Re: [TANGO-L] walking on the balls of the feet, balance and posture

[astrid <astrid @RUBY.PLALA.OR.JP>]

Nicole wrote what her "walking professor" taught her in college:
"Weight should land slightly in front of the arch, right at the back part of
the metatarsal for "proper" standing weight, with hips tucked, back straight
to keep solid balance on the ground, all aligned with a straight axis from
the top of your head to the bottom of your pelvis (that's the way our spine
is designed).
> This is not only a dancers way, but also what I've had chiropractors and
podiatrists and my "walking" professor in college say this is the "way for
proper balance to inflict less injury to your spine, knees and feet"."

I would like to add to this the best piece of advice I ever received in all
my years of dancing, from a female teacher on tango-l, who does not want to
be named. XY, this has helped me so much, and I will be forever grateful.
This has changed the entire way I move, and my body has changed and adapted
to this and feels so much better, lighter, taller and springier this way.
Here is (again) what she wrote to me at the time:

"I have discovered that pulling the weight of the upper body out of the
groin is the way to take the weight off the feet and knees (especially
knees because that is where dancers get injured most).  I encourage my
students and all serious dancers to take Martha Graham beginner modern
classes because that technique is incredible for the tango and needs no
separate interpretation to be incorporated into the tango.  It builds the
center and teaches dancers how to use their abdominals in tango  so that
their shoulders don't sink into the hips and hips don't sink into the
knees, and the rest does not sink into the feet."

Add to this Pilates exercises, which aim directly to strengthen the deep
muscles in the middle of your body, which hold the spine straight in the
lower back, keep the stomach in and your ribcage raised, and and your axis
will be notably strengthened, and all your moves made considerably more
elegant.

I am glad that there are at least a few people on tango-l, who really know
what they are talking about. Thank you, Nicole.

Astrid