Position:Home>Dancing> My ballet question please help?
Question: My ballet question please help!?
Hi, my name is Xochitl and I am 11 years old!.!.!. So now I have been taking ballet for about 3 years!. I used to dance at SDCYB (San Diego Civic Youth Ballet) but now I dance at TBPAC (Tampa Bay Preforming Arts Center)!. I have improved a lot since I have been here!.
I am getting my evaluation soon in January and I think I am going to move to pointe but I am not quite sure!. I have questions about stretching, other than the one where you put your hands on the wall and one foot in back and one in front!. I need more!. I cannot go fully into the stretch where your feet are in front of you when you are sitting on the floor and try to get your head to your knees!. I really want to get en pointe!. So I need to stretch really well because when I come back in January my teachers see that I have improved in my stretching!.
So basically, I need help on stretching!. Any tips!?
Help me please!
Thank you,
XochitlWww@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Don't your schools offer stretch class!? If not, they should! Stretch class is for you to learn how to stretch: you should be taking it once a week, and then using the stretches you've learned twice a day for about twenty minutes each time!. You lose flexibility while you are sleeping, so stretch early in the morning to regain your freedom of movement; then stretch later in the day to increase your range and flexibility!.
Stretch when you are warm, with long slow stretches!. Pull yourself to your maximum stretch, then breathe in slowly and focus while holding the stretch!. As you breathe out slowly, increase the depth of your stretch, and hold the stretch while you breathe in again!. Do at least thirty seconds -- three very slow breaths -- for each stretch!.
Do the seated hamstring stretch that you described; then the butterfly to stretch your hamstrings (stretch your scalines at the same time by tipping your head as far as it will go to the side and holding)!. Then do your side splits against the wall and stretch your lower back by pulling your head down toward first your right knee for thirty seconds, then your left knee for thirty seconds!. Stretch your glutes and quads, then hold your right and left splits each for thirty seconds!.
You should stretch twice a day, but NEVER go more than 48 hours without stretching!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
~ warm up first; a cold muscle won't stretch as well
~ don't bounce in the stretch
~ hold the stretch for 1 minute or more
~ watch tv or listen to music while you stretch, it makes it hurt lessWww@QuestionHome@Com
Practise,Practise, Practise! that's the only way you will improve!.
in order to go en pointe your muscles have to be strong as well as flexible!. try doing all of your ballet bar work on demi-pointe in order to strengthen you calf muscles
good luck
xxWww@QuestionHome@Com
ok, so here's the more important thing that they WILL look for in a pointe dancer!. It mostly matters if you have a strong arch in your foot and if you bend your knee (don't bend when you go up!) when you do pose's (pronounced: po' zaz) and other things too!.
Here's an answer to your question though:
sit on the ground with your knees to your chest!. then hold onto your foot's arch!. SLOWLY straighten your legs while still holding onto your feet and try to put your head to your knees!. (it's ok if you can't reach, just do this everyday!)
or
lay on your back with one leg bent to your chest and the other foot bent a with its foot on the ground!. then hold onto the leg that's to your chest and straighten it to your head!. (if you can't straighten it, its ok! just do this every day and it WILL get better!)Www@QuestionHome@Com