Super Saturday Thinking Statute

Super Saturday Thinking Statute

Dance is largely “between the ears”. Check out my book “Dancing Between the Ears” (shameless promotion). But it is true that how we think can make or break us as dancers. Or as human beings for that matter.

Dancers tend to be driven, perfectionistic people. That usually translates into “people who worry or obsess” and that means “negative thoughts”. Scary. Very Scary.

It is what we think  that produces (or doesn't produce) results. What do you think about when you plié? Do you imagine going up? Or do you think about all the things not to do in a plie (don’t lose turn-out, don’t sink, don’t stick the seat out)? Or do you not think about it at all, since it is the first exercise in most ballet classes and your mind is still all tangled up with something that happened the night before. You get the point.

It works best to think about what you want to do (rotate both legs, lift upward from the ears, engage the abdominals) - not what you don’t want to do (see list in previous paragraph above). I’ve blogged about this before. Thinking this way is what makes things work. Then those things you thought were difficult or impossible were neither once you understood how to think about them.

So always remember today’s Ballet Statute: “It isn’t as difficult as you think, but how you think can make it difficult.” This is a good adage for life, too.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Statute #43:  

“It isn’t as difficult as you think, but how you think can make it difficult.”

                Link of the Day: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry5m91KUVyo

Quote of the Day:

““The discontent and frustration that you feel is entirely your own creation.”
― Stephen Richards, Think Your way to Success: Let Your Dreams Run Free

                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:

http://balletconnections.com/DebraWebbRogers

Fun Friday Focus Point

 

Fun Friday Focus Point

You will remember Ballet Secret #1F: “The eye focus is slightly above eye level, with a “politely arrogant” expression.” Once dancers know this, they usually find it relatively easy to achieve. Here’s the problem: When a dancer’s body goes higher in space, either by a relevé, a jump, or by being lifted by a partner, they often forget that the eye focus must also lift.

If the eye focus remains at the same point, the chin will drop and the head will move forward and down – ruining the correct alignment and balance. Of course this severely compromises whatever step the dancer is doing.

Therefore, the eye focus is a constantly changing thing. Ballet Secret #1f remains true, but when the elevation of the body changes, the slightly-above-eye-level focus must also change.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #1ss:  

“The eye focus must go higher when jumping, being lifted or on relevé.”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vFb1sl5Wlk

Quote of the Day:

““When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”
― Maya Angelou

                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:

http://balletconnections.com/DebraWebbRogers

Throwback Thursday and Guiseppina Bozzachi

Throwback Thursday and Guiseppina Bozzachi

Guiseppina Bozzachi (1853-1870), was an Italian ballerina who had one of the shortest careers in dance history. She trained with Amina Boschetti, prima ballerina of Milan and also with Mme. Doninque in Paris.

Guiseppina is remembered for being the first dancer to perform the role of Swanhilda in the ballet Coppélia that was choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon to music composed by Delibes. She was only sixteen years old at the time, and danced the ballet's premiere performance before Napoleon III.

She went on to dance the role seventeen more times, but when the Paris Opera shut its doors for the Franco-Prussian war, she performed it for the last, and eighteen time, on the 31^st of August. This was a difficult period in history for dancers, since the Opera had ceased paying its performers. Guiseppina, weakened by her many performances and lack of money to purchase sufficient food, became ill with smallpox. She died on the morning of her seventeenth birthday.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Dance History Factoid #84:  

“Guiseppina Bozzachi was the first Swanhilda in the ballet Coppelia.”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ3887toRas

Quote of the Day:

““You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.”
― Jonathan Safran Foer

                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:

http://balletconnections.com/DebraWebbRogers

Wacky Wednesday Songs

Wacky Wednesday Songs

It is easier to learn things when we have tricks or special devices, like rhymes or songs that help us remember. You will easily recall what year Columbus sailed the ocean blue, right? Of course. It was 1492.

Anyway, things like this help in dance technique, too. One I use often is the “song” for grand battements (it is sung silently to the tune of whatever music is being played for the exercise). For a successful grand battement the foot must brush the floor, and then kick upward forcefully. On the way down, to prevent the leg from crashing back to the floor, the abdominal muscles must be engaged (sucked in).

So here is the Grand Battement Song:  “UP, suck it in, Up, suck it in, UP, suck it in, Up suck it in….” etc. The “UP” is for the battement itself, and the “suck it in” is a reminder to use the abdominals as the leg goes back down.

Watch today's video and sing along with their grand battements.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #7zz:  

“Make up a song with instructions, like “UP, suck it in, Up suck It in…” for grand battement.”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH_gp3uQXsU

Quote of the Day:

“Words make you think. Music makes you feel. A song makes you feel a thought.”
― E.Y. Harburg

                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:

http://balletconnections.com/DebraWebbRogers

Technical Tuesday Doubles

Technical Tuesday Doubles

In an earlier blog, I talked about saut de basques and how a double isn’t really a double: Ballet Secret 15p:  A saut de basque is a half turn in the air, so a double is really less than a double. This concept involves other turns, also. It is helpful to realize that sometimes a double (or a triple, etc.), isn’t really two (or more) full turns. It makes the whole process less frightening and much more doable. My students are always surprised at how easily they master double saut de basques once they understand this principle.

Another step that isn’t really a double is a "double" step-over (en dehors piqué turn or lame duck). The first step goes into a plié, and the next step - the piqué - is actually involves stepping up a half turn before the actual turn. Therefore a step-over is really one-and-a-half turns – not a literal, complete double.There's that illusion thing again!

A step that seems to be evolving into an unofficial less-than-a-double is the double tour en l’air. It is supposed to be a true double, but when I watch most dancers, they plié a quarter turn (or more!) around before they leave the floor. Hmmmmm. Watch for this the next time you see a double tour.

                                                       

 From the Big Blue Book of Ballet
 Secret #14s:  

“Some double turns in ballet aren’t really doubles.”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcAq6TANhOU

Quote of the Day:

““We create the illusions we need to go on.”

― Libba Bray, The Sweet Far Thing

                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:

http://balletconnections.com/DebraWebbRogers