Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Wacky Wednesday Hands Behind Head


Wacky Wednesday Hands Behind Head

Dancers often use their arms aggressively when jumping, to provide impetus. Although the arms assist in making a jump smooth and effortless, they shouldn’t provide the push. And often, dancers aren’t even aware that they are using the arms to do this.

To demonstrate, have students place their hands behind their head during the first jump combination in the center. Tell them to make sure they don’t arch their back, but otherwise jump as usual. It is always a wake-up call. It is much harder for them to jump, but it requires that they really use their rebound and their pliĆ©.

After the demonstration, the students go back to jumping with a normal port de bras, using it to assist, but not create the jump.


From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets
Secret #15hhh:
“Put your hands behind your head during the first jumps in the center.”

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“Was it you or I who stumbled first? It does not matter. The one of us who finds the strength to get up first, must help the other.”
Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

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