Ballet Teacher Reacts to Eric Conrad's Teaching Method | TwinTalksBallet
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- Опубліковано 1 вер 2021
- Hey dancers! After getting multiple comments on my last reaction video, I couldn't help but follow my curiosity to check out what Eric Conrad's philosophy and method for teaching ballet is all about! I'd love to hear from you, what are YOUR thoughts on Eric's ideas? How do they differ from how you were taught? Comment below!
The Ballet Conrad UA-cam Channel: / balletconrad
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Thank you for being open to Eric's work and looking past the rough exterior. I have been incorporating Eric's teaching into my students' classes the last few years and have found it invaluable. The students recognize the control they have when they are properly activating their placement (which is not alignment) and are able to dance with confidence. Accomplishing Eric's placement is a long-term process and not a quick fix. There is a ballet concept called "aplomb" that has been mostly lost, though it is alive and well in the Cecchetti world. Aplomb keeps the weight centered just as Eric's work does. It develops the muscles in a very different way than hip-over-toe does (as I was trained). As a ballet teacher who cringes at the current trend of extreme hyperflexibility and hears stories of 14yr olds having hip replacement surgery, I eagerly anticipate a movement backward to recover the lost gems of the old Russian, Cecchetti, and Bournonville techniques. (Julie Cronshaw, a British Cecchetti teacher, has a short video on the concept of aplomb.)
I had a complete transformation of the shape of my leg muscles just from working on the very basics of his methods - actually straightening my legs all the way (into the hyperextension) and learning to support them there, instead of trying to hold them "straight" (which is actually bent, for me) made such a difference, as did having my weight in my heels, even though I was mostly doing modern/jazz and a little bit of very basic barre stuff with his method and not dancing a lot. I remember catching myself in the mirror one day like "those aren't my legs!" because I finally had an actual shape to my legs rather than just the bulk from trying to keep them in a "straight" line.
I am hyperextend. Did this method reduce your hyperextension?
@@belkyhernandez8281 No, and it's not really meant to (I can't remember the exact reason but he did a video on it once, basically it can appear reduced but your actual ligaments etc. can't be tightened because science).
@@alexandriawest thanks
Nobody ever dances in Conrad's videos. They just stand at the barre while he talks. I would have a lot more interest in his methods if he could show us even one of his student's dancing a variation, and dancing it better than the dancers that he criticizes.
I found Eric's channel around 6 years ago, and just like most people, felt he's very blunt and harsh. But all emotional reaction aside, I also thought he has interesting points. I was also confuse and VERY curious; so I sticked around and bought his DVD just because. I tried his technique on myself first, and 3 years later I was confident enough that it was safe to start applying them to my students. And now, 6 years down the road, I can clearly see and feel the difference it has made.
I was once received a honest comment from a teacher to my face, years ago, that my turn out is non-existent. I wasn't offended because I could see she was right. And today, after 6 years of hard work, I can objectively say, I do have turn out after all. What it takes was a LOT of hard work, but most importantly, an open mind (which the fact that I'm not at the receiving end of a harsh and public critic, makes it easier, hahaha)
I give you credit for being able to watch his entire video. The one thing I have never seen is Conrad or his wife move. Even in the videos of him coaching Misty Copeland, she doesn't move for more than two steps. I was trained by Valentina Pereyslavic from the Kirov. She barely spoke English, unlike Mr. Chatty Chester who never stops talking, but she taught us to dance ballet and I bet that she would not have been a fan of Conrad's. I enjoy YOU though. Glad I found your channel!
A teacher doesn’t need to move well to teach well. So what really is your point there?
Misty doesn’t have to move more than two steps, we can see a vast improvement. Anything after those two steps becomes an issue of stamina not necessarily placement.
Eric isn’t being chatty for the hell of it, he is educating. How do you educate without explaining things exactly?
And to compare your teachers lack of speaking English to Eric’s “chattiness” is a false dichotomy. In other words it’s a dishonest and illogical way of seemingly painting his talking as a bad thing.
Just say you don’t like him and don’t want to learn anything next time.
@@GiselleKlara
Even with a diploma how many people could be teaching in Russian academies? Lack of “professional” experience is totally meaningless.
He is not a “dancer” so I don’t expect movement. He is trained in pedagogy, so I expect his instruction to be of quality.
He simultaneously exposes the idiocy of ballet culture and institutions while also exposing the idiocy in their (and others) training methods.
