Positions of the Arms

This is an addition to the five basic foot positions. This video is going over some beginning ballet moves and positions. These are the positions for the arms. Your feet and arms follow the five steps together. If your feet are in 3rd position so are your arms. First position, the arms look like you are holding a big ball. Second position, your arms separate mimicking your feet. Third position, one arm goes above your head while the other one extends out to the side. Forth position, your one arm stays above your head while the side arm comes forward. Finally, fifth position both arms go up above your head.

While doing all five of these positions your elbows should stay slightly bent and round. It should be a nice flowing motion from one position to the next. Your arms and feet move together going from 1st position to 5th. It is all one unison movement that is elegant and flows smoothly.

To Try Out Or Not To Try Out?

Like I've mentioned before, I wait every year for So You Think You Can Dance to start and every year I get very excited. I get very involved with the show and it is very intense, I feel as though I was one of those dancers up on that stage. Every summer when it comes on I always say I'm going to be on there, but of course every year I’m not and I’m just sitting on my couch watching it. Everyone is very encouraging and tells me that I should go if I love dancing so much. They have confidence in me but I don’t.

The truth is I’m scared out of my mind! I was watching SYTYCD last night and I realized why I am so petrified to tryout. The judges were grueling and harsh last night to even the best dancers. An amazing dancer was even kicked off and she had the choreography down pat and everything. I see and feel the emotional rollercoaster they go through and I don’t think I’d be able to endure it. The judges are downright mean and have no mercy. I am too shy to get in front of all those people and perform; ever since I stopped dancing I won’t let anyone see me perform, I only do it for myself now. I feel as though the harshness of the judges and emotional abuse would discourage me. Standing on that stage and hearing that you aren’t good enough would be crippling for me. I’m afraid that it would discourage me so much that I would never dance again, not even for myself. I would constantly think im not a good dancer and as if I were one of those people that they make a mockery of. I am afraid of rejection and losing my passion.

I Have To Move On...

Everyone tells me that I should pick up dancing again if I miss it so much, but they just don’t understand. I would love to start it up again but my fear and anxiety gets the best of me. I always hear from my grandmothers and parents that they loved to watch me dance and I looked so elegant and graceful on stage. They tell me they miss seeing me up there and the joy I had in my eyes.

After a few years of no formal training I would be embarrassed to walk back into the dance studio with all the other dedicated dancers. I fell as though that I gave up on my dream and just walked away from it all nonchalantly. My greatest fear would be feeling inadequate compared to the dancers beside me. Besides being terribly horrified, let’s just say… I don’t have my dancer’s body anymore. I might not be overweight but I’m defiantly not in shape anymore. So to sum it up I let my nerves get the best of me and I’m a scaredy cat.

The pointe shoes lie there
Calling for me to come dance
I have to move on
-Abby Taylor

My Retirement

The answer to everyone’s question, Why did you stop?...
Ever since I was a little girl I would tell my mom “I want to be like her. I want to be a prima ballerina.” She gave the motherly answer of: “Okay hunny. You can do anything you put your mind to, but you do know it’s a lot of hard work and dedication.”

Throughout my dancing career I went through three phases: quirky and cute little girl, the “I’m too cool for anything” phase, and then the loud and proud phase. As a little girl I started off with tap, jazz, and ballet, but I really took a liking to ballet (obviously). So I dropped the tap and jazz to focus on ballet. As I got older in the late elementary and middle school years I was ashamed of being a ballerina since everyone made fun of me for it. Then I grew out of that phase and was proud of being a ballerina and didn’t care what people said. It was my passion and it made me happy.

As I got older the classes increased in quality and quantity, and it feels like I’ve attended every dance school in and around Philadelphia. Practices were long and grueling but it was worth every second; the recitals were my drug and gave me a high. I felt on top of the world and it was the happiest day of my life. I was even able to perform in the Nutcracker; which was a breath taking experience. I worked hard every year for that one day that made me feel so good. For twelve years I went on that stage and performed my heart out. I got to a point in my life where I would have to go professional, and I wasn’t ready for that. I would have had to dedicate my life to nonstop practices, eat, sleep, and live in the studio. I didn’t feel like I would be able to juggle dance and school and give each 100%. After countless practices and twelve glorious recitals the prima ballerina called it quits.

Now I regret it and wish I could turn back time.