What You Might Expect From Your First Dance Lesson

By Sarah Wilkiamson

Dancers are beautiful and graceful artists. If you have always dreamed of possessing those skills it makes sense that you are going to sign yourself up for dance classes. That being said it makes sense if you are nervous about your first time in the dance studio. It is important that you have a clear idea of what you can possibly expect so that you can truly enjoy your dance class.

For your first dance lesson be sure that you have the appropriate clothing. Comfort is the key for your basic clothing. However do not wear anything too baggy, or too tight. Your apparel should show your body lines, so do not show up in a super loose shirt. The correct shoes are usually a must. This will depend on the style of dance that you are studying. Be careful to select the dance shoes that match the dance style you are studying.

Now you are appropriately dressed you can commence your lessons. Start with a few stretches to warm up. Pay especial attention to any tight muscles and give them some extra stretches. You can make good use of this time before your lessons to get your body into the right mode for the exercises you will be doing.

As an example, here is what you may expect from a typical class. A warm up routine might be conducted by the dance instructor. The style of dance and individual methods of the instructor will determine which particular exercises will be used.

After you have warmed up your instructor will likely have you do some across the floor work. This is where the students in the dance lessons go across the room in groups of two or three performing a specific step. This should allow your instructor to really get to examine what each student is performing and provide them with some constructive advice.

After this you will learn to put these steps into a routine. Each step will be repeated and your teacher will show you how to put them together making a dance sequence. You will then be able to put this sequence to music. At first the whole class will practice then divide into smaller segments.

In the last, a cool down period is usually in order. This is necessary as your muscles have been subjected to some hard work and will give you some pain if they are not relaxed or cooled down properly.

Dance lessons can really be a lot of fun, but heading into your first class can be intimidating. However, now that you have an idea of what to expect you may find yourself quickly gliding across the floor before you know it! - 32165

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Learning The Basic Ballet Moves

By Sarah Wilkiamson

There is something magical about the ballet. As ballet dancers move around the stage a fantasy world unfolds. That world is filled with grace, romance, and beauty. If you have ever wanted to be part of that world it may not be as far away from you as you might have first thought.

To begin your journey into the world of ballet you will need to learn first the basic moves all ballet dancers have mastered. The recommended way to begin this is by using a barre bar, which comes in different styles. If this is not possible for any reason then a high backed chair can work just as well.

Ballet dancers use this basically as a stability tool. As they are working through the ballet positions and basic movements they tend to stabilize themselves with the use of the barre.

The eleve is a move we all know ballet dancers for doing. It is the position we all associate with ballet and it is the use of the ball of the foot to dance. This is the first position to be learned. This position works to strengthen feet, ankles and calves. There are five positions in ballet to use the eleve and once you make progress through these you can work through what is called releve. All a releve is the rising to the ball of the foot from a deep pile.

There are two moves that you must master and they are the plie and a grand plie. A plie is simply the bending of the knee found in many ballet positions and depending on how deep the knee bend, a grand plie.

A tendu is another basic ballet move that can be mastered while working at the barre. While perfecting your tendu you are basically standing firm on one leg while stretching out your other leg. When you do this you want to be sure that you end each tendu with your foot in a strong point before it makes its way back to its original position. This move will help to increase your overall flexibility as well as to strengthen your turnout.

Once you have become confident in your tendu you can move onto a rond de jambre. This is similar to the tendu, but it actually involves your free leg making a semi circle on the floor. This can be done in all five of the ballet positions, and it is one of the best exercises to improve your turnout. The circular movement of this step always moves from front to back, but after you have acclimated yourself with the rond de jambe you can progress to the jambe en dedans which takes the circle in the opposite direction.

Even though ballet is a complicated form of dancing, it still has its origins in the basics and by working through these you will also build up a good foundation for yourself. This can be expanded upon in the future also as you become a dancer. - 32165

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Why Ballet Is Good For You

By Sarah Wilkiamson

Many people have wondered one time or the other if dance classes would be good to do and especially girls. For more information on becoming a ballerina and how going to dance class can benefit you, then read on.

Becoming a ballerina means you will have a lot of hard, physical work ahead of you. In fact, ballet classes will require you to use muscles that you didn't even know existed before that! Of course, the benefit is that you will be physically fit, because the muscles will be tone, firmer and leaner.

On top of that your posture will also improve. This is because dance lessons like ballet will straighten your stance, which leads to you giving the appearance of being attractive and confident. Bad posture is not good and girls who slouch don't seem to have any confidence and also don't appear attractive to others.

Ballet is also good for you, because overall you will increase your body's flexibility. After taking dance classes you will soon see improvements in your bone structure, muscle memory and physical agility. This can also be useful in certain situations, like when you have to go in and out of tight places as with a crowd or confined space.

Ballet is also a great way to relieve stress. Not only is classical dancing good for your health, but it can give you peace of mind. By practicing dance every day you will have a way to vent mental and emotional stress you may be suffering from.

Through ballet you find ways of expressing yourself that you never thought possible. Other girls with no release for their frustrations become bored and idle. Ballet can bring out the artistic side of your nature plus you will develop an appreciation for different things with classical roots namely music, art and literature.

Learning ballet can be a self - empowering tool. For a girl lacking in self confidence ballet can give your self esteem a boost after a few classes. Once your confidence improves you will find yourself feeling more energetic, decisive, and in general appreciative of the better things life has to offer you.

Ballet is good for your brain, also. This is because there is a lot of memorization in ballet such as different steps. This works by the need to keep your body and mind in sync which in return improves it greatly.

In the final analysis ballet, besides being a beautiful art form greatly improves overall health, improves confidence and improves your body by making it more attractive. - 32165

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