This is a big problem for me. Whenever I do developpes or anything that requires standing on one leg and not holding the bar I just can't seem to control my supporting leg- I 'm usually all over the place- and I don't know how to control it. Any advice?

Are you remembering to maintain the same amount of turn out on both hips? If your working hip can not hold its placement, it could be that you are turning out more on your supporting leg and not enough with your working leg, assuming that you are completely pulled up and the hips are level....Try to remember that turn out is simply (easier said than done) rotating in an outward motion from your center...But, it must be done equally on both sides of the body. I have found that students are so concerned with their supporting leg, hip, or side, that they tend to forget the other side of their body. Always remember to keep the shoulders level..they are an instant indication of whether you are keeping your hips level and equally turned out.

That's excellent advice Cherylb...I call that equal rotation idea...the body stretching against itself which helps to give a stable core. <P>Some more things you might check Annie, is your standing foot - is it scrunched up? gripping the floor with curled toes? And the supporting knee - is it wobbly? <P>If you are doing an adage in the center, don't go for more height than you can sustain - work for the stability first and then, eventually, height. Height is worhtless without stability.<P>Another thing you might try is to constantly let go of the barre - while working at the barre. Continuously checking your balance at the barre. I think that students who hold onto the barre without this continuous letting go - become dependent on the barre for balance - rather than their own "centers". And, then transmitting what has been learned and warmed up to the center, is much more difficult.<P>And, again as Cherylb mentioned, you must be lengthened through your spine - no saggy back.<P>I am soon off to ballet class - now if I can just remember all of this for myself...ha ha<P>

I would also have replied with reference to how the barre work is done. It is a good idea to always try and hold the barre lightly, and never depend on it too much. If you do it makes you place your weight incorrectly, as the barre is doing the work for you. Keep a light hold on the barre, and lift your hand occasionally: if you need to readjust your weight in order to stay standing you need to work on keeping that new weight placing even when your hand is on the barre.<BR>You should be able to do most of your barre exercises in the centre also.

Now that you said it, I do depend on the barre a lot and I only realised this today while I was dancing. I literally grab the barre. I will follow all your advice, thank you!

I tell my students that the barre is their partner. If you squeeze him too hard, he's not going to be happy. And when you release your hand from the barre and then go back to it, do it gently. If you slap your partner he may just drop you on your next lift.<P>When you do take your hand off the barre, you may wish to do a quick check to see if your upper body has remained calm and hasn't gone into a panic mode. Often the benefits of releasing from the barre are counteracted by changing the alignment of the upper body.<P>We have just been exploring, in the past couple of weeks, how even when we think we are holding the barre gently, we are in fact still relying on it rather heavily. I've likened this to using a Ouija board. They were popular when I was a kid, and we loved using them to tell our fortunes. Even a very light touch would make the "ouija" scoot around the board as if it were possessed. The same light touch on the barre amazingly holds you up! So those releases are needed to test your strength and placement. In time, you will see improvement, both at the barre and then carrying over to centre work.

I have noticed that dependence on the barre occurs even when it is not necessary. For instance, when one is facing the barre - with both hands upon it, I was taught to keep my hands close together - not spread apart. That makes quite a difference. <P>When the hands are kept close together it makes the spine support and balance the body rather than the barre, in my opinion. When the hands are far apart the body is braced - using the barre far too much. I remember my Cecchetti teacher saying that.<P>Sometimes when I was teaching a pointe class, we would explore how little we needed to use the barre. In a balance, for instance, in arabesque sur la pointe, one can actually maintain balance with just one finger on the barre. I would tell my students - chose a finger - and that's the only one you need to balance - it gives one a "point of balance" rather than doing any actual "holding up". <BR> <BR>We had another thread on this:<P><A HREF=../../../ubb/Forum7/HTML/000247.html><B>BARRE - CRUTCH OR AID</B></A><p>[This message has been edited by Basheva (edited June 15, 2001).]

I discovered, just a few weeks ago, all by myself (yeah i'm genious lol), that if i really USE my thighs and calfs, pull up my knee, straighten my back and blah blah blah, I'm as stable as a rock! Well not that stable after all, but maybe it's worth it to try......<P> <P>PS take a look at my signature ==> try things, if you do it wrong- you'll know you shouldn't do that again!<P>------------------<BR>The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything...<P>