MODERN: Body in Check

I chose to execute a plié. I know, sounds silly to do something as “simple” as a plié, but this movement is said in modern to help you move through space and in ballet, it should make you sweat.

 

When executing this movement, I decided to close my eyes to really get s feel for where my placement is at and talk to my body without any distractions. I became suddenly aware that I wasn’t balanced correctly, so to fix that, I made sure that I was constantly feeling energy through the back of the neck going out through the head. The idea of that really helped me feel more stable, but I didn’t feel completely satisfied with the outcome. When I stood there trying to figure out what I could do next, on top of the energy out my head, I realized that my back was feeling a lot of pressure in the lower portion. So I engaged my abs. Trying to remember to engage my abs is the one thing I tend to forget, but it makes a HUGE difference is the stabilization and look of the movement. My body wants to constantly do what’s comfortable, and what is comfortable for me is only hurting me. This is a habit that I have to learn to maintain and improve. This will constantly be a struggle, but the more I work on it, the more it will form into a new habit that will benefit my body. The other issues I have with plié is my rotation. Growing up in the ballet world, I was always told that my turn out had to be perfectly side. Well guess what I found out this year? Going to the side in dance, mainly in positions, is not what it sounds like. It means staying true to your own personal turn out. Now the problem I face with turnout is I have one foot that can turn out a lot farther than the other and for so long, I have been damaging my hips because I was trying to make the leg that falls behind, turn out as far as my good leg. That creates many problems. So now I have to do the opposite, which for me is a challenge. I will always keep this in mind, and strengthening my core, and energy from all the part of my body inside and out. That is a lot of aspects to remember! So how am I going to do this “simple” movement? I simply have to get in tuned with my body, go over in my head the things I know I need to focus on and apply it to my movement. Sometimes I forget one correction and remember another, but when I feel like something is wrong with the movement, I figure out what I need to do to fix that, applying the correction I had given myself previously as well. This is a complicated process and has to be thought of constantly. Eventually it will become habit, but for now, I will keep pressing on and do my best to apply the corrections to make me a successful dancer.