Long comment alert!!! Lol! Thank you for talking about the glutes coming underneath you and using them to support turnout. There is this modern concept that any form of a “tuck” is bad. The thing is, neutral pelvis/spine comes from a dropped tailbone. It’s not a drastic tuck that thrusts the pelvis forward, but it’s still a tuck compared to a relaxed state. Modern ideas seem to say that neutral pelvis is a relaxed position. If you leave your pelvis and spine in a relaxed state, that runs the risk of slipping in and out of lordosis and puts the spine at risk of injury. The glutes are the muscles that protect everything. They hold everything stable. And without dropping the tailbone and engaging the glutes, you can’t properly access the lower abdominal muscles in order to pull them up and in. The glutes help bring the abdominals up and allow the ability to engage them. Another thing that I’ve seen taught is that instead of “shoulders down”, they should just be relaxed. This, in my opinion, doesn’t teach dancers how to use the back muscles. Because the “shoulders down” command is just an easier way to communicate the concept rather than “pull your lats down,” which can be confusing if a person doesn’t understand the anatomy of their back and shoulders. But never should they just be relaxed. If they are relaxed there is no control in the upper body. I see so many adult beginners that can’t seem to understand how to achieve stability, technical precision, execute steps, use turnout, etc. And it always comes down to muscle engagement. There must always be engagement, there must always be a resistance within the movement which is what helps add control to everything. The fluidity in ballet is not created by relaxed movement. It is created by controlled movement. I think it’s hard for people outside of ballet to understand this. That’s why they think ballet “looks easy”. Because it looks fluid as though it would come from a relaxed state. But it doesn’t. Sorry for such a long comment. I’ve just been irritated with modern ideas that throw away correct placement, muscle engagement, and teach dancers not to use the full extent of their turnout for fear that it’s forcing it. You can’t develop better turnout unless you actually use it. It’s not a passive thing. It must always be working to its fullest. I’ll shut up now. This comment is long enough. Lol!
Thanks for yet another in depth video of foundation technique. I love the way you explain everything. I'm an adult and I go to ballet class once a week. It's nearly impossible to get individual attention in these small but important technique details.
Thank you so much!!! It’s the first time I get to see a video of yours,but for sure not the last time! Going to see and learn from the other videos now :)
Your explanations and demonstration are very clear. I can't wait to try these in the lesson tomorrow! Thank you for making these tutorial videos. Looking forward to next one😄
Hi again. I commented about how much I appreciated your video a few weeks ago. Since then, I not only discovered that I was not using my turn out enough, but I suddenly understood the relationship between squeezing the gluts, turning out the psoas AND how the lower back contributes to the whole thing. It was really a revelation to me, and now I know I have not been using my low back muscles to sustain the turnout. Being aware of it helps because I’m conscious of engaging the low back now in the correct position. But given the long disuse, it’s weak. I’ve gathered videos on back strengthening but they involve all the back muscles. if you can point to exercises for just exercising those low back muscles, that would be wonderful. Thanks,
I’ve been taking ballet a really long time and in that whole time, I’ve never heard such a great explanation of turn out and extension. I love the description of the “butt cheeks” wiping forward through the legs - I never felt the connection between the gluts and the turnout muscles before. I feel really optimistic now about improving my technique.
oh i'm SO GLAD to hear this! there are so many different ways to think of turn out. but "wiping back to front" - even though it's silly, it really seems to help a lot of people 😅 maybe because it's a real-life experience that we're all somewhat familiar with lol
@@SaltySugarPlum so I took a class using these ideas. I am convinced that it will really help but I’ve been ignoring my gluts so long, it’s hard! I can do it in plies, with a lot of sweat. It’s very hard for me to change my poor technique in developpe. I’m determined to do it though, again, thanks!
Thank you so much! It's amazing the way you explain things. I see how you made the adjustments and disguised it, and it's the same as what I've been doing, it just feels so good to hear someone say it out loud!
