Ballet barre work is a wonderfully configured full body workout. If this were not so, you would not see so many trade marked workouts for Pilates, core muscle training, "booty" trimming, and many more, with "ballet barre" in the name.
But it is all good, literally. If you are an adult ballet beginner and have chosen classical dance technique to fulfill your exercise and your artistic needs, here are a few tips for getting the most out of your work at the barre.
If you are doing some other, non-ballet academy barre-ish workout, you may get some tips also.
First Tip - Warm Up Before Class
The barre exercises will warm you up, completely. Yet you will get much more out of the first few exercises if you can manage at least a five minute warming up time before class starts. At the very least, two to three minutes of walking on the spot, executing large easy arm movements, will increase your heart rate a little and get your circulation going.
Gentle Stretches
Stretches before class are good for simply "getting out the kinks". If you sit down all day before a dance class, or if the class is first thing in the morning, doing some barre exercise-related stretches will ease you into the class gently. These would not be deep stretches, but more like movements to remind your body of what is about to happen.
Doing a few rotations both inwards and outwards of each ankle, and then doing a few demi plies, either with turnout or parallel, will stretch the calves out. If you are not so flexible in the ankles, you can sit down, legs folded, and gently pull up one knee at a time, to stretch the front of the ankle joint.
Easing Out The Hip Flexors, Or Front Of The Hip Joint
This is easily done with a runner's lunge. Standing parallel, move one foot behind you about three feet, or where ever you need to place the foot to feel the stretch from the upper thigh, over the hip bone, and into the abdominal area above the extended leg.
Pull up the lowest core abdominal muscles, and allow the pelvis to relax into its neutral (no tip forward or back) position. If you are too tight in the hip joint to get the pelvis straight, don't worry. You are just getting the alignment that you can here, with no need for heavy pressure.
Repeat on the other side.
Easing Out The Hamstrings
Most ballet studios have a lower barre. For a light hamstring stretch, place one leg on the low barre. Flex the foot and make sure the leg is straight. Also, keep a straight back, and you are going to bend from the hips, not curving in the low back. This keeps the stretchy part in the hamstring, or back of your thigh muscle.
It doesn't matter if you hardly move at all. You can do a deeper stretch in the break before center work.
Side Bends Lengthen the Large Quadratus Lumborum, Or Spinal Support Muscles
Standing with the feet apart, comfortably, reach up with the right arm, keeping the shoulders and neck relaxed, and bend toward your left. Get a long pulled out stretch, keeping the left side of your torso lengthened.
Repeat other side.
The Turnout Muscles Need Stretching Too
The easiest way to do a brief low pressure stretch out of the rotator muscles is to sit on a chair, and bring up one leg, bent, with your foot resting above the opposite knee. You can hold the bent knee up with your hand if you feel ANY strain in the knee joint. This is not about having the bent knee level like a table top, or stretching in the hip socket area.
Now you will bend forward, back straight, and you will feel a stretch in the back of the pelvis, and around the side of the hip. Use very gentle pressure, just to alert your body that ballet class is about to start.
The "Swan Lake" Stretch
This stretch will give you a nice pull across the chest. Stand with your back to the barre, and reach behind you with both arms, grasping the barre. Then lean away, not arching very much, but stretching out the arms and you will feel a delicious elastic feeling at some point, in this small movement.
Muscle stretching exercises done before class are very gentle. They part of your warm up. Deeper stretches can be later in the class, or afterwards. Visit us and get more ballet tips for your ballet barre work.
Showing posts with label ballet barre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ballet barre. Show all posts
Use the Ballet Barre to Improve Your Balance and Strengthen Your Ballet Technique
Be in pointe shoes as much as you can. Once you've gone beyond beginning pointe work, wearing the shoes for barre work is a good habit. The sole of the foot, and ankle, have to work so much more with every tendu, degage, and rise onto demi-pointe. The shoe resists, and the muscles get a better workout. If you're not in pointe shoes yet, read on for more ideas.
Be in pointe shoes as much as you can. Once you've gone beyond beginning pointe work, wearing the shoes for barre work is a good habit.
The sole of the foot, and ankle, have to work so much more with every tendu, degage, and rise onto demi-pointe. The shoe resists, and the muscles get a better workout.
If the thickness of the sole makes your foot wobble because it does lie flat on the floor, use a wood file, and shave the sole down lightly. You can get the sole close to flush with the satin, so that your foot will be flatter on the floor. Straining the ankles from wobbling is distracting, during ballet barre work.
Even wearing worn out pointe shoes is better than wearing soft shoes. There is still more effort needed, until the shoe is completely mushy.
If you're still pre-pointe, or an adult ballet beginner, here's some tips to help you gain from using the ballet barre properly:
*** understand correct weight placement on your feet (or supporting foot) which is, evenly distributed between the center of the heel, the area at the little toe joint at the outside of the foot, and the area at the big toe joint at the ball of the foot.
