04 / Posture guide
Ballet posture for every day.
Dancers don’t stand tall by forcing it. They stack the body with a few small cues. Use these at a counter, in a queue or before you walk into a room.
5 cues dancers use
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01
Lift the crown
Picture a string lifting the top of your head, gently drawing you up. Your chin stays level, your neck gets longer, and your spine lines up without effort.
TipThe lift comes from the back of your head, not your chin.
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02
Close your ribs
Knit your front ribs together and don’t let them flare. Pushing the ribs out to “stand tall” arches your lower back. Imagine buttoning a fitted jacket.
TipPut a hand on your lower ribs, breathe out and feel them draw in and down.
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03
Pull up, don’t tense
Lengthen your waist and make space between your ribs and hips, but keep breathing. Pulling up is not the same as holding your breath or clenching your stomach.
TipIf you can’t talk comfortably, you’re clenching.
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04
Lengthen the tailbone
Let your tailbone drop toward the floor, without arching or tucking. A neutral pelvis keeps your lower back long and your walk smooth.
TipStand side-on to a mirror. Your ear, shoulder, hip and ankle should roughly line up.
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05
Stand on a tripod
Spread your weight over three points on each foot: your heel, the base of your big toe and the base of your little toe. Your arches lift and your whole body steadies.
TipRock gently forward and back until your weight settles evenly.
A posture check, twice a day
- Stand side-on to a mirror, one hand resting on a counter or chair back.
- Set your feet on the tripod.
- Let your tailbone drop, then close your ribs.
- Lift the crown and hold for five slow breaths.
- Walk away and try to keep it. Then film a walk and see if it holds.
Défilé for iPhone
Film your walk in défilé and see if your posture holds.
Défilé scores your walk out of 100, shows you what’s holding it back and gives you one short drill to fix it. Your video never leaves your phone.
Keep practising
