Revisiting Anna's Class

Anna wants my arabesque with a more forward back.

I found the upper back in the arabesque today, by calling upon the same muscles that I feel when I do the back strengthening exercises.

Anna, similar to Molly, I suppose, asked us to use our arms in the jumps and open at the top. She even said this for fouettés in a relevé (from arabesque to a front extension).

Anna also likes the accent on the open movement for many of the petite allegro steps. Today it was a balloné.

Anna corrected my arms in high fifth during an en dehor pirouette. As soon as I corrected them I zipped around in the cleanest pirouette I've ever felt in my life.

My a la seconde on the right needs work. I need to remember to not use the hip flexor. That's why it's getting tight.

Also, reading Eric Franklin's alignment book, I found Lulu Sweigard's nine lines of the body. Many of them have already helped me. The back releasing down, the pubic symphysis coming closer to T12. the first ribs widening out into a bigger circle. the back of the pelvis widening, the front of the pelvis zippering up. The middle of the spine rising up.