Introduction and Tip #1 - GROW

Welcome to the blog New Artie. I am going to be chronicling my journey learning ballet. And while I have been learning for about 9 months, I still know there's a tremendous amount to learn ahead of me. People spend lifetimes perfecting the art of ballet. Here's some of what I learned so far.

I have picked up several tips from ballet, but the first one I am going to share with you is to be "big." Elongate the spine, spread your arms out wide, in a comfortable position. And this next part is important: GROW. You want to act like you are constantly growing when you are performing ballet. As my instructor said, "That's the aesthetic you want to go for." I gleaned, it looks better to the eye when you are extending out and relaxed. The viewer takes it in that this is a nice lean body. You don't look tense or like you are carrying an extra load. You extend and look free of stress and worries. 

A second part of this is to not only grow some ways, but to grow in all directions. This even means "growing" down into the floor. You push down so you can grow up and out. It will help you expand. A good dancer knows how to use up space on the floor, take it up so you can use it, manipulate it, and help express emotion to the music. Don't forget to express big ideas, and in order to do so, you have to take up as much room as possible, or know how to use the room that you do take up. If in your own space, you are hunched over or carrying tension, it will definitely detract from the free expression of ideas you so wish to be a vehicle of.

Thank you for partaking in this first blog entry. I look forward to posting more, and sharing what I've learned. If you have any comments, I'd be glad to read them.