Doing good for the sake of doing good despite looking “bad” is still good. He is effecting change. And if you see ugliness in his truth then you are too comfortable with the status quo.
@@SP.Addams A student cannot learn how to dance if he/she doesn't move. You can perfect a position, but if you cannot move from it, you cannot dance. If a teacher cannot demonstrate a movement, even in gross movement, it is very hard for a student to learn.
@@Christina4758 Do his students not move? Do they not learn?
So you are claiming his students don’t move, and therefore cannot (don’t) learn, and cannot dance?! I’m not sure how they would feel about hearing that.
It’s insulting to a students intelligence to claim they can’t learn an art form without having someone to copy. Copying is not learning.
You previously stated that your teacher barely spoke English, but demonstrated. And in Eric’s case he does not demonstrate but he instructs students verbally. There are different ways to learn. Both approaches work and can coexist.
You’re seem to be shifting your grievances like a ping pong ball. First you just don’t like him, then assert he can’t be a “good” teacher, and lastly resort to claiming that no one could possibly be capable of learning from his methods…..
Stop pretending that your comments are constructive, say you don’t like him and leave it at that. You lose credibility with every comment you make at this point.
@@GiselleKlara Did I say “it’s all idiocy”? No I did not.🤦🏻♀️
I don’t understand what’s offensive about him?
Or myself for that matter. 🧐
Your being fair about coming together and learning shows in your response to Eric Conrad fans, I thought. Similar to myself he was Vaganova trained. He learned pedagogy in Russia, the most important aspect in ballet training, during his time in the Bolshoi.
Yes, tendu starts in the highest pulled up first position from top to bottom with heels dug in almost hence the pulled up back correction for Svetlana’s gorgeous first position with the strength and stability many ballet dancers lack.
I’m excited to hear everyone’s testimonies to Conrad and your earnest approach to giving him credit from your professional point of view. It really helps so thank you!
I started following Eric Conrad about 4 yrs ago. I was intrigued by his wife transformation, so I bought the 6 hr video. I highly recommend it! This video really focuses on building a foundation for ballet. Very logic , linear. I found it very useful. I think it is hard to make a reaction video without first going thru his 6 hr foundation video. I would love for you to interview him!!
Totally its depressing how somebody makes a whole video after watching one video without even having gotten into the basics of the method and then people comment on that and nobody actually has a clue that the method holds knowledge about ballet that is in my opinion just basic for ANY ballet dancer. His method does not teach dancing, just the basics from which to start learning ballet. Shocking how little amount people know that. Im teaching his method since 4 years, there is not one bodytype or problem I cant solve when applying his understanding of technique. It does not teach how to dance however, that you gotta learn with somebody else, its strictly technical. Bringing technique and dance toghether is the hardest part of it and you'll have to take that journy on your own.
His videos are truly not very well built up and ordered but studying and trying it all out in different situations, settings classes of different ages, professional dancers and others ect. it has revealed itsself compleatly worthy to study but guys it takes a lot to deeply understand. 6hours dvd will not do. Only experience will..
To help you with a lot of the confusion you're experiencing - there's two reasons. First, Eric is Russian trained. The placement of weight in Russia is on the heel, not over the ball or the arch. This has been the same with all my Russian teachers and is also well explained in Agrippina Vaganova's books. There is also no weight on the toe in the final tendu position, so there is no "kick stand" thing happening, ideally. Secondly, Eric has experience with and older version of ballet placement teaching, which has been abandoned in your generation for the sake of quick training and stage tricks. Eric is showing the technique from the days of Vasiliev, Baryshnikov and Nureyev. You will find when you go back in time to look at old videos of Russian professionals, this is how they dance. You will find that the dancers are much more stable and controlled and easier to look at than the fast and flashy ballet of today, especially in America. You also find it confusing how his method reduces injury, but please be aware that Vaganova training has the lowest injury rate when properly trained, and also, Vaganova dancers are renowned for the uniformity of their corps work. About the use of the quadriceps he is right as well, it's the iliopsoas that does the lifting of the leg past about 90 degrees. The quad should do nothing more than hold the knee in extension. I've had the experience of standing next to a famous Russian dancer at the Broadway Dance centre and felt her quad i.e. "loosey goose" while she was in a high developpe. It was truly unbelieveable, but living proof that this does work. It's also the Russian teaching that due to the controlled plie landings we do not need extra shock absorption in the spine. Keeping the spine straight minimizes the chewing back and forth on the facet joints, also why Vaganova dancers have less spinal injuries.
say it louder!!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain! I really appreciate it. I had a Russian teacher growing up, but I don't recall him ever breaking these things down. I'm really glad to have the opportunity to learn from a different perspective!
