Technical Tuesday Turned or Inclined

Technical Tuesday Turned or Inclined

In classical ballet the positions of the head are important. They not only make the dancer look beautiful, they also provide a critical counterweight for the leg and arm positions. 

There are four basic positions for the head: 1. level and facing straight ahead (that’s the easy one); 2. Inclined (seldom used alone); 3. Turned directly to the side; and 4. Turned and inclined (most common).

Turning the head means keeping it level and putting the chin over the shoulder, or as close to it as possible. Inclining the head is an ear-to-the-shoulder position. But most of the time the head is turned and inclined. This involves a one quarter turn plus an incline. I've blogged about this before as the position used when offering the cheek to Aunt Matilda for a kiss.

Understanding the difference between a turn and an incline is critical!  Especially since these two positions are most often used together.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #5f:  

“Understand the difference between turned and inclined.”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvjExlAl18I

Quote of the Day:

““The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.”
― Kalu Ndukwe Kalu

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