We've all been there---a student looks gorgeous at the barre but struggles during their center work. It doesn't make sense. After all, you've designed your barre to preview and prepare students for the center work. Why is this happening?
If you find yourself in this situation, there is a good chance that your student is thinking of alignment as static instead of mobile and dynamic. In fact, this very misunderstanding is the reason I stopped using the word "placement" in my teaching and switched to "alignment." We're not trying to place everything perfectly and then freeze it there while we try to move; dance is a continuous alignment and realignment of the body as we dance through space.
So, since it is counterproductive to teach students that there is one perfect way to hold their body whether they are standing still or moving, what is the foundation of dynamic alignment that supports the ballet aesthetic? It comes down to 3 things:
Pelvis alignment. I tend to say "neutral pelvis" but I know some people really hate that term. (If you have an alternative that you love, please share in the comments!) This has nothing to do with flattening the curve of the buttocks. Instead, we want the anterior superior iliac spine and the posterior superior iliac spine to be level. In normal terms your students can understand: the hip points and hip dimples (the SI joint) should be level. And, by the way, abdominal core strength helps with this a lot more than the old-fashioned adage to "pinch the penny"!
Centered weight. A dancer's weight should be centered over their base of support. Their base of support is whatever parts of their body are touching the ground and the shape that makes. So a downward facing dog pose has a really wide base of support (the rectangle formed by the hands and feet) while anything balancing on demi-pointe has a much smaller base of support. Understanding that the base of support changes is a key point to help dancers wrap their brains around. You can't think your alignment will be the same in a 2nd position as it will during a pirouette.
Natural curves in the spine. There have been and continue to be way too many ballet teachers telling kids to flatten the curve of their spine. NO! The natural curves in the body's spine are part of its very complex design and serve very important purposes. The four natural curves of the spine (forward in the neck, backward through the ribs, forward in the waist area, and backward again in the sacrum) are key for weight distribution, shock absorption, maintaining balance, range of motion, and injury prevention. Dancers need all 4 of them. (There is an obvious medical exception that adds a wrinkle to this---hyperkyphosis---but being a ballet teacher doesn't qualify any of us to give medical advice.)
I dive deeper into these concepts and offer specific activities (especially ones for developing the center line needed for weight placement) in my book, Artistry Inside Ballet Technique. But for now, let's focus on how to apply these principles in your next class...
Try this: Next time you're teaching, choose one combination and focus solely on how these elements work together. Watch how the pelvis stays level while adapting to movement, how weight centers and recenters with each step, and how the spine's natural curves support rather than hinder the movement. Share what you observe with your students—sometimes simply naming what's happening helps them understand and embrace dynamic alignment. And don't forget to ask for their observations as well!
Remember, we're not training statues; we're training dancers. Let's give them the tools they need to move with confidence, control, and artistry.
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