Body Alignment

I talked a little bit about alignment in my previous blog regarding "work" in ballet. This makes total sense because finding and maintaining proper body alignment has been a main focus of mine this year in not only ballet class but modern, jazz, and even sitting at my computer typing this post. What one has to do to achieve proper alignment is different for every body and for mine, I have come to discover that my legs, pelvis, back, and neck are in the proper place when I feel as though I am leaning back and tucking my pelvis under me. It's taken me all too long to find this place but now that I have I've discovered that I haven't been working as hard as I could/should be especially in the rotaters.
After our placement workshop the first week of the quarter I have been focusing on many aspects that have been overlooked in previous training. When I feel like I'm in proper alignment it really does make a difference in my turn out (which is no longer coming from my knees), my hips staying dropped, my sternum staying up and forward without swaying in the lower back (which I just love to do), and finding stability and strength on the standing leg.
I have been slowly finding more success with pirouettes which have always been an enemy of mine after being able to better feel a properly aligned pelvis and back/abs...what teachers have told me will help isn't just a myth!! It's encouraging to finally start getting these things right. I will continue making these changes part of my muscle memory. Maybe I'll actually be taller by the end of this quarter...