*** check frequently during barre work, by lifting your hand off the barre, that your weight has not moved back onto the heel.
*** additionally, at frequent opportunities, see if you can lift the heel of the supporting foot, and place back down, indicating that you are not back on your heel.
These two simple points show you how to use the ballet barre to improve your balance and strengthen your ballet technique.To get into pointe shoes faster, learn more about better ballet technique, and ballet positions.
Be in pointe shoes as much as you can. Once you've gone beyond beginning pointe work, wearing the shoes for barre work is a good habit.
The sole of the foot, and ankle, have to work so much more with every tendu, degage, and rise onto demi-pointe. The shoe resists, and the muscles get a better workout.
If the thickness of the sole makes your foot wobble because it does lie flat on the floor, use a wood file, and shave the sole down lightly. You can get the sole close to flush with the satin, so that your foot will be flatter on the floor. Straining the ankles from wobbling is distracting, during ballet barre work.
Even wearing worn out pointe shoes is better than wearing soft shoes. There is still more effort needed, until the shoe is completely mushy.
If you're still pre-pointe, or an adult ballet beginner, here's some tips to help you gain from using the ballet barre properly:
*** understand correct weight placement on your feet (or supporting foot) which is, evenly distributed between the center of the heel, the area at the little toe joint at the outside of the foot, and the area at the big toe joint at the ball of the foot.
*** check frequently during barre work, by lifting your hand off the barre, that your weight has not moved back onto the heel.
*** additionally, at frequent opportunities, see if you can lift the heel of the supporting foot, and place back down, indicating that you are not back on your heel.
These two simple points show you how to use the ballet barre to improve your balance and strengthen your ballet technique.To get into pointe shoes faster, learn more about better ballet technique, and ballet positions.
A Ballet Barre Workout Without The Barre
How to do your ballet barre workout without the barre....Choose some daily routines from class, and do them without the barre.
I have implemented this early on in a class' development. After a few months, when every student understands and executes correct technique in plies, battment tendus, battement degages, and battement frappe, I would have them do those exercises periodically, all away from the barre. Weaknesses and misunderstandings show up this way. This is one way of working smarter, as in pre-pointe exercises, to assess exactly the right level of progress for your self, or your class.
It's always a good habit to be aware of how you are using the barre. Your hand should rest on it, and your wrist should be relaxed. Pay attention to when you press down or squeeze the barre. It's exactly that moment that your weight is shifting, or your posture is changing incorrectly, or that the wrong muscle is bearing the work of a movement.
Perfection may not be possible, but understanding the mechanics of technique perfectly, and understanding your own strengths and weaknesses leads to you doing your best.
Ideally, in plies, you want to have a smooth transition when the heels lift, and when they return to the floor, without the weight shifting or a clutch of the barre.
Whenever you have a press-up in the warm up, always lift the fingers off the barre. Note if you have any strain in the neck and shoulders, and where your posture and weight is.
As in pre-pointe routines, repetition of press-ups, on two feet or one at a time, reveals your true strength.
In boys' classes, (not at a beginner level) I often gave a grand plie, back up to demi plie, and back into the full plie again before straightening fully, to build strength.
A class needs to have the basic strengths in place before a more demanding exercise like battement fondu is added to daily routines. Fondu asks for a perfect postural plumb line, whether done with low or full extensions, coordination of legs to complete the movements at exactly the same time, and much more core strength.
In your own daily routines at home, periodically add a barre exercise, done without the barre. Make a note of where your weak spots are. You can do core exercises, repetitions of press ups on two feet, and in coupe de pied, to build your basic strength.
Think of all these very basic issues when you watch your favorite dance stars perform the variations you love best.
Aside from the fact of plain true talent, you can get an edge on your competition with good self-assessment, and work smarter with simple but consistent daily routines. If your focus is pre-pointe, or you are a male student needing to strengthen and work your feet better, this dancer's guide refines your ballet barre workout. You'll never be the same!
I have implemented this early on in a class' development. After a few months, when every student understands and executes correct technique in plies, battment tendus, battement degages, and battement frappe, I would have them do those exercises periodically, all away from the barre. Weaknesses and misunderstandings show up this way. This is one way of working smarter, as in pre-pointe exercises, to assess exactly the right level of progress for your self, or your class.
It's always a good habit to be aware of how you are using the barre. Your hand should rest on it, and your wrist should be relaxed. Pay attention to when you press down or squeeze the barre. It's exactly that moment that your weight is shifting, or your posture is changing incorrectly, or that the wrong muscle is bearing the work of a movement.
Perfection may not be possible, but understanding the mechanics of technique perfectly, and understanding your own strengths and weaknesses leads to you doing your best.
Ideally, in plies, you want to have a smooth transition when the heels lift, and when they return to the floor, without the weight shifting or a clutch of the barre.
