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In choosing good dance lessons, pay careful attention to the postures you see in the students you observe. While the teacher is not responsible for posture acquired before a student begins training with her or him, she/he is responsible for establishing correct posture at the beginning of every exercise in the class.

The spine has a natural curve. The back should not be swayed with relaxed abdominal muscles, nor should it pulled into a straight line with the pelvis tucked under and the abdominal muscles bunched. The correct support of a natural curve in the spine will develop the whole body correctly, which is important for advanced dance lessons, and when a student is in pointe shoes.

Abdominal muscles should be pulled UP and flattened. The diaphragm should be firm but not pulled in and down. The sides of the ribs should expand for breathing. This way the chest will lift to breathe, but not noticeably. If the chest is held properly, the shoulders can relax. Shoulders should never be pressed downward, or a fluid use of the arms will not be achieved.

The head floats. It is a feeling of one's vision reaching for the horizon, not a chin lift. This allows for free and natural head movement even though the body is working hard below.

The arms move easily from the shoulder joints, the fingers are placed in an easy manner, not tense and spiky looking. The thumbs relax parallel to the index finger, not clenched against it, or sticking out away from the hand.

Each individual has imperfections, or say differences, of physique and posture compared to the ballet ideal. A good teacher will take care to correct what the student is doing, as opposed to commenting on what the student innately has (or is stuck with, as the less ideally formed usually think). Although from an instructional viewpoint, a teacher could point out to a student who has very wide shoulders, that a high 5th position of the arms (5th en haut) could be elongated, to detract from the wideness of the shoulders.

After all, this is about theater, and the arts of illusion. (In the advanced classes when the body is strong.)

Starting every exercise in the correct posture of the spine is essential to developing strength and grace, and preventing sprain, strain, and unnatural mannerisms.

It is also wise to have your skeletal alignment checked with a chiropractor periodically, especially if you experience joint pain or severe muscle spasms. Muscle spasms can also be due to dehydration and exhaustion of your electrolytes, or a calcium/magnesium deficiency. Please don't reach for a popular sports drink. You need full mineral salts as in from 'all 12' cell salts, a homeopathic tablet, good sea salt on your food, and cayenne pepper is great for replenishing minerals. But all that really is another article.

It's always best to check out a beginning level and a more advanced level class in any given studio, to watch and listen to how a teacher instructs, and to see how persistent she or he is in demanding good basic technique.

All the best.

Learn more about this author, Dianne Buxton.
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