Welcome to Focus Warm-Up 3 guided by Melissa McCabe. In this class we will be preparing the body for adage through: core strengthening, posterior chain activation and targeted alignment exercises.

The class begins with an important centring exercise called Pelvis Alignment. Here, we will use the Fusion Ball to activate the deep abdominals and stabilise the pelvis while extending the legs in parallel. Dancers should aim to keep their hips stacked so as to prevent the ball from slipping. In this way, the exercise becomes an important means of testing and challenging the dancer’s pelvic stability and alignment.

In Arabesque Activation, we will use the ProBall to refine the dancer’s alignment in arabesque. The ProBall provides a means of stretching and strengthening the back simultaneously, adding a stability challenge while promoting core activation.

Finally, we will focus on developing the strength and awareness needed for dévellopé devant. The exercise Refining the Dévellopé teaches the importance of core and posterior chain activation to support alignment. Dancers will first perform gentle bridges to practice articulating their spine, before moving into dévellopés, working to hold the turnout in the supporting leg as well as the working leg while keeping their core engaged and their ribs soft.

Tips

Check for level hips — pelvic alignment should not be compromised when increasing the range.

Remind dancers to activate their core to support their spine when lying prone on the ProBall.

Promote awareness of the supporting leg — this is just as important as the working leg.