Basic ballet workouts for adults!

You don't have to strap on your pointe shoes or train for hours a day to reap the benefits of ballet.

Ballet is an excellent workout for people of all ages. It builds muscle, tones your body and can increase your cardio level. The best part is, you can achieve all three at the same time! There's no need to do separate workouts for strengthening and toning.

Aside from the physical benefits of ballet, there are also lots of mental ones as well. Dancing in general requires coordination, good memory, and being able to think quick on your feet, all of which can be improved by taking some classes.

It's never too late to start a ballet class. Many dance and aerobics studios offer beginning ballet and barre classes for adults that are mostly for exercise. Most of the time, you don't need previous dance experience to fully enjoy the class and get the most out of it.

But, here's a few exercises to help you get started.

Barre workouts
You can easily purchase a barre online for exercise purposes, but it really is not necessary. I personally don't have space for one in my little apartment, so when I am practicing at home, I use the kitchen counter or the dining table. Anything solid and stable will work.

(first position)       (demi-plié)                     (grand plié)        

Pliés: (facing the barre)
In first position-  demi-plié, demi-plié, grand-plié
                            demi-plié, demi-plié, relevé
                            Repeat in 2nd position
Tips: Don't go all the way down to the floor in a grand plié by sitting on your heels. Only go as far as letting your thigh and calf muscles touch.
Think about keeping your tailbone tucked under your body the entire and lifting your chest. And, take your time with this exercise - don't rush.

(relevé in first position)

Relevés: (facing the barre)
Start with feet together in parallel -
4 counts rising up, 4 counts lowering
Repeat
4 quick relevés taking 1 full count to rise, and 1 count to lower
Repeat entire 1st position, then 2nd position parallel, then 2nd position turned out. Try it on one foot!

Tips: It's always tempting to look down at your feet, but it's important to maintain your posture. Also, squeeze those glutes!

(Grand battement to the front)

Grand battements: (1 hand on the barre, facing sideways)
Start in 1st position-
Keeping both legs totally straight with toes pointed, lift the leg as high as you can and lower it back to 1st position.
Repeat three more times.
Repeat with the same leg going to the side and to the back.
Turn around and do it with the other leg.
Try the exercise with a flexed foot!

Tips: This is a great workout for your core muscles. Remember not to "kick" your leg up - it's a lift and lower exercise. Be careful not to wobble your hips: keep them totally still. When lifting to the back, don't tip forward; keep your chest lifted.

Happy dancing!

Miss Tess

tessc@balletpetite.com

2014 holiday gift ideas for your dancer!

Not sure what to gift your special dancer this holiday season? Here's a list of the best gifts to give, from the tiny dancers to the older ones!

1. Dance crafts and toys ($5-$15)
For the much younger dancer, encourage their love of dance by gifting a fun dance craft or toy. A craft kit with a little glue and glitter is all they need, or maybe a ballerina puzzle. Melissa and Doug carries many different fun and simple crafts and that are perfect for little hands to do.

2. Athletic gear

Water bottles, tshirts, bags, sweatshirts... Your dancer can show off his or her dancer pride in style when they come to class, or anywhere they go!

3. Dance poster ($6-$25)
Great for all ages! Give your dancer a little added inspiration by hanging a poster of their favorite dancer or dance in their room!
Posters can be ordered online, but there are also several online prints that can be purchased and printed off at home!

4. Dance books ($10-$25+)

Beautiful picture books for the little ones or biographies and instructional books for more mature dancers, all dance books are great for adding to a personal dance library!

5. Gift certificate

Why not let your dancer pick what they want? Gift cards or gift certificates great if you have  no clue what to give!

Happy dancing, and happy holidays!

Miss Tess

tessc@balletpetite.com

Learn Ballet: How to do a pas de chat!

Literally translated, pas de chat means "step of the cat."

The sideways traveling step mimics the movement of a leaping cat.





This is how to perform the pas de chat, broken down, step-by-step:

The dancer starts by putting his or her feet in a third or fifth position.

Demi-plié, bring the back leg up to retiré position. Step out to the side into a second position

Bring the other leg up to retiré position. Place foot devant back in third or fifth position ending in plié.

Now try it by leaping from one foot to the other. Both legs should be brought into retiré together, almost at the same time.

(Italian pas de chat)

Variation - Italian pas de chat, or the grand pas de chat:
The front leg stretches out to a developpé and the back leg remains in retiré in the air.









Try this combination:
Glissade, glissade, glissade, pas de chat
Pas de bourree, sous sus
Repeat starting with the other foot.

