Ballet Webb

Monday, April 9, 2018

Mad Monday Double Piqué

One of the easiest double turns to master is the double piqué. There are a couple of reasons for this.

First, it isn’t quite a full double, because by the time a dancer is in full relevé, the first turn is already partially completed. But the other reason is related to timing.

A double piqué should not be thought of as two singles – it is a different animal altogether. A single turn is slower, so much so that a double is actually done in about the same amount of time as a single. The spot of the head is quicker, too. In fact, spotting creates the rhythm necessary for a good double piqué, or a series of them.

Try experimenting with double piqués – they’re fun!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #14qq:

“ A double piqué turn takes the same amount of time as a single.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FwmmH8Z_kU

Quote of the Day:

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.”
― Henry Ford

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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/

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:

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Sunday, April 8, 2018

Sunday Look

We all have bad days. Days when we are tired, sore, discouraged, or just feeling down for no reason in particular. Expect it.

But on those days, remember that no matter how bad it is, there is always a bit of good in every day. The secret is you have to look for it. A treasure hunter doesn’t go out and simply stumble upon (usually) a large gold nugget. He has to actively look or dig or pan for it. That’s why he’s called a treasure hunter.

On those “bad “ days, if you don’t make an effort to look for the good, you won’t find it. But when you do, you’ll always find something – no matter how small – to add a little light into an otherwise dark day.

Try it.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Motivational Secret #130:

“Look for something good in every day.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zoxu15PMSRw

Quote of the Day:

“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

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:

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/

Friday, April 6, 2018

Fun Friday Super Power

Remember that old television program The Incredible Hulk? Remember how actor Bill Bixby’s muscles suddenly increased in size and strength, bursting out of his shirt, transforming him into The Incredible Hulk (played by Lou Ferrigno)? Well, I thought of that yesterday while teaching tendues.

Imagine as you stretch your foot that it is overcome with amazing superpowers - the arch increases, and the foot elongates, popping the elastics and/or ribbons completely off the shoe so they fly across the room! Boom! You are now left with a perfect, beautifully shaped, fully stretched banana foot.

Have fun with your tendues!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #4u:

“Imagine the super power of popping your ribbons/elastics off during tendues.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i89kmd7MgQ

Quote of the Day:

“Under the stars, I tried to sleep, but for once in my life couldn't. My mutant super power-the ability to nod off at the drop of a hat, any time, anywhere-had deserted me.”

― James Lovegrove, The Age of Odin

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:

https://www.pinterest.com/debtutu/

For interesting articles involving mental health:

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Throwback Thursday and Paul Petroff

Born Paul Elif Wilhelm Pederson in Elsinore, Denmark, Paul Petroff studied dance in Copenhagen with Kate Lindhart. In 1930 he made his professional debut, and in 1931 performed with the Folies-Bergère in Paris.

From 1932 to 1934 he was premier danseur of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the Original Ballet Russe. In the 1940s he danced with Ballet Theatre, Ballet America and the International Ballet. He became known for his excellent partnering and was much in demand by many ballerinas.

The strange part of Petroff’s life is described in the website Andros on Ballet http://michaelminn.net/andros/biographies/petroff_paul/index.html as follows:

“…he was knifed in the lobby of his hotel here in New York City. Sol Hurok kept the incident out of the press and the assailant was never found. According to Frederic Franklin, Petroff used the knifing attack as a bargaining chip during contract negotiations; he would not let the press know the details if he got the roles, terms and salary he wanted.”

Paul Petroff died of a heart attack on April 27, 1981 in Antwerp, Belgium, where he and his wife, Nana Gollner, had a ballet school.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

“Dancer Paul Petroff was attacked in the lobby of a hotel in NYC.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZVswqf5RBw

Quote of the Day:

“You do not write your life with words...You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do.”
― Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls

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:

https://www.pinterest.com/debtutu/

For interesting articles involving mental health:

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Wild Wednesday Wrinkles

Yesterday I talked about the levator scapulae muscles in the neck, and how they help lift the shoulder blades. This is just one reason why sometimes a dancer’s ears appear to be warmed by the shoulders. Scary.

To keep the neck and shoulders relaxed, imagine wrinkles falling gently downward out of a pair of pants. The fabric relaxes and all the creases smooth out.

Imagine this, and really feel it happening in your neck muscles. Not only will you look better, you’ll feel better, too.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #21hh:

“To relax your neck, imagine wrinkles falling out of a pair of pants.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lObbGydVSg4

Quote of the Day:

“It's a good idea always to do something relaxing prior to making an important decision in your life.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage

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/

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For interesting articles involving mental health:

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Technical Tuesday Levator Scapulae

The levator scapulae muscle sits at the side of the neck and back. Like the name implies, it levitates (lifts) the scapula (shoulder blade). Therefore, when a dance teacher tells a student to put their shoulders down, the levator scapulae muscles are partially to blame.

For all my fellow science nerds, here is a description of what this muscle does:

“Elevating or rotating one shoulder at a time would require muscles to stabilize the cervical spine and keep it immobile so it does not flex or rotate. Elevating both at once with equal amounts of pull on both side of cervical spinal origins would counteract these forces. Downward rotation would be prevented by co-contraction of other muscles that elevate the spine, the upper fibers of the trapezius, which is an upward rotator.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levator_scapulae_muscle

Ballet dancers seldom injure this muscle, but symptoms of an injury can involve the usual suspects of pain, inflammation, and decreased movement.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #27aaa:

“The levator scapulae lifts the scapula.”

Link of the Day:

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

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

Or "Like" me on my Facebook Author Page:

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

Or visit my Pinterest page:

https://www.pinterest.com/debtutu/

For interesting articles involving mental health:

https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/

Monday, April 2, 2018

Mad Monday Zero

Adding pirouettes is a constant goal for dancers. We are all familiar with hitting a wall and feeling powerless to add one more. Sigh.

Here is a psychological trick. Start counting your pirouettes at zero, not one. This tricks the brain into thinking the body is doing the familiar number but ends up adding one more.

And, as we all know, dancing is largely about what happens in the brain.

Try it and see if it works for you.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #14pp:

“Start counting your pirouettes at zero.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLOwc5rOVHA

Quote of the Day:

“The human mind is not a terribly logical or consistent place.”
― Jim Butcher, Turn Coat

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.