Post from Theresa Niermeyer: Ballet Vitamins

Ballet benefits our dancing like vitamins benefit our bodies. Growing up, whenever I complained to my mother about being tired or feeling a bit sick, she would always ask “Have you been taking your vitamins?” Therefore, it was instilled into me that for everything to work properly, I needed sleep, eat good food, and could not forget to take my vitamins. In my dance career, a similar formula seems to apply. If I want to be successful I need to focus my mind, strengthen my body and cannot stop practicing ballet.

I used to think that if I worked really hard and got good at ballet, then my quota would be filled and I could just keep it in my body, but maybe wouldn’t have to take ballet classes anymore. This is not true. The concentration and muscular control that the practice of ballet demands is necessary in order for my dancing to reach it’s full potential. This is something I should always be working on. Of course, it is best to be a well-rounded dancer, trained in a variety of techniques and styles. However, muscles accessed and isolated during ballet will positively inform the rest of the movement practices. I love watching ballet, and when see a dancer like Barishnikov or Marianela Nunez I am so inspired! They seem invincible! The work they are accomplishing and the control they have in their backs and legs is astonishing. Is there anything they can’t do? It’s times like these that I think about my modern classes, and my composition classes, where ballet  training is infinitely helpful, but there is also a whole different set of skill levels needed. I have to be able to drop my weight, and harness momentum, while releasing unnecessary tension. Ballet doesn’t really prepare me for this, and vitamins don’t give me protein. A healthy balance is key, while I don’t want a deficiency, I also know that taking a lot of extra ballet or extra vitamins may not really be helpful to my career. All things in moderation!

Bottom line is, this year has made it clear to me that I will always be taking ballet classes as long as I am dancing, because it is cumulative and I cannot microwave technique. It is an ongoing process, not a bullet point on my checklist. 

Post from Tyisha Nedd: Ballet for your Body Type

As I mentioned before ballet in the past had always been a genre that I felt less than beautiful. While thinking about my experience with ballet here at OSU in comparison to previous experiences the origin of my former resentment became quite evident. It was the teachers who tailored the structure of his/her classes based off of one body type and mine was not in that category (which they seemed to have a  thing for making sure that you knew that). However, now I have a whole new appreciation for ballet and my hatred no longer exists. I owe this to teachers such as Courtney and Jessica who understand the many anatomical varieties that are in a class. They not only recognize and respect our differences but they educate us on how to maximize our potential and how to work with our bodies  to produce safe , effective, technically sound and beautiful movement(such a breath of refreshing air).I was inspired to talk about this because of Jessica's comment about how we need to be the next teachers who actually teach GOOD ballet. Though have no inclination to ever teach a ballet class I can rest assure that nieces, nephews, future children... or just the next generation of dancers will be in good hands with anyone in our class and will not be subjected to the forced turn out , tucked booty syndrome.

My Ballet Revelation

In the last two weeks of ballet I miraculously found my hamstrings. I didn't know it till half way through class when I realized that my hamstrings were soar from working and I was on my leg. The entire class I felt so amazing. I could tell that my dancing had improved a lot, just from finding my hamstring I felt more confident in my dancing. The rest of class I found it easy to get on top of my leg in releve. It was absolutely amazing. This revelation didn't only apply to my ballet but also improved my modern as well. In class when I found myself engaging my hamstrings I felt a new kind of stability. I use to dance mostly using my quads and it hasn't been the greatest for my knee, but now that I found my hamstrings I hope my knee will start feeling better.

There's a reason the Primas are so into themselves...

These past few weeks have been full of revelations. Revelations dealing with my alignment, my body, what has to be done, and what, as of yet cannot physically be done. It has been a humbling experience, which oldy enough, has driven me to dance proudly and declare in with power, that I'm learning. And I can't be expected to do much else but train my hardest and learn my fastest, and of course, never forget to dance things. Getting into that mindset that ballet is a DANCE class, not just a technique class, has helped me bounds. Finding my inner diva, ( a humble diva) has helped my balance, my alignment, and of course, to remember, if all else fails, dance it. At least go out with a bang instead of a ppft. I am one of many dancers who get anxious and let a combination go to bits after the first mistake, trying to make ourselves smaller by withdrawing into ourselves and screaming in our heads " please don't pay attention to me!" It's not helpful, and quite frankly, it's a disservice to myself. I'd rather be bold and wrong and trying, than to give up and pysche myself out.

