How To Stand Like A Ballerina

No matter where you go you will always spot a ballerina in a crowd because of her beautiful posture.

Not only does it look elegant, but good posture also gives her the foundation for ease of movement. If you do that too it will elevate your mood and energy levels. That means a positive neural feedback loop that communicates to your brain and the rest of the world that you are a confident, positive, and energetic person.

Ballerinas stand with grace and elegant poise. A ballerina carries her weight between the balls and heels of both feet. She keeps her pelvis neutral and her core engaged. Her shoulders stay wide and she allows her head to float up above her shoulders like a balloon.

The easy thing to do is just say “stand up straight.” like we can remember our mothers doing. However, what is good ballerina-quality posture really and how do you create it?

The Gorgeous Ballerina Posture Is A Byproduct Of 4 Key Fundamentals

A ballerina’s posture requires a tall spine. Begin with your weight shared across the entire ball and heel of both feet. Your pelvis should be neutral, neither tilted forward nor back. Your shoulders should be wide. Finally, your head should float upwards bringing your neck in line with your tall spine.

Maintaining a tall spine like a ballerina is a head to toe phenomenon. Let’s look at each of the four zones in a dancer’s posture so that you can do them effectively.

Both Feet Carry Weight

Irrespective of your posed stance, the way we stand on our feet carries right on up through your spine to the top of your head.

Your weight should ideally be divided between both feet. Each foot should connect with the floor across the entire ball of the foot and the heel. This means that the entire ball and heel of each foot carries weight.

Pay attention to the edges of the feet and avoid letting the ankles buckle outwards (sickling) or the arches collapse inwards (pronation).

Keep Your Pelvis Neutral

Your pelvis is actually the most critical physical element your posture.

If you take a moment to think about it, it makes total sense considering the pelvis is the heaviest part of the human skeleton.

However, most girls don’t hold their pelvis optimally. The most common is tipping the tailbone back (pushing out the booty). This arches the back and exaggerates the curve of the lower spine. Slightly less common is tucking the tailbone forward. This exaggerates the curve of the upper spine and causes the shoulders to hunch forward.

The way we were taught in our dance class to hold our pelvis correctly, was that we first check the position of our tailbone. The trick is to release your tailbone down between your heels, neither tucking nor arching.

As you release your tailbone downwards between your heels, gently pull in your lower abdominals. 

This is the key to good posture that will keep your lower back comfortable and pain-free. Your core does most of the work that makes you stand up straight. So, yet another reason not to neglect those abdominals.  

NOTE: Wearing high heels often causes the tailbone to arch. This is especially true when you try to go too high, too soon.

Take care when wearing heels to avoid putting pressure on the lower spine, which can cause considerable lower back pain. Especially if you are new to heels or moved up to heels of a new height, try dropping your tailbone and hugging in your lower core to alleviate low back discomfort.

Keep Your Shoulders Wide

There are many people that think simply throwing the shoulders back and lifting the chin is all it takes to have good posture.

However, trying to constantly pinch the shoulders backward can cause some discomfort and other postural issues.

The goal is to open across the front of your chest. To open up your chest and collarbones without pinching the back, imagine the front tips of your shoulders moving side-to-side away from each other.

As you do this, hug in your lower abdominals and try not to make the effort in your neckline. Instead, hold your core and let the shoulders fall away from the ears as they widen.

Allow Your Head To Floats Upwards

Lastly, and very importantly, your head should be well aligned too.

In order to do this, imagine the whole top of your head floating upwards. This will lengthen and release your neck while keeping your ears hovering directly above your shoulder-line.

The human head is rather heavy as well, so by using good alignment, you will feel taller as well as lighter.

Also, when you carry your head in this balanced way, it transmits an air of confidence.

Pay attention to your posture and develop good habits is well worth the effort. It will keep you standing tall both physically and mentally.

Next time you feel like you are “in a slump”, try engaging these four areas of posture for an instant lift in both your stance and emotional outlook.

If you get the opportunity to take a couple of ballet classes, do so for the sake of your elegant and feminine posture.