| I talk to young and adult ballet students and the | | | | don't matter yet, as you can injure yourself or begin |
| questions I get asked most commonly relate to: | | | | acquiring tense and awkward work habits if you are |
| 1. Getting onto pointe and finding the right pointe shoes | | | | not ready to do pointe work. |
| 2. Get more flexible - especially doing the splits | | | | If you cramp right away, on your first rise, then your |
| 3. Cannot get to enough classes in a week to | | | | muscles are weak. Calf muscles will overwork if your |
| advance more quickly | | | | intrinsic foot muscles are weak. There are specific |
| 4. Concerns about good diet and body weight/shape | | | | exercises in pre-pointe routines, to strengthen those |
| When to start taking dance classes in professional | | | | tiny foot muscles. |
| ballet shoes is a frequent discussion in dance studios. I | | | | Relax and do a demi-plie (none of this should be |
| talk very generally since I have never seen nor taught | | | | torture). Cramping has other causes also such as |
| any of the students that I get into a discussion with. | | | | dehydration and loss of electrolytes. Calcium and |
| Basic technique has to be very strong before you can | | | | magnesium deficiency will lead to cramping too. You |
| do pointe work. Posture and turnout must be correct | | | | need all 12 of the cell salts to maintain your electrolytes. |
| and strong. Here is one thing you can do just as a | | | | A good sea salt will help, kelp, other sea weed, or |
| self-test, to determine how your strength is developing. | | | | homeopathic 'bioplasma' or 'all 12' tablets. And of |
| Either at the dance studio or at home, stand next to | | | | course, good proteins, lots of raw or lightly steamed |
| the mirror in first or fifth position, so that you are | | | | green vegetables and salads, and fruits are |
| looking at yourself sideways. With arms in | | | | mandatory. Did I say mandatory? Yes, I did! Your |
| fifth-en-avant (I'm speaking Cecchetti here) slowly | | | | bones and muscles are MADE from what you eat. |
| press up onto 3/4 pointe. | | | | And so is your nervous system that your bones and |
| Do you have any difficulty maintaining your correct | | | | muscles depend on. |
| posture and turnout? | | | | Years ago my friend Sara Houstoun and I were taking |
| Do your ankles wobble toward your big toe or your | | | | ballet classes at Don Hewitt's in Santa Monica, |
| little toe? | | | | California. It was summer, I was used to a cold climate |
| Do you cramp right away? | | | | - and, admittedly we were typically obsessed with |
| Can you keep your shoulders and neck relaxed? | | | | being thin so we wore plastic sweat pants for classes. |
| Can you do some simple port-de-bras without losing | | | | Afterwards we would be practically catatonic. The |
| balance? | | | | ONE good thing we did was pour a couple of packets |
| Can you slowly press down through flat to a demi-plie, | | | | of salt into our root beers as we drove home for our |
| and then do several of these slow-motion releve | | | | health food dinners. That was before we knew that |
| maintaining your poise? | | | | sodas drain calcium from bones to....well, that really is |
| If you have any trouble with this, ask your teacher | | | | another article. |
| what you need to work on, to get stronger for future | | | | It looks like #1 from above will be the next article! This |
| pointe work. Have her/him watch you and correct you | | | | article is mainly concerned with what you need before |
| so that you can work on this at home. I encourage this | | | | getting onto pointe. You can do daily exercise and you |
| kind of practice especially for those students who | | | | will get strong! Be sure to tell your teacher your goal |
| would like to take more classes but just can't. Work | | | | and that you are dedicated to a specific outcome, and |
| for some, school for others, and availability of the right | | | | ask for help. Also keep up with the new information |
| classes usually prevents full time study. | | | | coming out from the valuable experts in the ballet field |
| If your ankles are wobbly, keep the legs parallel, face | | | | right now. |
| the mirror, and rise up and down slowly keeping the | | | | I will write more about "the splits" too, because that |
| weight in the middle of your feet, so there is no sickling | | | | seems to be the #2 goal for many. |
| in or out. This must be strengthened before poise, arm | | | | When you are exhausted from practice, soak in |
| position, etc., is of any concern. Also, take note that | | | | Epsom Salts, then put on your favorite ballet DVD. |
| you are holding your turnout muscles even in this | | | | Inspiration is important, and seeing yourself in your |
| parallel position, as most knees roll in a little if not held in | | | | mind's eye, dancing in pointe shoes, is a good thing to |
| line. Once you are sure that you can feel that your | | | | do while you rest. |
| ankles are in exactly the right place, go back to first | | | | All the best! |
| position for your slow motion releves. Pointe shoes | | | | |