Did I Really Just Put the Fred Step in my Senior Project?

To me, there is something really intriguing about the look and feel of ballets that focus more on a narrative and less on a Classical arrangment. Ashton, Tudor, Nijinska, etc. all had works that contained classic technique, but with the focus less outward towards the audience, there seemed to be a more calm, less urgent state that the dancers put on. Looking at pieces like Jardin aux Lilas or A Month in the Country, it is very pleasing to my eye to see dancers moving in ways that make them appear like rippling waves. As a choreographer, I am very much interested in what constitutes perceived serenity. In ballet, I am trying to find a way to mentally feel comfortable with the movement given so that my entire body can relax, on average, allowing the muscles that need the work the space to work. I find myself using these classical ideals of serenity and grace in my own senior project, albeit in a contemporary setting.

good ol Sullivant

In an effort to avoid sounding whiny, I want to express how much I miss Sullivant Hall not only for the advantage in seeing nearly everyone in the department on a regular basis in the halls before and after classes, but for the precious mirrors and floors.
This year in ballet I have been forced to feel and experience real proper alignment in my own self-discipline without the assistance of mirrors on one or multiple walls. In modern I have found this to be somewhat advantageous for me because I have an awful habit of being easily distracted by my hair or clothes, or how the movement looks to my eyes. This year none of that matters because all I have to do is trust the work that I am doing and the alignment that I feel. Having had more experience with modern and having it "in my body" more, I feel like not having the ability to check out what I'm doing in a mirror has been beneficial. Ballet on the other hand, is a different story.
Because my pelvic region has not yet adapted to the proper, stable place it needs to remain in throughout the entirity of a ballet class, I have found that being in 205 in Pom has been a good thing. I don't rely on the mirrors there as much (does anyone else think those are fat mirrors or is it just me?) but it has been immensly helpful to glance over and self-correct during barre as well as in center. I know it's impossible to watch and correct every student at every second of the class, so self-correcting is a vital part of ballet, and every style of dance. I believe that my brain can detect when I'm out of place but my body doesn't know how to detect that quite yet.
Although the silly distractions from class have been eliminated along with the mirrors, I find that they are still a vital aspect to my growth in ballet. I realize that my only real option is to force proper alignment into my muscle memory as quickly as possible!

Osiel Giros

One thing I really struggle with in Ballet is doing pirouettes. I have always had trouble with keeping my balance and being able to do many turns. The video Jessica put on Carmen, Osiel Giros working in the studio, is incredible. Giros is able to sustain his balance after turning for a very long time. This is because of his alignment, with his pelvis and ribs being directly over his legs. He is not too far back or too far forward in his fourth position. He then takes these beautiful turns one step farther, to the air. He goes from jumping and turning with his leg in retiré to doing the same jump with his leg in arabesque. During both jumps, his alignment remains in perfect accordance with his body. It is beautiful to watch.
What I struggle with most is being able to go back to my perfect alignment between exercises. Finding my center of gravity is difficult because of the bad habits I have developed over time. With more practice I am sure I'll be able to find it more easily and naturally during class. This video shows me that it is possible to maintain alignment during a long period of time and I am hoping my work with turning will translate into my jumping exercises later as well.

Great Dancers

There is something about watching someone who is a great dancer move. I will define what constitues a "great dancer" of course this is my opinion. One who embodies the movement he or she has been given to the degree where one would think the movement was choroegraphed solely for them. One who has stage presence the audience can not but help watch them... from their being exudes a magnet of sorts that draws others eyes to them. One who has the strength, stamnia, and flexiblity to make anything that they do seem other worldly. So... I just describe Barishnokov, he is great dancer. Some of the things I used to describe what a great dancer is, are innate, meaning that they come from the inside and cannot be taught. Stage presence can only be taught to a degree and ones ability to embody movement truly can only be taught to a degree. In other words, can some be trained enough to be the next Barishnokov? I don't think its possible.

