Throwback Thursday and James Dunne

Throwback Thursday and James Dunne

James Dunne was a dancer with the Harkness Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet and Dennis Wayne’s company Dancers. Sadly, today he is best known for his tragic death.

But he was reviewed in the New York Times with the following headline: “Dancers: James Dunne Sparkles” and as follows: “The star of this no‐star company, on this occasion was very definitely James Dunne. Also: “Mr. Dunne is a very fine dancer who has somehow never gotten his due. He was seen in the Harkness Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet as a soloist, and this writer also caught him in the Connecticut Ballet's “Don Quixote” pas de deux.”

James Dunne was brutally murdered in August 1994 in Hawaii by Joseph O’Neill. O’Neill received a 70-year minimum sentence for the killing.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Dance History Secret #208:

“James Dunne was a dancer with Joffrey and Harkness.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cj64kvMiRg&index=18&list=PL2RtIUsHnbAZe7Qo0A392rs9VFPuA9b5Y

Quote of the Day:

“Even though your time on the job is temporary, if you do a good enough job, your work there will last forever.”
― Idowu Koyenikan, Wealth for All: Living a Life of Success at the Edge of Your Ability

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Wild Wednesday Echappés on Pointe

Wild Wednesday Echappés on Pointe

Echappés on pointe are one of the first exercises a dancer learns at the barre when newly graduated to pointe shoes. Simple on first appearance, echappés are anything but.

The most common error is that only one foot moves outward from fifth and the other (most often the supporting foot) stays where it is for the relevé. It’s an easy cheat and most dancers don’t even realize they are doing it. Sometimes the supporting foot moves a little bit, but not enough to be equal in distance to the other foot. Instead, each foot must move an equal distance outward from fifth. It requires even energy and even weight distribution.

I tell students I could take a yardstick and a piece of chalk, mark and measure their beginning and ending positions and see how exact their echappés are.

Echappés are not easy, but lovely when performed well!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #23f:

“In echappés, each foot must travel an equal distance.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrXkp-SjMdc

Quote of the Day:

“A minimum put to good use is enough for anything.”
― Jules Verne, Around the World in Eighty Days

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Terminology Tuesday Temps

Terminology Tuesday Temps

The word “temps” [tahn] according to Gail Grant’s book, Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet, means “Time, step, movement” and goes on to state “A part of a step or movement in which no transfer of weight takes place.”

Also according to Grant, Temps d’élévation [tahn day-lay-va-SYAWN] is a step of elevation and is applied to all movements which involve a  jump: changements, jetés, sissonnes, etc.

I have seldom heard this long term used in its entirety, but I believe I have often heard it shortened to a more manageable term like “temps sissonne” (see today’s Link of the Day below).

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Terminology Secret #30:

“Temps d’élévation means step of elevation.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PraV6ynwRZk

Quote of the Day:

“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly -- they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.”
― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

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Marvelous Monday Dance Thoughts

Marvelous Monday Dance Thoughts

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv7FeGCdZ9s

Quote of the Day:

“Follow your bliss and doors will open where there were no doors before.”
― Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth

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Sunday Attitude

  

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWQh0U9IJT0

Quote of the Day:

“To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself once in a while.”
― Josh Billings

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

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Superstitious Saturday Harlequin

Superstitious Saturday Harlequin

The character Harlequin, sometimes seen as a doll in the first act of Nutcracker has an interesting history.

According to https://www.britannica.com/art/harlequinade

“Harlequinade, play or scene, usually in pantomime, in which Harlequin, a male character, has the principal role. Derived from the Italian commedia dell’arte, harlequinades came into vogue in early 18th-century England…”

The superstition of Harlequin’s costume is even more fascinating. His brightly colored costume of diamond-shapes played an important role. Yellow symbolized jealousy, red was for anger, blue was for faithfulness and black was for the power of invisibility. As Harlequin performed, he would point to a particular color, thus letting the audience know his mood - or if invisibility might occur.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Superstition #134:

“ The colors of Harlequin’s costume are significant.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UjQlsHnSz4

Quote of the Day:

“Harlequin, probably derived from the old French Hellequin: a troop of the devil’s horsemen.”
― Bernard Cornwell, The Archer's Tale

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Fun Friday Super Bowl

Fun Friday Super Bowl

No, I’m not talking about football – not really. But in this Super Bowl season I thought about how there are many bowl games and that made me think about other bowls: soup bowls, cereal bowls, water bowls, etc.

