Saturday, December 20, 2014

Super Saturday Sickle Statute


Super Saturday Sickle Statute

There are no sickles in classical ballet.  None.  This is a statute with no exceptions.  The dreaded sickle usually involves the feet, but can, rarely, happen with an inward twisting of the hands.
 
A sickle, as the name implies, is when the foot assumes the shape of a sickle (an implement used to cut grass or harvest grain).  Feet sickle when the outside of the foot (pinky toe side) stretches harder and further than the inside (big toe side).  This results in a foot that is shaped like a sickle.

This position is not attractive, to say the least, but more importantly, it isn't functional or safe.  Standing on a sickled foot is a common way for a dancer to sprain or even break their ankle.  A straight, correctly shaped foot provides a strong support, especially when the dancer is balancing on one leg, and it looks pretty, too.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #28:  
“There are no sickles in ballet.”

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“In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.”
-          Tony Robbins


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