Misha has had some surgery on his leg. And a ballerina in Russia had an injury so bad she had to have surgery. Weight on heels make you move your weight forward towards toes before moving.
Russian training is more strict. But all methods are not science backed. About the spine that doesnt make sense. Less shock absorption means less injuries? That doesnt sound right.
You are potentially answering my main question with his method ie the placement of the spine- more specifically the straightening out of the lumbar spine and subsequent tuck of the pelvis.
My understanding of what you just said was that it’s the WAY he trains the legs to take on the brunt of the force in landing that makes this lumbar spine position not cause injuries. Which is very interesting to me.
If that’s the case, it could solve a lot of problems..
However, it does still set dancing women up for difficult pregnancy and deliveries because of all the gripping and clenching in the pelvic floor/ teaching the pelvis to be in an alignment that hinders birth.
I guess the argument is that he is training DANCERS not mothers- which is valid. I’m just wondering and searching out wether dance can become a healthy thing for the WHOLE of a person’s life rather than just having a relatively healthy DANCE career.
I won’t take away from this method because it honestly seems helpful. But I’ve never seen one of his students actually dance full out or past a tendu/ plie and that is ultimately why we dance. To actually dance. If actual class were like this there would be probably like a handful of fully trained dancers. Where’s the joy and the fun?
I’ve been waiting for this!!! ❤️
I agree regarding your explanation of the use of the quads. It is anatomically impossible to lift your leg using the hamstrings. You wont bulk up if you use your turn out muscles properly. Excellent video. Thank you.
When I started watching his videos, at first I was a bit confused too, but then so much of what he was saying started to make sense. His teaching about how the body should be over the heel instead of over the ball of the foot in tendu was an example of this. If you stand at the barre in sixth and then raise one foot into demi, you'll see that it moves forward, but if you were to then stand up in relevé, your body moves to be directly over your feet. and when you're en pointe, your body needs to be right over your heels and therefore also your toes because everything is aligned vertically. Training your body to be over your toes teaches us how to GET over our toes, I think, but it places the rest of our bodies out of a vertical alignment and therefore isn't training the muscles to be where they need to be whilst en pointe. Fascinating. I have so many diagrams I've drawn up because of his videos. Literally, overnight my pirouettes went from a falling disastrous mess to competent because my ballet instructor had been telling me for years to put my weight forward and instead, I need to be vertical and BACK in my 4th to set my body up properly to get into the balance. I'm totally there with you about how Eric's method wouldn't necessarily look good on stage, but I think he's a total genius in terms of teaching the principles of ballet strength and placement. Thanks for having an open mind! If you haven't watched the videos of his work with Misty Copeland, I highly recommend them. They are very helpful, I think, in understanding the placement he suggests.
Love your reaction. 👍🙏 Svetlana
Thank you, Svetlana! Thank you to you and Conrad for making these videos!
What’s very interesting I’ve watched some old videos of the Kirov school . Their center work was so very clean with the supporting leg so strong and working leg moved very freely . Their weight looked to me very much over the supporting leg . Lupe Serrano always said the quads are what lift the legs.
She also insisted on releasing from the groin.💐💐💐
Would LOVE to see you two collaborate. Even if it’s a private over zoom. I have taken a few zooms with him and have never experienced anything like it. My back and hip pain have improved just by being placed and doing tendus and plies.
The thing about Eric is that you can't take his cranky old man no fxcks to give seriously. I suppose that is easier if you are not the target of his rant. But I think it's a little funny. And I have learned a lot for the reasons you stated. Sometimes ballet teachers speak in flowery magical language. Eric is blunt but I usually understand him when I listen a couple of times
He packs a lot of info into those videos sometimes.
I bought the 6 hours video and Ive been applying the advice to my own mini barre at home. Ive seen some fantastic progress on my tournout and my body in general BUT I dont know how to reconcile it with my traditional classes :s So Im confused haha about the spine: Ive observe that a lot of dancers in latin america (Im latina) have also very little curve in their spine, ¿maybe the russian influence as opposed to neoclassical-american? See Marianela Nuñez (Argentina) or Romina Contreras (Chile). You can also see in pictures that baryshnikov has very little curve in his spine. So thats my model of perfection.
