2 3 Wacky Wednesday Lines | Ballet Webb

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Wacky Wednesday Lines

Wacky Wednesday Lines

Today’s thoughts come from the book of ballet classroom etiquette. There isn’t such a book (that I know of), but it comes from there nonetheless.

In the center, dancers are usually taught to stand in neat lines, with the second line and subsequent lines arranging themselves in the “windows” or spaces between the dancers in the line in front of them. This is so everyone can see the teacher and the teacher can see them.

But why lines? Why not just a random assemblage of bodies? The first reason – see previous paragraph. Another reason is to provide the necessary safe bubble of space around each dancer so no one collides with anyone else. Yet another reason is that it prepares dancers for corps de ballet work where they have to be meticulously in line with one another.

Deep breath. Then, another reason is so smaller groups of dancers can easily and efficiently be formed: “The first group will be the first two lines…etc”.

There you have it. The reasons dancers dance in lines in the center.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Dance History Factoid # 94
“Dancers stand in lines in the center for several reasons.”

Links of the Day:



Quote of the Day:
“The best listeners listen between the lines.” 
 
Nina Malkin

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