Saturday, July 4, 2009

7 Things to Learn About Ballet Before You Start!

by Sarah Wilkiamson

1. You have to stretch your body. Always ask your ballet instructor if the class will stretch out together. Stretching is very important in ballet. It is used to loosen and strengthen muscles and to lengthen your posture. Stretching is vital and it has to be done before you begin each ballet class session and before a ballet performance. If you avoid stretching, you are at a higher risk of injury during class. Always stretch after the class is over.

2. Ballet steps have names, and these names are in French! Unless you speak French you might find these difficult to say at first, but if you repeat them over and over to yourself as you perform the steps, you'll find it becomes easier. These steps will be the same throughout your ballet career so if you are serious about your dancing you could buy a ballet dictionary or download and print a ballet glossary from the Internet so you can learn some names before you even get to the steps! Beginners classes are usually slow-paced so don't worry about having too many names to learn at once, your ballet vocabulary will build over time.

3. Ballet shoes are the most important piece of your ballet outfit. If they don't have the shoes that you want in your size, don't be tempted to get smaller or larger ones. Instead, choose another style! If you want to train to be a ballet dancer you must look after your feet, and that means ensuring you always wear the right size shoe.

4. Don't even think about skipping the barre work! It might not be your idea of ballet dancing but it's crucial to preparing your body for the activity ahead. Barre work aids your balance, your flexibility, your posture and of course your strength. All ballet dancers do barre work, so if you want to do ballet - take your place at the barre!

5. Find out what the ballet school's dress code is before you go shopping! Ballet classes are notorious for having strict rules they expect to be followed and they may well require a certain type of ballet clothing to be worn by all students regardless of ability. You may be allowed to wear a tutu, or your ballet school may have a rule that says tutus should only be worn for performances. Leotards, tights and shoes are standard, but colors of these will vary so it's best to check in advance. There may also be a requirement to have hair pinned up so if you have long hair you should also ask about that before your first class.

6. To be more successful in ballet, find out if other dance classes are available. Classes such as jazz, hip hop, modern etc. Taking other classes will expand your dancing abilities. If you have made the decision to become a ballet dancer, all of your dance classes have to be ballet. If you are a beginner at ballet, do not mix all of the dance classes and your ballet classes together. Those dance styles will clash with your ballet and you do not want to look like a fool.

7. Ballet is a very formal dance form. It is very strict about using the correct etiquette at all times. You will learn this as you learn your ballet steps, but if in doubt, always follow what your ballet teacher tells you. Even the best ballet dancers in the world respect and follow their ballet teacher's advice.

About the Author:

If you are interested in learning more about DC dance, drop by this site which is the premiere DC dance lesssons online destination.

Get all the information and photos:: http://coringa.info/sports/7-things-to-learn-about-ballet-before-you-start

0 comments:

Post a Comment

About this blog

Site Sponsors