Super Saturday Fishing Statute

Super Saturday Fishing Statute

The feet in ballet are always doing something. There are either pointing, on the way to pointing, on demi-pointe, full pointe, or melding against the floor as a critical support. At no time do they flop. Feet flopping around like dead fish should never, ever, happen.

A flopping fish foot tends to occur when the dancer is concentrating on the other foot – I see it often during a series of relevés on one foot. The raised foot is the forgotten one and it flops around near the ankle or knee. Horrors!

A flopping foot is caused by a lack of energy (or no energy at all) in the foot. This means the energy has stopped somewhere along the pathway to the foot. And, as well all know, the energy must always extend out beyond the extremities, not just to the end of the feet, arms or head.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Statute #51:  

“There are no “fish” feet in ballet.”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb8fwM2KuZc

Quote of the Day:

“The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge.”

-Napoleon Hill

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Fun Friday Legos

Fun Friday Legos

Most of you remember those fun building blocks called Legos. Today the things people construct with them are amazing (see today’s link). And it occurred to me that ballet technique has a lot in common with these small, plastic building blocks.

Each step in ballet is like a Lego block - designed to fit neatly with other blocks, and when put together create a structure that is strong and interesting. But if one block is damaged, it won’t fit well, or at all. Each block must maintain its shape and its integrity or it simply won’t work. It will prevent the beautiful structure from being built.

That’s why dance teachers are so picky. We want each and every building block to be as perfect as possible. 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #7eee:  

“Ballet steps are like Legos. Each one connects to the other.” 

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTyFsgx-y1I

Quote of the Day:

“Create with the heart; build with the mind.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy 

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Throwback Thursday and Alvin Ailey

Throwback Thursday and Alvin Ailey

Born on January 5, 1931 in Rogers, Texas, Alvin Ailey grew up to become a famous American choreographer. His father left the family when he was young, and he grew up poor in the small Texas town of Navasota. His early inspiration came from the church services he attended. When he was only 12, he left home and headed to Los Angeles.

There he attended a performance of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and decided to pursue a career in dance. He studied modern dance with Lester Horton and joined his company in 1950.

In 1954, he performed on Broadway in House of Flowers, Carefree Tree, and Jamaica. In New York he studied with Martha Graham and in 1958 he launched his own company, the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. One of his early works, Revelations, has become a modern classic, and it was inspired by his childhood memories of the church services he attended.

His company toured nationally and internationally, and its fame grew. In 1960 he formed the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, now known as the Ailey School that has trained many renowned dancers.

 In 1988 he was honored by the Kennedy Center, but little more than a year later he died at age 58. During his short lifetime he choreographed more than 80 ballets, and his company is one of the most recognizable dance companies in the world today, having performed for more than 20 million people around the globe.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Dance History Factoid #91:  

“Alvin Ailey was an American choreographer who founded Alvin Ailey Dance Theater.”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWBel7J4Izs

Quote of the Day:

“Dance is for everybody. I believe that the dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people.”

-Alvin Ailey

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Want to know more about me? Read my interview at Ballet Connections:

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Wacky Wednesday Marshmallows

Wacky Wednesday Marshmallows

Well, here we are a few days after Halloween, and I would venture to say that almost every household has some marshmallow treats available somewhere. Marshmallows are fine in hot chocolate, but should not be seen in balletic arms.

The common image for arms in first (fifth en avant) is that of holding a firmly inflated beach ball, but so often it looks more like the dancer is holding a giant marshmallow. And that marshmallow is being squashed. Not good. We all know there is no squashing in ballet.

So beware of marshmallow arms. The arms always have a resistance and a lengthening action (equal and opposite). They may appear to be soft and marshmallow-like, but they are actually strong and relatively firm, but not rigid.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Secret #6aa:  

“Avoid marshmallow arms.”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49Xfv56tNts

Quote of the Day:

“Believing in negative thoughts is the single greatest obstruction to success.”
― , Brain Drain The Breakthrough That Will Change Your Life

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Technical Tuesday Détourné

Technical Tuesday Détourné

A détourné is an interesting step. The word means “turned aside” and that is exactly what the dancer does. It can take two different forms. The basic détourné is a turn on two feet (either a full turn or a half turn) that exchanges the position of the feet. The word soutenu is sometimes used interchangeably with détourné.

Another common way that a détourné is done is from a tendu position. For example, from tendu croisé derrière, the dancer fouettés to face the working foot and continues to pivot until croisé devant (in the opposite corner) is reached. This movement must be smooth and continuous, without any visible stop from the fouetté to the pivot. 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Ballet Secret #14w:  

“Détourné means “turned aside”. 

                Link of the Day:

https://www.facebook.com/YvonneEdwardsSchoolOfDance/videos/vb.297661530336547/620454571390573/?type=2&theater

Quote of the Day:

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.

-       Tony Robbins 

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Mad Monday Front Foot

Mad Monday Front Foot

A pirouette en dehors that starts and ends in fifth position can be challenging because the dancer doesn’t have the width of a fourth position to help provide the impetus (push) for the turn. Also, there is a tendency to shift the weight onto the back foot in anticipation of picking up the front foot.

Exactly the opposite must occur. Often teachers say: “Push from both feet”, and this is true, but it actually works better to think: “Push from the front foot” because this overrides the natural tendency to sit back, even when the dancer thinks about using both feet.

Pirouettes from fifth are often called tour suivi, and they can be seen at the end of  Kitri’s variation from Don Quixote (see today’s link).

So the next time do tour suivi, think of pushing from the foot in front.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #14v:  

“In a pirouette en dehors from fifth position, think of pushing with the front foot.”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59bVZvjt1NU

Quote of the Day:

“You have to push through every difficulty to achieve the goal.”
― Lailah Gifty Akita, Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind

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Super Sunday Camera

Super Sunday Camera

Happy November! It’s a new month with no mistakes in it yet, to paraphrase a saying from the book “Anne of Green Gables”. Start this month out by imagining that life is like camera (see above photo).

First of all, focus on what is important. This means that which is really important – don’t sweat the small stuff (and most, if not all of it, is small stuff). Identify what is, and what is not, actually important.

Capture the best things. I’ve talked about this before: be mindful of the good things that happen, or are seen, or are experienced every day. It is so easy to become blind to them.

And finally, develop the negatives. Use these experiences as motivation for growth, and as learning experiences. Tough, but important.

And, as any photographer will tell you, if all else fails, take another shot.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Motivational Secret #89:  

“Life is like a camera…”

                Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA5MYmOsi-M

Quote of the Day:

“Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.”
― Marc Riboud

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