How To Improve Your Layouts In Your Modern Dancing

Let’s look at layouts in modern dancing and how you can improve your layouts.

There are generally three important layout lines in modern dancing.

To achieve any of these lines, it helps if the dancer is supple, strong, and understands how to hold their torso firmly.

So it is a good idea first to strengthen the abdominals and hinge lines to assist with this.

The lateral muscles also need to have a lot of control.

In all the layout lines there is energy created both ways, and that is out of the head and out of the foot in opposition. If you can achieve this energy, you will have balance.

Always make sure that you are holding the neck in line with the spine.

How To Improve Your Layouts In Your Modern Dancing

Forward Layout

In this layout, the body is in a forward position. The supporting leg is bent in a natural turned-out position. The back leg is extended and straight and the neck is held in line with the spine. The back is held and the body tilts forward.

The working leg is lifted to the back in an arabesque line. The torso is well held with square shoulders and it tilts forward. This creates a curved banana line.

Be careful not to take the body too far forward and the upper back must be held. The arm is normally taken to the side. A common fault is the dancer pulls the arm backward to achieve the forward tilt of the body.

Tips for Teachers

To help the students feel the placing of this layout, let them place their hands and knees on the floor. Be sure the alignment is correct. Engage the core.

Slide one leg backwards with the toes on the floor, stretching the leg, and then slowly lift the leg aiming to raise the toes above the hips. At the same time push your hands down to the floor and diagonally in front of you on the floor.

Aim to lift the leg higher.

Now stand facing the barre with both hands holding the bar. Point the right leg back on the toe and lift the leg to 45 degrees. Engage the core and upper back and simultaneously as you lift the leg create a seesay action of the torso moving forward, but maintaining the pull down of shoulders and hold in upper back muscles. It is easier to keep the supporting leg bent.

Remember to use the correct neck and headline with the eye line cast diagonally downwards.

Back Layout

The supporting leg is bent in a natural turnout and the torso moves backwards. The line of the torso is elongated. The neck is held in line with the spine. Both sides of the laterals are well-held.

The body will be in a backward position and the supporting leg is bent. the working leg is lifted to the front in a developed line.

The torso is well-held with square shoulders and hips and leans backward.

Remember this cannot be called a ‘V’ line, as there is a slight pelvic thrust to lift the leg.

The head pulls upwards to the back diagonal as the leg pulls forward to the front diagonal.

The neck is held and the chin is raised with the eyeline towards the join of the wall and ceiling.

Usually, the arm will be held in seconde position.

Allow the dancer to have a slight turnout of the supporting leg. Make sure that her knee is tracking over her feet.

Tips for Teachers

Sit on the floor in a kneeling position, with the right leg bent forward and the foot flat on the floor.

The hands should be behind them as they lean backward (hinge). Press the pelvis up which will lift the buttock off the heel. Lower and repeat this several times to emphasize the use of the pelvic lift in the forward layout.

Now press the pelvis up.

Take the right leg and start to developé forward to diagonal. Lower the pelvis and bring the leg back to a bent position.

Repeat with the left leg.

Standing diagonally at the barre with the right leg on the barre, fully stretched and the left hand holding the barre. The right hand is in second. Bend the supporting leg. Press the pelvis forward as the working leg slides slightly forward on the barre. Recover and bring the pelvis back to a neutral position. Repeat this several times.

Bend the supporting leg and press the pelvis forward as the working leg slides slightly forward on the barre.

Now aim to lengthen the torso backwards with correct head and neck placing. Lift the leg off the barre slightly. Recover and bring the pelvis to a neutral position. Repeat this several times.

Side Layout

The supporting leg is straight and the raised leg extends to a second according to the dancer’s ability. The hips are as square as possible and the neck is held in line with the spine which is diagonally extended upwards with both laterals equal.

This takes the body to a side V position. The working leg is lifted to the side in a developé line. The torso is well-held with square shoulders and the hips lean sideways. The placing is in a ‘V’ line.

The head pulls upwards to the one diagonal as the leg pulls sideways to the opposite diagonal.

The neck is held and the chin and eyeline are generally forward.

Usually, the arms are on the barre or in an oblique line if done in the center. This may be done in turnout. Remember the developé to the side is always within the dancer’s turnout range. Both sides of the laterals must be equally engaged.

Tips for teachers

Facing the bar place right leg sideways in turnout on the barre. Holding both laterals firmly in one line, shift the torso sideways and upwards then return to first position.

Take both arms to parallel 5th and repeat the shift of the torso sideways maintaining the line of the head and neck.

Hold this position and try to lift the leg just slightly off the barre.

Return to IP and repeat several times with both legs.

Sit on the floor on the knees.

Lower to sit to the left side of the buttocks and left hip with the knees together. Place the left hand well away from the body on the floor to the side.

First, feel the engagement of the laterals by lifting hips off the floor and understanding the line of the torso being in one line from knees to head. Push out of the hand and shoulders.

Lower and repeat several times then repeat on the other side. You can even do it with partners.

Place left hand well away from the body on the floor to the side as before. First, feel the engagement of laterals by lifting the hips off the floor and understanding the line of the torso being in one line from the knees to the head. Push out of hand and shoulders as before.

Once the line is achieved, take the right leg and developpé to the side and this is where a partner can assist by holding the leg.

Tilt

Do not get confused between the tilt and the layout.

For a tilt, you can start from a standing position, to lean or incline the upper body from the hips up towards any direction. It is usually accompanied by the lifting of one leg.

Once you have mastered the layout at the bar, you can work on the more advanced variations in the center.

Hope that this article has helped you to in your quest on how to improve your layouts in your modern dancing.