Ballet To The People

A streetwise ballerina like Vicki puts urban architecture to good use, supporting her cambré derrière (backward arch) on a stanchion.

Doing a supported stretch like this is a good reminder that when we stand up and do the cambré unsupported, we should feel as if we are draping our upper back and shoulders over an imaginary support, lifting and turning the head – taking care not to crunch the back of the neck and not to arch the lower back. The overall effect should be a lengthening of the spine, not an acrobatic back bend.