In my adult ballet classes, as i see my clients progressing in technique, i started to introduce the meaning of expressive movement, getting them to dance more expressively.
Artistry means being able to express the intent of the dance, the choreographer's ideas, and emotions through ballet movements and gestures with the music. In the context of my barre classes, even simple movement at the barre can be beautifully expressed.
I enjoy seeing my clients feel good after class, holistically, feeling wonderful both physically and mentally. Similar to reading a great poem, seeing a riveting dramatic performance, listening to a piece of music that move your spirit, or viewing a work of art that connects to your senses, a dance artist visually expresses through the fullness and elegance of movements and gestures in relations with music that accompanies the performance- the poetry, emotion, and drama of the dance.
If i succeed in inspiring my clients to enjoy ballet as a from of art, it brings so much meaning to me.
Signing off with Love,
Staphanie Mun
Founder of AT THE BARRE
Ballet barre exercise, stretching is a crucial aspect of training.
Regular stretching of the body improves flexibility and motion of your joints it also improves circulation and helps to prevent injury.
Whether you’re a professional ballerina, athlete, beginner or intermediate in doing ballet barre, the long list of benefits associated with stretching have extremely positive impact on your body training.
Increased flexibility. It increases the ability to move freely and easily and to perform everyday activities.
Better muscle condition. It enhances athletic performance. In tennis, squash, volleyball, and swimming, greater range of motion and ability to apply force through that range of motion can confer a winning edge.
Burning calories
Releasing toxins
Prevent injury. It may decrease the risk of injury
A great way to relax. It feels good. Stretching reduces muscular tension, promotes relaxation.
Anti aging effect. It counteracts age-related declines in flexibility.
Here is a basic rules i like to get my clients to follow when stretching:
B- Breath
Maintain steady deep breathing throughout.
“Inhale and exhale”
E- Ease into position
Do not force yourself into a stretch. You should always feel a slight pull when stretching but not a burning tear. Ease into the stretched position, do not rush into it, and slowly apply more pressure to get a nice stretch.
H- Hold for 30 seconds
Always stretch both sides of your body and hold for an even amount of time (ideally 20-30 seconds each position)
P- Patience
Hold longer for progression and development. Take your time in letting your body gain flexibility over time of practise. If you push too hard, too fast, you are stretching yourself to tears, may be doing more damage than good to your body.
P- Perseverance
Be consistent with stretching everyday, persevere and keep going. W- Warmed-up
Always stretch when body is fully warmed up.
Looking for a ballet barre fitness class in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia?
Do join our adult ballet fitness barre class. Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya Malaysia
Whatsapp 012-385-1501
or drop me an e-mail for more info.
smunwl@gmail.com
love,
Staphanie Mun Chen
Founder of At The Barre
Ballet fitness lifestyle studio
Join our unique beautiful fitness class.
Book a trial class to experience ballet barre class.
Call/ Whatsapp 012-385-1501
or drop me an E-mail : smunwl@gmail.com for full details
Can you guess what this is? My mood page for Little Ballerina, before the birth of my blog... I was thinking about this project, this concept, will people read it? Should i start a blog?
I have so much passion for ballet. Creative juice is oozing out from my brain, i have to write, i have to start this ballet blog.=)
So, as you can see, i was already thinking about merchandising, back then... hehe... drawing & designing my first Little Ballerina T-shirts for fans.
Looking back, it is kinda cool. I'm having a lot of fun, i get to meet interesting, like minded (ballet crazy) friends from around the world.
Voila! MyLilBallerina is born.
I'll update you all when my Little Ballerina T-shirt is available!
It rained this morning. A bit chilly but i love the morning cool breeze. Saturday morning... started with a good cup of coffee.
My plan for today:- Tidy up my house. I get pretty messy when i work, my whole dining table are full of paper and books, my Sony Alpha DSL camera, moleskin notebook, and various coloured pens. My cherry red Sony laptop stand in the middle of all these chaos....=)
Rearrange my collections of ballet DVDs & music CDs... (remind myself to pack them in my teaching bag, to share the DVds with my students, i'm sure they'd like to watch)
Whatelse should i do today? Hm... i deserve a 'do nothing day', just unwind and relax after such a hectic and busy week.=) Often time, i fall into that category of women, feeling guilty of having 'me' time. I want to change that mindset and love my body, mind and soul. We all need to rest, and time to rejuvanate.=)
ok! I'm just going to relax now, & listen to some music...
A tutu is a skirt worn as a costume in a ballet performance, often with attached bodice. It might be single layer, hanging down, or multiple layers starched and jutting out.
There are several types of ballet tutu:
Romantic Tutu: three quarter length bell shaped skirt made of tulle. The hemline falls between the knee and the ankle. The romantic tutu is free flowing to emphasise lightness, to suit the ethereal quality of the romantic ballets such as Giselle or Les Sylphides. It is said to have been invented, or at least popularized, by Marie Taglioni.
Classical Tutu(bell): A very short, stiff skirt made with layers of netting with a slight bell shape and fitted bodice. It extends outwards from the hips and does not use a wired hoop. It is usually longer than a classical (pancake) tutu. These can be seen in the famous ballet paintings by Degas.
Classical Tutu (pancake): A very short, stiff skirt made with layers of netting that extends straight outwards (from the hips) in a flat pancake shape, and has a fitted bodice. The pancake style has more layers of net and usually uses a wire hoop and much hand tacking to keep the layers flat and stiff.
Balanchine/Karinska Tutu: also known as the "powder puff" is a very short skirt with no hoops, and fewer layers of netting than the pancake or classical styles. The skirt is loosely tacked to give a softer, fuller appearance. This style was designed originally for the ballet version of Georges Bizet's Symphony in C.
Platter Tutu: A tutu with a flat top that sticks straight out from the ballerina's waistline.
Here are a few video clips that i found, about Tutu:-
1) A documentary short on the recreation of tutus for George Balanchine's "Theme and Variations". New York City Ballet is fortunate to have their own costume shop, where they are able to refurbish, maintain, and even design and create new costumes from scratch.
2) Ballet Tutu- There's no other garment like it in history. Judith Mackrell meets the Royal Ballet's dancers to discuss the perils of wearing the ballerina's fabulously frothy skirt.
3) Here is rare glimpse inside The Australian Ballet's huge wardrobe storage facility in Kensington, Victoria, where 'Manon' costumes are being packed for performances of the ballet.
4) Pacific Northwest Ballet's The Seasons-Costume Preview
Read more about Ballet Companies Wardrobe:- http://www.brb.org.uk/Wardrobe-Swan-Lake.html
