For Christina Johnson, piqué arabesque is the step that most epitomizes ballet. “What other one encapsulates it, when you think of a photo of a ballerina? Arabesque! It says it all,” says Johnson, a former principal dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Complexions Contemporary Ballet who now coaches and teaches master classes all over the world. In this #masterclass tutorial, Johnson offers her advice for a beautifully suspended piqué arabesque. Watch the video and read the article at https:/

Arabesque 44-inch Wind Chime

If your points never quite line up, it’s probably not your sewing — it’s your foundations being off to start with. I teach this as the accuracy triangle: Accurate cutting → accurate sewing → accurate pressing. Miss one corner of the triangle, and the whole thing goes off. When your fabric is cut precisely, your foundations start strong. When your seam allowance is accurate, your pieces fit together easily and your block ends up the right size — no wrestling required. And when you press with inte