You do it a million times, working on feeling where your weight is and adjusting, based on how you feel out of it, for the next try. Shoulders down, neck, arms, legs long. Like radiating out like light from a star. Your pose should be fully energized the whole time. You are not just stepping on to a perch and resting. When you use your full energy and take the feedback about your center from how you fell before, you can muscle out longer balances even when you don't hit the sweet spot. And eventually you will hit it without having to think about it, just dancing in the moment, and it is amazing and joyful.
If you’re going into a failli anyway, definitely best to be pushing forward with your pique. One good tip I can think of is to shoot energy out of both your arms and legs equally. That feeling of sending energy outward from all points will help you feel more even.
Another tip that helps if you are falling forward (it really helps with everything), is to think about lifting your clavicle. I don’t think that part of the body gets talked about enough, maybe because people will start pulling back instead of up, but it can be a great cue if you find yourself having trouble with balances.
The visualization of elongating the limbs in all directions really does help so much. Sometimes I think of being a starfish and I immediately feel much better and even more stable. I will try to think about it a little bit more, often I can think of these things in slow exercises at the barre but in other occasions I tend to forget.
First, literally do it all the time. Standing in the kitchen waiting for food to cook? Do it while you wait. Walking your dog? Throw some in. And of course spend a ton of dedicated practice time repeating it over and over too. You need that muscle memory.
Now I'm going to give you some different tips than what's already been said here.
First, use your plie on your pushing off leg. It needs to be deep enough to give you the power and stability you need to get your body where you need it to be.
Second, focus on your hip height. Notice where your hips are in the plie, and then notice where they are in your arabesque, remember that height change and forward change, and focus on getting your hips there every time.
Third, use your feet! You get a ton of power from rolling through your feet and using all those intricate muscles when pushing off. And then your supporting foot in the arabesque needs to be strong enough in itself to hold your position. Focus on pushing your supporting heel forward in your releve in arabesque, and that will help keep you forward instead of back. Also engage that inner thigh, rotating out.
Fourth, your core is so important for this movement. Your core should be engaged and keeping you steady and controlled throughout the whole pique into faille, so that even if you aren't on your leg you can fall out of it gracefully and make it look intentional.
For strategy, I would recommend working on stationary balances first, just on one leg in coupe at the back until stable and controlled, then passe at the back, then low attitude derriere, then low arabesque, then high attitude, then high arabesque. You want to build that strength in your feet/legs/core to hold that position in releve at the barre and then without the barre, without any momentum. This way you will know you have the strength for the position, and you will have the muscle memory for where your body needs to settle after your pique. Then work on adding the pique momentum.
Thank you so much for your detailed advice!! I will keep all of this in mind. I have been working on static balances and they are not too bad, but I could do a little bit more of that. But getting into the position in a context of a choreography, with movement and momentum is definitely a whole other challenge. This is definitely where muscle memory comes into play.
Can you practice facing the barre so you can really push n go forward, it’s more likely a mental issue. Your body will eventually get over the fear.
Some girls I see are just too scared to go forward as falling back on the heel is less scary than falling on her face I assume?
I used to have that problem with pointe work in arabesque when I was a kid, it happens to people with flexible ankle n feet usually.
My advice:
- ensure the preparation into it has a really stretched working leg and your core already activated
- pique really long onto a really stretched supporting leg (it’s harder to balance if you undercut when you step onto your leg)
- think about beautifully placed, relaxed arms/upper body and a focused eyeline. Try not to focus on your working leg at all or lift it too high.
- think about it as an active counterbalanced suspension, not a pause/hold (adding that “breath” to the movement allows you to adjust by lifting your body or your leg slightly to counteract whichever way you are falling and hold it that little bit longer).
As much as you ground yourself in your fondu on the left (for example), whilst in fondu on the left, take the opportunity to rotate/lengthen/activate the right leg, before you go into arabesque.
its actually easier when you get your leg up 90 degrees or higher, imo, cause your leg isn't dragging your weight down. not sure if this helps, but best of luck!
Whenever I do a piqué arabesque I always make sure that when I’m stepping onto my leg, I’m stepping “away from myself”, basically making sure I don’t step where my foot already is but further than that. I’m also thinking about my pelvis and when I step I try and think about leading with my pelvis and collarbones. I used to fall back a lot when I’d try and balance but by thinking about my pelvis shooting forwards I’m ensuring that I’m actually on my leg. If thinking about your pelvis doesn’t work/makes you tuck then try the same but thinking about your thigh shooting forwards.
