Hi,

I would recommend starting off with a basic barre (plies, tendus, glisses, fondues, grand battements... maybe an adage). Focus on correct posture and stance, and always keeping the leg muscles (particularly the turnout muscles) fully engaged, extending the leg out of the hip socket (making the leg as long as you can without pulling off the supporting leg) in any degage type position (terre or en l'air), pulling up the knees whenever the legs are straight and lifting the torso up out of the hips (think of trying to lengthen out the spine, or pushing your feet down through the floor whilst reaching up through the ceiling with your head).

Centre Barres and floor barres can be fantastic aids posture and stance wise... I won't get into that right now as this post is getting long enough and is hard to explain purely in text!


Hope I helpes a little...

Jenna
www.dancerz.com/jenna

Hi,

to stop my shoes slipping off my feet I find attaching some elastic from the centre of top of the heel in a loop so you can slip it on and it holds on to te ankle under the ribbons. You have to be careful not to make it so tight that it cuts in to you though. Another good idea for extra security is to criss cross some elastic across you feet as you would with soft shoes. Hope this helps you!