FOOTWORK: Your feet are always active; never passive. Work your feet against the floor. Use all the parts of your foot, all the time. Get grounded. Then you will rise to beautiful turns and magical jumps.

TOMBÉ PAS DE BOURRÉE PIROUETTE: If you stop and pose in plié fourth after the pas de bourrée, be sure you “double” the plié. If your supporting knee stops moving, give it another push past your supporting toe so it makes that foot relevé. Push the floor with all your toes, spot, and bring your arms into position.

SECRET OF SUCCESS. The dancers we admire most always continue to grow and enlarge each pose or movement whether slow or fast, on the floor or in the air. They don’t hit a pose and hold it. Instead, they send their life force out into space through their fingers, toes, and eyes and touch our hearts. They create unforgettable moments that renew and inspire us.

ONE FOOT: Remember that in center floor and on stage, you will spend most of the time dancing on one foot rather than standing in a static position with both feet. Therefore, at the barre, make sure you’re securely balanced on your supporting foot, ready to push down and rise, and in complete control of the position or free leg.

Petit jeté, assemblé, brisé: Be careful that you don’t rely entirely on the brushing foot. Be sure you push the floor with your supporting foot so that your jump is airy and magical.

JUMPS: You want your legs to act like springs when you jump. When you prepare to jump, try to make your demi-plié almost isometric. Never relax into a deep plié that requires you to lift your body and pull your legs out of it. Try not to think of jumping with your knees and thighs. Put all of your energy into your feet and push the floor.

Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Don’t give up. Stay in the game.

This moment is your past, present, and future

The music is never too fast—you’re always too slow. You’re slow because your head is low—get your ears back and stop leaning forward.

DEMI-PLIÉ AT THE BARRE: Most dancers tend to relax and sit low in their demi-plié which slows down their dance movements and lessens their jump. Good dancers actually minimize and purposefully work their demi-plié extremely carefully knowing that it has to propel their bodies upward in poses, turns, and jumps