One of the last elements of ballet technique that falls into place is the use of the arms.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It might seem that this should be the easier task of ballet but it’s not. There are many reasons for this, some of which:
🔹Focusing on other parts of the ballet experience (remembering choreography, controlling the legs or the feet, turning out etc.)
🔹Lack of proprioception (perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body.) -aka thinking that your arms are in a different alignment than they actually are.
🔹Uncertainty of the proper alignment of each arm position.
In this brief tutorial, I’m sharing 3 of the most common arm positions (which are the base of many others too.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
*I chose only three partly in an attempt to keep it simple and partly because there’s only so much you can fit in a Reel…*
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1ST POSITION
Make sure you don’t lift the arms too high to avoid arching and pulling your weight backwards. Keeping the palms at stomach level is a good guide.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2ND POSITION
Think of your 2nd as a wide 1st. Also, make sure that your hands are still in your visual field. (If they’re not, it’s a sign that they are too far back.)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
5TH POSITION
To make sure that your 5th isn’t too far back, when you lift your eyes (without breaking the neck line), you should be able to see your palms.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
P.S.: Mind you, my teaching follows the English style, like is taught by I.S.T.D. and R.A.D., which are the dance boards with which I trained, studied and graduated with my teaching qualifications. So, if you notice some differences among other schools of Ballet - that’s normal!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
📻 Stay tuned in my stories, for more details on the shape and alignment of the arms, the muscles involved and the style.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🩰 Follow for more!