I realized that a good image for controlling the recalcitrant abdominal area is simple: a bowl. Imagine the area as an elongated, concave bowl and the muscles will be engaged appropriately. No more stomachs hanging out.

The Super Bowl of posture!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #1uuu:

“Imagine your abdominal area as a bowl.” 

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swWR8Ux1LWs

Quote of the Day:

“It was obvious that the woman was trying to turn over a new leaf, so we bought all her bowls. I got a gigantic stoneware one with a flat bottom, like you’d use if you were making bread for the whole army, and I knew I would have to change my whole life to have a use for this bowl.”
― Debby Bull, Blue Jelly: Love Lost & the Lessons of Canning

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Throwback Thursday and Diana Gould

Throwback Thursday and Diana Gould

Born in London on November 12, 1912, Diana Rosamond Constance Grace Irene Gould studied dance with Marie Rambert. She was tall (5’6”), and apparently went through an awkward stage that earned her the nickname “Clumsina”. But she obviously outgrew her clumsiness, and Anna Pavlova described her as the only dancer she’d seen who “had a soul”.

Diana Gould danced with Marie Rambert’s company in the 1930s and briefly with George Ballanchine’s Les Ballets company in 1933. She declined his offer to join his new school in the United States. She worked with the Alicia Markova-Anton Dolin Company in 1935 and  with Colonel de Basil's Ballets Russes. She also became an actress and model.

But she is probably best known as the wife of violinist Yehudi Menuhin. They met in 1944 when he was still married, but he courted her for three years and after his marriage ended, she finally agreed to marry him. After that she ended her own career and focused on helping him with his. He died in 1999.

Diana Gould wrote two autobiographies: Fiddler’s Moll in 1984 and A Glimpse of Olympus in 1996. She died on January 25, 2003.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Dance History Secret #207:

“Diana Gould was a British ballerina and wife of violinist Yehudi Menuhin.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7_t7fAkdjU

Quote of the Day:

"Dancing is creating a sculpture that is visible only for a moment.” 
― Erol Ozan

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Wacky Wednesday Crab Walk

Wacky Wednesday Crab Walk

A common set of linking steps is the tombé pas de bourrée. It often precedes a pirouette, especially in classroom combinations.

It is an interesting set, since the tombé moves in a forward pattern, but the pas de bourrée crab walks its way in that direction. This makes it difficult for beginning dancers, since the two steps seem to be at odds.

But think of it as glorified walking: right (tombé) left right left (pas de bourrée). I sometimes have beginners just walk the right left right left pattern before they add the “glorified” ballet steps so they end up using the correct feet.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #33t:

“Tombé pas de bourrée is like glorified crab walking.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK7rHbjJHEg

Quote of the Day:

“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols

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Terminology Tuesday Tour Fall

Terminology Tuesday Tour Fall

In the category of things you can’t make up comes tour en l’air avec chute allongée. This is described in Gail Grant’s book as “Turn in the air with an outstretched fall.”

The description goes further: “This is a double tour en l’air in which the dancer, before the end of the movement, inclines his body in the direction of the turn and falls sideways to the floor in a horizontal position.”

I couldn’t find a video demonstrating this step and all I can say is Wow.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #30e:

“Tour en l’air avec chute allongée is a tour that falls.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVN9als2atU

Quote of the Day:

“Gravity is a contributing factor in nearly 73 percent of all accidents involving falling objects. ”
― Dave Barry

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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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