Ask A Ballerina (ep2)

[xparamorepandas]

I have been dancing for 11 years know (I am 14) and for some odd reason I can not turn anymore.

I used to be able to do a triple pirouette on my left and a double on my right. Also, I used to be able to do A La Secondes and sometimes Fouette´. For some reason now I can barley do a single without falling on my butt. I don't know why I am doing this. It just started recently happen about 2-3 weeks ago. I really need my turns back because I am going to an audition in the following months.

thanks!

[nefelicuster]

ask a ballerina

hello :) why do some people use elastic bands on their point-shoes? what does it offer? thanx :)

[ha347282]

ask a ballerina

im having alot of trouble with my turn out and i cant seem to improve it, do you have any suggestions?

[balletloveshiphop]

Ask a Ballerina

I'm not a very good pirouetter(haha funny word:D) and I noticed that in all of your videos, all the dancers are superdy duperdy good turners. I was wondering if you had any tips to help me out. THANKS!

[cutypie12]

you can practice releves and spotting. it really helps!

[ballet81895]

Ask a Ballerina:

I feel as though I don't have the perfect body type, such as long arms, perfect arches, or hyperextended legs. I really want to be a professional dancer, but I rarely see ballerinas without the perfect body.

Do you think I'd have a shot to get into a company?

[TheRealKookie00]

Ask A ballerina: Does getting into pointe shoes rely on technique alone?

[shescaptainjack]

Ask a Ballerina:

I am 16 and I have been doing ballet for 4 months now and I was wondering if there was any other dance styles or sports that would help develop muscles balance etc for ballet.

[WickedFan4000]

Ask A Ballerina:

I have been trying to get my switch leaps better, but I'm not sure how to get the height and kick my legs in the motion I need to.  How can i make them better?

[23snyder]

Ask a ballerina:i am starting to dance again...i dont want to seem behind the other girls...because i dont even know the simple things...anything to help???

=]iloveto dance! =]

[Inscrutable]

Same thing happened to me a few years ago, (except it was my first time dancing), and my teacher let me help out with the little girl's classes (beginning ages from about 4-7) and I'd learn all the moves while they were at the barre and me helping them keep balance, etc. So just ask your teacher if you can help out or watch some of the younger kid's classes.

[Egmargera1]

Ask a Ballerina

How do i keep my balance up longer without falling over?

[ballet23]

ok. well you wanna make sure your weight is centered if you feel yourself falling forward lean back and vice versa. If you concentrate on putting your weight down. also, make sure you hold your stomach muscles. hope i helped!

[iloveh2o13]

ask a ballerina: PLEASE HELP! i had to stop ballet when i was only 7. due too a unfortunate series of ear infections!! i am now 13, is it too late to begin classes again. i would love to be able to train on pointe shoes one day.. just need your advice in wether to begin again. i'de apprecite any help you may give. x chloe x

[PwnToob]

hi. i began when i was 12, almost 13, and ill tell you now, its not too late to start.

begin now, as soon as possible, dont hesitate.

[agjwgirls]

@PwnToob I started this year and I am the oldest in my class but I don't mind because I love ballet. (11/12 years old)

[MolissaSmithy]

Ask a ballerina:

How can I Strengthen knees

[MolissaSmithy]

Ask a Ballerina:

how many years of ballet traning does it take tell your really for pointe

[cutypie12]

you should be about 12 or 13 years old and be in an intermediate or advanced level of dance

[dance4LTunit]

Ask A Ballerina:

I have been told that I am sickling when I am en pointe. Unfortunately, the type of pointe shoe that I have only comes in a medium shank. These are my first pair of pointe shoes and because of the length and width of my feet, I have to have a relatively hard shank and wide shoe+box in order to fit in my shoes. Is there any way to fix my sickling problem? (I also practice at home at least once a day to make sure that I am getting over my box and strengthening my feet+ankles.

[tiinaa99]

ask a ballerina: i've just gotten my first pair of pointe shoes and i was wondering what exercises help you get over your box more and make you strong on pointe?

[ballerina192837465]

Ask a ballerina:

I want to teach dance after college, but I've only ever studied with small town studios. When I go to dance camp I talk to people who are my age and have taken classes with famous dancers, and I feel like I should be doing this, but I can't since I live in a small town. Will my lack of being taught by famous dancers keep from broadening my range? I want to be the best I can possibly be...

[oOEspeon13Oo]

gaynors like mines !!! wow, the best pointe in the world !!!

[AvalonMorley]

Arch enhancers have been used for many years, tho' I never heard of them 'til asking a Russian ballerina how all the dancers got that distinctive line of arch I noticed when watching the Bolshoi (this was back in mid-'70s; there was very little back-and-forth between Soviet dance & others--no Russian pointes for sale then). She told about "falsies," which seemed like cheating to me at first. She said, "You work your feet the best you can, & use these if they need more--like wearing makeup!"

[abclouise123]

i can not get it to work it says that it is no longer availabul :o(

[Belxx]

VANESSA IS SO GORGEOUS.

And she's so cute

I love Ask A Ballerina :D Thank you for posting!

