The pursuit of perfection is not the same as striving for excellence. If you do not understand the difference, and are becoming a perfectionist in your ballet training, you will jeopardize your progress in different ways. Ballet technique must be excellent. But you need a healthy viewpoint to be consist in your advancement.
Self-criticism is not the same as self-critiquing. A critique is a critical examination of something. But it is more related to a particular definition from the Merriam Webster Dictionary:
"critical may also imply an effort to see a thing clearly and truly in order to judge it fairly"
Self-criticism has a negative slant to it, in common usage anyway. It usually means just plain picking on yourself.
A lot of your ballet technique can actually be perfect. Your posture can be perfect. If it isn't, you can get more flexible, or build strength and make it just right. The challenge in ballet, is retaining the perfect posture when you first learn a harder version of what you are doing.
So, if you are always striving to advance, you are always moving past the point where you feel secure in a movement. That's just the way it works. If you are self-critiquing and not self-criticizing, you'll be happy with this process, or at least accept it.
Perfectionism is a state of true unhappiness. You actually bully yourself. And, if you are learning a physical activity, you bully your body as a result. It is very complex.
There are always bad days and frustrating classes. A healthy viewpoint is one of letting it go and just starting the new day when it comes. You do your best every class, and sometimes your best is a little better than other times.
The healthy pursuit of perfection comes when you know your work and you can do your work, and you are rehearsing with a coach who is going to help you with every minute detail. And that goes way beyond the technical into the dramatic elements, pacing your energy, and the repetition. The repetition that means you can dance beautifully on a bad day too.
Always remember to relax and stretch your muscles, and reflect on the things that are easier for you, that you really enjoy doing in class. It's a given that you will fall asleep thinking about the things that felt not so good. But try to end your thoughts with "but I'm really good at..."
Striving for excellence will not jeopardize your progress. Get the information you need about ballet technique, and you will continue a healthy pursuit of perfection and you WILL get into pointe shoes.
Showing posts with label get into pointe shoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label get into pointe shoes. Show all posts
Get Into Pointe Shoes -Don't Waste Time Wondering
Every dance student wants to know how to get into pointe shoes. How old do you have to be? How strong do you have to be? What are some realistic goals to work towards? Can you even tell if you're ready to get into pointe shoes? Don't waste time wondering, or repeating the wrong ballet exercises. Learn the finer details about what it really takes.
Accurate basic technique is truly important. Being able to do a plie exercise without the barre, without straining in your neck and shoulders, and with being on balance throughout, tells you that you have developed strength.
Standing in coup de pied, hands on hips, and being able to slowly press up to demi pointe, and lower slowly, 4-8 times, tells you that your postural plumb line is maintained, and that your ankles and arch have developed strength. Again, assuming that there is no strain in the upper body, or loss of turnout.
Doing an echappe to seconde on count 1 hold 2 hold 3, close on 4, 8 times, with posture, turnout and arches held, neck and shoulders easy, tells you that you have built strength in your core, legs, and feet.
But what if you can't do the above ballet exercises? What are the basics that you go back to in order to build strength? Practicing at home is good, although you need to be sure that you are doing the right thing over and over, and not repeating incorrect technique.
How do you fit extra practice in along with school homework and some "normal life"?
Well, foot exercises, turnout exercises, stomach and waist exercises, can all be done while you're watching a movie or studying.
You can do a great psoas stretch while sitting on a physio ball in front of your computer. Stretch one leg behind you, with the ball of your foot on the floor, and gently straighten the knee and hold your posture upright. And keep typing! Or reading.... you'll stretch your hip flexors too. Pause and do a small easy backbend to get that little extra.
There is a wealth of information available now for serious students. Use it to set realistic goals. Don't waste time wondering when you can get into pointe shoes.
Accurate basic technique is truly important. Being able to do a plie exercise without the barre, without straining in your neck and shoulders, and with being on balance throughout, tells you that you have developed strength.
Standing in coup de pied, hands on hips, and being able to slowly press up to demi pointe, and lower slowly, 4-8 times, tells you that your postural plumb line is maintained, and that your ankles and arch have developed strength. Again, assuming that there is no strain in the upper body, or loss of turnout.
Doing an echappe to seconde on count 1 hold 2 hold 3, close on 4, 8 times, with posture, turnout and arches held, neck and shoulders easy, tells you that you have built strength in your core, legs, and feet.
But what if you can't do the above ballet exercises? What are the basics that you go back to in order to build strength? Practicing at home is good, although you need to be sure that you are doing the right thing over and over, and not repeating incorrect technique.
How do you fit extra practice in along with school homework and some "normal life"?
Well, foot exercises, turnout exercises, stomach and waist exercises, can all be done while you're watching a movie or studying.
You can do a great psoas stretch while sitting on a physio ball in front of your computer. Stretch one leg behind you, with the ball of your foot on the floor, and gently straighten the knee and hold your posture upright. And keep typing! Or reading.... you'll stretch your hip flexors too. Pause and do a small easy backbend to get that little extra.
There is a wealth of information available now for serious students. Use it to set realistic goals. Don't waste time wondering when you can get into pointe shoes.
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