Learning to dance ballet is one of the difficult dances that a person could ever perform because the dance itself requires not only physical strength but also skills and years of practice and discipline. Since the dance is hard to master, ballerinas are trained very early to develop the physique and discipline needed for the dance.
If you are one of those who are planning to learn ballet, you must first assess yourself physically, emotionally, and financially if you can cope up with the demands of the dance. Once you have decided that you can manage in all of these aspects, then the next thing to do is familiarize yourself with everything about it.
Knowing the origin of something is very helpful in making decisions. This is also applicable in ballet. Before you finally decide to get involved with ballet, make sure that you are familiar with its history so you will have general knowledge about everything that has to do with it.
Aside from the history, you should also be knowledgeable in the preparation a ballet dancer must gear up for. Although many people say that passion and dedication will make it possible for you to become a ballet dancer, having innate talent and light body will make it more possible for you to become a great ballet dancer.
Along with training, you must also familiarize yourself with various ballet techniques and styles so you would know what to expect. Usually, these techniques and styles in ballet would require rigorous training and practice for you to be able to perfect the steps needed for the dance.
Tips before taking ballet classes
The most common routine done is a ballet class is the barre exercise. Here, warm ups through stretching and several steps and movements are practiced on wooden sprung floors. To make the training and the practice easier for you, try these ballet tips before your class:
– Stretching. Just like in any other sport or dance, stretching is very crucial because it prepares the body for harder exercises ahead. When you stretch of as long as you can, your muscles will loosen up and your posture will be elongated. Aside from stretching before the class, make sure that you do post class stretching to loosen up tightened muscles during the training. Stretching does not only eases the pain but also makes your body more flexible.
– Familiarizing yourself with the vocabulary used in ballet. This is also important because it will reflect how much knowledge you have about the dance. Although it will not really affect your ballet skills, knowing the terms used in ballet will prevent you from getting overwhelmed during the class. What you can do is to read ballet terminologies from various resources such as dictionary, magazines, books, and online sites.
– Taking time to find the right ballet slippers. The ballet shoes or slippers can greatly affect your overall training because the comfort of the feet is involved. When buying ballet shoes, make sure that they are made by a professional or endorsed by a specific ballet school or famous ballet dancer.
– Learning the five basic positions in barre. This is very important to avoid embarrassment and possible injury. The five basic positions include turning your feet together at the heels, parting your foot apart, placing the your heel at the first knuckle of the big toe, placing the feet apart for at least six inches, and putting the heel on top of the big toe. Once you familiarize yourself with these basic barre positions, training will be easier and less exhausting for you.
