Tag: technique
Beat the Cheat: Combat Improper Hip Alignment With These Targeted Fitness Exercises
As dancers, we all have our vices—those little technique cheats that we know are incorrect, and we try our best to fix whenever we can remember…but at the end of the day, we just can’t seem to banish them for good. After all, these cheats usually appear to help us: They can get our legs […]
Beat the Cheat: Combat Incorrect Jump Landings With These Targeted Fitness Exercises
As dancers, we all have our vices—those little technique cheats that we know are incorrect, and we try our best to fix whenever we can remember…but at the end of the day, we just can’t seem to banish them for good. After all, these cheats usually appear to help us: They can get our legs […]
Beat the Cheat: Combat Flailing Arms with These Targeted Fitness Exercises
As dancers, we all have our vices—those little technique cheats that we know are incorrect, and we try our best to fix whenever we can remember…but at the end of the day, we just can’t seem to banish them for good. After all, these cheats usually appear to help us: They can get our legs […]
How to Kick Your Mirror-Gazing Habit (Because There's No Better Time to Do It)
It’s not hard to spot dancers who are too attached to the mirror. Onstage, they have vacant, unfocused eyes. In convention ballrooms, they lose confidence when they have to learn phrases fast, without the mirror’s help. In auditions, they keep anxiously checking out how they look instead of immersing themselves in the choreography. The mirror […]
The "Balanchine Head," and How to Master It—Including Spotting Front
As a teacher and choreographer, George Balanchine—founder of the School of American Ballet and New York City Ballet—finessed even the smallest details. And in his technique, extra-special attention is paid to the carriage of the head, which is both unique and transformational. Whether held forward or at a particular tilt, the “Balanchine head” forms a […]
Why You Should Know Technical Powerhouse Christian Burse
Christian Burse’s long, flexible limbs create showstopping shapes onstage. But what really captivates audiences are her seamless transitions between those gorgeous shapes, showing incredible technique and control. Christian is a student at both Dance Industry Performing Arts Center and Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and her long days in […]
5 Principal Dancers on the Ballet Steps That Still Challenge Them
Their technique might seem effortless onstage, but even the most seasoned ballet professionals have that one step that still drives them crazy. We asked five principal dancers to open up about the skills they still find challenging, and how they’re working to finesse them. Dana Benton as Kitri in Don Quixote (Francisco Estevez, courtesy Colorado […]