Marvelous Monday Soubresaut

Marvelous Monday Soubresaut

Today is the 80^th anniversary of the first appearance (in Porky’s Hare Hunt) of what evolved into that famous cartoon character, Bugs Bunny. He was originally called “Happy Rabbit”. This made me think about the ballet step called soubresaut, that closely resembles a bunny hop.

The word “soubresaut” means quick spring. A soubresaut does just that as the dancer performs a jump that begins in fifth position and ends in fifth position with a traveling movement in between (usually diagonally forward). Sometimes male dancers do a soubresaut as a preparation for a double tour en l’air.

A soubresaut is one of the first jumps a student learns, since there is no change of the legs in the air or on the ground.

Happy Birthday, Bugs Bunny!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #15lll:

“Soubresaut means ‘quick spring’”.

Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:

“Well, what did you expect in an opera? A happy ending?”

 - Bugs Bunny

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Sunday Past Present and Future

Sunday Past Present and Future

Time is an interesting thing. There are lots of scientific articles about the nature of time, about how it is actually an illusion and how relative it is. But the way we each experience time is the key.

It is often said that we need to live in the present moment, and not worry about the future. And that’s true – mostly. Today’s quote is a great reminder of how we can best do this.

We need to learn from the past, but not dwell on it. We must remind ourselves to treasure the present moment and embrace it – because it is fleeting. And finally, instead of worrying about the future, use it as a motivation – a force that drives us forward in a positive way.

Think about the Past, Present and Future.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Motivational Secret #131:

“Remember Past, Present and Future.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyYqyYAKGC0

Quote of the Day:

Real generosity towards the future lies in giving all to the present.”
― Albert Camus

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https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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Saturday Harder and Easier

Saturday Harder and Easier

Often when a dancer receives a correction, they frown, or say “ouch!” or something similar. That’s because the new position or alignment uses unfamiliar muscles or an unfamiliar pattern. And familiarity is comfortable but anything unfamiliar isn’t.

This is why is usually gets harder before it gets easier. Properly aligning the body is essential for other skills to be developed, but achieving that posture (or that turn-out, etc.) can be daunting. It feels strange, unfamiliar and very often uncomfortable.

But this is all part of the process. It will seem more difficult at first, but ultimately this struggle will make the steps and skills that follow easier.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Ballet Statute #121:

“It will often get harder before it gets easier.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbCdrKrAOmk

Quote of the Day:

“You need to spend time crawling alone through shadows to truly appreciate what it is to stand in the sun.”
― Shaun Hick

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https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/

https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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Fun Friday Hybrids

Fun Friday Hybrids

Ballet technique is very specific. It has developed over centuries – that’s right – centuries, so there is little left to chance. A step is a step is a step. There are no twenty-first century hybrids.

The definition of hybrid is: “a thing made by combining two different elements; a mixture”. Therefore, a hybrid ballet step would be one that combines two different steps, creating a mixture – one that is not recognized in ballet.

The most common hybrid I see is one I’ll call “chas-lié”. This is a combination of chassé and temps lié, and it is not a legitimate step! It usually happens when the initial plié of a chassé doesn’t occur and the dancer slides the working foot into the second half of a temps lié, producing a hybrid step.

Beware of hybrid steps.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #21ii:

“Beware of hybrid steps.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_O0T0onQJo

Quote of the Day:

“Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time,' is like saying, 'I don't want to.”
― Lao Tzu

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https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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Throwback Thursday and the Somerton Man Mystery

Throwback Thursday and the Somerton Man Mystery

One of Australia’s greatest mysteries is the identity of the Somerton Man. He was found dead on Somerton Beach in Adelaide in November 1948, but no one knew who he was or how he died. And, as time went on the mystery only deepened. Was it suicide? Or was he murdered?

One clue was the man’s strong and high calf muscles. Many theorized that this meant he must have been a ballet dancer. He was in top physical condition and only in his forties, according to the coroner.

In his pocket was a scrap of paper with the words “Tamám Shud,” which means “finished” in Persian, and comes from the book The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam. There was also a phone number, belonging to a local woman named Jo Thomson who denied knowing him. But maybe she did… according to https://www.buzzfeed.com/danvergano/who-is-the-somerton-man?utm_term=.jyKmrBmBKB#.saboxRoRbR :

“She [Jo] had a son, Robin, born in 1946, who had two distinctive facial features — an oddly shaped ear, and two missing incisors that left his canine teeth parked right next to his two front teeth — that Abbott learned were shared by the Somerton Man. Robin Thomson was also a dancer in the Australian Ballet, blessed with strong calves. All of those things, Abbott thought, pointed to Robin as the son of the Somerton Man.”

