Saturday, June 20, 2015

Super Saturday Statute


Super Saturday Statute

Yes, it is time once again for a classic Ballet Statute. Yesterday I blogged about how the leg in a fouetté isn’t allowed to drop when moving from one position (like à la seconde) to another (like arabesque). That’s because of Ballet Statute #36: “There is no dropping in ballet.”

This is related to Ballet Statute #18: “There is no drooping in ballet”; but dropping is an altogether different thing. Dropping is totally and suddenly succumbing to gravity. Dropping is more abrupt and severe as one would expect when gravity wins. Scary.

Dropping most often involves the legs (as in yesterday’s blog), but can, to a lesser degree involve the arms, or even the head (really scary). But the worst thing is dropping a partner (beyond scary). I once heard a teacher say this very important thing: “A ballerina should never hit the floor – her partner can always fall under her.”

Of course, all of these scary scenarios can be avoided by remembering Ballet Statute # 36.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Statute #36:  
“There is no dropping in ballet.”

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Quote of the Day:
“Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways.”
H. Jackson Brown Jr.

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