2 3 Ballet Webb: October 2015

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Sensational Saturday Catch




Sensational Saturday Catch

Earlier I talked about the position of the hands in ballet and how there should never be any “hamburger hands” – that is, it shouldn’t look like the dancer is holding a giant hamburger…

There is another common problem with hand positions, and that is when the fingers stretch not only forward, but outward, splaying the fingers into a position that resembles a catcher’s mitt in baseball. Not good. There are no catcher’s mitt hands in ballet. Ever.

Instead, the hand position involves only a slight extension of the fingers beyond the normally relaxed position the hands have when they are simply hanging at the side of the body.  The thumb falls in line with the slightly extended fingers and never splays out away from them, just as it does when the hand is relaxed.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Statute #50p:  
“There are no catcher’s mitts in ballet.”

                Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:
“I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.”
-          Maya Angelou


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Friday, October 30, 2015

Fun Friday Goldilocks


Fun Friday Goldilocks
The Goldilocks principle states that something must fall within certain margins, as opposed to reaching extremes. Or, if one is talking about life in the universe, earth is just the right distance from the sun – not too close, not too far away – to support life. It is the cosmic Goldilocks zone.
There is a Goldilocks zone for many things in ballet, too. A dancer must use enough tension to hold a position, but not be so tense that the position is ruined. A dancer must stretch just beyond their current capability, but not so far as to cause injury. These are just two examples of the Goldilocks zone in ballet. There are many others.
So think about being in the Goldilocks zone for whatever movement or position you are doing. Then everything will be “just right”. 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Secret #7ddd 
“Remember the Goldilocks Theory.”

                Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:
"Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.”
Neil Gaiman


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Thursday, October 29, 2015

Throwback Thursday and Leslie Caron


Throwback Thursday and Leslie Caron

Born on July 1, 1931, Leslie Claire Margaret Caron seemed destined to be a dancer. Her father was a chemist, but her mother was an American dancer, and Leslie started training at age  ten.

When she was sixteen, Gene Kelly saw her perform in a production of “La Recontre”. Three years later he cast her in the famous movie “An American in Paris”, which resulted in a contract with MGM and launched her film career. She also worked with Fred Astaire in “Daddy Long Legs”, and did many other musicals.

Gradually she transitioned from strictly dancing roles to those that had little or no dancing at all. In 1953 she earned an Oscar for “Lili”, and 1958’s “Gigi” marked her last appearance in a major Hollywood musical. By this time, musicals were declining in popularity and Leslie began to do straight dramatic roles. She earned her second Oscar nomination for “The L-Shaped Room” in 1963, and in 1964 she played opposite Cary Grant in the movie “Father Goose”.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Leslie Caron did television miniseries, HBO movies, and a guest appearance on the TV series “Dynasty”. She also performed in stage productions of “On Your Toes” and “One for the Tango”. In the 1990s into 2000 she continued to act in movies and on television in including the TV-movie version of “Murder on the Orient Express”.

In 2007 she appeared in “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” and earned an Emmy Award.

Today she owns a bed and breakfast inn south of Paris.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Dance History Factoid #90:  
“ Leslie Caron was a French actress and dancer best known for her work in movies.”

                Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:
“The most important thing is to remain active and to love what you are doing.”
-          Leslie Caron
  
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Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Wondrous Wednesday Butterfly Kisses


Wondrous Wednesday Butterfly Kisses
For correct placement, a dancer’s weight should never be over the heels. Everyone knows this fact. But how much contact with the floor should the heels have – if any?
Balanchine is reputed to have said that he should be able to “slide a piece of paper under the heels”, and this is a great image for getting the weight over the balls of the feet. But there are other ways and times when the heels contact the floor.
In jumping, there needs to be a strong contact with the floor to provide an impetus, but in a promenade, the heels do not touch the floor at all except momentarily, etc. So there are different pressures exerted by the heels required by different steps.
To remember which type to use, imagine butterfly kisses going from the heels to the floor. Sometimes those kisses barely touch the floor, but sometimes they “kiss” strongly.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Ballet Secret #7ccc 
“Imagine butterfly kisses from the heels to the floor.”

                Link of the Day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWBVa2m_4Fs

Quote of the Day
"...nothing is more articulate than a kiss."
Jarod Kintz, It Occurred to Me
 

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Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Technical Tuesday Chassé and Sashay


Technical Tuesday Chassé and Sashay
I’ve talked about chassé before, for example in Ballet Secret 13a: “A chassé is a step that says its own name.” The French term means “to chase” and that is what the feet do: one foot chases the other.
A different term, “sashay” is used in American square dancing and means: “a figure in which partners circle each other by taking sideways steps”. Informally, the term “sashay” can also mean “walk in an ostentatious yet casual manner, typically with exaggerated movements of the hips and shoulders”. The term “sashay” came into use during the 19th century and evolved from the word “chassé” – not surprising.
In ballet, chassé is a critical linking step, most frequently used to connect jumping steps and provide the necessary impetus for a high elevation. 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Ballet Secret #13o 
“Chassé means “to chase”. 
                Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:
The height of your maturity and sagacity depends on your ability to see the beauty in ugly situations.”
Michael Bassey Johnson


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Monday, October 26, 2015

Marvelous Monday Same Shape


Marvelous Monday Same Shape

For beginning dancers, and also for more advanced ones, the shape of the foot in passé (retire), can be a problem. This is because of the body’s perverse desire to “wrap” or sickle the working foot as it approaches the supporting knee.

