Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Terrific Tuesday Effacé


Terrific Tuesday Effacé

Last week I talked about the lovely position, ecarté.  Today is it another beautiful body position:  effacé.  The word in French means “shaded”, and that is what the position hints at – part of the body is slightly hidden from view.

The secret to a perfect effacé devant is to remember that the dancer’s body doesn’t turn too far – both headlights on the hips should be visible in the mirror or to the audience.  The dancer is facing the corner of his/her box as in Secret # 5b: A dancer seldom faces the corner of the room or stage, but instead faces the corner of his/her own box, or square. 

There is a slight arch in the upper back and the head is turned toward the audience and inclined (unlike ecarté that has no incline).  The working arm is opposite the working leg (again, unlike ecarté devant), but the dancer’s face must remain visible and not be hidden by the lifted arm.  The working leg is the one most upstage – furthest away from the audience.

Effacé is a position that is often used in passionate moments in choreography to illustrate intense emotion.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #5e:  
Effacé means “shaded”.

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“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched.  They must be felt with the heart.”
-          Helen Keller

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