Happy dancing!

Miss Tess

tessc@balletpetite.com

What makes us want to dance?

Why is it that we can't help but tap our toes or want to get up and dance when we hear certain songs?

One of 2014's hottest and most upbeat songs was definitely "Happy" by Pharrell. Even if we've heard the song 284,375,928 times on the radio, television, or kids belting it from the backseat of the car, you have to admit that it's a pretty catchy tune and your body just wants to jam out to it.

But there's actually a scientific reason as to why people like to dance to certain songs.

A study by neuroscientists in Denmark showed that certain gaps in the beat of music make our bodies want to fill in the extra space with dance. The rhythm does not necessarily need to complex, but the syncopation of the beats is what kicks our brains into dance mode. In fact, our brains make us want to dance because it predicts the beat of the song.

Other studies have shown that music activates the cerebellum of the brain, the same part that deals with timing and coordination. Even when we're watching someone dance, our brains are trying to predict what the next part of the dance is.

There are other theories that suggest that its simply our biology to have rhythm and want to dance - steady heartbeats, breathing, footsteps, etc.

So, turn on your favorite song, get up, and dance! It's in your nature to do so!

Happy dancing!

Miss Tess

tessc@balletpetite.com

"Should-be-obvious-but-apparently-is-not Dance Etiquette"

I stumbled across this fantastic article that a fellow dance instructor shared on Facebook.

The title intrigued me: (click to read the whole article for yourself)

"Should-be-obvious-but-apparently-is-not Dance Etiquette"

I love teaching. I love working with kids, both the itty-bitty ones and more advanced dancers. With the little ones, I can totally be much more lenient toward them. They are still learning rules and classroom decorum, and many have not started to attend school yet. I get it, and I can work with that. In fact, I am very happy to work with younger students in teaching them how to behave in dance class. Funny, and true, but sometimes my 4 year olds can behave better than my 7 or 8 year olds.

(Please forgive me for venting.)

With older students, its not that I am less tolerant or less nice, but I do expect more from them behavioral-wise, as any teacher really should. More experience in a social classroom setting in school should have engrained basic class rules into students' minds, but I am truly baffled sometimes by the behavior that my older students exhibit in the class. Not only am I confounded, but I end up incredibly frustrated and annoyed. I'm sure many other teachers share this same sentiment.

The article pointed out eleven really great and "obvious" things that students really shouldn't do during class. I just wanted to elaborate on a few of my favorites:

R-E-S-P-E-C-T the teacher
Teachers put in a lot of time and effort to make class a meaningful, and hopefully, joyful experience. Back talk and silly faces don't only affect the teacher, but it can ruin it for the whole class too.
I also find that some students think that dance behavior is different than school behavior. Would you act this way in front of your school teacher?
And, saying thank you at the end makes a teacher's heart soar.

 
No talking during class
Now, that doesn't mean no talking ever. Silent classes are no fun. Even I don't like them. I welcome questions and helpful comments. That signals to me that students were paying attention and genuinely want to do their best. But the incessant chit-chat and giggles between exercises are totally unnecessary and disrespectful. Save the talking for before or after class, or better yet, call each other!


Be on time!

I know that many kids today are enrolled in several different activities, and it can be a struggle to caravan from one to another to make it on time, and I know, sometimes there's the occasional traffic jam. But with any activity, there needs to be a level of commitment, especially when many parents invest a lot of time and money into activities like dance. Arriving to class late is very distracting. Not just for the student running into class late, but for the rest of the class. Students who come in to class late may miss very important warmups and stretches. My dance teacher, Miss Claudia would not let anyone join the rest of the class until they completed a plié and tendu exercise. She also did not allow anyone to interrupt by coming in during the middle of an exercise; they had to wait until it was finished before coming in.

Don't fix your hair/clothes in the middle of class

Hair and clothes can be very distracting for everyone of all ages.

Please, please, please, please, PLEASE get the hair tied back before walking into class. Miss Claudia was also very insistent that if you did not pull your hair back, she would do it for you... with masking tape. And believe me, she followed through on that promise.

Those shoes better be double knotted and tucked in.

Keeping the sweater on or leaving it off? Pick one and commit.

No, legwarmers don't go on your arms. No, please don't keep one on your arm and one on your leg.

Dance is meant to be fun and exciting. The little things can get in way and take away that experience. I encourage everyone to read the full article and keep all things in mind whenever they walk into a class. I promise that everyone will be able to get a lot more out of it!

Happy dancing!

