Mad Monday
Butterflies
No, this
blog post isn’t about that nervous feeling called “butterflies in the stomach”.
Instead it is about grand jetés en tournant (often called tour jetés).
A grand jeté
en tournant is a complex step: a big jump that involves a 180 degree turn in the air, as well as taking off and
landing on different legs, as well as involving a double spot. Whew! No wonder
dancers often have difficulty with this common step.
You will
remember Ballet Secret #15: To
prevent “butterflying” the legs in a grand jeté en tournant, imagine jumping in
a narrow hallway. Butterflying, or swinging the legs around instead of underneath, is probably the most commonly seen
problem.
In addition
to Ballet Secret #15, it is important to use a “double spot”. The
eyes focus on the first wall (as the working leg battements forward), then the
spot immediately changes to the opposite wall (where the dancer will land), as
the legs scissor underneath the torso. Spot spot!
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets
Secret #15zzz:
“A grand jeté en tournant has a
double spot.”
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― Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Breakfast of Champions
― Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Breakfast of Champions
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