"So you just dance all day?"

I had a very frustrating conversation with someone I met this weekend. I'm sure that we've all had this conversation on more than one occasion, but for some reason this particular one struck a chord with me and the way I have been feeling lately.

It all starts with the typical question, "What's your major?" And then after my reply the "oh, that's really cool." But after a couple of seconds of thinking it over, they always come back with the dreaded after thought-- "So do you just dance all day? Do you have to take, like, normal classes? What do you want to do with that?" I realize that this person is not trying to be rude or hurtful- they truly just have no idea what being a dance major entails. Sometimes I wish that we could have a "switch your major" day, where everyone has to go experience another major for one day.

They would realize that dance majors can't just sit in the back of a lecture hall on facebook or twitter during their classes. They have to be physically and mentally involved with every single class they walk into. Lose focus for any amount of time and risk being behind the whole class, or even worse, injuring yourself or someone else. They have to be ready to put themselves out there and take risks at the drop of a hat. Don't feel like going to class? Not really an option. Dance majors push themselves everyday to keep their bodies and minds in shape. Not to mention that we fulfill all of the same requirements that any other arts & sciences major completes…and a good majority of us are double majors taking way past the limit of credit hours (much to Jessica's dismay…) And as far as the future goes, we all have ideal career goals that we would like to accomplish. But we aren't in this program to have concrete pathways or financial security for the rest of our lives (wouldn't that be nice?). We're here because we genuinely love what we do and it's worth the risk and the fear of the unknown.

I've met some of the most intelligent, hard-working people I know in the OSU Dance Department. I just want to thank everyone for showing me what dedication and passion really look like. I am so fortunate to wake up everyday and get to do something that I love to do with people who push me improve myself in every way possible and support me on the days that it's hard to keep pushing. Even though people on the outside don't necessarily understand what it means to be a dance major, I am so grateful to be a part of a department that not only has amazing dancers and students, but just plain incredible people.

I love you guys! :)

Bad Habits, A thing of the Past?

Every dancer has bad habits and probably will for the entirety of their dance career. Whether its relaxing turn-out, hiking up shoulders, or much more minuscule things, they're there. The goal then is to break those habits, but this is much easier said than done. The main reason its so hard is the simple fact that now the correct habits feel weird. Over the quarter I've been working on using my rotaters and focusing on my pelvis placement (e.g. while in 4th position). For a while I was struggling with my rotaters because I didn't have enough strength to use the correct muscles. Because of the bad habits I had acquired over the years I was compensating with global muscles like my quads in order to make ballet happen on my body. Now that I have been pushing myself to work harder in ballet, I have finally started to find and apply turnout in everything I do. I still find myself falling back into my bad habits from time to time, but the difference now is that I realize and physically feel when I am doing it and can correct it on my own. This is also the case with my pelvis placement. At the beginning of the quarter I was in the habit of sinking back into my heels rather than lifting and holding my pelvis and weight evenly between my feet. At first this correction felt very weird on my body. I felt like I was too far forward on my front leg and that there wasn't an even distribution with my back leg, but now I am finally starting to retrain my body to know when I am in correct placement and not falling into old habits. I still have habits that need correcting but now that I have started this life-long process of correcting all my bad habits I fully understand that it takes time and a lot of hard work, but in the end it is one of the most worthwhile things a dancer can do.

Opposite Ends of the Spectrum

As I have been constantly told throughout my life, from class to master classes to even competition conventions, ballet technique is the basis for all movement. For one to become successful in other genres of dance, it is necessary to first master even basic ballet vocabulary. I have found this true in almost all different techniques; without my training in ballet, although small, my ability in other areas would be slimmer. And though I still believe this, it wasn't until this quarter that I realized that it is sometimes necessary to forget those basic ballet technique principles, specifically in Abby's contemporary class. Since my time at OSU, i have been encouraged to let go of my center, engage elsewhere, and throw my body around in ways that in fact, were uncomfortable on the body at first. Growing up and being constantly reminded of the erect posture it is necessary to hold, Abby's movement felt extremely awkward. Her contemporary African style asked us to throw our weight off center, push the pelvis in front or behind the heels, to displace our ribs, and to flail our arms around like madmen. Although our core is still always engaged, as it must be in ballet, this African movement is more grounded and seemingly organic than what I had ever experienced in ballet.

