Wacky Wednesday and Chairs

Wacky Wednesday and Chairs

Sometimes a visual aid can help dancers understand a step or a concept better than a mental image.  Even in a Spartan dance studio setting, there are items that can be utilized to this end.

One readily available item is a chair.  There are two ways in particular that I use chairs.  The first one is to illustrate the difference between “sitting” and “not sitting” in a grand plié.  I have the student stand at the barre in second position while I place a chair behind and under them.  When they plié, I ask them to sit in the chair.  Then they repeat the plié, but this time hovering slightly above the chair.  This demonstrates the lift in the body that is necessary to do the step correctly.

The other use involves two chairs.  Again, have the dancer(s) stand in second position at the barre, and then place one chair very close to and on either side of their outside foot.   They must then plié without their knees hitting the chair – in other words, using the turn-out correctly with the knees aligning directly over the toes.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #20a:

“Use chairs to demonstrate the correct use of turn-out, and to illustrate “lift” in a plié.”

                Link of the Day:

                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orm9FMqTJAU&safe=active

Quote of the Day:

“Next to trying and winning, the best thing is trying and failing.”

-L.M. Montgomery (one of my favorite authors)

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