[haleymathiot]

you know you can also rip the satin off an old pair of shoes and hot glue it on to a new pair that is dirty and cover the dirty part. you can't see it from the stage. i do this all the time!

[And138]

ask a ballerina:

which one is the best brand of pointes, gryshko or gaynor??

[dancefreeklovetosing]

Gryshko deff!

[shslove]

my turnout on my left leg is better than my right. why? and how can i fix it?

[shslove]

my shoes always smell. especially my pointe shoes. oh my gosh, its awful. what can i do so they dont smell? is there a way i can get the smell out?

[missshorty02]

u can get foot deoderant [spelling]

i personally have never used it... but just a thought.

[strangesugarfairy]

after class, hang them out of the window and let them air out. then lay them on the heater to be sure they really have the possibility to dry. they will also last much longer if you keep doing this.

[HotYaoiLove]

I've heard that walking on the balls of your feet really helps... I've been in dance for twelve years and have always done it and it seems to help.

[Alinaismyidol1]

Ask a Ballerina

Are gaynor mindens cheater shoes?

[dancinfishy83]

i freaking miss you guys!!! i've definitely been youtube stalking anaheim ballet and i love that i still get to see you guys on here! I do have to have surgery but i promise i'll be there watching you guys in nutcracker! It's devastating watching this while i'm broken, but it makes me want to come back more!

i miss my anaheim ballet family very very much.. love you guys!!!

<3

*reindeer dance.. one footed of course*

-katy g

[anessita]

WE MISS YOU TOO!!! Come back and let's candycane it up!! -Vanessita del fuego

[MichConnor]

Funny...I like :)

[powellpicc1985]

How many pairs of pointe shoes does a typical dancer go through in a given year?

[beachxbum33]

i go through about 5-7

[randabear96]

omg she put my question on here! YAY! thanks ask a ballerina!

[dance4LTunit]

I've been dancing for 13 years and am getting my pointe shoes this coming Noember. I'm really nervous and don't want to hurt myself. I am 14 and the youngest person in my class which worries me about how I will look compared to all of the other dancers in my class. I am taking the "Advanced" class which is the class that is meant for Seniors in high school. I'm worried about my pointe shoes because I will have to start work right away and have a show in December. We are doing 4 Swans

[pianofreak711]

if its your first time taking pointe than you shouldnt really be in an advanced class, you should be in pre pointe even if your very advanced on flat, you still have to go through the process of taking pre pointe

[dance4LTunit]

sorry pianofreak711, i accidentally pressed spam instead of reply...anyway, I too pre-pointe for 4 years and passed on top of taking pointe class w/o pointe shoes for 2 years. I got my shoes two weeks ago and have already won top studio awards for oustanding pointe work and immidiate learning. I was told that I was too young to begin pointe work so I took the classes and performed with the classes. I'm sorry if this came across as though I were a beginner. I really have done all of this. :-D

[fritters2]

Hey anybody I need some help:

I'm a pretty good balancer but it's only when I'm in 5th position, center floor doing a grand plie that I seem to fall off balalance. Anybody got any advice how to keep my balance?

[janeyanna]

Are you sticking out your butt when you go down, or moving your torso forward?

What helped me was to imagine strings on my knees, hips and shoulders which pull sideways.

[HotYaoiLove]

This may sound funny but image you're between two brick walls, and if you lean forward you'll hit your nose, and if you lean back you'll hit your head. And make sure your pelvis is in a neutral position.

[QueenJeanne]

Ask a Ballerina

I want to know - How long did you do ballet before you were allowed to go en pointe, and some others at Anaheim? *I KNOW that this doesn't mean that when I do it that long I should be en pointe too, and that it's earned and your teacher decides. I'm just wondering.*

[MsNikkiStar]

She does such a lovely job with these.... Well done!

[HotPiratesWench]

cute!

[DancingGee]

Ask a ballerina.

i have a good instep on my feet, but when i got on point, my left foot comes away from the point shoes, sightly so the point shoe goes one way my foot goes the other, i use a theraband, cus i have been tod its about my knee line, is there anythig ese i could do to help this?

[BallerinaKayy]

what i use to clean my shoes is tape, it has to be the kind you pakage boxes up with - it leaves the least amount of stickyness!

[ItsJustJasmine]

i heard you could use a tooth brush to lightly brush away dirt...i tryed it and it didnt do anything... :/ oh well...

[WickedFan4000]

Ask A Ballerina:

For the most part, all of my leaps are pretty good, but I'm not very good at switch leaps. How can make my switch leaps cleaner and more graceful?

[WickedFan4000]

Ask A Ballerina:

For the most part, my leaps are pretty good. But how can I get my switch leaps better?

[smellysuziecookie]

Ask a Ballerina:

Hi, how do u do, the splits in the air?!

