Deep Dives, Not Overwhelm

Port de bras exercises show up in kids' classes far more than adult ones. Here's why center port de bras deserves its own moment, and three artistry tips to make it count.

Sometimes a stubbornly shallow plié isn't a correction problem — it's anatomy. Here are three ways to help a dancer get the most range out of the plié they actually have, even when "bend your knees more" has stopped working.

Beautiful barre pliés that turn shallow and choppy the second petit allegro starts aren't a fluke — they're one of the most common patterns in intermediate classes. Here's why it happens, and the imagery that actually helps.

Your développé might not be limited by your flexibility. It might be limited by where you're looking. Here's the biomechanical chain that connects your eye-line to your extension height and one thing to try before your next class.

Flexibility gets blamed for almost everything in ballet. It's an easy, visible target. But for many dancers, the thing limiting extension height isn't the hamstring of the working leg — it's something happening much higher up in the body. Here's what's actually going on.

When I was first learning épaulement, it felt sharp. Like there was a razor-thin line I was trying to hit. So I gripped for it. I lifted my shoulder toward my ear. I braced through my upper back trying to manufacture the shape. The shoulder hike you've probably been corrected for? That's your body's solution to a neck that doesn't have enough freedom to let the épaulement happen.

Most pirouette instruction focuses on the front of the turn — the spot, the opening arm, the preparation. These all matter. But they share something in common: they're all about the half of the turn the dancer can see coming. The half they can't see is where most double pirouettes fall apart. Here's the cylinder cue I use with intermediate and advanced students to fix inconsistent doubles — and why it works when "spot faster" and "hold your core" don't.

The music you choose for barre combinations isn't just about mood or tempo — it's shaping what your students are actually learning. Meter determines whether a fondu develops arrival or pathway. Accent determines where the emphasis lives in any given step. Here's how to use both intentionally.

Your students stretch their hip flexors, strengthen their backs, and practice constantly. But their attitudes derrière stay wobbly and inconsistent. They assume they need more flexibility. The real problem? Standing leg alignment. When students tilt their pelvis forward too much, it creates a cascade of compensation issues that no amount of stretching will fix. The good news: You can predict this problem as early as rond de jambe at the barre—and correct it with two simple te

Teaching attitude as “retiré behind”? A 16th-century statue explains the inconsistent shapes, and how to fix them.

ne moves the story, one just entertains. How to tell a variation from a divertissement, with examples from Swan Lake, Nutcracker, and more.

Students lifting their hip in retiré? Learn why it happens and the systematic 3-level progression that builds correct placement before adding speed.

"Lower your leg in dégagé." You've said it hundreds of times, yet students keep doing low grand battements. The problem isn't the height—it's how they're executing the movement. Students using quads to lift can't moderate effort levels. Learn why slowing down dégagé (yes, really) builds correct technique faster than rushing through it incorrectly.

Your students have the strength and understand the mechanics, yet their pirouettes remain inconsistent. The missing piece isn't more repetition—it's intentional artistry training. When dancers control their eye-line during balances, their pirouettes naturally improve through enhanced spatial awareness and focus.

A clunky rond de jambe usually comes from connect-the-dots thinking. A simple idea called the Ugly Place fixes it.

Plié is a bend in three joints, not just the knees. How to release tension and feel all three.

Developing ballet turnout is a delicate balance. Push too hard and dancers get hurt; don't challenge enough and they never reach potential. Here are the systematic signs that guide safe turnout development.

Struggling to teach demi-seconde arm position to young dancers? Skip the technical explanations. These 5 imaginative cues (pirates, umbrellas, tutus!) secretly build perfect ballet technique.

Passing through fifth position in rond de jambe might seem helpful, but it's actually undermining your students' turnout development. Here's the center line approach that builds real strength.

Told to change your feet earlier or later? Here are three valid ways to teach changement, and how to know which you’re learning.