Tips for Balancing

Posted in Uncategorized by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

This is a great video on balancing created by The Anaheim Ballet (via BalletScoop):

I like the way they illustrate pushing down while pulling up – the one thing I always tell my students. This can be hard to visualize, so I am going to share this video with my students and see if it helps!

The other thing they didn’t really touch on is focus – I find that when I tell my students to focus on something that is eye-level instead of looking around, they are able to balance longer. Then as you get better at balancing, you can challenge them to move their head while balancing.

What are you favorite balancing tips?

2Jan2011

The Search for Portable Ballet Barres, Part 2

Posted in Uncategorized by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

Click here for Part 1

After much deliberation, I decided to order an 8-foot portable double barre from the Ballet Barre Store. I liked that the barres were advertised as lightweight and easy to put together. I also was pleased to see they have a 30-day return policy — I would just have to foot the bill for any shipping it needed to be returned.

Both barres are adjustable, and the higher barre can go up to a height of 45 inches. Compared to similar style barres, the $135 price tag was fairly inexpensive. I did a bit of research on the company behind the barre, Vita Vibe. They also have a 5-year warranty on their products for full replacement or repair, which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

After placing the order through their site using PayPal, I received the barre in about a week (but it was during the Christmas rush, so its possible your order would get to you sooner). The package was long a slim and barely fit in my station wagon! For those of you ordering longer barres, it might be wise to ship directly to your studio if possible.

19Dec2010

The Search for Portable Ballet Barres

Posted in Uncategorized by Cait (The Dance Buzz)

An example of a homemade metal ballet barre

I have been on a hunt for cheap but sturdy ballet barres to replace the adjustable single barre we've had at our studio for 20+ years. It no longer "adjusts" and just sits at the lowest setting.

After hours of research on the web, I am deciding whether it's worth my time and effort to build my own, buy a kit or just bite the bullet and pay the shipping for a pre-assembled barre. After the jump are my research findings – hopefully saving you some time!

If you have any suggestions about ballet barres – chime in with a comment!