How to improve my dancing skills before competition tryouts?

Question

im trying out for competition this august. ive been dancing for 2 years (im good though, dont worry) but i really need to improve my leaps, turns, and tricks, specifically these:

- fouette turns

- attitude leaps (calypsos)

- regular leaps

- 6 o'clock (http://i25.tinypic.com/hu3c5x.png)

- splits

is there any way i can get pretty good at any of these by august 6th-7th?

even if there isnt a chance, what are some good stretches and exercises for these tricks?

we arent required to be able to do theam (leaps we are, but im already pretty good at those), but i want to be on competition really bad and i think id have a better chance of making it with these skills.

i DO know how to spot, do pirouettes, etc. dont worry. (:

Answer 1

I would recomend stretching very frequently... some good stretches are:

-deep plies then your arms out in front of you so you're not cheating by putting your arms on your legs and just kinda resting there

-stand in a wide second position and put your nose to you knee, also touch the floor and stretch

-put your legs together [standing up] and touch your toes

-varieties of lunges

-butterfly

-frog sit

-straddle, flex also.

-over-extended splits

-sitting down touching your toes, flex also.

-just doing your splits.

Exercises that will make you stronger(you need it for dance):

-REAL push *not girly kind on your knees*

- crunches

-jumping jacks

-going on long walks or jogging

If possible, take a summer class at your studio ... if not possible try practicing some of those things outside like in your yard or garage for the fouettes.

Answer 2

fouette turns: start doing singles at the barre for beginning, but the best way to get them is to just practice practice practice. The more you do them the more your body will get used to turning. Some things to help are going fast, keeping arms high, keeping knee high when brought it, keeping leg up when in second, and putting your heel completely down when you plie

attitude leaps (calypsos): again, practice will make perfect. To get your attitude to where it is up and high in the back, do plenty of back stretches and try a scorpian stretch. Do the position on the floor so you get used to what it should feel like in the air.

regular leaps: Concentrate on jumping up AND over, not one or the other. Also, keep your mind on shooting that back leg up higher and ghigher. Look at yourself in the mirror as you jump to see if your legs get into a perfect split. With your arms, make sure you don't throw them up higher than supposed to be. Place hem in the correct position and have energy shoot out of them to get the look.

6 o clock: We call this a needle, because it looks like a needle. This goes along with basic split stretching, also this can help your leaps too. You'll get a better stretch if while down you lay your body on your standing leg. And make sure your extended leg has energy shooting through it with a completely straight knee and pointed foot....rememebr, its better for it to be lower with correct technique than for it to be higher with bent knee and sickled foot

Splits: practice over splits instead. Grab a mat or do it on your stairs or something. Gravity will pull you lower than you think you can go even if you don't have a split yet. this can work for side splits and center splits.

good luck, and remember, if you set a goal for yourself, you can accomplish anything you set yourmind to. Also take as many ballet classes as possible!

:-)

Answer 3

Just practice, I suggest you put your leg up on a table and stretch like that, and see if that works. Or just sit on the floor and stretch.