Ballet questions HELP!?

Question

OK, whenever I do Chaînés , I always end up getting extremely dizzy and tense, and I look like a clown. I stumble and almost crash into the mirror. I try to spot, but I always go crooked, even if what I spot is directly across from me in the room!

And when I do a pique turn, it's the same! I want to look good and know what I'm doing instead of wobbly and bad.

Leaps!!! Okay, i know you are supposed to get height and your back leg up, but I get some height, then think "back leg", and end up doing this rainbow thing, not a straight leap! I want to leap like this!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKrVF5DLfw4

OH!, and my arches arent good at all!! Is it possible, in a few weeks/months, if i point my feet really hard and do exercises for about 5 - 10 minutes everyday can I get really good, pretty feet and be able to get my toes closer to the ground when i sit and point my feet?

Please and thank you!!!!

Answer 1

okay, try blinking in between spotting, whenever you snap your head around really fast. Practice just spotting without the chanes or pique. Just move your feet around in a circle and look aver your shoulder and then snap it around at the same time blink, it prevents dizziness so your not seeing the whole room before the spot again. Rember posture, put your hands behind your head, let your arms fall but keep that posture. Pull your core in (it should feel like your pulling your belly-button into your backbone) and pull your ribs over your stomach (your head should feel slightly forward) and remember to do lots of crunches to keep a tight core.

For the leaps, think up not forward. To get good height, go to the barr and lift one leg behind you, plea and leap off the floor on one leg, come down with the same leg still off the ground. If you do it alot, it helps with height.

Yes keep stretching your arch, just make sure your not hurting your feet. They do make these bands that you can put your foot in and it really helps the stretch.

Good luck and i hope that helps.

Answer 2

ok first of all, in order to do any of these better you need more self confidence.

when you do your turns, are you holding in your abs and butt muscles and trying to hold everything up high? or are you slouching over? it's easier to turn when you have more control and by holding in these muscles and imagining that you are taller by lengthening your back.

for you leaps, not everyone can do a perfect leap that looks like you're doing a split in the air. But first of all, can you do a split on the floor easily?? if you can, think about this when you're doing your leaps: focus on height, not distance. If you travel too much in the preparation, you are going to travel a lot on the leap and that will make it harder to get higher in the actual leap. So if you're doing a preparation to leap (like a sashe), add a bounce to the preparation and try to do that part as high as you can, instead of trying to cover a lot of distance. If you work on making your leaps higher, you will have more time to pop your legs out into a split in the air. but remember, this will take a lot of practice.

do you know any arch exercises? like putting your foot in a forced-arch position and then rolling over the top of your toes will help. just try stretching your feet in all possible directions to stretch them out. But don't stretch them so much that they hurt, because this will actually make the muscles tighten and give you less flexible feet. if you massage your feet, that will probably also loosen up the muscles and allow you to point your feet better.

As for your turnout, there are a lot of exercises you can do. If you want better hip turnout, try lying on your stomach and but your legs in a frog position behind you. While in this position, try to put your feet on the floor. Keep practicing your splits and straddle split. Also, you can roll your hips around by moving your legs in big circles while standing to loosen your hips. For foot turnout, try stretching your feet in a sickled-foot position. This will loosen your foot muscles. There really aren't that many things to do that will give you more foot turnout, but that really doesn't matter because there are so many amazing dancers out there that barely have a turnout at all! But be careful while trying to help your turnout because if you strain yourself too hard at barre (like if you doing plies in first position, for example), you can seriously damage your knees if they are not in alignment with your feet. So don't try to over-turnout your feet.

You sound like a very dedicated dancer by wanting to improve all of these things! That shows that if you try hard enough to do it, you probably will! So keep that confidence up and try not to focus on what the other girls at your dance studio can do; focus on you and how you are improving! Good luck!

Answer 3

Turns are something I have a lot of trouble with as well even after 12 years of experience with them. I get dizzy as well. In the past few weeks one of my instructors has been working with me and she started me really slowly...doing half turns and learning to spot better that way. that is what I would recommend. Spot the mirror and only do half of the chaine (sp?). Then speed it up and do more once you've got the spotting done real well.

Leaps take time to perfect. Okay...I'll admit...I'm not much good at leaps either. Just go for it though! Put everything you've got into them and you will eventually get them...the height and everything.

Yes...if you point your feet enough and stretch them out....you will be able to do that someday. It happened to me. : )

email if you have any more questions

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Answer 4

The best way to get a better spot is this;

Stand, facing the mirror. SLOWLY start turning to the right, as your head stays toward the mirror. Keep slowly turning. When you can't see yourself, whip your head around. Keep going in slow circles like this until you get it right.

I have a great stretch that will help you get a GOOD ARCH in your foot.

1. get a partner to help you. Sit on the ground, put one of your legs out in front of you, it doesn't matter which one. Flex your foot.

2. have your partner grab the arch of your foot (both of his/her thumbs should be on top of your foot, touching each other).

3. Bend your knee a little bit (it should be about a foot off the ground). Point your toe. Have your partner keep their hands on your foot (make sure that your toes are touching the floor the whole time- and be sure not to turn out OR turn in your foot).

4. As your partner holds your foot to the ground, push on your knee. Try to get your leg flat on the ground, WHILE your toe is on the ground. This WILL hurt, but not a lot (don't forget to breathe). You probably won't be able to touch the floor, but that's okay.

5. Flex your foot and relaxe. Have your partner grab again (a bit closer to your toes), and repeat. Now, before you switch feet, put both feet together and point them. The one that you just streatched should have a better point (it should be lower than the other one).

6. Now switch feet and do it again!