Ballet Update

I had a private lesson today with H and she spent a lot of time getting me to use either no arms at all, or if I did use them that they need to be much more curved and lower in second position. In fifth or when taking back and/or side bends that I needed to keep the shoulders down and the arms much more curved. This will all need work and practice, but will look much nicer and much more relaxed. This relates also to what K has been getting me to consider concerning my right arm dominance.

In terms of foot work, H really wants me to stop doing the strange "shuffle" I do through first position. She also wants me to stop over-crossing my feet in first even if it means that my heels are quite far apart at the moment. This will help with the hips as well. H wanted me off my heels and to have the connection with the top of the hamstrings and sitz-bones. Additionally I am still over-rotating in second position and am therefore still screwing my turn-out and that it needs to be at a much greater angle in front of me than I think. This will look and feel awful to me, but if I don't address this now then my technique is not really going to improve. It will again help with the hip line.

It was a good and interesting lesson, but mentally very hard work. I took the thought of the arm line and first position to my lesson with T and will have to keep thinking it through.

In terms of demi-pointe I am still having trouble with the right foot and cannot get "up there" as much as I need to - I can in parallel, but not in first. However, it is the left foot that is the one that is sickling and pronating on the demi-pointe. Interestingly, H, thought my right leg was generally better! I will take these thoughts back to K - but I am at a crossroads with ballet, and if it means reducing my leg extensions and turnout to improve my technique, as much as it will pain me to do that in the short-term, the long-term gain will be so much better if I can apply myself now. I have had to go back and re-trace all sorts of basic movement patterns with K, so this is not really any different. I would like K's support with this - because ballet technique is the equivalent of my rehab as an athlete - e.g. if she was working with a tennis player or marathon runner.

T had noticed an improvement in me, both yesteraday and today in terms of foot-work and also in forward bend. It was good to have her positive observation and correction and good encouragement.