CriticalDance Forum

<B>grace</B> writes: <B>priscilla</B> started a fascinating thread which veered, equally usefully, off course, so i have split it into 2.<P>here is the original one, which is now about descriptive expressions teachers use, to inspire or to give imagery to their dance students.<P>**************************************************************<P><B>priscilla posed the question</B>(edited here):<P>In the New Zealand Ballet Teaching Methods #3 thread -- <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000191.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000191.html</A> -- Tip_toes said: <P>"Just as the educated teachers no longer use 'tuck your tail under'."<P>....... Can someone please explain for me? <P>************************************************************<P>i have started <B>a new thread</B> with another (full) copy of priscilla's post, for the things we now <B>avoid</B> saying:<BR> <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000213.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000213.html</A> <P><p>[This message has been edited by grace (edited November 01, 2000).]

tip_toes excellent explanatory post has been moved to:<BR> <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000213.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/000213.html</A> <p>[This message has been edited by grace (edited November 01, 2000).]

I have used: <P>"place your foot" rather than "step"<P>"possess the floor" as an instruction on how to walk in ballet<P>"run with a purpose" as an instruction on running in ballet (in my mind I see Ulanova runnin in Romeo and Juliet)<P>"caress the floor" for articulation - after I have explained it<P>"hold a big beach ball" to children for holding theirs arms in 5th front during chaines'<P>for a series of changements when I want to get rid of the body bounce - "let your legs and feet do the work"<P>to direct the eyes out over an extended hand "see infinity"<P>ok - LOL - to an adult class of all women - when I want to correct standing back on the heels - "pull up and forward - b**bs over the toes" - a bit rowdy - but seems to work. (till one student told me that some had an unfair advantage!)

tuck under, pull up! was a big one for me when i was training. but i had a teacher that used "drop your rib cage" and it helped, and i use it often, as well as hold the beach ball.

Cool - thanks for the responses since I really am interested in the actualities of your comments, not just in generating posts. Using active descriptions rather than passive seems much more productive to me - much more about a body dancing than trying to match shapes.<P>Thanks again! Keep 'em coming if you've got 'em. <P>

I do use these on a regular basis *S* much to my students' dismay I'm sure--as they can finish most of the sentences or automatically correct themselves when the first word is out of my mouth. <P>Use the floor. <BR>Engage your torso/tummy.<BR>Lift your elbow--engage your shoulder blades in holding your arm.<BR>You have five limbs--use them all.<BR>(pertaining to use of the head)<BR>Drop your shoulders, lift your chin.<P>and for fun, when they are frustrated:<P>If dancing were easy, everyone would be a dancer.<BR>If pointe were all fun (more) men would do it.<P>and when they are chatty:<BR>The most amazing thing about dance is you don't have to speak to perform.<P>We have some other silly and serious "Jan-isms" at the studio as well, but these are the most often used I think.

Some More - with a splash of humor -<P>"I see a stomach hanging out - in a minute if she doesn't pull it up - I am going to give that stomach a name"<P>"Someone we all know and love is not stretching her foot..shall I mention the foot's name?"<P>"Ballet is not a voting democracy - it is a dictatorship - benign dictatorship if you are lucky"<P>"You have two left feet? The cure is easy - we will simply cut one off and put it on the other side" (NOT said to children)<P>When the phone rings in the studio - "that must be Mr. Balanchine calling for you"<P>"Pretend your dance is being filmed - every frame must be your best"<P>And said with all enthusiasm - "I want you to be a better dancer than me" <P>"If you eyes are down - your entire spine shrinks - and I can see where you are looking even when I am behind you"<P>

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>"If you eyes are down - your entire spine shrinks - and I can see where you are looking even when I am behind you" -- Basheva<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Oooh - that's gooood.

Oh yay! Just to interject here - that's the first time I've made the quote thing work right - thanks Grace for the instructions you gave someone else.

Priscilla - you are waaaaaaaayyyyyyyy beyond me - I haven't had the nerve to try the quote thingy. Maybe if I put my pointe shoes on - then - maybe I will have courage ..........LOL

Basheva, i've put some pointers in our Moderator's 'Technical Tricks'.

some of my favorites --<P>-"if you look down,you will go down"<P>-" be ready to come in with your group--you snooze, you lose"<P>-engage the abdominals<P>-sweep the floor with your foot likes it's a big paintbrush covered with thick paint and your drawing a line on the floor with your toes (when teaching tendus to beginners)

Rabbitisms<P>on keeping shoulders down--"don't let your shoulders eat your neck"<P>On legs outside on arabesque or en attitude back..." woof...I see rover"<P><BR>

Here are two more - they are not original to me - but I adopted them because they helped me so much -<P>"Come down before you fall down" - when one feels the balance going - fight to come down with grace - there is much to be learned in that -rather than falling out of the balance.<P>"Let the pulse of the music become your breath" - <P>this one is mine: <P>"Talk to your stomach - and say 'hold me' - this to children

OK - more - <P>"If you can see your feet - guess what? - you are looking down!!"<P>One time I had a class walk around the room and look only down at the floor. I told them to take a good look at it. Then I said - well, now you can see there is nothing down there - SO PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYES UP!!<P>They were laughing so hard - but it did work - especially when I threatened them with more walking around looking at the floor.