Ballet Webb

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

Terminology Tuesday Tour Sautillé

Tour sautillé (tour soh-tee-YAY) is a term of the Russian school and it means a hopping turn. The French word sautillé means springing, and it is also a musical term meaning that the bow lightly rebounds off the strings.

In ballet it is a series of turns done with tiny hops in demi-plié on the supporting foot with the heel just barely leaving the floor. They are done en dedans in first and second arabesque and attitude effacé, and en dehors in third and fourth arabesque and attitude croisé.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #30d:

“Tour sautillé is a hopping turn.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RX5aZIQokM

Quote of the Day:

“Those who don't jump will never fly.”
― Leena Ahmad Almashat, Harmony Letters

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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/

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Monday, August 6, 2018

Mad Monday Hang of It

Tension in the shoulders is a common problem. When this happens the shoulders lift, the neck muscles tense, and it’s not a pretty sight - nor is it effective.

To help relax the shoulders, imagine hanging a towel over your shoulders on each side of your neck. Feel how the towels hang with gravity, lengthening downward on the front and back of the body. Feel the weight of the towels and allow all the muscles in the neck and shoulder to relax.

Voilà! No more tension in the neck and shoulders.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #20v:

“Imagine a towel hanging over each shoulder.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec2crrRH7PM

Quote of the Day:

“Don't be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

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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Sunday, August 5, 2018

Sunday Inspiring Objectives

Every day you should have a set of objectives - small goals that are realistic but a just a little bit challenging. This could be something as simple as balancing a few seconds longer at the barre, or the more daunting: adding an extra pirouette (on both sides!).

The important thing is that these goals should be inspiring, not depressing. So think about what inspires you – what makes you motivated and excited for the day. Focus on these things. Put them into action each day, every class.

It is all too easy to concentrate on the things we can’t do, instead of working slowly and deliberately with and toward the things that inspire us.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #:

“Have a set of inspiring objectives each day.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yeQN2zas6U

Quote of the Day:

“The problem with people is they forget that most of the time it's the small things that count.”
― Jennifer Niven, All the Bright Places

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/

Saturday, August 4, 2018

Saturday Shoe Superstition

One superstition I’d never heard was that it was bad luck to put pointe shoes on a dressing table, or any table, for that matter. It is said that doing this brings the risk of a bad performance, or being fired, or some other such misfortune. Hmmm.

This superstition may have come from the medieval practice of placing a new pair of shoes on a table to signify that someone in the household had just died (the new shoes were purchased for the deceased person’s burial).

Therefore, perhaps it is only bad luck to put pointe shoes on a dressing table if they are brand new.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Superstition #133:

“It is bad luck to put pointe shoes on a dressing table.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW-5YMnS4EU

Quote of the Day:

“It doesn't matter how great your shoes are if you don't accomplish anything in them.”
― Martina Boone, Compulsion

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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Friday, August 3, 2018

Fun Friday Rocket Head

Here we go again with yet another blog about posture and rockets! Wow! This one is similar to something you’ve heard before: a rocket angle. See earlier blog here: http://balletwebb.blogspot.com/search?q=rocket+angle.

To instantly improve posture, imagine your head as the top of a rocket getting ready to blast into space. The engines fire and – whoosh - liftoff! Your head rises up into the atmosphere.

Good posture always has that “energy up” (in addition to an equal “energy down”). So hang onto the rocket head image.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #1vvv:

“Imagine your head as a rocket lifting your body upwards into space.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9leVQqqs5-I

Quote of the Day:

“Unless some misfortune has made it impossible, everyone can have good posture.”

- Loretta Young

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/

Thursday, August 2, 2018

Throwback Thursday and Vincenzo Galeotti

Born on March 5, 1733, Vincenzo Galeotti is considered to be the father of Danish ballet. He was born in Florence, Italy, studied dance there with Gaspero Angiolini, and performed with several European companies before settling in Venice. He lived there from 1765 and 1769 choreographing opera ballets and divertissements. From there he moved to England, where he performed at London’s King’s Theater (1769-1771), and staged several works.

In 1771 he returned to Venice where he remained until 1775. He was then invited to Copenhagen to be the ballet master, soloist and teacher at the Royal Theatre. Here he stayed for the rest of his life, performing until the age of 77. His last appearance was as Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet.

During his tenure at the Royal Theatre he staged over 30 ballets and laid the foundations of Danish ballet. His most popular work, a comedy called The Whims of Cupid and the Ballet Master(1786) is the world’s oldest surviving ballet. It is still performed in Denmark.

Vincento Galeotti died on December 16, 1816. He was 83 years old.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #143:

“Vincenzo Galeotti choreographed the world’s oldest surviving ballet.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zenj05agtB4

Quote of the Day:

“Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you're there. ”
― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

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, August 1, 2018

Wacky Wednesday Reverse

You will remember Ballet Statute 14: Everything in ballet has a name and can be reversed. The trick here is learning how to easily reverse steps and combinations.

It takes practice – no surprise, right? It also takes experience, and dancers who study with teachers who reverse combinations in each class do better – again, no surprise here. Also, some steps and combinations reverse more easily than others.

It helps to recognize that reversing is more than right and left and/or front and back. Students must understand the reverse of each individual step. If that sounds daunting, it really isn’t. Here is a link that describes ways to build skill in reversing combinations: http://www.balletcurriculum.com/four-tips-for-building-reversing-skills/.

It is important to start with simple combinations and move on to the more complex.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #21rr:

“Begin with simple combinations to teach reversals.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ4A-15eHOA

Quote of the Day:

“The Ancients understood the omnipotence of the underside of things.”
― Louis Pasteur

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/