Advice for beginner dancer?

hey! ok well im 15 and i just started ballet, and i absolutely love it!! but since i just started, im really behind all the other girls and im not very flexible. I really want to become really really good, but since i only have ballet once a week, im having a really hard time improving. do u know any stretches or do you have any advise that could help me?? thanks so much!! :) - Casey October 10, 2006 | In Questions | 9 Comments

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  1. I started ballet fairly late too- when I was 10, so not as late as you, but later than I would have liked. If your main objective to just to get flexible, the solution is the one that I’m sure you’ve heard many times- stretch regularly!! My main problem, though, is that while I was born fairly flexible, I don’t have the strength to hold my extentions. It’s very frustrating, because I have a 180 degree planche, I’m almost at 180 to the front and side, and an above-90 arabesque- but only when someone is holding my leg! On my own I can’t anywhere near there. So just make sure that you’re not only stretching outside class, but also doing your developpes to get the strength to hold your extensions that will, hopefully, come quickly. Also, look around your town for other studios that could have you dancing more than once a week. If you can’t find any other ballet options, try lyrical or jazz. They don’t give you the same hard-core technique and beauty that ballet does, but they’re better than nothing, and will at least (hopefully) build your endurance.
    -Audrey Elise

    Comment by Audrey Elise — October 10, 2006 #

  2. Got to take class AT LEAST 3 times a week to improve. There’s no way around it. You can stretch (which you should do no matter how many times a week you take class) but there is no substitute for class because your muscles need the repetition to start remembering how to work and build the strength that is specific to ballet. You could also join a gym and have a trainer help you with strength exercises if you absolutely can’t find a studio with more classes.

    Comment by Zoe — October 11, 2006 #

  3. you might like to try finding a book (try online) called Ballet for Dummies (yes, it’s in that yellow set of books) as it has some good exercises in it. Show it to your teacher first to make sure that she’s happy with the exercises in it. The other book which is really great is called The Joffrey Ballet School’s Ballet-Fit but Dena Simone Moss and Allison Kyle Leopold.
    Again good info for the late or adult beginner.
    Jen

    Comment by Jen — October 11, 2006 #

  4. im 16 and i started doing ballet 8months ago i really enjoy it and im getting the hang of it now. i find the termonlogy really hard is there anything that i could get that has all the terms in so i can learn them. also i cant wait to go on pointe what can u advice me to do to strengthen my ankles and turn out to help me on pointe.

    Comment by Jenny — October 13, 2006 #

  5. Your instructor probably has you doing stretch routines on the bar and stuff. At home, try using a chair that won’t move at roughly the same height (against the wall for stability maybe) and do those stretches every day.

    Active stretching is strength building and best built through regular practise, brief spurts of at most 10 seconds trying to hold your leg as high as possible.

    You can also do it without holding onto anything to work on balance, though you won’t get as high due to the distraction. Both are good.

    If you can’t seem to lift higher, you can try to make it harder (with hopes you’ll eventually get harder) by either pushing down on your leg slightly with your hand (though this won’t help with posing), or by wearing an ankle weight/stretch band.

    Comment by Tyciol — October 13, 2006 #

  6. i am 16 and ive only just started and i have allso been finding it verry hard but just think you will get theair oneday and dont feel embarased i front of other peapol reamember they have been doing it a lot longer than you

    Comment by tasha — October 15, 2006 #

  7. Amazingly, I started at the same time as you and now, a year later, I have improved 100%! Here are some things I did:

    First, you must must must practice everyday…or at least stretch/excercise everyday. Warm up first (basic, non-strenuous excercises) and then stretch (slowly and for 5-10 minutes). This are very different things and they must each be preformed. This step should take 15-30 minutes (warm up and stretching). Stretch each leg individualy on the bar then do this series for 1st, 2nd, and 5th postions: 2 plies, releve, nose-to-knees, grande plie. Practice the splits EVERYDAY. This is extremely important. It is also discouraging but I am almost there now!

    Secondly, eat right. This includes portion control and good nutrition but also knowing when to stop. Anorexia/bulimia is BAD BAD BAD for ballet. My usual day is one bowl of ceareal (breakfast), salad (meat, cheese, crackers crumbs, LITTLE dressing)/two peices of buttered bread/pasta salad/fruit (this is all lunch), fish and rice for dinner. Mix and match as you wish and remember that candy and carbs are not always bad. A lot of back issues of Pointe Magazine (www.pointemagazine.com) have really good nutrition tips.

    Third, exercise. Some stuff I do most days are 200 jump ropes, 120 sit ups/crunches, 60 leg circles (each leg), 60 kickboxing moves, and a few other different pillates/yoga moves. This may sound overwhelming but you can split them up (ex: 100 jumps, 60 crunches, 100 jumps….).

    Try to get at least two classes. A private and full group is a good combination. Work hard!

    Also, I haven’t tried this, but I plan to and I’ve heard GREAT reveiws – the Dancer’s Dozen (www.gaynorminden.com/store/video.html) is a strength trainer. GM is an excellent ballet company and this is only 20.00 USD.

    I hope this helps, and keep working at it. Love and kisses to all my bunheads out there!

    Audry

    Comment by Audry — October 21, 2006 #

  8. I am 16 and have just started doing ballet lessons, i did have lessons for years but i quit when i was 10 and have only just taken ballet up again. I really enjoy the lessons i have but my friend who goes with me doesnt take it that seriously, does anyone have any encouragement for me because i dont want to give up! xxx

    Comment by charlotte — October 28, 2006 #

  9. Try taking more classes and maybe some private lessons and if possible maybe summer schools. The ballet bible helps too! P.S don’t forget to practice at home

    Comment by Ashley — January 19, 2007 #

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