I agree with Julie Andrews when she sings, “let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start”, and for me, that beginning is body alignment! Not the ‘sit up straight’, ‘stand at attention like a soldier’ with ‘good posture’ kind. But instead, the body alignment that takes into account that your body IS your instrument.
Before we break it down, let’s make sure we acknowledge that there is power in habit. Younger generations have developed some very poor body alignment habits as they bend over laptops, text on phones, carry book-bags from class to class, and pour over tests at their desks. As choral directors we’ve certainly got our work cut out for us!
What constitutes good body alignment?
- The alignment should feel confident, regal, and/or noble and be accompanied by an inner sense of balance and poise.
- The body should be elongated and tall. (I always ask my singers to stand an inch taller than the ‘height’ on their licenseJ)
- The head should assume an easy position over the body so the neck is free. For optimal head/neck alignment I have my singers make sure their ears/shoulders and chin/sternum are in alignment.
- The sternum is elevated with the rib cage feeling open, buoyant and expanded giving the lungs and diaphragm room to do their jobs. I often use the phrases “broad shoulders” or “expanded shoulders” to help them achieve this result.
- The hips. Let’s stop here for a moment. The hips are a place that young singers tend to get out of alignment. Females especially tend to stand in one of two ways; either with the hip and pelvic bone protruding forward, or with a tinge of sway back, with the tailbone and buttocks popping out. Ideally, the hips should find a happy medium between the two and be in alignment with the spine, neck and shoulders.
- Knees loose and relaxed.
- In regard to stance, the feet should be slightly apart (I prefer shoulder width) and the weight evenly distributed. I encourage my singers to ‘feel the floor.’ This allows the energy to flow through the entire instrument.
Next week we’ll discuss the importance of holding your singers accountable to an efficient and beneficial body alignment on a daily basis, as well as how to help them form the daily habit of using their entire body as their instrument!
(original post date: August 5, 2013)
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