Footsie Friday 2: Arch pain (or lack thereof)

The Ballet Blog has a very good article on how to relieve--and forever rid yourself of--arch pain in your feet. This is something that I struggle with, and I will be following their advice to help my feet become "retrained" and avoid putting too much strain on my arch.
Read the article here.

Note: The Ballet Blog references The Pointe Book: Shoes, Training & Technique Second Edition. I highly recommend this book! I've made purchasing it easy for you--just use the link below!

Book review: Classical Ballet Technique

Classical Ballet Technique by Gretchen Ward Warren not only gives technique advice; it shows you exactly how to do each motion. With thousands of photos and dozens of professional ballerinas as models, this book belongs in every good dancer's library.

Why it's great: Classical Ballet Technique has so many photos, it's like a video library of every ballet movement--from tendu to grande jete to Italian pas de chats to that thing your teacher taught last week. The best part is that it's easy to study every moment of every move, and therefore easy to improve your technique even in little details you may never notice otherwise.

Changing up the workout a little

I just finished working out with "Balletone: Center Moves." The DVD is meant for adult non-dancers, but I still enjoy the "dance-y" workout :) Out of the 40 minutes of "cardio" dancing, what I noticed working out most was...my arms. That's right. Though I was hot, sweaty, and tired by the end, what burned most was my arms!

I must be getting in shape (which is a good thing), because three years ago I tried this workout and didn't end up going all the way through it. Now, I went through it without a hitch! I think I'll start doing this every day (even days I have classes). A little cardio goes a long way, you know. ;)

Theraband Thursday 2: Improve your pointe stability

Whether you're watching TV, reading a book, or riding in the car, you can improve your stability on pointe with this simple exercise. It'll build muscle and help you keep from rolling over or twisting your ankle.

1. Loop the theraband around your foot so that it covers an area from the arch of your foot to above your toes. Hold one end in each hand.
2. Point your foot. 
3. Alternate between sickling your foot and winging your foot.
4. Repeat on the other foot.

Forum Frenzy 1: Ballet Talk

Go to Ballet Talk

Ballet Talk is a forum for dancers 16 years or older. It's a very professional forum, requiring polite conversation with a long-ish list of rules and several restricted or banned topics (including pointe shoes and fan discussions). However, for the topics that are allowed (dance company news, performance reviews, and show discussions), professional, informative, interesting discussions take place!

Three stars (one off for the unnecessarily wordy list of rules, another for the banned topics)

Connect with other ballerinas on a forum!

Whether you're looking for tips on how to better your extensions or you'd just like to converse on the difficulty of doing triple pirouettes en pointe, dance forums are a great place to meet new people and talk about dance.

We've researched and found some of the best forums, just for you. Over the next couple weeks, we'll review each forum to give you a better idea of which are worth your time--and which are not.

Stay tuned for Forum Frenzy!

Wonderfully Healthy Wednesday 1: Build some muscle!

According to WebMD, eating healthy just after a workout can help increase how much muscle you build! Eat a banana or some peanut butter within 30 minutes after a great dance class, and you'll be set to build some serious muscle definition.
Want both peanut butter and bananas? Cool off after a great dance workout and boost your muscle with this peanut butter and banana smoothie from AllRecipies.com. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 1/8 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 2 tablespoons honey

Directions

1. In a blender, combine banana, peanut butter and soy milk. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and drizzle with honey for garnish.

Technique Tip Tuesday 1

Here's our technique tip for today. My dance teacher recently told us, "A dancer who dances 8 hours a day can be worse off than a dancer who dances 1 1/2 hours a week. How does that happen? If she's not getting anything out of a class." She closed by reminding us to get something out of every class, every combination, every correction. Point your feet a little harder each time. Lift your leg a little higher each time. Leap a little longer (or higher) every class. Express more. Work more. Dance more. Remember more. Repeat. ;)

Bonus tip: start a notebook of corrections you receive to help you remember them!

That popping sound

Every dancer I know pops. No, not like hip-hop popping--I'm talking about joint popping. We pop our fingers when we're nervous. We pop our hips when we stretch. We pop our backs before a performance. We pop our toes after going en pointe. I've even popped my neck while breathing!
Is all this popping a good thing?
Not necessarily.
To find out why, check out this article on the Ballet blog.

Megasavings Monday 1: $5 for a leo?

Yes, today is Megasavings Monday, and we've found a great deal. Discount Dance is having a huge sale, and some traditional cami (adult-sized!) leotards have been marked down to just $5 each. And get this--they come in more than just black! Wear one to your next class--Grab 'em now before they sell out!

Be inspired: Gillian Murphy

Be inspired is a new post series that profiles star dancers from around the world.

