Wacky Wednesday Cellophane

Wacky Wednesday Cellophane

A common problem with pliés is when the torso doesn’t move straight up and down and instead leans forward, or tilts sideways or in many other ways fails to maintain a straight up and down alignment. Not good.

Imagine doing every plié inside an elevator shaft made of cellophane. If the body leans forward and the derriere sticks out, the cellophane will tear. Instead, imagine moving cleanly up and down this fragile, sheer elevator shaft with no deviation – just like an actual elevator.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Ballet Secret #16kk:

“Imagine a cellophane elevator shaft.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJPC3PHCnVE

Quote of the Day:

“It's all like an ocean!" cried Dostoevski. I say it's all like cellophane.”
― Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions

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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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For interesting articles involving mental health:

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Terminology Tuesday Battement Retiré

Terminology Tuesday Battement Retiré

Both battement and retiré are familiar terms to most dancers. But battement retiré [bat-MAHN ruh-tee-RAY] refers to a different step.

Battement retiré is a term of both the French and Cecchetti schools and Gail Grant in her book Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet https://archive.org/stream/GailGrantBalletDictionary/Gail%20grant%20ballet%20dictionary_djvu.txt gives this description of the step:

“From the fifth position the working foot is lifted so that the toe is touching the hollow at the back of the knee of the supporting leg, and the thigh raised to the second position en l’air. With a staccato movement the foot is raised and lowered, alternating in the fifth position front and back, the accent being on the downward movement.”  (See the Link of the Day below beginning at 2:12)

Ms. Grant goes on to say that this is a useful exercise for warming up and as a preparation for développés.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Terminology Secret #81:

“Battement retiré means battement withdrawn or shortened.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojbsyz5h_0c

Quote of the Day:

“I like good strong words that mean something…”
― Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

Help expand the knowledge base!

Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas, or images that worked best for you!

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:

http://www.balletconnections.com/?s=debrawebbrogers

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For interesting articles involving mental health:

 http://balletwebb.blogspot.com/2018/05/

Mad Monday Sharp Pencil

Mad Monday Sharp Pencil

For those students who have difficulty keeping their focus off the floor, here is a new image.

Imagine a freshly sharpened pencil placed under your chin with the point facing up – just below your chin. Don’t drop your chin or – ouch!

There are other, more bloodthirsty ideas that are similar like using a razor blade instead of a pencil. But I think you get the point J.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Ballet Secret #16jj:

“Imagine a sharp pencil under your chin.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9WKL4QHqvg

Quote of the Day:

“No one has yet tested the pencil
To see how many words it can write”
― Xi Chuan, Notes on the Mosquito: Selected Poems

Help expand the knowledge base!

Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas, or images that worked best for you!

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:

http://www.balletconnections.com/?s=debrawebbrogers

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For interesting articles involving mental health:

 http://balletwebb.blogspot.com/2018/05/

Sunday Only

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FOaRS2zSQk

Quote of the Day:

“Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

Help expand the knowledge base!

Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas, or images that worked best for you!

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:

http://www.balletconnections.com/?s=debrawebbrogers

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For interesting articles involving mental health:

 http://balletwebb.blogspot.com/2018/05/

Superstitious Saturday Chopsticks

Superstitious Saturday Chopsticks

Last week I talked about the Japanese saying for good luck monku monku monku. Today it’s another Japanese superstition – one I’d never heard of.

Apparently it is bad luck to place your chopsticks straight up – like in a bowl of rice. This looks like the Japanese number 4 which is an unlucky number. In addition sticking chopsticks straight up looks like incense sticks used at funerals. But wait there’s more! Never point your chopsticks at anyone – it’s considered rude and ill-mannered.

So especially if you eat in a Japanese restaurant before a performance, remember these tips.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Superstitious Secret #194:

“Never stick your chopsticks straight up.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hybywQT2Fg

Quote of the Day:

“Marriage is like twirling a baton, turning hand springs or eating with chopsticks. It looks easy until you try it.”
― Helen Rowland

Help expand the knowledge base!

Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas, or images that worked best for you!

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:

http://www.balletconnections.com/?s=debrawebbrogers

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Or visit my Pinterest page:

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For interesting articles involving mental health:

 http://balletwebb.blogspot.com/2018/05/

Fun Friday Generating

Fun Friday Generating

I write a lot about equal and opposite energy patterns, and how important these are for dance technique. Today I’m going to focus on the spine and how it works for these patterns.

You can imagine the spine as the generating station (energy producing) center of the body. Everything radiates from the spine outward: up/down, side/side, front/back, etc. You can picture the energy that’s being produced as laser beams, rays of light, a mass of shooting stars – whatever works for you. But it must flow outward equally and constantly.

By focusing on the spine, you are more apt to achieve greater results in equal and opposite feelings since it all radiates from the same area.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Ballet Secret #16ii:

“Think of the spine as the body’s generating station.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paCO9GDf8HE

Quote of the Day:

“I know I can depend on books in times of trouble because they have a spine and two wings”
― Ayse Aslihan Koksoy

Help expand the knowledge base!

Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas, or images that worked best for you!

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:

http://www.balletconnections.com/?s=debrawebbrogers

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For interesting articles involving mental health:

 http://balletwebb.blogspot.com/2018/05/

Throwback Thursday and Jack Coogan

Throwback Thursday and Jack Coogan

Born on January 21, 1887 in Syracuse, New York, John Henry Coogan is probably best known for being the father of famous child actor, Jackie Coogan. Some of you may know Jackie Coogan not as the child actor but for his role as Uncle Fester on The Adams Family TV show.

Known as “Big Jack” or “Jack Sr.”,  John Henry Coogan began his career in vaudeville and went on to act in such early films as Trouble (1922), Daddy (1923), The Rag Man (1925) and Backstage (see the Link of the Day below). In 1922 he was the production manager and casting director  for Jackie Coogan Productions.

He died on May 4, 1935, when his car left the road at high speed and plunged into a creek. The accident also killed passengers Robert J. Horner, Junior Durkin and Charles Jones, but his son Jackie survived the crash. Jack Coogan is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Ballet Secret #312:

"Jack Coogan was the father of famous child actor, Jackie Coogan.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVv02f5veeg

Quote of the Day:

“Don't blow off another's candle for it won't make yours shine brighter.”
― Jaachynma N.E. Agu, The Prince and the Pauper

Help expand the knowledge base!

Leave a comment about any instructions, ideas, or images that worked best for you!

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:

http://www.balletconnections.com/?s=debrawebbrogers

Or "Like" me on my Facebook Author Page:

https://www.facebook.com/Violet-Rightmire-256648280108/timeline/

Or visit my Pinterest page:

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For interesting articles involving mental health:

 http://balletwebb.blogspot.com/2018/05/