Monday, May 4, 2015

Madcap Monday Jetés

Madcap Monday Jetés

Most dancers would probably say that a grand jeté is one of their favorite steps. It is as close to flying as one can get without buying a ticket.

There are two basic ways to do a grand jeté.  When the leading leg brushes upwards (like a grand battement devant) and the back leg thrusts away from the floor like a grand battement derrière, you have your basic grand jeté.

The other variation is called saut de chat. The French word “saut” means jump, and “chat” means cat. Hence, jump of the cat. Which is similar to pas de chat – step of the cat. In a saut de chat, the leading leg moves through a développé instead of a grand battement and this gives a wonderful impetus to the jump. The back leg moves as it does in a standard grand jeté.

Now you know the difference between a grand jeté and a saut de chat.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #15v:  
A grand jeté has the brush of a grand battement, a saut de chat has a développé.

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Quote of the Day:
““Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
Leonardo da Vinci

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