Outfit Decisions, Ballet Postures and a Class Preview

Wondering what an Emily Dance Online class looks like? This blog will provide you with the perfect sneak preview into what goes on in my beginners and improvers virtual ballet classes.

One of the first questions I often get asked before anyone takes part in virtual ballet is: what shall I wear? I will let you into a secret…to me it doesn’t matter! It ‘s not all about the tutus (although they are beautiful) but it is about the comfort. I encourage my online dancers to wear anything which feels comfortable to them. I welcome individuals from all walks of life including people who have never danced before and those who have taken a long break from dancing so I totally understand that for some, the usual ballet attire would not be their chosen outfit. Of course, it makes it easier for me to make corrections in leggings and tighter fitting t-shirts but joggers and jumpers are also welcomed!

At the start of class I always do a music and sound check followed by a short welcome. During this time I invite everyone to tell me about any injuries so I can provide them with adjustments to their practice if necessary. After this, we the tune into our ballet postures ready for the lesson to begin.

The first section of dancing we do is a short warm up closely followed by exercises using our home barre. Your home barre could be anything which is fairly secure like a chair, kitchen worktop or edge of a table. After this, we work towards our centre practice which includes both slow and quicker exercises such as port de bras (dancing with a focus on the arms), allegro (jumping) and transfer of weight (smooth flowing settings). At the end of the session you will have the opportunity to learn a short dance to music from some of the most famous ballets. Our recent dances have been from Swan Lake, Coppelia and Pineapple Poll and just around the corner will be a dance from The Nutcracker!

If you would like to join us dancing from your home please email emily@emilydance.com.