Now a member on the dance team I am expected to balance on the ball of one foot, while spinning on count, placing my other foot properly, having the correct arms and landing perfectly out of it almost six counts later.
I usually do about half of those requirements.
Since joining a dance team in middle school I have only known how to keep balance by using my core, which I never found very helpful, and in the middle of routines I never find myself thinking about "engaging my core" during every move.
I have found new ways to perfect my balance by reading my IRP book, Conditioning for Dance by Eric Franklin. In his chapter Reflexive Balance Franklin talks about how your spine and hamstrings play big roles on how well your balance is.
In this first exercise I stood in a second position (both feet a bit more than shoulder length apart) on *releve, the book told me to notice the alignment of my spine, and its relation to my hamstrings. The purpose of this was to gain a sense of "top-to bottom connectivity", how the top part of my body can effect the balance of the bottom half. "You can create a powerful sense of balance by visualizing connection of the head to the back of the leg through these muscles and ligaments" (Franklin 42).By engaging the muscle (the very small muscle) in my hamstring I was able to hold this second position much longer than I have in the past.
The second exercise I tried from my book focused on the spine's connectivity with the top of the head. This concept using your head to find balance was not uncommon to me, I have heard for years from my coaches that you should pretend there is a giant string attached to your head pulling you up to the roof, while its a mildly creepy image, the visualization makes dancers feel like they are being "pulled up" creating a balance from the top of there head, through their necks and down their spines. With their heads pulled high it is easier to spot your turns, keep your balance, control moves, and create a look of grace in your dancing.
The book had me keep my arms at the top of my head and align my spine while looking up, I did this a few times and felt very balanced. In this position I went on releve and was able to hold it with ease. Then I slowly dropped my head, curing my neck. Quickly I lost my balance, I was unable to successfully stay in releve and I could barely stand on one foot. "Losing the connectivity through the spine causes dancers to lose balance, which is hard to regain instantly" (Franklin 47).
Both these exercises were helpful to me because they taught me more in-depth information about the importance of balance, and new ways how to find it. My question for you is how balanced are you? How long can you balance on one foot? When have you needed to keep your balance to improve at a sport or activity?
Happy New Years!!!!
*Releve: a movement in which the dancer rises on the tips of their toes
Citation: Franklin, Eric N. Conditioning for Dance. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2004. Print.
The book had me keep my arms at the top of my head and align my spine while looking up, I did this a few times and felt very balanced. In this position I went on releve and was able to hold it with ease. Then I slowly dropped my head, curing my neck. Quickly I lost my balance, I was unable to successfully stay in releve and I could barely stand on one foot. "Losing the connectivity through the spine causes dancers to lose balance, which is hard to regain instantly" (Franklin 47).
Both these exercises were helpful to me because they taught me more in-depth information about the importance of balance, and new ways how to find it. My question for you is how balanced are you? How long can you balance on one foot? When have you needed to keep your balance to improve at a sport or activity?
Happy New Years!!!!
*Releve: a movement in which the dancer rises on the tips of their toes
Citation: Franklin, Eric N. Conditioning for Dance. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2004. Print.
Hello EB, I would say I am not a balanced person but I wish I was, I definetly need to practice these exercises. I can balance on one foot for at most 5 seconds. :( As a goalie you need to keep your balance when forwards come in close to you in a 1v1 situation, if your off balance and the forward can read that, surely he will finish one into the back of the net leaving the keeper looking silly.
ReplyDeleteHey Emilee,
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question I think I am a very balanced person. I can probably balance on one foot for more than one minute but that's thanks to gymnastics. In gymnastics, when doing the balance beam you need to be very balanced in order to accomplish advanced stunts, such as split leaps and jumps. In being balanced you can achieve your routine, which results in a higher score. I remember when I first started it was very hard for me to even do a v-sit on the beam because I wasn't balanced. But yoga and other activities have helped me now master that.
Love this post!
ReplyDeleteI definitely can't balance well, but if I really try I would be able to. In any kind of dance, mostly ballet balance is so important. Without it I definitely wouldn't be able to do half the moves we do in ballet. To answer your question as I said not very balanced at all, I can probably balance on one foot for 30 seconds if I really try, and what I needed to do was relax and keep my stomach in which lifts my whole body up. But I've never tried these exercises, I'll definitely try them out next time!
Love your blog~
Teresa Trieu