How to See if You're Improving As a Ballet Dancer

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Ask a friend or family member to take pictures for you as you dance.

   Use your arms in the pose as well as your legs.
   
   Take a few photos of the pose. , Note all the little and/or big things you are not quite doing accurately or well so far.
   
   Note what you are getting right. , Try the same pose again, making sure to try to fix those little errors you found before. , Compare the photos from before with the photos from post practice, to see how much you have been able to improve.
   
   Make sure to take pictures from different angles. ,, This is the most useful and reliable way to know whether or not you've improved over time.
   
   Only your teacher can give you the overall picture of how you have been progressing within a set period of time and whether she or he believes that you have made sufficient progress to move onto another stage of learning.
   
   Listen to what your teacher has to say.
   
   He or she will have some very constructive advice as to ways in which you can continue to improve, such as practicing more, doing strength exercises or focusing on specific errors that you might be making.
   
   Ask your teacher whether it's possible for you to spend more time fixing particular errors or weaknesses during class sessions.
   
   Ask for specific exercises that might help. , Ultimately, a dancer should be in tune with her or his own body.
   
   It is best to become self aware about changes in your body's ability to cope with ballet steps and routines, and to be aware of gaining strengths and improving.
   
   This will set you in good stead if you intend to continue with ballet as a career or a lifelong form of fitness. , Use how you respond to this to gauge how you are improving in your ballet learning as a whole.
   
   While it should be challenging, as all new steps and exercises require learning and practice, if you find it is too difficult, then you may not be ready to move on to the next stage.
   
   On the other hand, if you find the new steps and routines hard but doable, then it's likely that you have improved enough to move forward to new things in your ballet learning.
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   Step 2: Do a ballet pose.

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   Step 3: Look at the photos.

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   Step 4: Go to a full length mirror.

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   Step 5: Take another picture.

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   Step 6: Repeat with another pose.

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   Step 7: Talk to your teacher about your progress.

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   Step 8: Learn to spot the changes in your progress for yourself.

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   Step 9: Move on to another stage of learning.

Detailed Guide

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