Finding Balance in Dance

Finding BALANCE IN DANCE

Our balance is primarily coordinated by 3 systems:

1. Vestibular system: located in inner ear as a "carpenter's balance" to keep you level.
2. Motor system: uses sensory nerves called proprioceptors in muscles, tendons and joints.
3. Visual system: sends signals from eyes to brain about the current position of your body.

🗨️How to practice good balance and being able to move off-balance:

▪️ strengthen your CORE: The core (torso-/mid-/lower-back muscles) refers to all muscles that connect your trunk. It doesn’t matter how strong your arms and legs are, if core muscles aren’t equally as strong. A strong core helps to control dance movements and maintain stability, especially during turns, lifts and jumps.

▪️ correct your POSTURE: The stronger your core is, the better your posture will be. Proper alignment refers to correct positioning of the body parts in relation to each other to assist control of extremities and correct weight placement.

▪️ understand your CENTER OF GRAVITY: Dancers need to shift their center of gravity - the point where the weight is equally distributed in all directions - to achieve balance, execute various movements such as pirouettes and avoid strain.

▪️ focus your FOOTWORK: Your feet have important sensory receptors to gather infos about where you are in space. Proprioception exercises on different floor levels with weight shifts and transfers can help dancers to move on different surfaces, wear different shoes, without constantly looking at the floor.

▪️ practice without MIRROR: Spend equal amounts of time dancing with and without a mirror to encourage a stronger mind-body-connection through internal sensations and cues rather than visual feedback.

▪️ find your SPOT: Use your arms for counterbalance and to create momentum, while your eyes are spotting on the wall or opposite the stage, to impact your balance. Just make sure you don’t spot the ground.

▪️ trust your MENTAL POWER: Use mental imagery alongside physical practice to reinforce learning, enhance performance, reduce anxiety and refine your dance technique.