Correct weight placement and why its so important for dancers
This picture of Steven McRae Principal Dancer at The Royal Ballet is cropped in half ! Why ? Because it serves as a fantastic study in correct weight placement for the dancer. Notice the white crop mark that divides Stevens body in half goes from his supporting foot demi-pointe up the inside of the supporting thigh and directly through the centre of his torso chest and face and out through the top of his well lifted neck chin and head. The photo has not be manipulated at all, only cropped directly in half ! In this position he is able to balance
(long enough for a great photo !) and also perform multiple pirouettes. The axis of the turn (the supporting leg and body ) being one straight vertical line . Of course all bodies are different and all dancers have a slightly different centre but weight placement especially over the supporting leg is crucial in determining correct posture, technique and balance. A high retire in this position also helps to leverage the body weight over the supporting leg .
Many choreographers particularly for contemporary works will ask the dancer to be off centre , to use the weight of gravity and to fall down as part of the choreography. But how can you be safe technically when offcentre if you don't first have a very secure centre at the core of your technique . This can particularly difficult for dancers lucky enough to have hyperextension as the leg line is not straight. These dancers must find the closest thing to straight by engaging the quad muscles and 'lifting' the knee cap at the front of the leg as well as the hamstrings at the back of the leg so they are not 'pulling ' back in their hyper extension, creating a bow shape. ( see our previous Blog post on Hyperextension in Dancers)
Having your weight centred over the front part of the supporting foot also allows you to be ready for whats next .....whether that be a rise to demi-pointe or pointe , a sauté , a pirouette turn or a pose into an open position. If your weight is back it can take crucial time and muscular effort to readjust to the next movement . A strong core will also ensure you are free from strain in the arms, upper back and neck allowing you to extend your upper spine and use a flowing Port De Bras. If you can, train to ensure correct weight placement during Barre work, this will inevitably carry over to Centre and also to your allegro ( think quieter landings) and partnering work .If you're hand and elbow are behind your body or gripped tightly on the Barre you need to realign . Your male partner does not want to have to readjust your weight for you , it makes more work for him .Men need to have a strong sense of their centre or 'Core' to ensure they have correct posture and deep Transverse Abdominus engagement when they are partnering and lifting to avoid back injury.
A good self test to check your weight on the Barre is just to sometimes take your hand off and see if its an issue or even try a little pressure rise on your supporting leg! Did you have to shift your weight over to be able to lift your heel?
It doesn't matter if you do a lot of ballet or a little bit to help your technique for other styles of dance . Good weight placement and centre alignment together with a strong core is essential for EVERY style of dance and Movement!
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5 Core Exercises that can help with your correct weight placement as advised by leading exercise professionals.
