What I learnt....

So here are just a few of the things I learnt this week, and decided to share some tips! 1. In all ports de bras movements, imagine you are holding a sparkler. Each movement must flow gracefully into the next, with no isolated positions. 2. Plie is your friend! Use the demi plie constantly; in fondus, releves, pirouette prep, petit allegro, grand allegro.... Also, as bizarre as it feels, doing battements fondus with a flexed foot really helps to get a better stretch, and go deeper into the demi plie on the supporting leg as you begin to extend the working leg. 3. In all rises or releves at the end of barre exercise, find a strong centre before releasing the barre hand, spot, and don't hold a totally static position; the exercise has not finished, so keep performing! Visualise a straight line from your head, through your core, and straight down into the floor through your supporting leg. 4. In adagio in the centre, don't bring the working leg to passe too quickly on developpes; it throws you off balance. 5. Re-align yourself with every pivot on any promenade; so that your arms don't become too distorted in arabesque! 6. If you are marking an exercise, do the arms properly, and the feet will follow! 7. In pirouettes, don't sit in the plie; use a rebound action to go down then straight UP into the turn. 8. Practice pirouette prep every day, spend as much time stood in passe or en demi pointe as possible, it will help strengthen your legs and core! 9. Step forwards, not sideways, into pique turns; it makes life easier, because you can travel more. 10. In rehearsal, sit or stand still as soon as you are finished dancing, it will preserve your energy supplies!! :)