2 3 Fun Friday Push | Ballet Webb

Friday, October 10, 2014

Fun Friday Push


Fun Friday Push

Here is a hint that may seem counter-intuitive:  When standing in fifth position, preparing to relevé in passé, as you plié, think of pushing from the foot that is about to be lifted.  This is very effective, largely because the natural inclination is to “sit” on the foot that is about to become the supporting one, thus shifting the weight off two feet and creating an unbalanced preparation.

The actual rule is this:  from fifth position, a dancer must have their weight equally distributed over both feet, and push from both feet to achieve a successful, stable relevé.  This is true.  But by thinking of pushing from the soon-to-be lifted foot, it actually keeps the weight centered.  Sounds crazy, but try it!

It is a bit like using reverse psychology on oneself.  There are other examples of this in ballet technique and I will discuss these in future posts, but this is one of the most common.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #7ee:  
“To move from fifth position to a relevé on one foot (as in retiré), think of pushing from the foot that
 is about to be lifted.”

                Fun Friday Link of the Day:

 Quote of the Day:
(This can work in ballet, too!)
“Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing.
-          Ben Hogan
                Help expand the knowledge base!
 Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas, or images that worked best for you!


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