Hello all! How is everyone? Well last eve I had my first private ballet lesson with my teacher Amanda who I just adore! Well we were working on plies and she commented on my posture, that I need to lean forward more. See I danced when I was small child and into my early teens then quit and then danced again in college, but not as serious with ballet.<P> Well back In HS and some college I marched in the band and the posture is chest out, head up, back completely straight, shoulders back, like a soldier! But in ballet it's not this way! SO if anyone can explain this more? or give me advice, that'd be great! I really gotta break the Marching Band posture <P>*hugs*<BR>Jan<P>------------------<BR>Teaching Today Touches Tomorrow!<BR>

I did marching band for three years in high school (clarinet) -- and I fear that I marched like a ballerina! But at least I never got off step, as I had the moving to music part down. <P>I always thought that marching band posture was some what related to ballet posture, in that both of them demand that there be no slouching! I do notice the difference that in ballet the shoulders are not pushed back, but instead -- um, how to say it? I want to say pressed to the side: imagine putting your hands on your spine between your shoulder blades, and then brushing them outwards, over the shoulder blades, smoothing them down and widening and flattening the upper back. But then you do the same thing on the front side too. <P>Hmm, I don't know if that makes any sense, but I thought it would be good practice for me to try to articulate it. Someone knowledgeable will be along shortly, I'm sure!

Miss Jan there are lots of things to consider here. In ballet rather than a straight back it is probably better to think of lengthening the spine - so upwards rather than backwards. Thinking backwards can begin to produce an arch in the lower back which is not conducive to good ballet posture - this may be what your teacher was talking about.<P>Also was your teacher definitely talking apecifically about your upper body? I ask because as you mention it was plies that you were doing I wonder if perhaps you were trying to turnout too much and therefore your weight was being thrown back. All sorts of problems can occur there - your knees will not be properly aligned over your toes thus putting stress on your knee and hip joints.<P>As you are having private lessons and it will not take up class time for everyone else it would be a good idea to ask your teacher during the class for quite specific details to really help you with your posture.

Katheryn - I think that was a wonderful explanation of the shoulders/spine. I was also told that the arms come out of the spine and to feel that widening. I found it not only helped my arms but also my balance.<P>Here is a thread you might want to look at Jan:<P><A HREF=../../../ubb/Forum7/HTML/000348.html><B>ALIGNMENT - THE SCAFFOLDING</B></A><P>As Joanne says, this is a wonderful opportunity for you to really have time to talk to your teacher and get one-on-one help with this important concept. <BR>

I think that this is a very good thread for the "Students' Questions" forum - so I am going to take the liberty of moving it there.<P>Hope that's ok.