By Cristina Michaels MS L.Ac.
Now that we have started to develop and research our technique at barre. Our approach to a ballet class may change slightly now. The barre is where we develop and find our center or “our core” so that when we do move away from the barre, we will have researched it. In some sense the only barre we have when we arrive at the “centre” is “our core,” that being said we also have the tactile sensations our feet have to the floor, our legs in the air. A helpful thought to consider is that two thirds or our nerve innervation into our limbs are for tactile sensations. Once we have the coordination and memorization, themes and variations, the centre is where we test it.
Did we fully grasp our technique at barre, to move into the centre?
So let us take stock of the few things we have when we arrive at the centre.
- Our Core/Center of Balance
- Our Toes/Feet/Legs
- Our Brain, included, is our memorized coordinated sets of themes and variation with of course our multitude of repetitive practices.
In one metaphor we could use is, our core is our compass. The true north could represent the brain. This nervous system is the structure is the wind, the sail, the language in which the brain interprets our movements and demands we place upon the body. The fine detailed calculations we make as a ballet dancer in space, through the air, en pointe, mid pirouette are all organized and begin at barre.
Now when you hear your teacher say
“Let us move to centre”
These next few steps away from the barre as a dancer is a testing field of our fully functioning body, mind and spirit. This testing field is where we make mistakes, laugh, learn, find frustration, but in the end should be a positive experience. The latter is one of the best aspects of Broche Ballet. We meet the dancer where they are at and gracefully give you a strong, resilient center.
There is one fascinating aspect of the core that is; we often do not feel it and or do we have great nerve sensations into the gut or abdomen. And yet the vagus nerve structure into the gut has an incredible connection to the brain. Suggesting that the more we do sit-ups the more familiar we will become to understand our core and strengthen our cognitive ability. We can also look at it from another health perspective, with every sit-up, crunch, plank we are giving our organs a squeeze of fresh blood flow.
The Perpetual Sit-Up
If we need our core at every aspect of the centre, then we as dancers must continually activate it and inactivate it on demand. Many of us hate sit-ups, planks, crunches, however there are so many different ways to develop our core strength. With even the most basic routine we can continue to strengthen our abdomen, coordination and core muscle groups. Preparing us for a stronger center to use as a dancer.
Torque Stabilization Pirouette
Now that is clear that we need a strong center for centre work in ballet class. It is quite evident when approaching a pirouette there is a great amount of torque and stabilization performed in our core and abdomen. As the body rotates, and spotting around the mind must delicately balance our body on the size of two inch circumference. All of which have deep core implications.
Let us quickly break down the four primary abdominal muscles before moving forward.
- Rectus Abdominis
- Internal and External Oblique
- Transverse Abdominis
Superficial to Deep
The most superficial of these four is Rectus Abdominis, on our sides are our Internal and External Obliques. Deepest to these three is Transverse Abdominis. Rectus abdominis and the sets of oblique muscles are very important. Rectus abdominis muscle contracts the abdomen back while the oblique muscles stabilize the core rotation. So I do not leave out the transverse abdominis has importance in stabilizing the pelvic tilt and pelvic floor development in the pirouette itself.
Our Next Step
Now gracefully walking away from the ballet barre much of our focus is not just on physical coordination but also it should lie in abdominal strength and developing the ability of moving from our core.