Thread: Posture in level changes

Does anyone have any tips for maintaining good posture in level changes?

I have a lot of physical (read extreme pain) trouble with level changes due to some old and nasty injuries but I can manage one or two of the very simple ones without discomfort.

For example, I am ok switching between releve and flat feet on a traveling camel or grapevine and I'm ok doing simple 'bob up and down' drops by bending my knees more than usual. I'm hoping to work with these more over the next few months but I've notice that my posture (not always my strongest point but coming along) really seems to fall apart ,f::, if I change my level at all. In particular, I lose my 'flat' lower back/ 'tucked' pelvis.

I'm wondering why this happens and how to go about putting it right.

Re your posture: Without seeing you and what's going on. I would say that you may not have the muscle control or core strength to maintain posture while you are doing certain level change. I would recommend just being really mindful of it while you practice, if you see that you are "collapsing", correct it immediately. Control will come in time. Also, I'd recommend doing pilates reformer classes. They really help to gain/maintain muscular control and flexibility.

Some ideas to think about....

Certainly don't do anything that hurts you...

All things that don't hurt...DRILL.

For instance I like to do straight up and down, veritcal level changes and I might layer another move over it. What I do is practice going up and down over and over again. Then practice more- layering different things over it. I also do "squats" with light weights to build the strength to do it.

However, there are many types of level changes, that don't require so much leg work.

Like lifting your arms high and doing a pretty movement with your hands being the focus up high or bending from your waist to the front side- down low and then gracefully rising.

So, much variation....

I would encourage you not to feel limited by your past injuries. Use them as a guide to discover cool things that you can do, that change levels, that could be your own creation and unique to your style.

Consider too - all the space around you. Accessing that space too can add interest to your dance, besides vertical level changes.

I agree with AnnaTX - I find that getting better at level changes is about developing core strength. I emphasis to students to hold their tummy muscles as they bend or rise to prevent collapsing. If they have poor core strength then I work on this before working on level changes. I include level changes, just bending and rising, in the warm-up and drills for improver/intermediate students, doing it in controlled way and concentrating on maintaining posture. I always say bend as far as you can without losing your posture and holding tummy muscles, as soon as you feel that go then start to rise. Practice, practice, practice and soon you'll go a bit further.

That said there are some students, who mainly because of knee injuries, will not be able to do deep knee bends but that doesn't mean they can't do subtle level changes within their capabilities. My advice is to work with what you can do and gradually develop the stuff you find more difficult.

Personally, I always used to collapse and fall over, on bad days I still do! The dance actually helped me develop my core strength so now I can do deep knee bends etc but it took time to build up.

Might you be leaning forward a bit too much when lowering? This is a very common thing when changing levels, to allow your upper body to act as a counterbalance. It gives a false sense of balance and causes you to lose your tuck and arch your lower back. Practice the level changes on a small scale - small and short down, small and short up - while keeping your focus on maintaining a verticle centre of gravity (the comments about core strengthening will definitely come into play here, too). You might feel like you are off balance at first due to being accustomed to leaning forwards slightly and losing your tuck/straight back. Use a chair for balance support if needs be and be very aware of your spine acting like a plumb line. I find it helps to visualize my weight being distrubuted evenly from my heel through my arches to the balls of my feet.

sounds like balance and/or alignment issues. I have a herniated disc in the L4/L5 sacrum lower back and had to find my new balance as opposed to pre-accident.

First, finding your balance for level changes is different than dancing upright. You want your quads to take your weight as you level change as they are the largest muscles and it will take the pressure off the back/core.

balance: start with one foot flat and the other on releve with the toes in line with the flat foot's heel. Rock forward and back on the flat foot without lifting toes/heel and continue to rock smaller and smaller until you stop. You will feel slightly more forward but that is where you need to be balance wise.

posture: keeping tucked and lifted is essential. Everyone's balance differntiates daily and on my off days, find I need to tighten my core more on level changes.

If you find yourself doing the "woah" with your arms to catch yourself, you are either too far back or forward and you can easily adjust as you go.

Hope that helps

Thank you for the advice everyone.

I think that the problem is less my core, which I know to be strong (though there's always room for improvement) and probably slightly more of a balance issue. I've never really had quite the same sense of balance since injuring myself nearly 5 years ago.

I know what you mean Nadira, about 'off-days' - some days, I just feel like the human jelly, I'm so wobbly.

I hadn't thought of the leaning forward, but now everyone mentions it, I think that could well be what is going on here.

Cheers all!

Have you tried practicing level changes without hip or other movement? I think this might help you to work out what is going on as well as giving you something to drill to help you in level changes.

Suggest:
- from neutral, practice lowering yourself by bending your knees and still keeping 'correct' posture - only go as far as you can until you feel posture start to 'go', then come back up to neutral.
- from neutral, practice raising yourself up onto balls of feet and still keeping 'correct' posture - only go as far as you can until you feel posture start to 'go', then come back down to neutral.

Practice this slowly, as this is the way you will develop the necessary control.

I figure when you bob down, you can either accomplish it by sticking your ass out or bringing your knees forward. The latter is definitely preferable! Maintain a straight back and bring the knees forward. You may have to lift your heels to do so (I do) and that can make it more difficult to balance. Strengthening the calf/muscles around the ankles could help with the balance.

I learned the coolest trick from Rose Harden and it's working great for my students as well for slower level changes (not necessarily sudden grand plies).

Come up on the toes and bring one foot in front of or behind the other (I step forward, but Rose steps back). Keep those feet so close together that the heel of the front foot is touching the front of the ankle of the back foot. From this position, you can level down and it feels pretty solid... at least to me. Of course, the more hold you have in your torso, the easier it will be to keep the back straight and not bend forward.

I've been leveling moves for years and just learned this little nugget a few months ago. It's so much easier for me to feel solid on levels now!!

Seconding Mirhi's tip with the feet. Very important also to keep a straight line, i.e. ears over schoulders, shoulders over hips. If you tip back or forth it will throw off your balance and make it near impossible to add layers to the level change.
Breathing also helps, breathe in before you come up and try to make sure you distribute the balance over both feet equally, elongate your back and imagine someone is pulling you straight up by the ears, or rather, the point just below your ears. I swear it helps :-)

Ibrahim Farrah used to call the untucked posture in level changes "duck butt." I am constantly nagging my troupe about this, since it can really strain your lower back.

I also teach the trick Mihri learned from Rose Harden: Stagger your feet a bit to give yourself a firmer base. This helps a lot with stability, and sometimes it's your body's *perceived* sense of instability that makes it want to counterbalance with a duck butt.

Once you have your base, really suck in the abs and tuck your pelvis so that when you sink to the floor, your back is totally flat -- flatter than regular dance posture. You should feel a nice stretch in your lower back when you do this.

This is my "normal" advice, but you say you have pain from old injuries that are leading to your balance issues. Is it more in the back, in the knees, or both?

This is my "normal" advice, but you say you have pain from old injuries that are leading to your balance issues. Is it more in the back, in the knees, or both?

Knees and ankles.

The knees are an on-off problem and are a touch arthritic, even at my age. There is also very little 'normal' left in in terms of my right ankle. It is not usually painful but it doesn't much like level changes.