Ballet is a beautiful and graceful art form that requires a great deal of skill and precision. One of the most important elements of ballet is maintaining good balance. Without balance, dancers will struggle to perform movements correctly, which can lead to injury and frustration. However, with the right tips and techniques, it is possible to improve your balance and become a better ballet dancer.
Here are some tips for improving your balance in ballet:
- Don't think of a balance as a static position. In fact, you should think that you are growing, lifting, extending, and lengthening, more and more, right until the moment you decide to come out of the balance (and even then!).
- Focus on your alignment. Good posture is essential for balance in ballet. Keep your shoulders back, your back held, and the back of your neck long. Even something like having your chin lifted too high can throw your balance off. Pay attention to your alignment and make sure your body is in the correct position for each movement.
- Strengthen....pretty much everything! Let's start with you core muscles. Your core muscles play a crucial role in maintaining balance. Incorporate exercises such as planks, bridges, and crunches into your warm-up routine to strengthen these muscles. Included in your core are the glutes. You'll want to be turned out while we balance it's crucial to have strong glutes to help you maintain that turnout. Strong glutes help to stabilize the hips, which is essential for maintaining balance during ballet movements.
- Moving down the leg, you'll need to strengthen the instrinsic muscles of your feet and ankles. See the next point for a great way to do that.
- Practice on a wobble board. If you can do any ballet movement on a wobble board you will find it a breeze in the centre! Even standing one foot and maintaining your turnout is a challenge on the unstable surface. This is a good way to warm up before class too.
- Train with a partner. Balancing while dancing with a partner is different from balancing while dancing alone. Practicing with a partner can help you improve your balance and is also fantastic for building..you guessed it..... strength!! Your partner will only be able support you in a pirouette if you hold your retire and keep your whole body strong!
- Practice balancing on flat, on releve, and also en fondu. We sometimes think of balances and being exclusively on demi or full pointe, and overlook the importance of balancing in plie, or fondu. Of course it's important to be on balance at all times while dancing, unless the choreography calls for something different. Knowing where your weight needs to be at any given moment is crucial to being able to move fluidly, cleanly, and at any pace.
- Take classes from experienced ballet coaches like us! A qualified ballet teacher can provide guidance and feedback to help you improve your balance and technique, and most importantly, help you to avoid this mistake, and practice the wrong thing over and over!
As inspirational American football coach Vince Lombardi said,
“Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”
Practice makes permanent—this is especially true when it comes to developing habits that will help you pursue your goals.
In conclusion, Improving your balance in ballet takes patience and dedication, but with the right tips and techniques, you can become a better dancer.
Remember that building strength and perfecting your alignment are key!
Pictured: Author, and C'est Pointe Co- Founder Gemma