Posture, posture, posture

And how to convey the crucial nature of this element of dance?
I know from my own experience that the ingrained feeling of how I stood masked the need to bring the head up and back until the occiput was engaged. Mary French's gentle hints were not enough.
Occiput = the bottom of the skull at the back of the head connected as an extension of the spine.
Keeping an eye on what is happening was one way I felt I could best react to a lead.
In fact, the body lead requires a follow that is unimpeded by input from the eyes.
After seeing my first showcase on videotape, I began looking for ways to improve my head placement. Pilates literature was promising, but the first classes I took were crowded, and doing crunches the wrong way made my neck hurt.
Finally, Lori Martin's class gave me the tools for the upper spine.
I want to help students through my Dance & Stretch class.