Some people are born with less curves in the spine. I was.
If you look at old Kirov/Bolshoi videos, the Corps are not extremely "one size fits all." They're still pretty uniform, but the overall shape and movement are more natural and they're not as uniform as modern dancers in a Corps de Ballet.
I think these comments below are from him or his wife. He is nuts.
What why?
What is often missing as an explanation when extending the leg high is that the quadriceps only help in a very limited way. There is only one of the four muscles (rectus femoris) that actually crosses over the hip joint and therefore can assist in lifting the thigh. The other three serve to straighten the knee. Therefore, the deep rotators in the hip joint, especially the iliopsoas, must be engaged to lift and maintain a high extension.
Regarding kickstand.
If I recall, there are certain things he does to build strength in the beginning that he doesn't recommend when actually dancing. Transferring weight doesn't build strength.
Yes, strength allows artistry per Conrad. Dancers should develope monkey strength. Too much emphasis on flexibility vs mobility.
Two questions. Surely moving fast requires transferring weight fully and quickly. How does this method apply to petit allegro? Second question... we're totally ok with hyperextension? Surely this is unhealthy for the knee. Im wondering if this whole method has been designed to allow hyperextension because the russians like everything overstretched si have put the weight in the heal to allow the dancer to balance on a swayed back supporting leg. I do not feel i work my inner thighs or hamstrings with the weight in my heals. Quite the opposite. I did a conrad style class yesterday and today my quads are sore. Also how does this apply to demi pointe or pointe when the weight must be over the supporting foot or youll fall off your pointe? I will say one positive is that my pirouettes were better when thinking of my body staying in the middle of my legs and i do see the need to strengthen the turn out in the supporting leg and not move the supporting hip when closing but this can be achieved by "pulling up" (sorry) and simply engaging the correct muscles. Lots of questions
Hi Kirsten, I'm also very keen on the subject of spine placement, should we attempt to straighten it as best as we can, or should we allow for a 'natural' curve. I'm just a regular ballet teacher and my interest in this is purely to achieve safest way possible to train. I looked around and I found this video, it has nothing to do with ballet per se, but it has everything to do with aligning the body to minimize the effect of an impact. This video is about a famous kickboxer, Yi Long, who's well-known for 'Iron Head'. I found that the theory here has a lot in common with the principal used in Eric Conrad's Placement method, where one should align the head, neck, spine and tailbone in order to let the impact travels through the body with minimum damage. Should you have the time to watch, I'm curious what you think about it. Thank you
ua-cam.com/video/UDpRnllTjWs/v-deo.html
He is the best thing i found after all these years!!!
Only one of the quads, the rectus femoris, has the mechanical ability to lift the leg, however, it is only a support muscle for hip flexion. The iliopsoas does the vast majority of work in lifting the leg in the front. The back is a whole other matter. So to say the quads are lifting the leg is not accurate. One of the quads helps somewhat in the process. The sartorius also can help when the leg is externally rotated but not much. “Lift from the back of the leg” is impossible and nonsensical, as you stated. That i think is more of an image to get dancers to imagine the leg is pushed upward from behind, not a literal instruction to use a hip extender to perform hip flexion.
And also I wish ballet would let go of this idea that every student can adapt to the same techniques. One student may be able to lift from underneath the leg while the next student may need to engage their quad to achieve the position. Both are clearly acceptable and just need to be approached differently
You should take class with him and Svetlana. You would understand better and You would be amazed. And the example You made with the suit case, that is exactly how it should be, the dancer's body should be that strong to not shift any where, that is path to stability.. A really hard task😅 to achiev.
to help you with the confusion about the weight not being placed over the supporting leg, is mainly because in this method that is considering leaning on the supporting leg which is considered “cheating” and doesn’t necessarily develop anything. If someone were to lean weight on the supporting leg, that doesn’t develop proper turn out of both the legs working at the same time. it’s a big cheat and a short way out to the process of developing true turnout in ballet technique
Thanks
He was trained as a teacher in Vaganova in Russia. In one of his videos I saw that he didn't understand what two meant in french. I thought that was kinda strange. He was talking about deux and said he thought it should be duets. I do think his way is rather confusing the way he explains it.
No, I think Eric explained this in a video. In Russia, in the Vaganova Academy, pas de deux lessons are called "duet."
