Understanding how one can build strength in ballet class, stretch safely, and get the core muscles correctly applying classical ballet technique, enhances the amazing potential you have to enjoy and effect health and weight loss or gain. Every ballerina has done the same things you can do in ballet, to progress as far as your physique and dedication will allow. Ballet is a full body workout, but some aspects of technique are commonly not presented with clarity as to what the anatomical factors are.
Easy learning is possible if you have a little extra time. Without having to study like a kinesiologist, you can learn what a muscle is and how to get the best use out of it. Correct skeletal placement and flexibility are needed to develop the core muscles that lead to the elegance of a ballerina and the precise professional footwork of a male virtuoso.
Muscles have certain behaviors. They can stretch long, like an elastic. With repetition and patience, the muscle will shrink back a little less. On the subject of stretching, it's good to be warmed up because collagen, in your connective tissues, becomes more fluid when you are warmed up and allows more movement in your body.
Stretching a muscle requires knowing the correct position to stretch it in.
For instance, stretching the hamstrings, the long muscles running from the sits bones to below your knee, requires that you stand correctly with one leg in second on the barre, the kitchen counter, or whatever you've got as a support. Or, you can sit on the floor in your widest comfortable second position, with your pelvis in neutral, as though you were standing.
If standing, your posture must be as correct as possible. Spine neutral and elongated by the lengthening support of the abdominal and spinal muscles, turnout held in the deep rotators, and the gluteals or butt muscles not over-supporting, allowing your hip bone and pelvis of the working side to relax down. This way you will do a side bend towards your working leg, or a demi plie remaining straight in the spine, and if you maintain your placement, the hamstring will begin to stretch like a piece of elastic.
That's just one example, you could be in a devant position, or an arabesque position. Once you reach your maximum stretch, before you get to a point of pain, you can hold that stretch for up to 90 seconds. During that time, you'll feel the muscle (and other muscles that are also getting a stretch), let go a little, and a little more, and then relax into the stretch fully. Every dancer has a different point in the stretch time where they will feel it's time to return to the initial position. At some point, the muscle will start pulling back, and that's the time to stop.
Bouncing doesn't help, although after your first stretch is over, you don't have to return to your initial position. You can release out of the stretch and go into it again. It requires some almost meditational attention to sense when you're doing too much, as opposed to pushing to the sharp pain signal that you get from being too demanding of your muscles.
Sore muscles come from tiny tears in the muscle fibers. A hot soak followed by icing, good nutrition and sufficient water intake helps your body recover and maintain a muscle that responds quickly to your brain, and has the strength to do what you want it to do.
Muscle spasms must be attended to with massage or use of a rubber ball, to work them out. Lactic acids remaining in the muscles create chemical damage. Massage and ice stimulate the circulation needed to carry away the lactic acid and other waste products in the muscles tissue.
So - in relation to the correct use and build up of strength in the core muscles, you must have correct placement. If you don't have correct placement, you stretch until you do. Then you are in the ballet positions required to work anatomically correctly. It is a process, longer for late starters in ballet, but still with potential.
Ballet and the people who do it are amazing. Whether you are a ballerina, a late starter, or a pre-professional, understanding something as simple as a muscle, and how to take care of it gets you the most out of your full body ballet workout. For a career builder, to lose weight, gain muscle or "just" to dance, keep being amazing!
Gorgeous! The sumptuous cognac leather & oxford details in THE shape of the season, there isn't much not to love about this bootie. Preppy meets flirty with the lace up details and the contrasting stacked heel. Oh and let's not forget one of my favorite details D&G is including in their shoes this season. I love the leopard print lining. Looking at that little detail while slipping these on would make me feel fierce and feisty!
Papoose. I love the faux snake print, the mary jane style, the peep toe, and the bow detail here.
Lovenyc. Now I may catch a lot of crap for this but I am oddly drawn to this peep toe bootie. I don't know if it's the metallic purple or the rouching or even the peep toe. I'm not sure I could rock this look but I know there are some ladies out there who could!
Ginga,Boutique 9. My obsession with gray continues... I may have to add these to the list. 
Dasolina. You had me at the lace up front and four inch heel...
Dior Cabaret Platform Pump
budget...if you have one like me. I stumbled across pictures of Tracee Ellis Ross from Girlfriends. If I had to channel one particular character or person for whom I love all their clothes, it would definitely be Joan from Girlfriends. The mix of Boho Chic and classic styles are the only reasons I watched the show. Often I would watch the show on mute purely so I can check out the 
clothes.
Beyonce'...I am not a huge fan of Beyonce's personal style because it involves way too much gold and studs but clearly her mama didn't style her this day...because that Purple dress is FIERCE and I worship it! And the Alicia Keys pic is strictly because that dress is SOO me! 
I love it! 
Oh and I would also like to give a HUGE thank you to Leah at Style for the Stay at Home Mom for tagging me with a Premio Award! It is so nice to be recognized especially when you are being recognized for doing something you truly enjoy. I love shoes and I believe we all deserve to look our best no matter what our budget.
I like these. Some of you may think I'm crazy, but bear with me. The design element is kind of cool and definitely reminiscent of the art deco period. There is visual interest both coming and going. They also have a 1930's/1940's feel to them. However, I am so not loving the ankle strap. Thankfully it is removable so it's really a non-issue.
Hmmm...I'm really torn on this pair. I love the sculpted shape of the heel but I'm not sure how I feel about the slingback that's not really a slingback. This shoe seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis. I'm game with one or the other but both??? I would love to see these on.
I am having a love/hate relationship with this suede sandal. The ruffled "shrug" is a tad off but that's also why I like them. Strange, I know. I don't pretend to understand the inner workings of my mind.
Mmmmm...Gray Suede Mary Janes... The covered platform, the cone shaped heel - so, so pretty and in the perfect shade of gray.
I know, I know some of you may call me crazy but as far as I'm concerned all you need is your Isaac Mizrahi for Target or Forever 21 LBD and these. Enough said.
This bootie is hot! I love the criss cross detail at the ankle and the cut out detail. A little glam and a little rocker chic.
Mmmm...the color combo is just perfect here. I love the classic shape, I love everything.
Rouching is EVERYWHERE! In my opinion, Prada does it right in this boot. You could seriouly rock these with your favorite pair of skinny jeans.
Um...no, your eyes are not deceiving you. Believe it or not those two pictures belong together. Neiman Marcus seems to be the only department store brave enough to carry them. The two piece lace up bootie. It's a boot. It's a bootie. It's in two pieces. Awesome.
Okay so they aren't horrible. But the detail on the toe, it makes me think of cinnamon sticks and apple pie and coffee. I think I'll pass.