Although I am more likely to notice the differences between my ballet and contemporary classes this quarter, there are still some similarities. For one, we are constantly being told to engage our inner thighs and abdominals. There is also a similar sense of attack I've become aware of in both classes. There is always a sense of exactness and precision that we must pay attention to. Although these two genres seem to be almost on the opposite ends of the dance spectrum, it you look hard enough, there are ideas that may overlap.

Wake Up Call

When you're working towards becoming a professional dancer and you see a performance like BalletMet's Carmen, it's an eye opener. I can't even begin to describe how beautiful and strong the dancers were (and are). Basically, the entire company is simply gorgeous to watch. The dancers are effortless, powerful, and oh so very talented. I want to turn that easily, I want extensions that high, I want I want I want. It's a kick in the butt, because you really see how hard you have to work to get to that good. Is that kind of level even possible for me? How long will it take me to get there? What happens if I never get that good? It's scary to think about. I can easily overwhelm myself if I start to think that way, but at the same time I'm trying to be as realistic as I possibly can. I want to perform more than anything in the world, but I know I have a really long way to go. All I can do is turn my doubts into the drive to succeed and be the best possible dancer I can be for myself. I'm glad I'm at a University that can give me the kind of education I need to get there, but in the end, it's up to me and how I choose to use that education. I can either take advantage of every moment in class to better myself, or I can blow them off just as easily and slack through them, which will be of absolutely no use to myself. I just have to do it, simple as that. Challenge accepted.

The Great Unknown

I'm sure every single one of us has had this conversation at some point while studying at Ohio State. "Oh your a dance major!.. What are you going to use that for once your out of college?" This dreaded question, no matter the phrasing can be a frightening reality check for those of us who still don't have the answer. Being in this unique learning experience that we call OSU Dance is both a major blessing and a leap of faith.
We are blessed simply because we wake up everyday knowing that we get to do exactly what we love. We are surrounded by knowledge, resources, and opportunities. We have peers, teachers, and models to be inspired by and to learn from. We have this freedom in our lives to choose our own path, to make our own decisions and to test all the waters. We are truly fortunate for this period of exploration and discovery.
Of course with exploration and journeys, there is always unknown. Personally, I find the unknown to be one of the most frightening and invigorating things about being a dancer. Yes, we get to live out our passions but in our profession, there are no guarantees. There is no job security, you are constantly being evaluated on a subjective level, you are a competitor no matter what and your body is your utensil. Most of our success is out of our control. You can train for years and still be rejected by company after company. You can dance to your fullest potential, but if you don't look the part. you are out. You may have an illness or injury that happens by chance, but ruins your entire career. There are no absolutes, only hope and persistence. Living day by day, can make this sort of life exciting, but thinking about the finances, the traveling, the auditions and the lack of consistency can be a bit jaunting. I know it's ignorant to think we are the only profession with this type of lifestyle, but it seems we, as dancers, are pushed to the extremes.
For now, in this moment, all I know is that I don't know, and that's going to have to do.

MORE BALLET :)

The Ohio State dance program only requires the dance majors to take two ballet classes a week and three modern classes. I believe that it should be the opposite, with three ballet classes a week and a two modern classes. Classical ballet is the foundation for all dance forms. A strong foundation in ballet can make it less challenging for a dancer to transfer into other dance forms. Establishing a solid foundation in classical ballet is crucial to becoming an outstanding dancer in any other dance genre. The stronger your technique, the more versatile you will be as a dancer. The Ohio State dance program is solely based on modern and contemporary dance but I personally think that ballet training is more important. If we have ballet three times a week instead of two it could enhance our skills in our modern classes. Luckily, this quarter I'm taking Susan Hadley's modern class which is quite similar to ballet. We do various free flow exercises but she partners that with contemporary style adagios, grand battements, and grande allegros. So we get still get to have some type of technique in our modern class, which has been beneficial. If we have more ballet classes per week partnered with some type of technique in our modern classes, it will make us stronger and more skillful dancers.

