Technical Tuesday Double Ropes
In a pirouette, it is important that the torso remain solid. This keeps everything together in one solid piece,
allowing for multiple rotations without anything becoming disconnected.
To do this effectively, a dancer must be able to feel the
muscles in the back and torso that must be engaged. The easiest way to feel
this is to use the double rope image. Imagine two large ropes hanging from the
ceiling with a knot tied on the bottom end. Place one hand on each “rope” during the
preparation, then relevé to retiré by “pulling” on the ropes.
If the two ropes were really there, it would be easy-peasy
to balance forever in retiré. But even the imaginary ropes should produce the
correct muscular sensation and allow for an extended, easy balance, and ultimately, better pirouettes.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Secret #14t:
“Imagine two ropes hanging from the ceiling, and feel the
sensation of how the back muscles work when pulling down on them.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“When you get to the end of your rope, tie
a knot and hang on.”
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
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Thank you Debra, another good one! Not engaging back muscles(or not enough) is certainly a sin of mine...I found easier to engage them in en dedans than en dehors, and easier when arms are in first than in fifth...Is it possible to elaborate further on how to keep the "pulling down the robe" feeling when you have to raise arms to fifth?Thanks as always ,Alicia
ReplyDeleteYou are right about it being more difficult to feel when the arms are in fifth. Feeling a push upward from the backs of the hands working against a downward feeling in the back (which you have identified with the ropes) is one way to help engage the back when the arms are in fifth. Thank you for your great questions!
ReplyDeleteThanks Debra, will try to have that image in mind in class today! Alicia
ReplyDelete