Whenever you have a press-up in the warm up, always lift the fingers off the barre. Note if you have any strain in the neck and shoulders, and where your posture and weight is.
As in pre-pointe routines, repetition of press-ups, on two feet or one at a time, reveals your true strength.
In boys' classes, (not at a beginner level) I often gave a grand plie, back up to demi plie, and back into the full plie again before straightening fully, to build strength.
A class needs to have the basic strengths in place before a more demanding exercise like battement fondu is added to daily routines. Fondu asks for a perfect postural plumb line, whether done with low or full extensions, coordination of legs to complete the movements at exactly the same time, and much more core strength.
In your own daily routines at home, periodically add a barre exercise, done without the barre. Make a note of where your weak spots are. You can do core exercises, repetitions of press ups on two feet, and in coupe de pied, to build your basic strength.
Think of all these very basic issues when you watch your favorite dance stars perform the variations you love best.
Aside from the fact of plain true talent, you can get an edge on your competition with good self-assessment, and work smarter with simple but consistent daily routines. If your focus is pre-pointe, or you are a male student needing to strengthen and work your feet better, this dancer's guide refines your ballet barre workout. You'll never be the same!
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The Ballet Barre - Setting Realistic Goals To Improve Your Ballet Exercises
Sometimes working smarter means doing less. For daily routines, realistic goals may be achieved by picking one aspect of your ballet barre exercises. Optimum results for muscle memory may come from a super slow motion repetition, such as press ups, maintaining your postural plumb line.
For example, if you find the tiniest deviation from your plumb line in a slow motion press up, you can identify a joint or muscle that needs to be relaxed and stretched, or strengthened.
If your weight moves a tiny bit forward at the end of your rise, pushing your hip joints forward, that means your core muscles are not holding at that point of the movement. Or it could mean that your rise was on a tiny slant.
And that movement forward may be the result of a tiny movement backward at the bottom of your demi plie. So which came first?
When your are standing in first position, you require tension in your rotator muscles, your thighs, and your core muscles.
Some students pull down at the front of their diaphragm to add to the stability of their core muscles. This will lead to shallow breathing, the shoulders collapsing forward slightly, and rigidity at the back of the neck.
If you do basic training like this for a couple of years, you will have difficulty spotting when you get to turns, just to name one out of many negative results.
So, back to first position, your core ab muscles can be held tightly, yet the chest can still move up and down easily for breathing, for allowing the chin to be free and for the muscles at the back of the neck to be free. This way you will have graceful head positions, free arm movements, and plenty of oxygen going to your muscles.
You relax your thighs and knees and ease into a demi plie, until you feel the weight press into your heels, and then you push upward, before your heels lose their pressure into the floor, and before your weight moves backward.
If your muscles are working well, you will go straight up from here and end in a perfect rise. No tension in the shoulders, neck, arms or fingers.
And you will be on balance, breathing easily, able to do a simple port de bras, able to turn or incline your head, and able to control the movement down with your foot muscles, until the heels touch the floor.
Now you are back where you started.
No matter how your proportions, your height, your weight, your flexibility, your looks, approximate the ballet ideals, you CAN do basic movements perfectly, in your ballet barre.
For example, if you find the tiniest deviation from your plumb line in a slow motion press up, you can identify a joint or muscle that needs to be relaxed and stretched, or strengthened.
If your weight moves a tiny bit forward at the end of your rise, pushing your hip joints forward, that means your core muscles are not holding at that point of the movement. Or it could mean that your rise was on a tiny slant.
And that movement forward may be the result of a tiny movement backward at the bottom of your demi plie. So which came first?
When your are standing in first position, you require tension in your rotator muscles, your thighs, and your core muscles.
Some students pull down at the front of their diaphragm to add to the stability of their core muscles. This will lead to shallow breathing, the shoulders collapsing forward slightly, and rigidity at the back of the neck.
If you do basic training like this for a couple of years, you will have difficulty spotting when you get to turns, just to name one out of many negative results.
So, back to first position, your core ab muscles can be held tightly, yet the chest can still move up and down easily for breathing, for allowing the chin to be free and for the muscles at the back of the neck to be free. This way you will have graceful head positions, free arm movements, and plenty of oxygen going to your muscles.
You relax your thighs and knees and ease into a demi plie, until you feel the weight press into your heels, and then you push upward, before your heels lose their pressure into the floor, and before your weight moves backward.
If your muscles are working well, you will go straight up from here and end in a perfect rise. No tension in the shoulders, neck, arms or fingers.
And you will be on balance, breathing easily, able to do a simple port de bras, able to turn or incline your head, and able to control the movement down with your foot muscles, until the heels touch the floor.
Now you are back where you started.
No matter how your proportions, your height, your weight, your flexibility, your looks, approximate the ballet ideals, you CAN do basic movements perfectly, in your ballet barre.
Labels:
ballet barre,
realistic goals
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