Posture, Petals and Fluffy Edges

There is no question that posture is one of the most important parts of ballet dancing. If you attend a ballet class already, you will be familiar with the sound of your teacher chatting about tummy muscles, lengthening your back and opening your chest. Once the posture is correct the body can move freely and the dancer will feel secure in their movement.

I was at the Eden Project a few weeks ago when I saw this flower I got excited! I love using imagery to help dancers to visualise how they can secure a good ballet posture and this flower showed potential in helping me to do this! If you look at the stem, it stands strong, tall and extends upwards to provide a secure structure for the petals to sit on top. Similarly dancers need to maintain a strong “stem”. This includes activating the abductors in the legs and lengthening the core to help with moments of stillness, motion and balance.

Although we can’t see it in this photo, beneath the stem will be the flower’s roots. I think that roots are a great representation of the dances feet; the feet ground you into the floor and provide a solid base for your body just like the roots of a plant!

Extending out from the stem are the beautiful layers of petals. Petals can represent the soft yet strong elements that dancers have to add to their posture to enhance the look of the movement. This includes the strong supported arms, relaxed open shoulders and long neckline.

Finally we can see the almost “fluffy” edges of the petals. For me, these edges represent a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ that dancers add to their dancing to enhance the quality of their movement. This could include beautifully shaped hands, soft finger tips and a careful yet confident eyeline.

So next time you are dancing or even standing in public, think of a flower; grounded roots, strong stem, soft petals and beautiful edges.