Fun Friday Needles

Fun Friday Needles

In an earlier post, I talked about how the feet should move: Ballet Secret #7ggg: “Imagine the feet working like sewing needles, with a sharp end.”

Today I’m adding another element. If sewing needles don’t work for you, imagine an expert knitter rapidly working to create a beautiful garment. If you’ve ever seen this, you know how those needles flash – almost to the point of being too fast to focus on.

When accomplished dancers perform brilliantly, this is what their footwork looks like: knitting needles working rapidly and precisely back and forth. See today’s Link of the Day below.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #7sss:

“The feet should look like fine knitting needles working.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3hq8LcelAc  

Quote of the Day:

“Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit either.”
― Elizabeth Zimmerman

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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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Throwback Thursday and Tony Charmoli

Throwback Thursday and Tony Charmoli

Tony Charmoli was born on June 11, 1922, although some sources say January. His career began on Broadway after he served in World War II. He studied dance with many notables, including Martha Graham who asked him to be a part of her company. He declined and went to Broadway instead.

He was involved in early screen tests to see if dance could work well in the new medium of television. Early in his career he won an Emmy for outstanding choreography for the show Your Hit Parade. He went on to be nominated 16 times. He  won 3.

One of his strengths was understanding that choreography for a small TV screen is different. He worked out the best camera positions and movements as well as doing choreography. This experience naturally led him to being a director.

In 1977 he was nominated for Best Director for two television specials:

"Shirley MacLaine: Where Do We Go From Here?" and "Mitzi...Zings Into Spring". But probably his most well known production was Baryshnikov’s "The Nutcracker", which was also broadcast in 1977.

In 2001, he won the American Choreography Life Achievement Award. The list of his works is too extensive to document here, but to view it see https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0153346/otherworks?ref_=nmbio_sa_1.

  

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Dance History Secret #290:

“Tony Charmoli was instrumental in the development of dance in television.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVOygJ-5N0w

Quote of the Day:

“Personality begins where comparison leaves off. Be unique. Be memorable. Be confident. Be proud.”
― Shannon L. Alder

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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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Wacky Wednesday Pogo Pointe

Wacky Wednesday Pogo Pointe

Hops on pointe are unique. Remember Ballet Secret 22m: “For hops on pointe, imagine a tiny plié in the ankle.”? Well, that’s just the beginning.

For successful hops, the foot must assume an unusual position. Some refer to this as cupping the foot, or ginching the foot. I prefer the word “cupping” since ginch sounds tense and that’s what you don’t want.

It takes some experimentation to find this position and it’s always best to start at the barre. The foot isn’t too far over the box of the shoe, and certainly isn’t behind the box, but instead is centered over the box, with the foot “cupped”. Once discovered, this unusual shape of the foot becomes automatic, since it the only place that works. You can see this foot shape in today’s video at 1:14.

Now that the cupped shape of the foot is established, imagine a pogo stick: the body’s alignment is straight up and down (just like a pogo stick) and the hops bounce along within this alignment. And hopefully the upper body and port de bras appear relaxed and effortless. Fun!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #23g:

“Imagine a pogo stick for hops on pointe.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omqyVhJqozk&list=RDomqyVhJqozk&start_radio=1

Quote of the Day:

“…a local train ... moved gently off up the line with a very singular motion indeed, in which the leap of a frog, the bounce of a pogo-stick, and the canter of a very short fat pony all were brought to mind.”

-         Honor Tracy

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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:

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For interesting articles involving mental health:

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Terminology Tuesday Taqueté

Terminology Tuesday Taqueté

Taqueté [tak-TAY] is an interesting word. I’ve seen choreographers use a sound like “tak tak tak” to indicate a staccato movement and I wonder if it came from taqueté, or if it is just random.

Taqueté means “pegged” and refers to pointe work that involves quick little steps where the tips of the shoes strike the floor sharply. Any steps on pointe that use this staccato accent could be called taqueté.

As for “tak tak tak”… I don’t know.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Terminology Secret #60:

“Taqueté means pegged.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I2EPYcz4Rc

Quote of the Day:

“I collect words--they are sweets in the mouth of sound.”
― Sally Gardner, Maggot Moon

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:

 http://balletwebb.blogspot.com/2018/05/

Marvelous Monday Reach

Marvelous Monday Reach

Today’s idea is somewhat of a mantra or saying. It is designed to help with pirouettes – or any turn.

Reach right to turn left (or vice versa). In other words, think of sending energy outward through the following arm and corresponding side of the body. This prevents the common tendency to focus all the attention and energy on the leading arm and side.

And, of course, it creates that all-important two-way, opposite energy!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #14lll:

”Reach right to turn left.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLP6uZ3zsyI

Quote of the Day:

“I saw a star, I reached for it. I missed, so I accepted the sky”
― Scott Fortino

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:

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People’s Happiness

Link of the Day:

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

Quote of the Day:

“Happiness [is] only real when shared”
― Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

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:

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For interesting articles involving mental health:

 http://balletwebb.blogspot.com/2018/05/

Saturday Superstition White Lighter

Saturday Superstition White Lighter

This superstition comes from the world of musicians. Apparently, it is believed that carrying a white lighter will bring bad luck or dire consequences and anyone who carries one is cursed.

It is said that Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain all had a white lighter on them when they died. Hmmm… this would seem to make this a relatively new (historically speaking) superstition. I’ve never heard this belief in the dance world, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

Some say this superstition originated at the 27 Club, but in 2017, Snopes.com published an article stating that the Bic Company didn’t make white disposable lighters until several years after the musician’s deaths. 

Therefore, it appears that this superstition is simply an urban legend.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Superstition #172:

“Never carry a white lighter.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfyXPONE7Ws

Quote of the Day:

“If you ask me I don’t think there are any such things as curses. I think there is only life. That’s enough.”
― Junot Diaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

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:

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Or visit my Pinterest page:

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For interesting articles involving mental health:

 http://balletwebb.blogspot.com/2018/05/