In-Depth Balance Tutorial

Finding your balance in ballet can feel frustrating at first, but it’s not something you’re “just bad at.” Sometimes you have "good balance" days, and sometimes you have "off balance" days.  But as time goes on and you learn a few tricks, and how your body works, the "off balance" days become fewer.  As Cristina Krigolson, from Face the Barre, explains in this video, balance is a skill built from many small, precise elements working together. From your feet all the way up to your head, every part of your body plays a role.

Rather than trying to fix everything at once, focus on building your balance step by step, starting from the floor (your feet) and gradually working upward. With consistent attention to alignment, muscle engagement, and body awareness, your balance will become more stable and controlled over time.  Her video below, is really worth watching and referring back to as you progress in your ballet journey.

Here's a checklist of Cristina's tutorial, that you may find useful:

Foot Placement

• Keep your entire foot grounded (on flat): no rolling in or out
• Avoid curling or lifting your toes
• On demi-pointe, distribute weight evenly across all toes
• Ensure your arch tracks directly over your toes (no sickling)

Supporting Leg

• Fully straighten your supporting leg
• Engage your quadriceps (thigh muscles)
• Think of lifting up, not pressing down into the floor

Glutes & Turnout

• Lightly engage your glutes (no gripping)
• Maintain turnout using your glutes and deep rotators
• Keep both legs active, even the working leg

Weight Shift

• Shift your full body weight onto the supporting leg
• Don’t keep your weight centered between both feet
• Avoid sinking into the supporting hip, stay lifted and aligned

Posture & Alignment

• Keep a neutral pelvis (not tucked or tilted back)
• Stack your body like blocks: shoulders over hips
• Avoid arching your back or flaring your ribs
• Engage your core naturally through good alignment

Working Leg Awareness

• Don’t let the working leg “relax”
• Keep turnout active to prevent the knee from rolling inward

“Up and Over” Feeling

• Think of a slight forward lift from your sternum
• Avoid leaning back when trying to “pull up”

Arms & Upper Body

• Arms are active, not decorative
• Connect your arms to your back (lats)
• Keep shoulders relaxed and gently pressing downward

Opposing Energy

• Press down into the floor with your foot
• At the same time, lift up through your body
• Think: grounded below, growing taller above

Final Tip

Don’t try to fix everything at once. Start with your foot placement, then layer in each correction gradually. Balance improves with patience, consistency, and awareness, not force.