2 3 Technical Tuesday Pointers | Ballet Webb

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Technical Tuesday Pointers


Technical Tuesday Pointers

Today’s title may make it sound like I am going to give you lots of hints.  No.  Just one.   I’m talking about those uncontrolled arms in arabesque that point to the ceiling instead of maintaining a good, straight forward (and only slightly up) position .

You know the problem:  The front arm during a piqué arabesque, or especially in a sauté arabesque that suddenly points directly overhead as if the dancer is raising her hand to ask permission to leave the room.

This happens because the momentum of the piqué or the sauté, if not controlled, will cause the arm to lift.  It’s a natural reaction, but the wrong one for beautiful line in ballet.  If a dancer is photographed at the moment when the arm points overhead, it can appear as though the arm is growing out of the dancer’s head.  Overall, this “pointer” reflex is one that must be controlled.

To prevent this inappropriate pointing, remember to send energy forward and out through the fingertips, and direct the step itself out and up – not just up.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #7gg:  
“Energy in the arabesque arm extends out and up, otherwise momentum will cause the arm to point to the ceiling.”

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