@@margarita9035 He was saying it like the real name is this and not that. But they mean the same thing, a dance for two. Also in different languages. So it doesnt matter.
@@GiselleKlara He says he did in a video. And showed a certificate. If what you are saying is true, then he is a lier. And all these videos is a butch of lies. Think about that one everybody!
@@margarita9035 Both mean the same thing, a dance for two people. Ballet names are in French.
I find Eric Conrad to be creepy, and teaching from a bizarre perspective. I can barely watch his videos as they are so cringey.
Why is it creepy?
Eric does not have a rough exterior. He is quality all the way through and I find his information liberating and accurate unfailingly accurate. I actually believe him to be the greatest ballet teacher in the history of ballet. I hope you can learn from him.
You might want to watch him ripping apart SKkylar Brandt's pirouette technique. Vicious and rude. She just received a glowing review for her New York debut in Giselle and was promoted to principal at ABT during the pandemic. Perhaps she knows a bit more about pirouettes than Conrad does. She certainly knows a lot more about dancing than he does.
@Lucille Bennett I think they can be helpful and my comment was more about his ego, rudeness and the fact that I can't tell if he can teach someone how to dance.
His comments are very helpful to me.
@@infinitekindness3321 Agreed.
@@GiselleKlara khoreva is incredibly mediocre and a nepotism baby.
@@Christina4758 yes because Conrad focuses more on basic technique. There’s some teachers who focus only on technique and bettering technique rather than carrying out movements through dance. I think his vids are helpful if you’re technique is lack but I agree I wouldn’t rely upon him to help me become better with my artistry.
Sad how somebody makes a whole video after watching one video without even having gotten into the basics of the method and then people comment on that and nobody actually has a clue that the method holds knowledge about ballet that is in my opinion just basic for ANY ballet dancer. This girl has less than 5 years experience of teaching, he's got 30. His method does not teach dancing, just the basics from which to start learning ballet. Shocking how little amount people know that. Im teaching his method since 4 years, there is not one bodytype or problem I cant solve when applying his understanding of technique. It does not teach how to dance however, that you gotta learn with somebody else, its strictly technical. Bringing technique and dance toghether is the hardest part of it and you'll have to take that journy on your own.
His videos are truly not very well built up and ordered but studying and trying it all out in different situations, settings classes of different ages, professional dancers and others ect. it has revealed itsself compleatly worthy to study but guys it takes a lot to deeply understand. 6hours dvd will not do. Only experience will..
I know NOTHING about ballet but Eric Conrad is trying to inspire a new generation. Soviet era dancers, he claims, did not sustain the life altering injuries seen today. Misty Copeland fractured her leg years ago due to poor technique. Modern ballet is nothing compared to the old Soviet Era dancers. Watch his video on Svetlana Zakharova and her micro pilie. Ballet is an excrutiatingly exacting art. I'm sorry but Misty can't dance. She is nowhere near even the low standard of modern ballet for a world class company. Her calves and thighs are deformed from poor technique. As Eric says "The audience is the ultimate judge." I wouldn't buy a ticket to see what is essentially what I could see at a regional ballet company. I'll watch old Soviet Era videos for free.
Ballet is being ruined by cross overs into Hip Hop and modern dance.
You know nothing about ballet so better don't discuss its a very serious artform and even people knowing a lot about ballet wouldn't dare to critizise Misty the way you do. You indeed have no idea how hard the work is to get to a tenth of what she can do
Listed the bulk of your comments about Conrad is that he’s bold he’s unconventional and you don’t like him. But you cannot contradict is his results particularly with Misty Copeland. I don’t think that you have a comparable line on your résumé. He was trained at the Bolshoi. He became a coach for Bolshoi dancers who became principal dancers. He has made sense of why so many try to become dancers and never make it. It’s not some magical thing. It’s a matter of pedagogy. He is probably one of the if not the most gifted teachers in the history of ballet. Whether most American dancers have been taught to have their weight on the toes or on the arch, the undisputed Masters of ballet have a heel as a center. The proliferation of injuries from the bastardization of ballet from an art form to a gymnastic endeavor has really heard American ballet. American ballet has always been inferior to the Russian . As the Russian ballet has tried to become more popular they lost some of their stature but never their superiority over American dance. This was because of the superiority of the teaching. It doesn’t matter whether you like Conrad or not, you should say something substantive or remove your video.