Sei meravigliosa!!! I think you are indeed the best and in each second following your explanations, I do learn a lot. Also the Vaganova video is fantastic, usually we see only the exams and so on, but here we still see the mistakes the girls do and we can learn a lot from them. Ah btw, I saw you had nothing black on you, well are you agree that the student can see better your muscles, you placement of the body? When you would have filmed the difference in sitting on the hip or controlling it with an upwards intention, dressed in black we would not have seen it so well. Thank you for your passion and work you do!
A large part of the communications and cueing (and miscueing) issues is that few ballet teachers actually understand mechanics (physics, center of gravity) and biomechanical physiology terminology. Engineers and kinesiology practitioners understand the science and use proper descriptive language. Ballet folks make up terms and cues that make sense to them but don't explain properly or soundly (because they aren't trained and knowledgable.) They don't talk about muscle chains, and they use confounding metaphors like 'go down to go up' and 'press down into the floor' (which is impossible as the floor is rigid.) As both a dancer and an engineer I cringe sometimes when I hear teachers attempting to give explanations of what they are trying to convey to students. What does an 'open' chest actually mean, in anatomical terms? What is 'sitting' in the hips in biomechanical terms? Until dancers who teach take the time to understand physics and bio mechanics (not just anatomy) students will be forever confounded when it is so unnecessary.
i'm not an engineer. why don't you make a video explaining it better? you can use all the engineering and anatomical and biomechanical terms you want, but ballet students most likely aren't going to understand that jargon either. hence the metaphors that describe a 'feeling' rather than listing specific muscles and joints that the average student wont know about unless they too decide to study physics. also, ballet is an art, not a science. yes it can be approached scientifically. But it was an art form first. There was no reason to be a scientist, a kinesiologist, a physicist and an engineer etc... to be able to learn and perform ballet. that's like saying i need to be a mathematician to be a painter. Ballet, and the methodology and explanations and teachings are probably about as old as modern physics terms. The un-scientific explanations have stood the test of time. To insist that anyone who wants to be a dancer / artist must ALSO be an intellectual in fields of science is really elitist and gatekeep-y, and i'm not here for it.
@@SaltySugarPlum I agree with all of your points, SSP. It wasn’t a criticism (of your approach) but rather an observation about the efficiency of teaching and learning. I think there’s a middle ground solution, actually, where the best of both ballet and science together can lead to more satisfaction and quicker understanding that is not especially elitist but rather more practical and efficient. If you follow Finis Jung, he isn’t an engineer and the way he explains pliés (engaging adductor muscles as you both lower and rise) is unique in the ballet world. People can go through the motions of plié for years without engaging the inner thigh muscles and never receive coaching or correction. So jumps aren’t as high as they could be because the push off is not fully efficient. So I like your idea of putting something together to bridge the gap. We need to be first aiders not doctors, so understand how the traditional expressions (zipper up your abs, don’t sit in your pelvis, etc.) are connected with biomechanics because in the end it is easier and quicker to get the desired technique. Love your videos!!!!
@@alee3146 ah, then my apologies for getting defensive. when i read "I cringe sometimes when I hear teachers attempting to give explanations of what they are trying to convey to students" i thought it was essentially one giant cringe at my videos, lol. I am fascinated by the physics of ballet and i am glad that dance medicine has progressed in recent years to involve a more anatomical and scientific approach. I guess we would need more teachers who are versed in both worlds to bridge the gap and merge ballet and engineering as one. It's unfortunate that schools (at least here in the U.S.) separate dance and science courses completely. I think most people become artists because they struggle with academia. (For example i have dyscalculia and I struggle with mathematical formulas. Yet i have an intuitive understanding of both chemistry and physics. But because I cannot complete my math classes, i would never be able to get a degree in a 'hard' science.) It's frustrating for sure, but i hope in the future the two can be merged to create the ultimate dancers!
Long comment alert!!! Lol!
