Brackets of Support

Brackets of Support

Lots of things in ballet require support from under, not over.  It’s a lot like the way most ballet barres are attached to the wall:  a bracket is screwed to the wall and the barre runs along the top of these brackets:  support from underneath.

The arms in à la seconde are a particularly problematic area.  Dancers often lift their arms from the top, which raises the shoulders and creates a tense upper body.  The correct support should come from underneath – using the triceps to lift the upper arms while relaxing the upper body area around the shoulders and neck.

It is as though there is a bracket supporting the upper arms from underneath; just like brackets support the barre.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #6g:  

“The arms in à la seconde should be supported from underneath, like brackets on the wall support a ballet barre.”

 

                Link of the Day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2PNXXpcoAs       

Quote of the Day:

“Encourage, lift and strengthen one another.  For the positive energy spread to one will be felt by us all.”

-Deborah Day

 

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Fun Friday and Groaning

Fun Friday and Groaning

There is no groaning in ballet.  Just like there is no crying in baseball, there’s definitely no groaning in ballet.  This is from the Big Beige Book of Ballet Statutes, so you know it’s true.

Dancers, not surprisingly, like to complain - but they must do it in private and the less of it, the better.  But audible disgruntled sounds are absolutely forbidden while dancing and especially while performing!

Thus, dancers must develop the ability to look pleasant at all times, and not let any unexpected occurrences (lights falling, dancers stumbling, etc.) change their expression.  Dancers keep a pleasant demeanor, or a smile, (or whatever expressions are required for the role they are dancing) on their face at all times.

And there is never any groaning, moaning, wailing, whining, etc.! 

From the Big Beige Book of Ballet Statutes:

Statute #4:

“There is no groaning in ballet.”

 

                Link of the Day:

                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj0iR_nfuqA

 

Quote of the Day:  

“Creativity means to push open the heavy, groaning doorway to life.”

-          Daisaku Ikeda

 

 

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Throwback Thursday and Balon

Throwback Thursday and Balon

Dancers are familiar with the phrase: “You have wonderful balon”.  This is a compliment that means they jump well.  But most dancers do not realize that the word’ balon’ is not a dance step.  It is probably a person.

Jean Balon (1676-1739), (sometimes spelled Ballon) was a French dancer known for his amazing ability to jump beautifully. Thus, it is believed that his name was used whenever one was referring to a dancer with an extraordinary ability to jump.

Of course, there is also the French word ‘ballon’ which means balloon, so that could also have played into the current use of the word.  Interesting that a dancer who jumped well happened to have a name that meant balloon! 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Dance History Factoid #4:  

“Jean Balon may be the reason dancers who jump well are said to have ‘good balon’.”

 

                Link of the Day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0efEDT6eFn8        

 

Quote of the Day:

“Everything is hard before it is easy.”

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 

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Weird Wednesday and Barbie Hands

Weird  Wednesday and Barbie Hands

One evening I asked my adult ballet students this question:  “What image or thought helped you the most with your technique when you were a student?”  One answer was: “Barbie Hands”.  She went on to explain that she never really understood how to shape her hands until she heard this hint.

I thought at first that this image might produce stiff, stilted hands - but this student has lovely port de bras.  So the lesson for teachers is this:  try lots of images in the classroom because you never know which one will work for a student.

I pulled out one of my old Barbie dolls (yes, I still have them), and sure enough, Barbie’s hands come close to mimicking the correct shape of a dancer’s hands.   

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #6f:

“To correctly shape the hands think of Barbie’s hands.”  

 

                Link of the Day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yej7GLtdkaw         

Quote of the Day:

“Hold a true friend with both hands.”

-African proverb

 

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Terrific Tuesday and Rebound

Terrific Tuesday and Rebound

The most important thing for jumping – or having good balon - is rebound.  By that I mean that the landing of one jump must provide the propellant, or push, for the following jump.  This can be illustrated by having dance students “dribble” one another.  A student stands behind one jumping (first position works well) and places their hands on their classmate's shoulders.  When the dancer begins to jump, the one behind assists them by bouncing – or dribbling - them gently as they land and rebound.

The visual image is that of a ball being dribbled or bounced against the floor:  the landing of the ball produces a rebound off the floor that creates the next bounce:  rebound, rebound, rebound… 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #15a:  

“The secret to good balon is rebound.”

 

                Link of the Day:

              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQCDSKsVQLg

 

Quote of the Day:

“The test of success is not what you do when you are on top.  Success is how high you bounce with you hit bottom.”

-George S. Patton

 

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Monday Musings: The Rule of Èpaulement

Monday Musings:   The Rule of Èpaulement

The word ‘èpaulement’ literally means ‘shouldering’, and it is this angling of the head and upper body that adds interest and dimension to a dancer’s movements.  In my post about Flat Stanley, I talked about correct body facings, and èpaulement adds yet another level of complexity- especially for the beginning student.

The rule of èpaulement is simple:  the head angles (inclines) toward the foot that closes in front (usually in fifth position). Another way of thinking about it could be the reverse:  the head inclines toward the foot closing in front, and away from the foot closing in back.  Either way, the result is the same.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #5d:  

“The Rule of Èpaulement:  the head angles (inclines) toward the foot that closes in front (usually in fifth position).”

 

                Link of the Day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGufiv5PB2A&list=PL6AC9DE95227AB494       

Quote of the Day:

“Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when there are footprints on the moon.”

-          Paul Brandt

 

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What Do I Love…?

What Do I Love…?

This is a question everyone should ask themselves.  But let’s take it one step further.  The question should be “What do I love to practice?”

Some researchers believe that no one is born with any specific ability, and that any skill is achieved by practice.  In an earlier blog I talked about how it takes (again, according to research) about 10,000 repetitions of anything to become skilled at it.  That’s a whole lot of time and effort – for a single skill – so one had better love the practice. 

This is especially true for dancers who will spend the majority of their dancing life at the barre and in the classroom – not on stage.  This holds true for many other areas like writing, painting, etc., as well as non-art areas requiring a high level skill set.

So ask yourself:  “What do I love to practice?”  

From the Big Blue Beige Book of Ballet Statutes:

Secret #3:

“The majority of a dancer’s life is spent in the classroom.”

 

                Link of the Day:

                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F5lbMrCj80

 

Quote of the Day:

“Practice makes the master.”

-          Patrick Rothfuss

 

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