Staying Balanced

Throughout my dancing, I've always struggled with balance. I struggled with finding my center, which has effected the quality of my movement. As the caliber of dancing has increased, so has the importance of staying balanced.

In Ballerina Body by Misty Copeland, Copeland talks about a section of dance where balance is most important. "'Adagio' refers to slow movement in the ballet technique" (Copeland 67). She mentions that "Adagio is about flexibility, strength, and fluidity in the movement" (Copeland 67). In order to bring these other elements into the adagio, you need the support of balance to bring a sense of gracefulness to the dancing.

Misty Copeland recommends an exercise to help develop balance. This exercise is done on the floor, which helps you find your center before standing. "On the floor you acquire a sense of balance and where your weight should be in order to leverage it to make your legs appear higher and more extended in opposition to your upper body" (Copeland 67).

This balancing exercise puts your body into a V-shape, which will give you a sense of where your weight should be. She gives these instructions:

- "Lift you legs into the air by bending you knees, holding the backs thighs with your hands with your legs still bent and parallel of each other" (Copeland 67).
- After straightening your back into a V-shape, try balancing in that position for around a minute. This exercise should be done slowly to improve balance (Copeland 67-68).

I have used this exercise in class to help me find where my weight should be. It has been very helpful. After doing this every other day for around two weeks, I have noticed improvement in a few different moves.

One common move that requires balance and focus is an arabesque. I have found this exercise to be helpful in holding this position, especially on pointe.

I hope you find this exercise helpful! How important is balance in your sport? Do you use any helpful exercises? Thanks for reading!