Throwback Thursday and Swan Wood

Throwback Thursday and Swan Wood

Swan Wood was a dancer during the early part of the twentieth century. She performed in many different venues from a solo at the Orpheum in Los Angeles (1909), to performing at the Palace Theater (June 1915), and the Seattle Orpheum (November 1915), and The Metropolitan Opera House Ballet (see The Pacific Coast Musical Review, Vol. 29).

One review of her performance at the Seattle Orpheum mentions Swan Wood and her “eight barefoot dancing girls”. She was featured in The Passing Show of 1913 https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/the-passing-show-of-1913-6904. She was also in the Broadway show The Rose of China (1919).

But when it comes to her personal life history, I have been able to find little. The 1920 Federal census lists a Swan Wood as a single “roomer” in a house on West 48^th Street in Manhattan and also states she is an actress in the theater industry. Also listed is a “Rose Wood” age 68 (her mother?) along with numerous other residents. Her father was born in Kentucky, her mother in Indiana, and she was born in California.

So was Swan a stage name? Apparently Wood was her maiden name, based on this census record. More research could probably solve some of these mysteries.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Dance History Secret #295:

“Swan Wood was a ballerina in vaudeville.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm4uiALzTcs

Quote of the Day:

“The world, even the smallest parts of it, is filled with things you don't know.”
― Sherman Alexie

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Wild Wednesday Brilliant Brisés

Wild Wednesday Brilliant Brisés

For some reason, brisés seem to strike fear in the hearts of many students. It’s true that it takes a bit of practice to get the feet to beat and not miss, but once that is accomplished, I think brisés are rather fun.

You will remember Ballet Secret #15n:  “The secret to a brisé is in the plié.” And after the plié comes another secret: Brush! Just like your parents always told you about good dental health, good brisé health comes from brushing.

It is that lovely downward brushing push that helps the feet beat.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Ballet Secret #15cccc:

“Brush your brisés.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiPjno8I0nk

Quote of the Day:

“Every life is a canvas and every interaction is a brush, therefore we’d be wise to consider how we handle the paint.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough

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Terminology Tuesday Tour-Hanche

Terminology Tuesday Tour-Hanche

In the area of Strange but True Things in Ballet comes tour-hanche [toor-AHNSH]. It means “hip turn” and it was a mechanical device from the eighteenth century. Seriously.

This piece of equipment was a vise-like thing that allowed the dancer’s feet to be secured in a turned-out position. Of course it did nothing to achieve rotation in the hip joints (despite the name), but instead forced turn-out only from the ankles. Scary stuff.

But it gets better. Dancers were strapped into this device at night so they could improve their turn-out while they slept.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Terminology Secret #65:

“Tour-hanche was a mechanical device.

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lq-SBibDns

Quote of the Day:

“Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent.”
― Arthur Conan Doyle, A Case of Identity

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Mad Monday Magic Broomstick

Mad Monday Magic Broomstick

You will remember Ballet Secret #15aaaa: A grand jeté has two grand battements. Well, today’s idea is similar.

When you do a grand jeté or a saut de chat, the leg that leads must battement up, out and parallel to the floor, while (at almost the same time) the back leg battements into its position (also parallel to the floor). Voila! You have created a split in the air or a magic broomstick!

The torso rides on top of this flying broomstick as you travel through space. Appropriate for this time of year especially…

Grand battement broomsticks!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Ballet Secret #15bbbb:

“Imagine riding a magic broomstick in a grand jeté.

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ7aYQtIldg

Quote of the Day:

“Listen, Harry can I have a go on it? Can I?"
"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!" said Hermoine shrilly.

Harry and Ron looked at her.
"What d'you think Harry's going to do with it - sweep the floor?" said Ron.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

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Sunday More Kindness

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB18KlPfmzg

Quote of the Day:

“Courage. Kindness. Friendship. Character. These are the qualities that define us as human beings, and propel us, on occasion, to greatness.”
― R.J. Palacio, Wonder

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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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Superstitious Saturday St. James Ghost

Superstitious Saturday St. James Ghost

The St. James Theater in Wellington, New Zealand was built in 1912. It is home to at least one ghost and one of those is a dancer.