To prevent this, have the student tendu to the side, and look at the shape of the foot. Then have them concentrate on how this shape feels, without looking at it. This is the feeling necessary to avoid the dreaded sickled foot in passé.

A correctly shaped passé is also related to correctly rotating the working leg in the hip socket. It is much more difficult to sickle the foot when the entire leg is properly turned-out.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #18n:  
“The shape of the foot in tendu is the same in passé.”

Link of the Day:


Quote of the Day:

“Today is a new day that has been handed to you for shaping. You have the tools, now get out there and create a masterpiece.”
Steve Maraboli, The Power of One

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Sunday, October 25, 2015

Super Sunday Tomorrow


Super Sunday Tomorrow

Here it is, Sunday again. The time when you start worrying about Monday. Right? Sadly, this is how so many of us think. It’s a habit that is difficult to break when Sunday night arrives and future obligations gather.

It’s easy to say “don’t worry”, but almost impossible to do. But dancers try for the impossible all the time, so try to eliminate worrying. Worrying isn’t okay, but planning is. If there is something you can plan for, do it – then relax and forget about it. Worrying is a thief: it steals the joy out of the present moment.

And, as I have blogged about before, after developing your plan, go out (or stay in) and focus on the good and beautiful things around you right now – at this moment. You’ll find a lot more than you expect if you just concentrate on seeing them.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Motivational Secret #88:
“Worrying doesn’t take away tomorrow’s troubles, it takes away today’s peace.”

                Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:
“If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it's not fixable, then there is no help in worrying.”
Dalai Lama XIV

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Saturday, October 24, 2015

Super Saturday Squash


Super Saturday Squash
It’s almost Halloween, and this idea doesn’t involve pumpkins, but it involves the next best thing: squash. Not the vegetable (the noun), though, but the verb “squash”.
There is no squashing in ballet. That’s correct. None. Not the arms, not the legs, not the torso (gasp!). The exact opposite is true. Everything pulls up, or away, or resists an opposite movement. Squashing occurs when laziness or gravity (or both) win. Not good.
A part of the brain must be constantly alert for squashing. When the first indication of a squash occurs, a warning bell goes off.
So this Halloween, beware of the dreaded squash. 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Ballet Statute # 48:  
“There is no squashing in ballet.”

                Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:

Goals are motivations with wind in their sails—they carry me forward despite the storms.”
Richelle E. Goodrich, Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, & Grumblings for Every Day of the Year

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Friday, October 23, 2015

Fun Friday Powerhouse


Fun Friday Powerhouse

Never underestimate the power of a plié. This is one of the biggest mistakes dancers make. Because it is a basic step, and one they have used for the entirety of their dancing life, the poor plié is taken for granted. It is considered a small thing, an unimportant thing. So sad.

Pliés are the backbone, the powerhouse of ballet, providing the propulsion and stability for almost any step imaginable. Yet pliés are horribly underutilized. Pliés have a tendency to shrink and tighten when a dancer is preoccupied with other thoughts, thus becoming little more than a wrinkle in the tights. And a tiny, tight plié is not a very useful plié.

So during your next class, focus on every single plié, wherever they are. Make sure each one is rich, resilient, and useful. You might be surprised at the results.
                                                                                                                                                                                 
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #2u:  
The plié is the powerhouse of ballet.

                Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:
““It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.”
Arthur Conan Doyle, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

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Thursday, October 22, 2015

Throwback Thursday and Charles Didelot


Throwback Thursday and Charles Didelot
Charles-Louis Didelot was born in 1767 in Stockholm, Sweden.  He made his performing debut in 1790, partnering the ballerina Madeleine Guimard. But he soon turned his attention to choreography.
He is credited with several inventions that changed the face of ballet. One was the introduction of flesh colored tights, and another was creating a system of wires that allowed dancers to “fly”. His teaching method was also considered revolutionary, and he applied and expanded the theories of his teacher, Jean-Georges Noverre.
From 1801 to 1811, he worked at the Imperial School of Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia as ballet master and choreographer. After that, he worked in London and Paris, but by 1816 he returned to the country he loved: Russia. He lived in St. Petersburg for the rest of his life. In Russia he produced over 50 ballets, many of which anticipated the future development of Romantic ballet.
Didelot died on November 7, 1837, in Kiev. 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Dance History Factoid #89:  
Charles Didelot did a lot to change the face of ballet. 

                Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:
Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions.”
Albert Einstein


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Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Wondrous Wednesday Different Things


Wondrous Wednesday Different Things
As I have said many times, ballet class is repetitive. So how do you keep your motivation? It’s a matter of feeling different sensations during the same, familiar steps. Particularly when a dancer is young and honing basic skills, feeling new sensations in every class is important.
 For example, in order to gain more flexibility, a dancer must stretch to a point where an “extra” stretch, or muscular pull (a gentle one) is felt. It’s like the saying, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten”. This is so true for dance training! Don’t just go where it is comfortable, go a little further. Try an extra turn, an extra stretch, or some extra energy – and understand that it won’t work right away. But over time, it will.
The important message here is that dancers should never be bored in class. If they are, they don’t yet understand how to work effectively.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Ballet Secret #7bbb 
“Strive to feel something different in every class.”

                Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:

“It's hard to beat a person who never gives up.”
Babe Ruth

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Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Technical Tuesday Pas de Couru


Technical Tuesday Pas de Couru
Pas de couru (pawh de ka-ruu) is a running step, and the word “couru” means running. When performed on pointe, pas de couru is done on the tips of the pointe shoes and when performed well, the feet move so fast they appear to twinkle. The feet move rapidly up and down in front of the body, and the torso angles forward from the pelvis to provide a counterweight. There is an even rhythm to the movement, and practice allows the dancer to move the feet extremely fast.
Pas de couru is also done on demi-pointe, and often precedes a jump. In this instance, the steps should accelerate slightly to provide the impetus for the jump. But the impression is still that of twinkling feet.
The most famous example of pas de couru is at the beginning of the traditional variation of the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker (see today’s link). 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Ballet Secret #13n:
 “Pas de couru” means running step. 

                Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:

It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”


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Monday, October 19, 2015

Marvelous Monday Three Tendu Targets


Marvelous Monday Three Tendu Targets

There is a specific place for each tendu. Whether the tendu is traveling front, side or back, each position has an exact target. So much so that a red X could be drawn on the floor to mark where the toe should be for each tendu.

So where are these three targets? In devant, the target is aligned in front of the belly button if the tendu is coming from fifth, which is most of the time. In à la seconde, the target is either slightly in front of the side seam of the dancer’s tee shirt or leotard, or, if the dancer  has perfect turn-out, it aligns directly beside the side seam (never behind it!). In derrière, the target is aligned directly behind the supporting heel.

There you have it. Three targets for perfect tendus.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Secret #4r:  
Imagine three basic tendu targets for front, side and back.

                Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:
You have had a dream for so many years. Let today be the day you make a plan for it. Just think about how much more likely you are to hit your target when you finally aim at it.”
Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience

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Sunday, October 18, 2015

Super Sunday Two


Super Sunday Two

Today’s quote is one that I modified slightly. I think it works better that way. Silence is often the best answer to all questions, mainly because a period of silence gives you a chance to think about your response, and whether the question needs – or deserves – a response. A period of silence prevents blurting out something you might regret later.

Smiling. It is indeed the best reaction to most situations. Of course, when bad things happen a smile would be grossly inappropriate, but most of the time a smile is a wonderful thing. It may be the only good thing that happens to someone on a particular day, and you would be the source of it. Thank about it! Yes, a smile is a great thing.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Motivational Secret #87:  
“Silence is often the best answer for all questions, and smiling is the best reaction to most situations.”

                Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:
“Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.”
Mother Teresa

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Saturday, October 17, 2015

Saturday Process Statute


Saturday Process Statute

Ballet training is long, exacting and repetitive. But, as I say to my students, if it were easy to achieve, anyone could do it. And then it wouldn’t be special or unique.

It is the process of ballet training that produces the product of excellent technique. The definition of the word “process” is: A series of actions, changes, or functions bringing about a result.

The process for ballet technique is: the daily class, the repetition of steps, the endless tweaking of every little thing. But it works. The process works, given enough time and passion on the part of the student. The process is so effective it could be sold with an infomercial and an 800 number.

The only requirement is a committed student.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Statute #48:  
“Good ballet technique is the product of the process.”

                Link of the Day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8nZLHfuKPI

Quote of the Day:
“Science is the process that takes us from confusion to understanding...”
Brian Greene

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Friday, October 16, 2015

Fun Friday Circular Port de Bras


Fun Friday Circular Port de Bras
A circular port de bras can be confusing to a beginning dancer. Since it is a circle, it is continuous, so where to begin and where to end, can cause problems.
When standing with the left hand on the barre, imagine standing in the center of a large, circular clock face. Noon, or twelve o’clock is directly in front, and six o’clock is directly behind. All the other “numbers” go in their correct places. To begin, the torso rotates outward (toward two o’clock) and descends from there. At twelve o’clock the head is down (kiss the knees position); by nine o’clock the body is in a perfect side alignment (side stretch); and six o’clock is directly back. The torso then must “hit” four o’clock before returning to the beginning position of standing upright, before reversing the process.

When standing with the right hand on the barre, the numbers are different, so learn it first with the left hand on the barre. After that, it will become intuitive.
The places that dancers tend to miss are the corners: four o’clock, eight o’clock, etc. So imagining a clock face, and hitting all the numbers can help beginners understand the nature of circular port de bras.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Ballet Secret #22o 
For a circular port de bras, imagine a clock face. 

                Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:

“How did it get so late so soon?”


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