Monday, August 15, 2016

Mad Monday Petit Battement Practice





Mad Monday Petit Battement Practice

As we know from Ballet Secret #15hh, petit battement means “small beating”. Then there is Ballet Secret #20g:  A towel can be used to support the thigh of the working leg in rond de jambe en’lair.

The towel idea can be used for petit battements too. Putting a towel (like a sling) under the working leg during the beats helps dancers feel how the thigh must stay relaxed so the movement of the “small beats” can happen from the lower leg. There are several secrets for successful petit battements.


Also, when students first learn petit battement, have them stand with the legs parallel – then bend the working knee slightly and have the ball of the foot placed gently against the floor. Put the same hand on the thigh and move the lower leg in and out (forward and back) as in a petit battement. Have them do this while feeling as little movement as possible in the thigh. Once that sensation has been accomplished, the student does the same thing with the legs turned out. 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #15ww:  
“In a petit battement, the working thigh stays as still as possible.

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