Thank you for talking about the glutes coming underneath you and using them to support turnout. There is this modern concept that any form of a “tuck” is bad. The thing is, neutral pelvis/spine comes from a dropped tailbone. It’s not a drastic tuck that thrusts the pelvis forward, but it’s still a tuck compared to a relaxed state. Modern ideas seem to say that neutral pelvis is a relaxed position. If you leave your pelvis and spine in a relaxed state, that runs the risk of slipping in and out of lordosis and puts the spine at risk of injury. The glutes are the muscles that protect everything. They hold everything stable. And without dropping the tailbone and engaging the glutes, you can’t properly access the lower abdominal muscles in order to pull them up and in. The glutes help bring the abdominals up and allow the ability to engage them.
Another thing that I’ve seen taught is that instead of “shoulders down”, they should just be relaxed. This, in my opinion, doesn’t teach dancers how to use the back muscles. Because the “shoulders down” command is just an easier way to communicate the concept rather than “pull your lats down,” which can be confusing if a person doesn’t understand the anatomy of their back and shoulders. But never should they just be relaxed. If they are relaxed there is no control in the upper body.
I see so many adult beginners that can’t seem to understand how to achieve stability, technical precision, execute steps, use turnout, etc. And it always comes down to muscle engagement. There must always be engagement, there must always be a resistance within the movement which is what helps add control to everything. The fluidity in ballet is not created by relaxed movement. It is created by controlled movement. I think it’s hard for people outside of ballet to understand this. That’s why they think ballet “looks easy”. Because it looks fluid as though it would come from a relaxed state. But it doesn’t.
Sorry for such a long comment. I’ve just been irritated with modern ideas that throw away correct placement, muscle engagement, and teach dancers not to use the full extent of their turnout for fear that it’s forcing it. You can’t develop better turnout unless you actually use it. It’s not a passive thing. It must always be working to its fullest.
I’ll shut up now. This comment is long enough. Lol!
i really like your videos a lot, you bring so many things that people usually forget to talk about
thank you! glad to help. although, the credit REALLY belongs to the viewers asking these great questions 🤓
Thanks for yet another in depth video of foundation technique. I love the way you explain everything. I'm an adult and I go to ballet class once a week. It's nearly impossible to get individual attention in these small but important technique details.
I just love these detailed talks. There's so much that goes into ballet.
You're a fabulous teacher. I love the way you explain things in multiple ways. If you can, I would love an absolute beginner barre. Thanks !
Thank you so much!!!
It’s the first time I get to see a video of yours,but for sure not the last time!
Going to see and learn from the other videos now :)
Also the description of the weight in the ball of the foot…you’re brilliant!
Great explanation!
Your explanations and demonstration are very clear. I can't wait to try these in the lesson tomorrow!
Thank you for making these tutorial videos. Looking forward to next one😄
Hi again. I commented about how much I appreciated your video a few weeks ago. Since then, I not only discovered that I was not using my turn out enough, but I suddenly understood the relationship between squeezing the gluts, turning out the psoas AND how the lower back contributes to the whole thing. It was really a revelation to me, and now I know I have not been using my low back muscles to sustain the turnout. Being aware of it helps because I’m conscious of engaging the low back now in the correct position. But given the long disuse, it’s weak. I’ve gathered videos on back strengthening but they involve all the back muscles. if you can point to exercises for just exercising those low back muscles, that would be wonderful. Thanks,
Never mind. I figured it out, thanks to you. It’s amazing.
I’ve been taking ballet a really long time and in that whole time, I’ve never heard such a great explanation of turn out and extension. I love the description of the “butt cheeks” wiping forward through the legs - I never felt the connection between the gluts and the turnout muscles before. I feel really optimistic now about improving my technique.
oh i'm SO GLAD to hear this! there are so many different ways to think of turn out. but "wiping back to front" - even though it's silly, it really seems to help a lot of people 😅 maybe because it's a real-life experience that we're all somewhat familiar with lol
@@SaltySugarPlum so I took a class using these ideas. I am convinced that it will really help but I’ve been ignoring my gluts so long, it’s hard! I can do it in plies, with a lot of sweat. It’s very hard for me to change my poor technique in developpe. I’m determined to do it though, again, thanks!
you are so brilliant and so generous! Your videos make me think and make me get up and feel it and try it all out. So interesting!
Thank you so much! It's amazing the way you explain things. I see how you made the adjustments and disguised it, and it's the same as what I've been doing, it just feels so good to hear someone say it out loud!