Great videos :D Love Anaheim ballet lots! :D xxx

[Cherryberry281]

My pointe shoes go dead in about 3 months or so... i buy new ones quite often and still haven't found the pair that i love... ug

[balletloveshiphop]

gaynor mindens

[MissEyeliner92]

Ive read about one woman who danced with bad arches (I dont know how bad) and once she reitred she made arch inhancers to put every dancer on "even footing"

I know Im not Anaheim Ballet, but as a dancer with flat feet, If I were auditioing and my arch held me back, Id wear them

[dncr2beee]

Ask a ballerina, Hi I stopped dacing pointe to strengthen my feet and ankles more because I was having tons of trouble getting over the box, someone told me a good way to stretch your arch is to sit on the floor with legs straight out and have someone sit on your feet. This just sounds a little to painful for me is there a better way to stretch your arch, I already use therabands daily. But my muchles in my feet are so tight.

[conejamusical]

there are some archstretchers on sale.. or you can build one for yourself!! it's easy, you need a piece of wood, a piece of leather or some very flexible, but tight piece of plastic and a metal piece.. nail the leather to the wood and at the end nail the metal piece.. all you need to do is to secure the metal piece underneath a table or at the wall and put your feet in it... once you have your feet in it, tri to touch the ground with your leg... it hurts, but works!!

[F34Rx0FxL1F3]

Her laugh is so cute and funny :D

[SerafinaLily9]

I think the funny-awkward face moments (such as 1:20) are my favorite part of this video.

[anieldpatterson]

Ask a Ballerina: I've been dancing for almost twelve years and I've been doing pointe work for around four. Recently I purchased a pair of gaynor mindens and my big toe nail went completely black after one session a couple of months ago. The toenail still hasn't fallen off and it's causing me alot of trouble qwith my pointe work, What should I do?

[madison95035]

lmao.

weird though.

i MADE mine last for 2 yrs. but they died within 4 months of me having them. yah i know perty bad huh? i bugged my parents and i finally got new ones.

nice vid!

[lulukazuzu]

bellerina: just wondering if any of the dancers at your companany have scoliosis, i have it and i hear it is common in dancers.

[iamhanabiyuu]

I use 7-Up and and clean the shoes with a scrubber. :| Some of my ballet mates do that, it works well.

[geckoarmy8]

Really helpful videos!! Anaheim Ballet rocks our socks :) Are you going to eventually do more of these?

[cutypie12]

thank you so much for answering my question!

[balletdancer8014]

congrats on you world record [:

[breizgurl411]

lol =)

[Dancerbee27]

congratulations!

btw, what kind of shoes?

[cutypie12]

they are capezio

[paperorplastic111]

i know how it feels to get used to your shoes!

but have no fear the new ones will be splendid!

[chiquitabanana4]

she's funny....lol

great tips!!! really helpful....

[broadwaydancr21]

ask a ballerina: i started dance this year, and my leaps look horrible! i try to practice them a lot but they are not getting any better. How can i improve my leaps?!?!?!?!

[breizgurl411]

stretch. do u have your splits? if u did it would help A LOT!!!!

[LinseyDances]

you can clean ballet shoes with milk! put a bit on a tissue and just rub it on, it works really wel!

[Balletdancelover]

wow great show again:D you really shoud do more video's like this!! i love to get help and to now how you can strengthen your belly, legs, foot, etc.etc. i really like to practice those things:)

[dancelikeno1iswtchin]

mine have lasted longer than two years, ive had mine for 3 and a half years........my teacher thinks they are fine, and i cant afford new ones. i would also like to ask, what can i do to get my piroettes better, i just fall over LOL

great video, thanks very much

[pretzal702]

bunny buttheads?? lol

[Bernd1964]

she is sooo... pretty!

[montanadancer406]

aww that was great. Now, I have a question.

I have a nutcracker performance coming up very soon, and I'm also learning about 13 other dances that have to do with my performing company, but not nutcracker. I haven't cracked yet, but what if I do? What if I totally forget everything right when I'm about to go onstage, or I confuse it with other pieces I'm learning?

[eillomrose123]

ah im in the same situation right now... its just so much choreography to remember this time of year! My thinking is that its really hard right now, but in like a month it will just be in our muscle memory and it wont be as hard. good luck

[kylielovescole]

Aah! I love this!

Ask A Ballerina: I have been dancing for five years and I still can't turn a strong pirouette. How can I strengthen my ability to stay in relevee(I just know it's pronounced rel-e-vay) while I am turning?

[conejamusical]

maybe this will help...

first of all, before performing a pirouette, you must be relaxed and confident.. dont get nervous... that ruines it all..

second, while on demi pointe (or relevee) try to "suspend" your head on the air.. I mean, to enlarge your back and neck so hard, that your heads floats ond the air, while turning..

[conejamusical]

now i continue...

third and last, try to keep your body very squared, the back very flat and your legs tight... the rest it's just practice...

good luck... i hope this works on you.. :3

[Cel12]

7th to comment ~ LOL !

[sarahisavampire]

Again, very informative! Thanks!

[AnaheimBallet]

No, thank you for watching and commenting!

[likeOMGitzJOSIE]

I agree with Katie. :)

[GRRiTSELeNA]

first

[AnaheimBallet]

Totally first ;-)

[cutefluffball]

how do i join summer intensive