Everyday Ballet II
Continuing the basics of ballet for everyday fitness!
Using more basic ballet steps to enhance your body and spirit's well-being!
If you have been reading "Everyday Ballet", then you know the great benefits of ballet and dance in order to keep your body happy and healthy. For one, the lengthening and strengthening of the muscles used in dance is so beneficial to your body's infrastructure and bone development that creates a long and lean dance body figure, but it's also so much fun! For the most part of the game, dancers dance because it is fun and they enjoy it. It somehow gives them a sense of spirituality and connectivity to life - or at least, that is what dance gives me. A release from everyday, monotonous movement dance gives me freedom of movement and a outlet for emotions that I am experiencing but are unexplainable in words. Further inspiration to escape from the everyday and dance is my new series of blogs "Quote of the Day".
Continuing our exploration into the basics of the ballet world, just keep in mind how POSTURE is the number one and consistent factor to keep in mind in your dance practice and in your everyday activities. Some personal trainers exclusively train your body to have good posture and make lots of money for it - you can save some $$$ by focusing and being aware of your posture by constantly sitting/standing up straight and pulling up your stomach through your core muscles.
JETE
To do a jete (gahe-tay), you must use your core abs strength and also your quadriceps and calf muscles. Start with your heels together and your toes pointing out (first position) with your knees straight, your back straight and your head up tall. Bend your knees (plie - learned in Everyeday Ballet I) and straighten your legs to jump up straight in the air and land on your right foot (bent for knee safety) with your left foot pointed and placed behind your right ankle. This is a jete. From this position, bend your right knee and jump up to land on your left foot (bent knee) with your right foot pointed and placed behind your right ankle. Do this repetition as many times as you would like (I suggest 8 all together, alternating 4 landing on your right foot and 4 landing on your left foot) and then on your last one jump and land with your feet back together in first position (heels together and toes pointing out to the sides).
The Jete works your quadriceps and your core abdominal muscles while also keeping your heart rate at an aerobic exercise. Please make sure you stretch your leg muscles before and after doing this ballet exercise for muscle safety.
Also, check out these books for further information on the benefits of posture!
Perfect Posture: The Basis of Power by Michael Colgan
Posture, Get it Straight! by Janice Novak
