2 3 Marvelous Monday Overhead | Ballet Webb

Monday, May 23, 2016

Marvelous Monday Overhead


Marvelous Monday Overhead

The exact position of the arms and hands in fifth en haut, or high fifth, can be different depending on the teacher and/or school of training. Most things in classical ballet are absolute, but there are differences, and this is one of them.

There are two correct places for the hands in fifth en haut. One is to place them directing over the top of the head, and the other brings the arms forward slightly so the hands are over the hairline. I teach the hairline alignment because I find that students tend to arch their backs when they put their hands directly over the top of their head.

Even with the arms a bit more forward, the trick is to elongate the beautiful oval of the arms without allowing the back to arch. There is a two-way energy at work here (no surprise). As the arms lengthen upward, the abdominal muscles pull inward and upward, and the back elongates downward against the upward pull of the arms. Of course, the shoulders must stay in place (down) as well.

Isn’t ballet fun?!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Secret #6oo:  
“The hands in fifth en haut are either over the hairline or the top of the head.

                Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:
“Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of others...for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my outer and inner life is built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received and am still receiving.”
Albert Einstein, Living Philosophies

                Help expand the knowledge base!
 Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas, or images that worked best for you!

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

Or "Like" me on my Facebook Author Page:


No comments:

Post a Comment