Ballet Posture

Ballet posture is vital to the success of the dance. The quickest thing that will give away the newbie is poor posture. And the fastest thing that will make you look and feel like a Ballet dancer is to make some minor but important posture adjustments.

It's easy. Just follow the guide below on what NOT to do and what you'll be left with is this...

Good Ballet Posture

This is what you are aiming for. The head relaxed, the neck and spine elongated. The legs taut. Feet comfortably turned out and arms smooth and graceful.

Mistake 1

This is the classic mistake made by practically every newbie we’ve ever seen. Teachers call it the ‘Dead Bird’. Any time you need to hold your arms out in 2nd Position (whether on the barre or in the centre of the studio) try to always roll your elbows around towards the back of the room. That will give your arms a nice smooth look.

Mistake 2

When your teacher tells you to pull up, this is not what they have in mind... Pull up through your leg muscles. Elongate your spine and float your head up towards the ceiling. But please! Leave your shoulders DOWN! You are a Ballet dancer, not a toy soldier.

Mistake 3

Tuck it under! What more is there to say?

Mistake 4

Don’t tuck your bottom under so much that you end up like this, though...

Mistake 5

And one just for the feet. A common problem for newbie dancers is that they try to turn out their feet too much to begin with. The result is that the big toe has to take a lot of pressure and the foot starts to roll forward and the knees sag. To start out with, don’t try to widen your turn out any more than is comfortable. All of your toes should be in contact with the floor.

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