Name: Gillian Murphy
Company: American Ballet Theater
Website: GillianMurphy.com
Raving review:
"Murphy has no physical or technical limitations at all, it seems...Her balances are perfect, her turns beautifully vertical and tightly wound...[S]he gave a very credible performance, tasteful and polished." (La Bayadere, Faster Times, 5/21/10)
Facebook fan page: Click here
Photo gallery: GillianMurphy.com/gallery.html
Upcoming show: Sleeping Beauty, July 15 2010 (Los Angeles)

Moscow Ballet Tickets 2010

Fantasize about professional dancing? Idolize Vaganova dancers?
Me too.
Thankfully, you don't have to go all the way to Moscow to see them dance! Moscow Ballet performs The Nutcracker in 40 U.S. states and 60 U.S. cities, as well as many cities in Canada. It's never too early to snatch up your tickets--I'm looking into purchasing mine, and I suggest you do the same.

Tickets are as low as $27 in some areas--a steal deal for tickets to watch graduates of the world-renowned "Perm, Vaganova, Moscow State Academic Choreographic and Kiev schools"! (http://www.nutcracker.com/The_Company.php)

 Click here to find the closest performance to you today!

Book review: The Pointe Book

The Pointe Book by Janice Barringer and Sara Schlesinger is one of my favorite ballet references--I bought it a couple months before I went en pointe, and I've referenced it many times since.

Why it's great: The Pointe Book gives pointe dancers information as they need it. It begins with what a pointe shoe is and how to prepare for pointe, and it ends with pointe exercises and safety. What's in the middle? A slew of reference information on pointe brands, foot injuries and healing, and professional dancers' techniques for keeping pointe shoes long-lasting is just a small list of the things in this book.

Footsie Friday 1: Epsom Salts I

Sore feet? Numb toes? (well, mine can go numb after a good pointe workout). Increase circulation in your feet by soaking them in epsom salts (University of Maryland Medical Center says so). It's a great after-class ritual to relax and refresh your feet!

Awesome bumper sticker

 (Buy it here)

There's a couple things I love in life. One is dance. Another is people who appreciate how tough dance can be.

Another is people who help other people.

This sticker combines all three--dance, appreciation, and help. In addition, it incorporates a dancer inside "joke." How many times has a teacher told you that you need to "hold your center" or "hold your core" to balance en pointe? I love this sticker's hidden message of "hold your core" in the phrase "It takes guts to dance on your toes."

And best of all, the purchase of this sticker benefits a dancer's tuition and dance-related expenses.

So, what are you waiting for? Hop over to buy it here.
Keep on dancing!

Theraband Thursday 1: Extensions

Do you want to work on your extensions while ensuring proper placement, but don't always have a partner around to help? That's my situation. Here's a great theraband stretch to improve your flexibility while keeping your back and hips aligned.

1. Lay on your back, making sure your lower back is touching the floor. Hold the theraband straight out in front of you, then put one foot on the middle part of the theraband (put your foot on the side that's facing you). Still holding the ends of the theraband, lower your leg to the floor so that your legs are straight and your feet are touching.
2. With your theraband foot pointed and turned in, pull the theraband (so your foot goes toward your face) until you feel a stretch in your hamstring. Your leg should stay straight the entire time.
3. Repeat the stretch on the other leg.
4. Repeat the stretch, but with a turned-out foot. To make turning out easier, take the following steps:
   LEFT FOOT: Hold your leg perpendicular to the ground (a 90-degree angle). Turn out. Transfer both ends of the theraband to your left hand. Then, reach BEHIND your left leg with your right hand. Take both ends of the theraband in your right hand. Now, with both ends in your right hand, pull the theraband to the right.
   RIGHT FOOT: Hold your leg perpendicular to the ground (a 90-degree angle). Turn out. Transfer both ends of the theraband to your right hand. Then, reach BEHIND your right leg with your left hand. Take both ends of the theraband in your left hand. Now, with both ends in your left hand, pull the theraband to the left.

Enjoy your stretching, and keep on dancing!

Welcome

Welcome to "From the Barre to the Ballet," a blog for dancers who'd like to save money on dance supplies, keep up with dance news, read great dance stories, and dance better themselves.

Aside from the occasional (or not-so occasional) quirky post, we'll post regularly on a slew of topics we're sure you'll love. Here's our schedule (so you don't miss your favorite topics!):

Megasavings Monday--one super way to save money on dance supplies, dance tickets, and more. Cha-ching!
Technique Tip Tuesday--one great technique tip from a pro dancer or a dance teacher. Don't miss it.
Wonderfully Healthy Wednesday--one yummy, healthy, dancer-friendly recipe, coming right up!
Theraband Thursday--one stretch or exersize (usually but not always theraband-related) that'll help improve your performance...it's workout time!
Footsie Friday--one way to take care of your feet ('cause they're that important!)

Be on the lookout for (true) dance stories, superstar updates, book recommendations, master class postings, and more fun things we'll post randomly. If you'd like to avoid missing out on any of our posts, just click "Follow" in the sidebar on the right.

Thanks for reading. We'll see you later--keep on dancing!