the right teacher for their child. In addition, I also welcome discussion about this or any other post that I write.

Today I will talk about the "wrapped" position sur le cou-de-pied. Sur le cou-de-pied means "at the neck of the foot" which designates the area of the lower leg from the base of the calf to the beginning of the foot. The Vaganova Method has five sur le cou-de-pied positions. The wrapped position is of particular importance as the shape the foot takes when "wrapping" the ankle correctly creates beautiful lines in many of the poses of classical ballet. To learn the "wrapped" sur le cou-de-pied you start in first position (for the uninitiated this is standing with your heads together with you your toes facing out, ideally in a straight line). The foot - right or left - is draw up the the lower leg by bending the knee to the side and similtaneously bringing the heel forward and the toes back. The heel ends up in front at the base of the calf and the toes "wrap" around behind the ankle. This is a beautiful and graceful line. The opposite - the toes forward and the heel back creates an awkward looking line or position. This can be illustrated for the novice by standing before a full length mirror with the toes pointing in towards each other and walking towards the mirror. I think everyone would agree this is an awkward looking stance and movement. Learning the correct position will create a beautiful movement quality when moving the leg to the front or back, taking a step, walking or running and picking the foot up by bending the knee. As well, when the final pose is reached front or back (arabesque, attitude or devant), the shape of the foot learned by wrapping the sur le cou-de-pied will, along with turnout from the hip socket, create a beautiful pose. An added benefit is that the muscles of the foot and outside of the lower leg are strengthened by practicing this position. As a side note, when the leg is lifted to the side ( a la seconde) the foot position is different. You simple stretch straight through your ankle, toes curving downward and the instep hopefully curving upward.

Again, I encourage everyone to do research on the web. Look for clips on YouTube and google pictures of ballet dancers. You can also look at pictures in Dance or Pointe Magazine.

Comments (0)     

With all the research tools available on the internet it is important to "do your homework" when you are looking for a ballet teacher. Also, do not be afraid to switch teachers if you find, through your research, that he/she is not teaching a good method. While loyalty is a good thing in general, you should really be most loyal to providing your child with a quality ballet teacher and method of classical ballet instruction.

Try googling RAD, Cecchetti and Vaganova with "professional dancer" and see what you find. It is important to research the professional dancers the "method " claims to have produced. I found an RAD site which claimed that Margot Fonteyn and Amanda McKerrow were RAD trained dancers. This is patently false. While they both may have studied with an RAD teacher during their early years they were not trained exclusively in the RAD method. A very talented and determined student could study a poor method for a few years, find better instruction and have a stellar career. After researching the Vaganova Method you will find many, many dancers, from corp de ballet to major international Ballerinas have studied exclusively in the Vaganova Method before they got their first job. You will have a hard time finding a method that can even come close to claiming the same results. 

Many teachers do not teach a specific method which is actually better than teaching a method that is proven not to produce good results. A solid professional resume' is actually the first criteria to look for when searching out a teacher. It is not neccesary that they were a star with a major company (some of the very best dancers actually are not very good at teaching) but they must have spent some time dancing with a reputable ballet company. Without a professional career a teacher will not understand what is most essential to producing beautiful results. It is easy to get lost in the details and not see the big picture. Instruction must be balanced with an equal emphasis on strength, flexibility, coordination, line, artistry and musicality.

I hope you all enjoy your research. Remember, your child deserves the best.

Comments (1)