Improvements Week Six - Core Muscles

              In ballet the core muscles are one of the most important areas in the body. The core originates the majority of the full body movements performed, this mean it's very important they're strong for ballet. Core muscles also help to find good posture as they align ribs, spin and pelvis.
              A strong core is essential in many elements of dance, from standing in basic positions to balancing and spinning. Many people think the core consists of just the abdominal muscles but in reality it's made up of four muscle groups; transverse abdominis, external and internal obliques, rectus abdoninis and erector spinae. It is important to try to strengthen each muscular area together to increase the impact the exercises will have on dance.



             I will try to follow this core workout three times a week, and I am aware that it will probably leave me with muscle aching to begin with as I feel my core muscle are quite weak. But it is important that i carry on and don't give up. Although this workout is quite short (which will fit in with my lifestyle very well) I think it will have a big impact of my core muscles, but if I feel not enough progress is being made then i'll increase the number of repetitions for each exercise.          

Improvements Week 5 - Swan Lake

           I decided to do some research into a famous ballet piece, this is because my choreography ability is very limited in ballet due to the short amount of time I've been studying it. I have chosen a section from swan lake because it was conducted in the 1870's by Tchaikovsky and is still being performed today, therefore it is very highly regarded (Lev Ivanov choreographed this piece).

            This pieces shows how ridged and crisp the choreography is which really emphasizes the quality and skill level from the dancers, each move is perfectly in time with the music and each other. The choreography is very complex therefore interesting to watch, not only that but Ivanov has really captured the transferable qualities of a young swan. They are lively and excitable whilst maintaining an element of control. The dancers perform the whole dance with their hands linked, this symbolizes swans swimming in a chain when they're young as a  method of staying together. My primary thoughts about this concept of performing the entire dance link were a little negative as I though it would restrict their movement, but when I watched it I thought it was magnificent, it worked very well and gave the dance a unique edge. This has taught me not to be afraid of particularly creative ideas as with a lot of work they can definitely pay off.

Improvements Week 5 - Flexibility

          Flexibility in ballet is very important as it improves elegance, alignment and reduces the chances of injury because there is more movement at the joints whilst the muscles are less sensitive to sharp uncontrolled movements.


         After researching a number of flexibility workouts I decided this one would be most beneficial to me. This is because my upper body is fairly lose naturally but my legs aren't nearly as flexible as they need to be for ballet. This is an especially good workout because it is very thorough, not just focusing on the main leg muscles (hamstring and quadriceps), however it is short enough that it can fit in with my daily life style. I plan to do this workout four times a week and just do some very brief stretches on the other days, this will help me make the most progress in the little time I have.

Week 3 - We Will Rock you

           Although being a part of Thurston's production of We Will Rock you meant that I was unable to attend my ballet lesson this week, it gave me a amazing experience that couldn't be obtained from a lesson. Dancing in general is taught week in, week out in a studio, but to really test a dancer is to evaluate their performance on a stage, in a production. This is because there is no situation quite like it, the intense rush of emotions and adrenaline brings out the performer inside.
          Being a part of this has reminded me that there is no room for error in anything to do with dance. Routines must be practiced then polished until they're known so well that they can be performed blindfolded, there is truly nothing worse then walking on stage not feeling confident about what you're about to perform. I have now realised that I need to practice my ballet pieces harder and more regularly, and that because I am new to ballet it's normal that I don't get things perfect first time, that's what practice is for.
 

Improvements Week Two - Ballet Music

             This week, one of my weaknesses is keeping in time with piano based music. I am used to dancing to music with an obvious beat so it's easy to say in time but I normally hardly ever dance to just a piano. This is having an impact on my ballet because I'm unable to focus on performing the choreography with the correct technique due to concentrating on keeping in time with the music.
             To improve this I am going to listen to more piano based music during the week so I will hopefully develop an understanding for the timings naturally. I will listen to Tchaikovsky's music for the Nutcracker as although it's ballet music it isn't solely piano based, I will gradually ease myself into it until I can dance freely to piano based music. I will also listen to a few of Ludovico Einaudi's piano pieces, primarily Primavera as I was already aware of that great piece.  
 

Improvements Week 2 - Ballet Posture

          The correct posture in ballet is very important as it improves the aesthetic component of the movements and reduces the stress put on the body, reducing the chance of injury. To find my perfect posture I decided it would be most beneficial to investigate common mistakes, to help me avoid them, and research some simple methods of finding the correct posture *evidence on this is in my portfolio p10-11*. After this research I realised it was still fairly difficult to achieve, so I decided to follow an online tutorial to improving it ballet posture.

 
       
          I found this wooden spoon technique very useful. This is because even when you spend ages following the steps to the correct posture, the only reassurance you have that it is correct is your reflection in the mirror, which can be deceiving. However with a wooden spoon placed down you vertebral column you can feel when your posture is off. This not only helps find the correct posture but really helps keep it when dancing. Maintaining the correct posture whilst dancing is very difficult because there is some much to think about, and although you want the moves to look controlled and ridged you still want to look freely flowing with an appropriate amount of restriction.
          Instead of following specific postural exercises between classes I think it will be more useful for me to simply practice the class pieces with and without the wooden spoon. I also think it would be helpful to speak to Miss Jackman in my next class and ask her if there are any areas of posture that she thinks could be improved.

Improvements Week 1: Achilles Tendon & Soleus Stretching Exercises

          The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscle to the heel bone (calcaneus), it's both the thickest and strongest tendon in the body. However it lacks a protective covering leaving it very vulnerable to inflammation and injury. Therefore you must be very careful when doing stretching/strengthening exercises, it's commonly injured and often needs surgical treatment due to its lack of protective covering.
           Improving flexibility of the calf is just like improving any other muscle, it takes time and patience as you must gradually increase the degree to which you stretch the muscle. I have decided to stretch the tendon as well as the muscle because of the limited time for improvements, this will hopefully increase the rate at which my flexibility improves and aid how low my demi-plies get without lifting my heels off the floor.  


From research into stretching the Achilles tendon I have found Achilles tendonitis treatment exercises very useful, this is because the exercises stretch and strengthen the areas that I wish to improve. I watched this clip as a form of research into the possible exercises I could complete, I will then decide if they are suitable and likely to helping me achieve my targets.



From this and other research I have decided the calf/Achilles tendon wall stretch and a form of the soleus drop will be the most beneficial exercises for improving my demi-plie. Strength in general is very important in ballet as all moves must be performed with elegance and control.

Performer profile - Gelsey Kirkland

This is one of Gelsey Kirklands famous performances of Romeo and Juliet, I like it very much as you can see how hard work and dedication pays off. She is clearly a brilliant dancer and I find it impossible to fault her, however this may be due to my very limited experience in ballet. Gelsey has all the necessary qualities of a professional ballet dancer therefore she is very successful.  

Primary Research: Ballet Uniform

Ballet uniform is very important as it allows you to dance freely, without restriction, and reduces the chances of injury.

At Hazelwood School Of Dance, ballet grade 4, the uniform consists of a classic cotton wide strap with a gathered front leotard in pink, pink waist band, light pink ballet tights (convertibles preferred), cotton or satin soft ballet shoes (beige/pink), hair net and pins, cotton scrunchy (pink preferred).

It is important for safety reasons that no jewellery is worn (possible exceptions for wedding rings), if earrings are unable to be removed then they should be covered with a plaster/tape. Hair must be scraped back into a neat bun, covered in a bun net, pined and supported with a scrunchy.