Ballet Beautiful: Transform Your Body and Gain the Strength, Grace and Focus of a Ballet Dancer (17 page)

STARTING POSITION:
After releasing the muscles in your arms and legs with the seated stretches following the Extended Bridge on One Leg, you are ready to get into position for the Reverse Bridge.

a
Go down onto your stomach on your mat, with your arms to the sides and your legs stretched out long.

b
Pull your stomach in to engage your center and open through the chest as you bring your arms in front of your body to first position on the mat.

c
Bend your knees and bring your heels together.

d
Keeping your neck long and your gaze downward, lift slightly through your back and use the muscles in your legs, stomach, and butt to lift both knees off the ground and into the Reverse Bridge.

a
Your knees will be slightly open in attitude as you lift the tops of your thighs off the floor. Keep your stomach pulled in and stay engaged through your center.

b
Lower your legs back to the floor, keeping your toes together and your legs in the same attitude position. Keep your upper body relaxed.

c
Pull in through your center again and lift your legs off the floor. You should really feel this through your butt and inner thigh!
8 counts, 2 sets.

/A.
For an advanced version, do 4 sets of 8 counts, then go directly to the next exercise.

Stretch
:
Classic Hamstring Stretch.

a
From the starting position for the Reverse Bridge, return to the Reverse Bridge, with your legs in the air.

b
Pull in through your stomach and squeeze through the backs of your legs and butt.

c
From this position, lift your legs slightly higher, then lower them back down slightly to the starting position with your legs in the air. This slight lifted pulse engages the muscles in the back, insides of the legs, and butt.
8 counts, 2 sets.

/A.
For advanced, do 4 sets of 8 counts, remembering to keep your stomach pulled in and working.

Stretch
:
Classic Hamstring Stretch and Upper Body Stretch with Port de Bras.

a
With your legs stretched out long on the mat, bend your right knee into attitude and bend your arms into a folded first position on the mat.

b
Pull in with your stomach and lift your right knee off the floor, extending your leg higher into the air. Keep your left knee straight on the ground and pull in to engage your center.

c
Lift your back leg in attitude higher into the air and pull in through your stomach.

d
Lower the working leg slightly, then lift again, engaging through your butt and inner thigh.
8 counts, 4 sets.

a
From the starting position for Reverse Bridge on One Leg, extend one leg back into attitude, with your knee slightly open.

b
Pull your arms into a folded first position on the mat in front of you; pull in and engage through your stomach.

c
Lift your back leg into the air in attitude, then lift slightly higher into a pulse.
8 counts, 4 sets.

If you need a break here, take a stretch for the upper body and hamstrings and have some water. (
If your muscles are feeling great, you can move directly into the arabesque extensions.)

a
The starting position is the same as for Reverse Bridge on One Leg and Reverse Bridge with One-Leg Lifts. Begin from the One-Leg Reverse Bridge. Lift your right leg back into attitude, lifting your knee off the floor and pulling in through your stomach. Extend the working knee and stretch your back leg into arabesque.