Starting late and hard work

Starting late can be a hurdle you need to overcome before you can get better. And with starting late I don't mean 40 or 50. I am talking about girls starting at the age of 15, even 13 is pretty old to start since some other little ballerinas were 'molding' their bodies for ballet since they could talk or think.

Now you have to decide. Do you want to dance in a company some day? Or do you just want to do it for fun?
In case you really want to get serious taking about 5-6 ballet classes is necessary. In addition you also have to work as hard as you can in every single class.

When I first started at the age of 15 I had no clue how to move my legs, arms or head right. I didn't know which muscles to engage to achieve better turnout. I was forcing my legs in unnatural positions and risking injury at all times. Also I was only taking 2 hours of ballet a week in a small studio (because it was the only studio in my city teaching classical ballet) and - don't get me wrong, I loved my Madame and the girls at the studio, I gained some amazing friends there! - I wish it would have been more.
Unfortunately our Madame was a little too nice and gave us only very few corrections.
If you're have the same problem: I found a solution! Mostly you know how the exercises should look so I was working my butt off at home. While doing all those pliés and arabesques I was filming a ton of videos of myself and of course analysing them afterwards.

Ballet needs a lot of discipline and dedication. If you are lazy for one week only you will go back a step in your development as a classical ballerina. Have you ever seen the professionals training?

Here we go. That's the Royal ballet doing their warmup class, first at the barre, than in the centre. Every day. Six days a week. One ballerina in the video said that some even come to the studio on their one free day.
I've tried to do this full company class with them but I seriously could not concentrate anymore short after the beginning of the petite/medium allegro. SO EXHAUSTING! I was a little proud though because the barre was ok for me. Obviously I couldn't do the exercises as perfect as those long legged, lean, beautiful ballerinas and danseur nobles.

It really is super hard work to look effortless.
Those arabesque penchees that look like a magical invisible string is lifting their leg are unbelievably hard to hold. You need a lot more muscle strength than you would ever expect from ballet.

Your back, your core (abs. some ballerinas actually do have a six-pack), your legs.
You need a lot of muscle mass and little fat. Lean bodies dominate the ballet world.
But ballet class by itself won't be enough. It is a lot of anaerobic exercise so you also need to do some aerobic exercises. Treadmill, steppers and all of those crucial instruments of torture will be the little key you need in addition to succeed.
Besides leg lifts, sit-ups and pushups pilés are an amazing exercise. Slow, controlled plies. Making sure your legs are turned out from your hips, trying to feel the strength when you're pliè-ing and then push yourself up in a strong relevè.

A great exercise for pointe is on legged elevès which basically are one legged relevès without a pliè. Start with 8 on each side, holding onto the barre or a chair, and work on those until you can do 20 or more on each side.

XX

Pirouette talk!

Pirouettes. The perfect pirouette is something most dancers dream of.

First: The basics

A pirouette can be performed either en dehors, which means turning away from the supporting leg, or en dedans, which means turning toward the supporting leg.

Usually you start a pirouette in fourth and fifth and sometimes in second position.

Let's go a bit more into detail: legs and arms (starting in fourth position)

Your legs should be in fourth position, totally straight. As always make sure you turn out your legs from your hips and not your knees!

For pirouettes en dehors:

If your left leg is in the front your arms should be in third position, right arm in the front. If your left leg is in the back your arms are in third position, left arm in the front.

TIP: Try to keep your shoulders down at all times because your shoulders give your arms the sturdiness you need to balance your whole body when you turn.


Then plie (both legs). Don't put your whole weight on one foot, keep it balanced on both.
Find your spot on eye level to fix when you're turning.
You should feel your heels pressing strongly against the floor. This will give you the energy to turn.
Now you're ready to push up on demi pointe/pointe, keeping your supporting leg (the leg that stays on the floor) strong and still pressing against the floor.

TIP: Imagine someone is pulling you up on a string so your body is totally straight. Your stomach is sucked in and your shoulders are pulled down. At the same time you have to feel like your working leg is heavy as an elephants leg, pressing against the floor with all of your strength. 
You have to feel like you are growing while you're turning.

Your working leg has to be in a retire position. Pull the leg up in this position as fast as possible.
You can either put your working leg in front, behind or directly at your knee.
As soon as your working leg comes off the floor it HAS to be pointed!

TIP: Holding your turnout is easiest if your working leg is in front of your knee.


During the turn your arms are in first position!

It is really important to find your centre while turning and to hold it tightly.
To find that centre you have to engage your abdominals. And don't forget on your shoulders, butt and turn out muscles.
ALWAYS remember to keep your chin up!

Especially if you do multiple pirouettes spotting is the key to success.
Your head has to turn before your body does to create momentum and avoid dizziness.

Pirouettes en dedans:

Basically your starting position is the same BUT your arms will be different: If your left leg is in the front your left arm will be in the front as well. Same for right leg and right arm.

Plie again, pulling up your working leg in retire and your arms up in fifth position.

Last but not least: Finishing those pirouettes

Finishing pirouettes is as important as beginning them as the finish completes the movement.

Gracefully finish the pirouette either in fourth or fifth position.

There are several different positions of arms that are appropriate for the finish.