Contemporary Ballet

A new area of ballet that has recently been growing is that of contemporary ballet. I really like the new companies that are embracing this aspect of ballet. In general, these companies use ballet as the basis for all their movement but add new contemporary aspects to create really interesting and creative dances. One of my favorite companies that embraces this in many of their dances is Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Many of the company's dances use these qualities in the choreography. Here is one example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIIwct9QNi4

One of the reasons I find this kind of dance so interesting is because the movement is very unexpected. Although it occasionally falls into recognizable "patterns" of movement, there are constantly different movements happening that would not be considered classical ballet. The unexpected nature of the movements is what makes this style really appeal to me. This is another clip, by California Contemporary Ballet, that shows the essence of the style well:

http://www.youtube.com/user/CaContemporaryBallet?blend=7&ob=5#p/a/u/2/jM3a7bM5Khg

There are many differences between classical and contemporary ballet. One major difference is the movement itself. There are many movements that are not traditionally seen in ballet, such as some aerials movements (flips, etc.), more floorwork, and non-traditional arm and leg positions. Another big difference is the music. The music is less likely to have the traditional sound that is generally thought to match ballet. There is also less likely to be a clear storyline that the ballet follows, and along with that, the characters are often more ambiguous. The sets are usually less literal. Overall, this style of dance seems to be becoming more popular, and while I really enjoy classical ballet, contemporary ballet is an exciting new take on ballet that I also enjoy watching.

Army of Teachers

I have an army of teachers on my shoulders that are constantly correcting me. It dawned on me when Jessica said that she was going to step back and let us correct ourselves instead of her constantly reminding us to pull up and turn out and use our hamstrings. It is our job to do that on our own and if we don't we will never improve. I realized if I really want to improve than I must be aware of everything that my body is and isn't doing, and fix it. Obviously I don't know everything about ballet or dance in general. So to be aware of everything and correct myself I need to remember every correction that any of my teachers have ever given me. By putting those teachers on my shoulders throughout class it helps me to remember not only the corrections that I have received since I have arrived at OSU but also those that I received back home. That is what it takes for me to remember everything that I need to be thinking about at barre, during center work and across the floor. It also helps me to go over what I am going to work on in a specific combination while the combination is being given so that I can fix the problem before it occurs. I realize that some corrections are going to take longer to fix than others because habits are developed at young ages. I also realized that information that I have received throughout my dancing years from my different teachers sometimes contradict each other. I know that different teachers have different styles of ballet and different training and teaching methods. To help my self I try to focus on the technique that works the best for me and when I am in a class I perform the movement the way that they like to see it, though that might be different from way I was taught and what others may say is right. But is there really a right and wrong? There is so many different styles, techniques and backgrounds that I don't believe in only training in one; a dancer must be versatile, observant and take corrections to be able to work.

Absolutely beautiful!

I took a minute to watch the clip posted on Carmen that showed Marianela Nunez- Lilac Fairy and it was absolutely stunning. Her alignment was perfectly in place and every single movement was in perfect control. Watching her pirouette really showed how stacked she was on her body and how aware she was as to all her limbs in space. Another moment that really made me marvel was when she began doing the fouette's into the pirouettes. She was able to pull clean controlled pirouettes out of nowhere, with no distinct preparation. You can tell how much she uses the control of her muscles and her back to be the center of her momentum in stead of a giant preparation or big swinging arms to get around.

Watching videos or dances like this always makes me want to work harder. Just being able to see how beautifully someone can dance motivates me to become a better dancer. If I'm watching dance on T.V. I will always go pull out the thera-bands or yoga mats and begin stretching and exercising immediately. Or, for instance, like last year, after going to see Complexions Contemporary Ballet perform the second I got home I began doing a lot of sit ups and strengthening exercises. There is just something about witnessing great dance that sparks a little motivation in me to work a little harder than I already am. We all get tired and worn out and it gets really easy to slack off in class but every time I remember the performances I've witnessed I get back on track and am ready to push myself to the fullest again!