First, there is “The Wailing Woman” believed to be the ghost of a failed actress. She is heard weeping the dressing rooms and is said to be responsible for any bad luck that befalls actresses appearing on the stage.

But to counter that, there is a friendly ghost named Yuri. He is the spirit of a Russian dancer who fell, jumped (or was pushed) to his death somewhere high above the stage. Interesting that he would be considered friendly after such an occurrence! You can read more about him here: https://hauntedauckland.com/site/st-james-theatre-wellington/.

Yuri causes strange electrical problems in the theater, but he is also said to have saved the life of one of the projectionists – twice!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Superstitious Secret #178:

“The St. James Theater in New Zealand is haunted by a dancer.”

Link of the Day:

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

Quote of the Day:

“The muses are ghosts, and sometimes they come uninvited.”
― Stephen King, Bag of Bones

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Fun Friday Pajamas

Fun Friday Pajamas

A fun way to maintain proper posture is a simple idea. Imagine that you are wearing striped pajamas, the ones with the stripes running vertically up and down (not horizontally like the shirts in the Link of the Day video below). Imagine them as any color you want, like bright red or blue with contrasting stripes. Bright colors always seem to work best for visual imagery.

Now, keep the stripes straight, especially in your torso area – let those stripes on the “fabric” hang down with gravity, forming nice parallel lines. No folded, crunched or curved lines allowed.

Simple. Striped pajamas.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Ballet Secret #1ggg:

“Imagine wearing striped pajamas.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWrzUFGB6CI&list=PLuyFwHFgYIT_Zm9dm1fXlzzwhI3VLp6YI&index=7

Quote of the Day:

“Stripes will always add that certain something.”
― Anthony T.Hincks

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Throwback Thursday and Vasily Tikhomirov

Throwback Thursday and Vasily Tikhomirov

Vasily Tikhomirov was born on March 30, 1876 and performed with the Bolshoi Ballet beginning in 1895. He also choreographed, beginning in 1913. Probably his most famous work is The Red Poppy (1927). He also taught, training such notable dancers as Mikhail Mordkin, Alexandre Volinine and the lady who became his wife, Yekaterina Geltzer with whom he often performed (see the Link of the Day below). They continued to work together even after they divorced.

Tikhomirov had a rigorous, masculine style and he is largely responsible for making this a standard for male ballet dancers in the Bolshoi. Some of his most famous roles included Jean de Brienne in Raymonda; and Conrad in Le Corsaire. In 1914 he toured with Anna Pavlova as her partner.

Tikhomirov died on June 20, 1956 and both he and Geltzer are buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery.

Bottom of Form

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Dance History Secret #294:

“Vasily Tikhomirov was a dancer with the Bolshoi.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YNpnbGmM5M

Quote of the Day:

“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Collected Works

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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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Wacky Wednesday Flex

Wacky Wednesday Flex

Having problems with certain steps? Trouble feeling the correct muscles or difficulty feeling specific sensations – like “finding” the inner thigh muscles? I may have a simple solution.

Try doing a few barre exercises with a flexed foot. Try it in tendu, degagé, rond de jambe – just about anything. This shakes up the usual routine and allows you to feel different muscles.

Also, add some grand battements with both flexed and pointed feet, and do some in attitude too. This is very helpful for locating those pesky, elusive, inner thigh muscles.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Ballet Secret #21ll:

“Flexing the foot will provide different sensations.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oBpu282dwI

Quote of the Day:

“Passion is different from interest. Those who are just interested in things have the “wish”, but passionate people have the “will”.”
― Israelmore Ayivor, Dream Big!: See Your Bigger Picture!

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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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Terminology Tuesday Piétiner

Terminology Tuesday Piétiner

A term of the French school, piétiner [pyay-tee-NAY] means to stamp the feet. But it isn’t quite what you might think.

Piétiner applies to movements done on pointe, where the feet “stamp” up and down. It is actually less of a stamping movement and more of an accented stabbing.

One really doesn’t want to think about actually stomping the feet while on pointe. Ouch!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Terminology Secret #64:

“Piétiner means to stamp the feet.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ5Zk0yyZhw

Quote of the Day:

“When she stamped her foot, it made a strange thud on the desolate beach. Like a heartbeat.”
― David Adams Richards, The Bay of Love and Sorrows

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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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