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.