Well you don't really lose it but I thought it would be a great way to grab your attention.:) "Use your plié", "push through the floor", "ground yourself"...common things heard in an adjudication. No matter how you say it they all mean the same thing-MORE PLIÉ!
As dancers, we have the tendency to always "pull up". We are constantly being told to get a higher relevé, higher passé, up, up, up...we forget we have to also work on the "down". Developing a strong plié is key for jumps, leaps, and transitions, just to name a few.
Here is a little analogy for you: Essentially the stage is your paper that you are drawing your choreography on. The harder you press down the darker and more impactful the color you are drawing with becomes. When you combine the darker colors with the light colors it creates a beautiful blend, like shadowing, and creates more layers to the art you are creating. Texture, layers, accents, design...all important to creating beautiful art. Being able to pull up is equally as important as your ability to get down. In today's most popular styles of dance, hip hop and contemporary, the ability to push into the floor, stay low, ground down, and push are all part of the technique.
So let's get to how to start feeling the connection to the floor and using your plié. Here are just a few things for starters: First, your demi plié stops the moment you feel as if your heels would disconnect from the floor if you went any further. Don't cheat your demi plié. Secondly I have included a video and exercise you can do to practice actually pressing into the floor through transitions. It uses my fav cheap dancer tool, the paper plate. It's a simple exercise that is perfect for all levels and can be modified. In more advanced classes, I like to more complex across the floor combos to change directions and work with more positions. The goal is to stay in pilé and push the plates under your feet to feel the connection to the floor.
Can't wait to see more art on stages across the US!!! As always email me lizbdance@gmail.com for any questions!
Take care of YOU, dancers!
Liz