Dancer pose
A forward-leaning balance on one leg, with the other foot held behind and the free arm stretched ahead.
Everything hinges on the supporting foot. The torso tips forward, the back leg folds up behind the body, and one hand catches that foot, which pulls the raised leg into a curve. The other arm reaches forward, so the figure spans a wide arc from the fingertips of the front hand around to the bent knee behind.
The pose reads as forward motion held still, and it is the most dynamic of the single-leg studies because the body is off its vertical axis. Use it for gesture work, for characters in performative or theatrical situations, and as a test of how a long garment swings when the hips are tilted and one leg is lifted.
The trap when drawing it is collapsing the support leg. It should be a straight, slightly compressed column under a pelvis that has rotated, not a slouch. Give the raised knee a clear bend and check that the hand grips the ankle or the top of the foot rather than the middle of the leg. The torso curve matters too: the chest stays open and the spine extends forward, so the back does not round even though the figure leans.
Drawing notes
- Keep the support leg straight and compressed under a rotated pelvis.
- Grip the ankle or top of the foot, not the middle of the shin.
- Keep the chest open so the forward lean does not round the back.
Pose prompt
The description used to generate this study. Copy it into your own workflow, or hand it to the studio with your photo.
Adult woman in dancer yoga pose, balancing on one leg and holding the other foot behind her, full body, side view.
Working notes
- A forward-leaning balance on one leg, with the other foot held behind and the free arm stretched ahead.
- This study is a visual reference for the arc of the body, not a posture instruction.
Put this pose on your own reference
Take this study to the studio and generate a new image in the same pose, or browse the rest of the balancing studies first.