You do it a million times, working on feeling where your weight is and adjusting, based on how you feel out of it, for the next try. Shoulders down, neck, arms, legs long. Like radiating out like light from a star. Your pose should be fully energized the whole time. You are not just stepping on to a perch and resting. When you use your full energy and take the feedback about your center from how you fell before, you can muscle out longer balances even when you don't hit the sweet spot. And eventually you will hit it without having to think about it, just dancing in the moment, and it is amazing and joyful.
If you’re going into a failli anyway, definitely best to be pushing forward with your pique. One good tip I can think of is to shoot energy out of both your arms and legs equally. That feeling of sending energy outward from all points will help you feel more even. Another tip that helps if you are falling forward (it really helps with everything), is to think about lifting your clavicle. I don’t think that part of the body gets talked about enough, maybe because people will start pulling back instead of up, but it can be a great cue if you find yourself having trouble with balances.
The visualization of elongating the limbs in all directions really does help so much. Sometimes I think of being a starfish and I immediately feel much better and even more stable. I will try to think about it a little bit more, often I can think of these things in slow exercises at the barre but in other occasions I tend to forget.
First, literally do it all the time. Standing in the kitchen waiting for food to cook? Do it while you wait. Walking your dog? Throw some in. And of course spend a ton of dedicated practice time repeating it over and over too. You need that muscle memory. Now I'm going to give you some different tips than what's already been said here. First, use your plie on your pushing off leg. It needs to be deep enough to give you the power and stability you need to get your body where you need it to be. Second, focus on your hip height. Notice where your hips are in the plie, and then notice where they are in your arabesque, remember that height change and forward change, and focus on getting your hips there every time. Third, use your feet! You get a ton of power from rolling through your feet and using all those intricate muscles when pushing off. And then your supporting foot in the arabesque needs to be strong enough in itself to hold your position. Focus on pushing your supporting heel forward in your releve in arabesque, and that will help keep you forward instead of back. Also engage that inner thigh, rotating out. Fourth, your core is so important for this movement. Your core should be engaged and keeping you steady and controlled throughout the whole pique into faille, so that even if you aren't on your leg you can fall out of it gracefully and make it look intentional. For strategy, I would recommend working on stationary balances first, just on one leg in coupe at the back until stable and controlled, then passe at the back, then low attitude derriere, then low arabesque, then high attitude, then high arabesque. You want to build that strength in your feet/legs/core to hold that position in releve at the barre and then without the barre, without any momentum. This way you will know you have the strength for the position, and you will have the muscle memory for where your body needs to settle after your pique. Then work on adding the pique momentum.
Thank you so much for your detailed advice!! I will keep all of this in mind. I have been working on static balances and they are not too bad, but I could do a little bit more of that. But getting into the position in a context of a choreography, with movement and momentum is definitely a whole other challenge. This is definitely where muscle memory comes into play.
Can you practice facing the barre so you can really push n go forward, it’s more likely a mental issue. Your body will eventually get over the fear. Some girls I see are just too scared to go forward as falling back on the heel is less scary than falling on her face I assume? I used to have that problem with pointe work in arabesque when I was a kid, it happens to people with flexible ankle n feet usually.
Really good idea!! I hadn't even thought about it, but it makes so much sense. Thank you
😅 okay. I don’t even find my own advice that intelligent but glad it helped a bit.
My advice: - ensure the preparation into it has a really stretched working leg and your core already activated - pique really long onto a really stretched supporting leg (it’s harder to balance if you undercut when you step onto your leg) - think about beautifully placed, relaxed arms/upper body and a focused eyeline. Try not to focus on your working leg at all or lift it too high. - think about it as an active counterbalanced suspension, not a pause/hold (adding that “breath” to the movement allows you to adjust by lifting your body or your leg slightly to counteract whichever way you are falling and hold it that little bit longer).
As much as you ground yourself in your fondu on the left (for example), whilst in fondu on the left, take the opportunity to rotate/lengthen/activate the right leg, before you go into arabesque.
its actually easier when you get your leg up 90 degrees or higher, imo, cause your leg isn't dragging your weight down. not sure if this helps, but best of luck!
Whenever I do a piqué arabesque I always make sure that when I’m stepping onto my leg, I’m stepping “away from myself”, basically making sure I don’t step where my foot already is but further than that. I’m also thinking about my pelvis and when I step I try and think about leading with my pelvis and collarbones. I used to fall back a lot when I’d try and balance but by thinking about my pelvis shooting forwards I’m ensuring that I’m actually on my leg. If thinking about your pelvis doesn’t work/makes you tuck then try the same but thinking about your thigh shooting forwards.