Arabesque Exercise | Pro Tip from Elizabeth Marlin

Our current School of Ballet 5:8 Featured Guest, Elizabeth Marlin, is a Company Artist with Ballet 5:8. We asked her to share some of her favorite pro tips with us, and we've been loving her helpful advice!

Elizabeth says:

Among all the muscles that need to be strong for a good arabesque, one of the most important muscle groups to focus on is your back.

I have found this exercise to be very helpful in strengthening the back to improve the arabesque line – do this exercise three or four times a week and you will be very pleasantly surprised at the results!

Start lying down on your stomach with your arms above your head or on your shoulders. Lift yourself up as high as you can using your back and then slowly lower back down. You might find it easier if someone holds your feet down so you can push against them. Repeat up to ten times per set and be sure to stretch out your back when you finish!