Standing is such a basic everyday thing that every human being does; but, standing correctly is surprisingly less common. Standing correctly is important and really helpful to anyone as it places everything including bones and organs in the correct positions. For a dancer, however, it is imperative that they understand how to stand correctly and how it is going to affect everything that they do in Dance.
Just start by asking your students to stand in the way that they feel most comfortable. You will observe how each student will have their own particular manner of standing. Students have to find a comfortable position on two feet before they will be able to find it on one foot. I like to have each student do this in bare feet as it gives me a clearer view of where they are placing their weight. Ideally the center of their weight should be right in the center of their arch and when they rise up on demi pointe they should feel their weight centered over the first and second toes, using the heel as the point of the triangle. I find that it is helpful for the dancer to do a drawing of the foot and make a triangle over the foot to see where the center lies. If they can understand and feel where the weight needs to be that will prevent them from a sickled ankle rolling outwards and one that rolls inwards. For a student who has bowed out legs or even sometimes sway backed legs this simple exercise of rising up on demi pointe and centering the weight can be extremely challenging and sometimes almost impossible as it requires strengthening not only of the feet and ankles but also the muscles in the hip area and the thighs. Often muscles need reeducating in order to correct incorrect alignment in the feet and ankles.
The position of the hips when the student is standing is important too. If the hips are not held evenly then it will be impossible to retrain the legs and feet. For instance if the turnout of the legs is uneven then the hips could be slightly twisting to one side or the other which in turn can prevent the knees from being right over the toes and can cause the dancer to roll on the feet either inwards or outwards. Correcting the position of the hips and making sure that the dancer is standing evenly is really the first step to correcting any existing problem.
The next area that you need to address is the upper part of the body between the head and the waist. The first thing to look for is arching of the back. Many of today’s dancers stand with their hips swayed slightly backwards and it is very important that they understand how to drop the tail bone straight down to the floor as it is impossible to have a good stance and secure balance when the hips are released backwards. I encourage my dancers to drop their shoulders down and to open the chest area without letting the ribs pop out in front. In other words, keep those ribs relaxed but lifted off the pelvis. So many dancers keep tension in their shoulders and upper back and it causes them problems not only for their balance but for their use of Port De Bras. Keep reminding your dancers that the weight must not be felt on the heels rather on the center and toes of the foot. There has to be an element of relaxation in anything connected with balance as tension in the muscles will only produce out of alignment positions.
Now the dancer has to make sure that the knees are pulled up in order to be able to sustain the balance. This is obviously extremely important when the dancer is balancing on one leg and the emphasis should be always on the position of the supporting leg and hip as if this is correct it is more likely that the raised leg and hip will be in the correct position.
We are taught in dance class generally from an early age to make sure that the knees are always over the feet. Some students find this difficult at any age and need to be reeducated to use the correct muscles to hold the position in the hips, legs and feet. Training the dancers to be aware of their standing position and of lifting the weight off their hips and making a space between their ribs and their hips will help them to be able to control the lower limbs. I also find that it is sometimes helpful to get the dancers to lay on the floor on their backs relaxing their ribs and shoulders into the floor and breathing in a very relaxed manner. Encourage them to close their eyes and feel their bodies sinking into the floor so that they are fully aware of the muscles that are responding to that 'supported' standing position.
Taking the time to really study the way your students are standing is well worth the time as you will have a much clearer idea of what each one needs to get their balance under control.