Of course, the only way to know for certain is to do DNA testing on the body of the Somerton man, and that has not been done. And so, the mystery remains.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Dance History Factoid #131:

“Was the Somerton Man a ballet dancer?”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzKHpwHxfCU

Quote of the Day:

“I'm comfortable with the unknown -- that's the point of science. There are places out there, billions of places out there, that we know nothing about. And the fact that we know nothing about them excites me, and I want to go out and find out about them.”

- Brian Cox

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Wacky Wednesday Spring

Wacky Wednesday Spring

Here we are in the middle of the lovely season known as spring. Although winter is having a difficult time leaving this year, spring will inevitably win out. Today I thought I’d talk about a different kind of spring.

If you’ve ever taken a click-type pen apart, you’ll find a small spring inside. This spring, or any size spring is a useful visual aid for dance students.

Before any jump, have the students imagine they are like a spring that is compressed (demonstrate with the spring), and as they jump the spring is released (let the spring go).

This is a fun way to really see the power of coiled energy in action.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #20l:

“Use a spring (from a pen, etc.) to demonstrate the coiling before a jump.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuQ9014xrqg

Quote of the Day:

“Spring is the time of plans and projects.”
― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

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Technical Tuesday Ache

Technical Tuesday Ache

Many dancers (and others) claim that they can predict weather changes by how achy their muscles and joints feel. Although some have debunked this, there may be some truth to it. The worst weather for symptoms seems to be damp and cold, while warm and dry weather is associated with feeling better.

It may be because of changes in barometric pressure that occur before bad weather. This can cause tissues in the body to expand, leading to pain and/or swelling. This shift is subtle, but dancers are so tuned in to their bodies it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that they can, indeed, predict the weather.

Another possibility: in 2007, researches at Tufts University leaned that every ten-degree drop in temperature corresponded to a slight increase in osteoarthritic knee pain.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Anatomical Secret #27ddd:

“Your achy joints may be able to predict the weather.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvljDhgSbSI

Quote of the Day:

“The storm starts, when the drops start dropping
When the drops stop dropping then the storm starts stopping.”
― Dr. Seuss

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https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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Mad Monday Rails

Mad Monday Rails

Wherever the pelvis goes, the dancer goes. Think about it. When you want to sit down, what do you do? You move the pelvis downward until you are seated. This works well for most things in life, but in dance the pelvis is often the culprit of unbalanced positions.

Imagine, when you are moving in any direction, that the pelvis is gliding along on a shiny, polished set of railroad tracks. This prevents any bumps or jostling and allows for smooth transitions.

If the pelvis is tipping, tucking, or tilting, the ride will be bumpy. And we all know there is no tipping, tucking, or tilting of the pelvis (most of the time) in ballet.

Ride the rails!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #22l:

“Imagine the pelvis gliding along shiny railroad tracks.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj0nltZOf50

Quote of the Day:

“Time goes faster the more hollow it is. Lives with no meaning go straight past you, like trains that don’t stop at your station.”
― Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

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https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/

https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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Sunday Three Rules

Sunday Three Rules

The above photograph says it all.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Motivational Secret #225:

“Remember the Three Rules of Life.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qjlWdHitNo

Quote of the Day:

“Life gives us choices. You either grab on with both hands and just go for it, or you sit on the sidelines.”
― Christine Feehan, Night Game

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My latest books are coloring books! They are available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/

https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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Saturday Shrinking

Saturday Shrinking

The word shrink means: “become or make smaller in size or amount”, and “move back or away, especially because of fear”.

Well! This is why there is no shrinking in ballet. Making oneself or one’s movements smaller is always counterproductive. Remember Ballet Statute #13: “When in doubt, step out.”  Reaching out elongates the muscles and helps them work more efficiently. Shrinking makes everything contract. Shrinking  didn’t exactly work well for the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz, did it?

Then there’s the fear part. Yes, I know. We’ve all been there. Scary steps, fear of failure or falling (gasp!) – it’s all a part of the wonderful world of ballet. But throw at least a little caution to the wind and stamp out shrinking!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Ballet Statute #120:

“There is no shrinking in ballet.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7GJcKuVGm8

Quote of the Day:

“Don't shrink your standards, link yourself with those who think and ink like you.”
― Michael Bassey Johnson

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My latest books are coloring books! They are available on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/

https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

Want to know more about me? Read my interview at Ballet Connections:

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