Recognition and understanding of the qualities of dance. Balance your weight evenly over both feet, flat on the floor. Proper body alignment allows the dancer to move freely and lessens the risk of injury. Then, adjust the position of the spine from the top down. The aim of a dance; what the choreographer aims to communicate. Good posture also improves overall balance and body control. Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Graceful Posture Improves Your Dance Technique The word posture comes from the Latin verb ponere, which means “to put or place.” If a body is able to assume good basic alignment, then stylistic preferences can be overlaid on this foundation (2). The resulti… “I'm very hands-on," says Kelly Burke, artistic director of Westchester Dance Academy in Mount Kisco, New York. Good alignment in the foot, ankle, leg, hip and spine encourages the correct engagement of muscles to perform dance steps correctly. It is the way you take a hold of yourself when you are dancing whether your movement looked neat or smooth. Poor body alignment puts excess strain on muscles and joints, while proper alignment helps to strengthen the dancer's muscles. But as with turnout, dancers' visual goals often lead them to force their bodies into unnatural positions. Soften your knees. Different dance traditions vary in regards to aesthetics, but sound alignment of the body while dancing is essential for every form of dance. “I put them into place, especially the younger dancers." While they might not get injured right away, sloppy leg work will drastically increase injury risk. Classes of almost every style of dance are available on DVD, but these should be used as a supplement to formal class. Let's start with the feet and work our way up the body: Your weight should be distributed between both feet. Never strive for a completely flat back; instead, help your dancers find their individual bestspinal position. Creative skill. Correct body alignment is the optimum alignment of the human skeletal structure in which the body is perfectly balanced. Good balance is one of the most immediate effects of proper body alignment. In dance, you must learn to balance in many unnatural positions. Correct body alignment is essential for ballet. One is not fighting for maintaining balance or using extras muscles to simply hold up the body- musc Artistry. Sometimes a pattern will give an alignment of "pointing" rather than "facing" some alignment. Aural setting Appreciation. A qualified dance teacher will help you understand proper dance alignment, which will help you get the most from your independent study. If a ballerina has poor alignment while turning, she will not turn as fast and may fall off balance. Injuries can result from dancing without the awareness of appropriate body alignment. This means that the foot being placed points in that direction, but the body does not (yet). unique dance image by kastock from Fotolia.com. Correct placement of body parts in relation to each other. This is important in order to prevent injuries and keep your dance students healthy. Having good posture makes ballet dancers appear more elegant and confident. Many times dancers dismiss the alignment of their legs when learning new choreography, or tackling a new style of dance. Relax. Professional ballroom dancers know that good posture is one of the most important aspects of partner dancing. In dance, body alignment is not only important for all around better balances, it allows for ease of movement-a better placed body can do movements with more freedom. According to Daniel Nagrin, in his book "How to Dance Forever," dancing without proper alignment can lead to a shortened dance career or pain and limited mobility as you age. The way dancers stand and carry themselves is an important element to ballet technique. Spinal alignment is like turnout, says Michael Kelly Bruce, associate professor of dance at The Ohio State University. “Many dancers have difficulty with 20-25 repetitions of releve on a single leg, which is an objective measure that is expected in order for a dancer to return in full to dance,” says Edery-Altas. Healthy alignment is key for the execution of choreography. Posture is such an essential element of ballet. Why Is Body Alignment in Dance Important? standing, sitting, lying down) Dynamic: the alignment of your body during movement (i.e. A Neutral Pelvis […] The spine has several natural curves that help the body absorb shock and allow movement in a wide range of motion. Your head should sit level on your neck, neither tilted forward or leaning back. A dancer’s technique and alignment is the foundation needed to reach high levels of dance. Proper body alignment and posture are essential to dancers as it makes them appear more elegant and confident. It also improves overall balance and body control. Correct body alignment is associated with esthetically pleasurable lines. Don't lock the knees, as it puts extra strain on the back of the knees, putting pressure on the base of the spine. Read the definitions for 'Correct alignment', 'Body placement' or 'Stance' below to expand. Stand facing forward with your arms hanging loose and naturally at your sides. Skilled dancers need to manage their dynamic alignment and return to neutral quickly, preserving the body’s natural integrity (1). Anterior Knee Pain (AKP), Alignment and Injury in Dance | Dr. Victor K. Lin » Figure 1 Anterior (front) knee pain is the most common knee injury in dancers. Check your alignment in a full-length mirror. Correct body alignment is associated with esthetically pleasurable lines. When a dance move calls for turnout, turn at the ball-and-socket hip joint, instead of from your knee or ankle. Stand with knees over the toes. On the other hand, properly aligned legs will keep them dancing longer and stronger. One body part slightly out of alignment will throw you completely off balance and cause you to fall out of position. When you start taking ballet classes, one of the first things you will learn as a dancer is the correct posture for … Tensing your muscles can put strain on muscles and joints and pull the body out of alignment. Her articles can be seen online at various websites. Pamela Ann Ludwig has lived, worked and studied on five continents. Many of the chronic injuries she sees are from improper alignment. Dancing with correct alignment makes dancing more comfortable. Align your spine so that your back is straight, still with the natural curve at the base of the spine. To create beautiful dance moves, proper body alignment is key. Static: the alignment of your body while you are still (i.e. She holds a Master of Arts degree in history from San Francisco State University and has experience teaching different dance disciplines as well as English to speakers of other languages. It is a repetitive stress in … Have a nice day. Different dance traditions vary in regards to aesthetics, but sound alignment of the body while dancing is essential for every form of dance. "It's a mechanism, not an aesthetic." Auditory. Many somatic therapies, such as yoga, Pilates and Gyrotonic, can help improve dance alignment.