Thought System for Développés
The hallmark of a beautiful dancer is a développé that seems to go on forever. Depending on the direction of the développé (front, side, or back), there is a specific “thought system” for unfolding the leg. This system is designed to maintain the turn-out on both legs, but the working leg in particular.
When moving from passé to a développé devant (front), the heel of the working foot leads the movement. When the développé extends to the derrière position (from passé) it is the knee of the working leg that leads. In both instances, the leg moves from passé through an attitude position and then on into the fully extended développé. Again, all of this is designed to maintain a lovely, aesthetic, turned-out position. In à la seconde, the leg extends in the “alleyway” (see October post on alleyways) into a correctly rotated (turned-out) à la seconde position.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Secret #11a:
“When performing a développé devant (from passé) the heel leads the movement. When performing a développé derrière (from passé), the knee leads the movement.
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