Saturday Pedestals and Hood Ornaments
Back in November I
blogged about promenades in general:
Today I’m going to cover the arabesque promenade. It’s a lovely step, designed to show the
dancer from every angle. The problem
occurs when the position is compromised because the dancer fails to maintain
the arabesque and instead tries to steer the movement – usually with the front
arm.
The arabesque should be thought of as a living, breathing
piece of sculpture – it only moves from the base (the supporting leg), with the
turn-out, of course, being maintained at all times. No twisting is allowed!
I tell my students to imagine being on a slowly rotating
pedestal (the supporting foot), and to see every wall in the room as they pass
by. At no time should the front arm
precede the rest of the body (steer), because the hood ornament (the hand) never
steers the car. It is helpful to
have a photograph of an actual hood ornament on hand for those students who are
unfamiliar with these objects.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Secret #14i:
“In an arabesque
promenade, remember that the hood ornament doesn't steer the car.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“Art
enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”
-
Thomas Merton
Help expand the knowledge base!
Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas,
or images that worked best for you!
No comments:
Post a Comment