How to Stand Like a Ballerina (and why you should do this every day)

Ballet has been in the news a lot recently. (And not just because of Timothée.) Chris Pine (be still my beating heart) took it up a few years ago, and says it challenges him to use entirely new muscles. He also appreciates ballet’s duality of strength and grace.

And then of course, there's Queen Camilla, who has been “hooked” on ballet since she and a group of friends began online Silver Swans® ballet classes during the pandemic. These classes are designed specifically for older learners, by the Royal Academy of Dance. And the fashion world’s obsession with ballet continues as Balletcore continues to boom.

What this means is that an art form that once belonged only to the young and the lithe, is now accessible to all of us. And this is evident in the growing numbers of online and in-person adult ballet classes.

But where, oh where, to begin?

Well, in the case of ballet, it all starts with standing.

So how do you stand like a ballerina?

Standing should be a piece of cake, shouldn’t it? You’ve been standing pretty much your whole life. How hard could it be? Let’s just clarify, right up front, that in ballet (like social media) it’s all about the illusion. But unlike Facebook and Instagram, in ballet there are no filters. Your only tools to create the illusion of floating through space are core strength, focus and practice, practice, practice. So let’s get to it.

Step 1: Stand

Yes, this really only works if you get off the couch.

Step 2: Find a mirror

It doesn’t need to be full-length. Just stand far enough away that you can see yourself from your knees up. And if you don’t have the space to do that, look at your reflection in a window. Or find a changing room at Aritzia. The washrooms at Cactus Club are also pretty spectacular. Mirror opportunities abound, if you just pay attention.

Step 3: Turn your feet out … gently

Heels together. Toes out. Otherwise known as “pizza feet.” Look down, just for a moment. Do you see that space between your feet? Shaped like a slice of pizza? Not too big. Not too small. Just the right size. Like Goldilocks and her porridge. No, don’t get distracted. There will be time to snack later.

Make sure your kneecaps are looking in the same direction as your toes. This will be particularly important when you start to plié. But let’s not put the cart before the horse. Back to standing.

Step 4: Lengthen your spine

Keeping that slice of pizza between your feet, drop your tailbone. Don’t arch or tilt. Simply let gravity do its work so that your spine is stacked naturally, with your tailbone centred in the space directly above your heels. The reason so many of us have back pain is that lifestyle and poor posture have resulted in the pelvis being misaligned. By dropping the tailbone, your pelvis is put back where God intended.

Step 5: Tighten your butt

The most effective way to keep your tailbone where it belongs is to squeeze the largest muscle you possess, the gluteus maximus. If you are of a certain age and have been subject to the whims of gravity, turn sideways and watch what happens when you squeeze. Magically, your derrière becomes twenty-something perky again. Hashtag no filter required.

Step 6: Stretch your legs

Keeping your glutes squeezed, straighten your knees. You do this not by “locking” them. Instead, focus on pulling up the fleshy part above your knees. Much like tightening the glutes, this takes ten years off your kneecaps. Now, engage your inner thighs, pulling them towards each other as though they want to kiss. Feel your inner thighs coming forwards as your outer thighs wrap backwards. Now imagine someone slipping a $100 bill between your knees. Don’t ask why. Just feel that $100 tightly wedged there. And then imagine a wind of hurricane proportions coming at you. Your job is to hang onto the money. And make it look effortless. The only way to do this is by continually pulling those inner thighs towards each other and squeezing the glutes.

Don’t forget to breathe!

Step 7: Tighten your core

Inhale, expanding your rib cage. Take in as much air as you can. Extend those ribs. More. This is the last time you will allow your ribs to splay open like this. Now exhale. As you breathe out, imagine you are lacing up a corset. It can be any colour you wish. With diamonds. Rubies if you’d like. Think Dita von Teese. Feel that corset tighten as you exhale. It’s knitting your ribs together, pulling your navel towards your spine, lifting and flattening your abdominal muscles (yes, you have those, you just need to find them.)

Are you still gripping the money?

Step 8: Relax your shoulders

Keep squeezing the inner thighs, lifting the kneecaps, wrapping the outer thighs, and tightening the glutes. Now gently drop the shoulders away from your ears. Remember to keep the ribs laced together in your corset so that the spine doesn’t slip out of alignment. And don’t lose that $100!

Step 9: Release your neck

Imagine golden rays of light beaming out from the tips of your ears. (Yes, you are that gorgeous and other-worldly.) You want to aim them straight up to heaven. So position your ears right above your shoulders. With the amount of sitting we do nowadays, our necks tend to jut out, tilting our ears forward. Mastering the ballerina head, allowing it to float effortlessly, all swanlike, provides instant ballerina transformation.

There is one last, secret, ingredient to being a ballerina, but before we get to that, you might be wondering what the point is of subjecting yourself to this beautiful torture.

What are the benefits of standing like a ballerina?

Research consistently shows the many physical, emotional and mental benefits of dance. These include increased energy levels, improved balance, stress reduction, and weight loss. Regular dance has also been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and improve the immune system. It improves cognitive ability, helps reduce symptoms of depression and enhances general well-being.

The biggest bonus, though, is that it makes you feel gorgeous. And all you have to do for that is to stand there. But there is one more thing…

The final secret ingredient: attitude

Ok, you’re standing. Your toes are turned out. Your knees are straight, butt tight, inner thighs kissing. Your spine is long, tailbone centred between your heels, stomach lifted, naval pulled in towards your spine. Your shoulders are wide and relaxed, neck floating, ears lifted.

Find that mirror again. Are you beautiful? Hell yes!

Are you just a tad uncomfortable? Of course, but look at you, all ethereal and fabulous! And it’s not like you’re not used to a little discomfort. After all, you’re a woman existing in this world. Need I say more?

Now look around. You own this space. This is your kingdom. It doesn’t matter whether you are in your bedroom. Or at Aritzia. Or in the washrooms at Cactus Club. Or even at the gas station.

Wherever you are - you are the queen. And from this moment on, you are the queen of every domain.

Congratulations. Go grab your tutu and tiara.

You are officially a ballerina. Let the dance begin.

xoxo Lindy