Five Fast Tips from Vito Bernasconi —

This month, Vito offers five quick tips to help you get the most from your dance class!

1. Before any class, make sure you feel ready to DO class. Take a moment to focus your mind and your body before going into the studio. You’ll always have a better class when you’re more aware of yourself.
    
2. Think of your feet like your hands. Whenever you’re dancing, imagine that your feet have the same pressure, articulation, range and movement as your hands, so you can train your feet in the best way possible. You’ll also often see dancers rehearsing steps with their hands to help commit them to memory.
    
3. Spatial awareness is important. Having space is one of the best things in ballet, but making sure that you and your fellow dancers have enough space to dance is also important for safety. No one wants a black eye or a broken nose from a stray arm or leg!
    
4. Find your spot. When turning, try to find an exact point on a wall or in the space in front of you to come back to each time you perform a pirouette. When I’m practicing, I like to go up to a wall, find a small spot on a brick, step back and make sure I see that spot as many times as I turn.
    
5. Listen to the music. Don’t just be musical, let the music fill your body so you can enjoy yourself as much as possible. It also helps in finding the mood for your character or the atmosphere of the piece you’re doing. What you put into ballet is what you get out of it, so make sure you have a good time when performing this beautiful art form. 

Watch Vito focus those turns in this 360 view video of Company Class.
Best viewed on a tablet or smartphone.