Soma Ballet

Where Breath, Balance, and Ballet come to Life.

The Recovery Class

Hello and welcome to Soma Ballet.

Like all good things, this Recovery Class has been slowly coming together for many years. It weaves in my deep dive into Somatics through the Feldenkrais Method, University teachers who challenged the traditional ballet class, modern dance technique, and my most beloved Royal Danish and Bournonville teacher from SAB - Stanley Williams. From all of these sources and from working through my own physical pain, Soma Ballet evolved. Here are some ingredients that make up the class:

1. Floor Work:

I use the neuromuscular Feldenkrais exercises from multiple Awareness Through Movement classes to help dancers release and reset their habitual holding patterns.

2. Barre:

I agree with the Spine at the beginning of class. There is no oppositional request of the spine.
I enhance the standing leg connection and twist into the standing leg thereby warming-up the glutes/greater trochanter from an internal rotation before asking the muscles to hold and turn-out.
I move the legs in the hipsockets freely and with ease in and out.
I fold and unfold the upper body with ease.
I use the natural spiral of the spine to twist into the standing parallel leg to create stability of the standing leg and ease in the back muscles.

3. Class Structure - The structure of the class depends upon the students and what the intention is. For example:

When I teach company class for the Madison Ballet dancers I give a short 10-minute floor sequence followed by 4 barre exercises that follow the non-oppositional approach and then I dive into a more traditional barre because I must honor that they need to work on certain technical components to be prepared for their rehearsal day and the technique they are working towards.

When I teach a full Soma Ballet workshop for University students or professional dancers I offer a deep floor investigation of a complete Awareness Through Movement lesson of about 40 minutes. I’ll have the students stand and process the experience, feel the kinesthetic shifts, and we’ll talk about these experiences. Lastly, we’ll transition to the barre work to investigate how to apply these physical feelings into the barre work with ease and a new sense of alignment without stress.

SOMA BALLET:

Somatics + Ballet = Intelligent, Joyful Learning.

Bring the natural body into the ballet experience.

Best For:

● Professionals, University Dance Majors, or Pre-Professional Students seeking a pain-free way into Ballet or to reassess alignment.

For me, dancing is necessary. It sets my brain right while I think through movement and while I share myself with others through movement.

Whenever I take a moment to pause, breathe, dance, connect, and transfer myself into music - change happens. I believe this is crucial for living a busy life effectively. It is a gift to be able to connect with my inner self while quietly existing in a ballet class and I believe that if I feel this, others can too.

What makes my approach different?

I still move through all the basics but I also keep the power of choice alive in ballet. I work with the ballet standards but do not get stuck in them. There is always an essential ballet thread to be pulled from each exercise. I can explain ballet training from the perspective of the Cecchetti Method, Balanchine style, and Russian approach and then I help people to see beyond the method and into the body. Let’s find the best fit for you! Together we analyze the movement, your body, your body in the movement and then determine what is the best fit based upon your explorations and experience.

It’s an intention and a choice to use ballet for all the good and beauty it can provide. Ballet has been there for me throughout my life, it has been my trusted companion, and has provided me with such fulfillment that it gives me great satisfaction to pass it on to all of my students.

I invite you to come dance with me and leap into your own Ballet Journey!

SOMA BALLET

Through strength, balance, posture, and grace we lengthen, float, suspend, fold, grow, twist, and root ourselves within our body. We expand into the space, merge with music, and connect with our fellow dancers. We live a most vital moment together and acknowledge the moment as special and important. Come Join Us!!

Weekly Online Clinic

TBA

"Explore the Subtle World of You!"