Throwback Thursday and Turn-out
Dancers are often asked:
“Why do you turn-out?” There isn't a single answer: it provides a more
beautiful line of the leg, particularly when it is in the air, it allows a
great ease of movement, and it provides greater stability.
So how did this idea of” turning the feet out” come
about? Like the reasons for turn-out
itself, there is more than one answer.
The short answer is that it developed from the fencing stance. Turning the legs outward made it easier for
the fencer to move quickly side to side and avoid the sword of his opponent.
Another answer is that turn-out came from the world of
fashion. Well dressed French gentleman wore
wide topped boots that forced them to turn their toes outward as they
walked. And it was King Louis XIV of
France who founded the Academie Royale de
Danse in 1661 and hired Beauchamps to teach. Beauchamps developed the five positions of
the feet.
When ballet moved from the ballrooms of the royal courts
onto a proscenium stage, dancers were viewed only from one side – and turn-out
enjoyed a resurgence of popularity, since the royals on the stage didn't want the audience to view their back side.
Like the earlier fencers, the only way dancers could move easily side to
side, (and thus hide their derrière), was to turn-out their feet.
There you have it.
That’s the not-so-short-answer as to why dancers turn out their feet.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Dance History Factoid #54:
“Turn-out
developed over a long period of time from the fencing stance.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“The
past actually happened but history is only what someone wrote down.”
Help expand the knowledge base!
Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas,
or images that worked best for you!
No comments:
Post a Comment