Ballet Pedagogy: The Art of Teaching

3. Anatomy for the Dancer

3 anatomy for the dancer a classroom combination or piece of choreography can be danced in many ways by altering the elements that create quality of movement: time, space, energy, phrasing, style, focus, aesthetics, etc. one teacher may request a step to be executed in a particular way, while another wants the same step danced differently. Perhaps the difference is based on the rhythmic quality of the chosen music (elements of time and energy) or on the teacher’s own training style and development as a professional dancer. nevertheless, the principles of correct technical execution of ballet are based on proper anatomical placement and the laws of physics. it is the utmost responsibility of all teachers to safeguard these principles. every ballet teacher should have a fundamental understanding of the musculoskeletal system and the biomechanics of human movement as it pertains to dance. s/he should always teach technique with a sound anatomical approach. Precise execution of a movement requires correct technique , which in turn requires accurate posture and placement in balancing and counterbalancing. This is paramount because once muscle memory— physical habit—is established through repetition, it is difficult to undo. Unfortunately, many studio hours are spent retraining dancers and breaking bad habits in technique, placement, and port de bras. anatomy books have been written for dancers and teachers that should be on every teacher’s bookshelf for easy reference. The purpose of this chapter on anatomy is to reinforce and emphasize important points regarding muscular and skeletal functions as they apply to correct dance training as 54 well as to highlight certain areas that are particularly vulnerable to dance injuries. The dancer’s foundation The ultimate goal of every well-trained dancer is the ability to perform any step in classical ballet or stylistic choreography with grace and aplomb while expending the least amount of energy. Correct posture (stance) and placement are the primary elements of a dancer’s technical foundation. dancers gradually develop strength and muscle memory during years of training that enable them to control and coordinate these elements through balance and counterbalance while executing stationary, traveling, and transitional movements. Therefore, the first fundamental responsibility of every teacher is to cultivate a solid training foundation for the student that will develop and maintain correct posture and placement. Posture is the dancer’s erect and evenly balanced preparatory stance, usually in first or fifth position, both at the barre and in center. it represents correct skeletal alignment, especially regarding the spine. The skull, shoulder girdle, ribcage, spine, and pelvis are held in vertical alignment, and they are equally balanced over the legs and feet without undue muscular tension or gripping. if we could see our skeleton in this stance through our skin and musculature, it would look similar to the skeleton we saw hanging from the crown of its skull in our high school anatomy classroom or in our doctor’s office. The spine is elongated with its natural curves, and the head and torso are in vertical alignment over the pelvis. The pelvis is balanced equally on top of the legs and feet. We define placement when we move out of a postural stance into a pose or sequence of movements that require a redistribution of weight in order to maintain correct balance. to understand the concepts of balance and counterbalance through posture and placement, it is helpful to identify (1) each of the three body planes, which link two of the three dimensions of height, width, and depth, (2) the center of gravity, (3) the central vertical axis, and (4) the base of support. The coronal (vertical) plane is a vertical line that divides the body into front and back parts. When viewing this line from a profile position with the feet in parallel, it runs from the top of the head, just in front of the ear, continuing through the pelvis, hip joint, and knee, and into the metatarsal anatomy for the dancer 55 56 Ballet Pedagogy: The art of teaching or transverse arch in front of the ankle. The spatial dimensions in movement are height and width, as in a stretch or cambré to the side or a cartwheel (fig. 3.1). The sagittal plane is a vertical line that symmetrically bisects the body into right and left halves. When viewed from the front with the feet in first position, this line runs from the top of the head through the...