Sei meravigliosa!!! I think you are indeed the best and in each second following your explanations, I do learn a lot. Also the Vaganova video is fantastic, usually we see only the exams and so on, but here we still see the mistakes the girls do and we can learn a lot from them. Ah btw, I saw you had nothing black on you, well are you agree that the student can see better your muscles, you placement of the body? When you would have filmed the difference in sitting on the hip or controlling it with an upwards intention, dressed in black we would not have seen it so well. Thank you for your passion and work you do!
please make material about cambre in back
Pretty makeup
A large part of the communications and cueing (and miscueing) issues is that few ballet teachers actually understand mechanics (physics, center of gravity) and biomechanical physiology terminology. Engineers and kinesiology practitioners understand the science and use proper descriptive language. Ballet folks make up terms and cues that make sense to them but don't explain properly or soundly (because they aren't trained and knowledgable.) They don't talk about muscle chains, and they use confounding metaphors like 'go down to go up' and 'press down into the floor' (which is impossible as the floor is rigid.) As both a dancer and an engineer I cringe sometimes when I hear teachers attempting to give explanations of what they are trying to convey to students. What does an 'open' chest actually mean, in anatomical terms? What is 'sitting' in the hips in biomechanical terms? Until dancers who teach take the time to understand physics and bio mechanics (not just anatomy) students will be forever confounded when it is so unnecessary.
i'm not an engineer. why don't you make a video explaining it better?
you can use all the engineering and anatomical and biomechanical terms you want, but ballet students most likely aren't going to understand that jargon either. hence the metaphors that describe a 'feeling' rather than listing specific muscles and joints that the average student wont know about unless they too decide to study physics.
also, ballet is an art, not a science. yes it can be approached scientifically. But it was an art form first. There was no reason to be a scientist, a kinesiologist, a physicist and an engineer etc... to be able to learn and perform ballet. that's like saying i need to be a mathematician to be a painter.
Ballet, and the methodology and explanations and teachings are probably about as old as modern physics terms. The un-scientific explanations have stood the test of time. To insist that anyone who wants to be a dancer / artist must ALSO be an intellectual in fields of science is really elitist and gatekeep-y, and i'm not here for it.
@@SaltySugarPlum I agree with all of your points, SSP. It wasn’t a criticism (of your approach) but rather an observation about the efficiency of teaching and learning. I think there’s a middle ground solution, actually, where the best of both ballet and science together can lead to more satisfaction and quicker understanding that is not especially elitist but rather more practical and efficient. If you follow Finis Jung, he isn’t an engineer and the way he explains pliés (engaging adductor muscles as you both lower and rise) is unique in the ballet world. People can go through the motions of plié for years without engaging the inner thigh muscles and never receive coaching or correction. So jumps aren’t as high as they could be because the push off is not fully efficient. So I like your idea of putting something together to bridge the gap. We need to be first aiders not doctors, so understand how the traditional expressions (zipper up your abs, don’t sit in your pelvis, etc.) are connected with biomechanics because in the end it is easier and quicker to get the desired technique. Love your videos!!!!
@@alee3146 ah, then my apologies for getting defensive. when i read "I cringe sometimes when I hear teachers attempting to give explanations of what they are trying to convey to students" i thought it was essentially one giant cringe at my videos, lol. I am fascinated by the physics of ballet and i am glad that dance medicine has progressed in recent years to involve a more anatomical and scientific approach. I guess we would need more teachers who are versed in both worlds to bridge the gap and merge ballet and engineering as one. It's unfortunate that schools (at least here in the U.S.) separate dance and science courses completely. I think most people become artists because they struggle with academia. (For example i have dyscalculia and I struggle with mathematical formulas. Yet i have an intuitive understanding of both chemistry and physics. But because I cannot complete my math classes, i would never be able to get a degree in a 'hard' science.) It's frustrating for sure, but i hope in the future the two can be merged to create the ultimate dancers!
sweet spot = static equilibrium
cool, most people don't know what "static equilibrium" means.
💕
é.è ❤❤