2 3 Saturday Stunning Statute | Ballet Webb

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Saturday Stunning Statute


Saturday Stunning Statute

Today’s Ballet Statute is short and sweet: “Lengthen to close”. It is a simple, but effective, directive.  And poetry aside, effective directives are important in ballet.

Whenever  a  dancer concludes a movement or closes a position, there must be a corresponding lengthening of something. It is always the body, but also, in cases like a high développé or a grand battement, there is also a lengthening of the working leg prior to its closing in fifth (or wherever). This is all part of the outward energy pattern I have often talked about.

This means that the dancer must always leave a little bit of “space” or “breath” so the lengthening action can occur. If a dancer “pulls up” too much, too soon, there will be no place left to go at the end.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Statute #56:  
“Lengthen to close.”

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