Miss Tess

tessc@balletpetite.com

Learn ballet: How to do a grand jeté!

Ballet contains many fabulous jumps and leaps, and a grand jeté is a very popular leap performed not only in ballet, but in all other dance genres as well.

 A grand jeté is a long horizontal jump in the air. It often looks like the dancer is doing the splits while gliding in the air.

Start with a few steps for a good running start.

Brush the front leg straight into the air. It should not bend.

The back leg follows by pushing off the ground and getting the legs into a split.

Land on the front leg in a good plié.


Grand jetés can also be performed sideways and backwards.


Tips for a good grand jeté


Use lots of plié to push you off into the air.
Don't forget to lift the upper body.
Push your weight forward so that it looks like you're flying through the air.




 
Happy dancing!

Miss Tess

tessc@balletpetite.com

Breaking into the dance industry

While dance is all around us, the dance world itself is relatively small compared to other industries.

If dance is your absolute passion, there are a few things you can do to make it your career!

1. Becoming a professional dancer

(Royal Ballet morning class)

Joining a company or group can be lots of fun! What more could you ask for than to dance as your job?!
While dancing for a living may be enjoyable, it can be strenuous and hard. Dancers need to constantly take classes in order to stay in shape and be ready for anything a choreographer throws at them. For example, in an interview with the Royal Ballet in London, a reporter was informed that the company takes class and rehearses for about 7 to 8 hours a day, six days a week!
This is also a highly competitive field; this morning I was watching the movie Center Stage, which is about
young ballerinas dancing for a place in a prestigious ballet company. Out of a class of maybe one hundred students, only three boys and three girls were going to be offered a place in the company. They can't offer a space for everyone. This is similar to dance companies outside of film.
Professional dancers often perform on stage in musical theater performances, music videos, television shows, or dance as part of a company. Becoming a professional can be a huge commitment, but if you love to dance, it can be a really rewarding career.
The reality of becoming a professional dancer is that the body will eventually wear out and lose its ability to move like it did in its younger years. Its an inevitable fate for all dancers, but that does not mean that you can't take part in the dance business.

2.Choreographer

For those with a creative mind, some dancers turn to a career to choreography. Choreographers do not necessarily need to dance in a company, but dance experience is a must. After dancing during their prime, many dancers return to a company or studio to work as the creative mastermind behind dance pieces and movements.

Miss Tess with former students (2010)

3.Teaching

This is my passion in life. I love teaching.
I came to terms with my dancing career when I was about to graduate from high school; in reality, I knew that I would not be cut-out for the professional life. It was going to be super competitive, and there would be no guarentee.
My dance teacher hired me to start teaching a few classes at my studio. First I was her assistant, then I was given classes of my own. I was so happy to be able to spread the joy of dance with others.I loved to see all my students and parents with a smile of their face.
With enough dance experience and a great recommendation, teaching dance can be an excellent
choice of career in the dance industry.

4.Starting your own dance studio

I know many people who decided that they wanted a place of their own. Starting your own studio is a great way to pass on your dance experience to others.
Because it will become your business, it would be wise, along with dance experience, to have business knowledge, either by taking course yourself or having a business partner.



If you really love dance, you can find something that will help you to satisfy your need to dance. But whatever you do, do it with all your heart and you will never work a day in your life.

Happy dancing!

 

Miss Tess

tessc@balletpetite.com

Learn Ballet: How to do a Fondu!

Fondu is a ballet exercise in which the body is lowered by bending the knee of one supporting leg.

Fondu literally translates to "melted" in English. Think about eating chocolate or cheese fondu!

(Students demonstrating coupe position.)

To start a battement fondu exercise, begin by placing the feet in a closed foot position, either first or fifth. 

Bring the working foot up to a coupe position. Place the foot right above the ankle and keep the knee out to the side.  

Plié the supporting leg.

Extend the working leg and straighten the supporting leg at the same time. Place the working foot either on the floor (a terre) or in the air (en l'air).
 

Repeat by returning the working foot back to coupe. Fondus can be performed to the front, side, and back.

Tips for a great fondu: 

Use the imagery of melting to aid you in a fondu. Literally thinking about melting into the floor to get the smooth transitions from the coupe to the leg extension.

When you extend the leg, lift the rest of your body up and open out your chest.

Take a breath before you plié. 

Arthur Saint-Léon, choreographer of the ballet Coppélia, wrote, "Fondu is on one leg what a plié is on two." 

Happy dancing!

 

 Miss Tess

 tessc@balletpetite.com