Monday and Going to the Knee

Monday and Going to the Knee

Something that occurs with a certain frequency in ballet is when a dancer “goes to the knee”.  This position, with much of the weight resting on one knee, is often one that may be held for several counts, so it is helpful if the descent doesn’t come crashing down to the floor, thus bruising the knee.

In order to descend correctly, the dancer must maintain a pointed foot, and slide downward using the foot as a sort of braking mechanism.  Never should the foot flex so the finishing position has a foot that looks more like a kickstand on a bicycle.

This gradual sliding descent not only looks pleasing, it also prevents injuring the vulnerable knee joint. 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #7j:

“When going down on one knee, slide on the top of a pointed foot.”

 

                Link of the Day:

                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O_zHJqqo9s

 Quote of the Day:

“Happiness doesn’t depend on any external conditions; it is governed by our mental attitude.”

-Dale Carnegie

 

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Which Dog?

Which Dog?

The other day I ran across an interesting motivational idea.  It comes from part of the training program for the Navy SEALs, but it would work equally well for dancers who usually need as much positive mind training as they can get.  Dancers, for some reason, seem to focus on the negative side of things too much of the time.

So, to prevent this negative state of mind ask one simple question:  Which dog are you feeding?  Is it Fear Dog or Courage Dog?  Remember the more a dog eats, the stronger it becomes, so avoid feeding the Fear Dog at all costs.  Instead, tell yourself that you are only going to feed the Courage Dog.

Do this whenever the Fear Dog jumps on you. 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Motivational Secret #14:  

“Are you feeding the Fear Dog or the Courage Dog?”

 

                Link of the Day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6vqKyyFRJQ        

 

Quote of the Day:

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”

  -T. S. Eliot

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Saturday and Floor Focus

Saturday and Floor Focus

A very common problem for many dancers is “looking at the floor”.  This downward focus is wrong for a whole host of reasons.

First, it distorts the posture, because in order to remain upright and not fall, the body compensates by sticking the seat out.  The dancer is now balanced, but it is hardly the alignment that anyone wants to see.  Another problem is simply one of aesthetics.  Watching someone who constantly stares at the floor is not enjoyable.  I’ve heard teachers threaten to paint eyeballs on a student’s eyelids just so they will appear to be looking up!

Finally, and most importantly, it is a difficult habit to break.  This is probably because  dancers look down when they are not dancing too – often it is a habit acquired in childhood, sometimes due to shyness.  Sometimes it is a habit of concentration.  Whatever the cause, it needs to be addressed, and the sooner the better.  Have students find things on the walls of the classroom to look at – and emphasis on the correct use of the head can also help with this problem. 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #7i:  

“Find things to look at in the room while dancing, and remember the correct head positions to prevent looking at the floor.”

                Link of the Day:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5_Xq9OJuoQ&safe=active

 

Quote of the Day:

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.”

-Aristotle

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Fun Friday, Painted Tights, and the Great Turn Confusion

Fun Friday, Painted Tights, and the Great Turn Confusion

One of the most confusing things in ballet is the difference between en dehors and en dedans.  In other words, which way does the turn go – outside or inside?  It can be likened to a child learning their right from their left.  There are only two choices, but it can be much more difficult than it would seem with a 50% chance of success.

There are many hints and tips that teachers use as a memory aid – the most common being that “en dehors is out the door”.  But I haven’t found this to be too successful.

So I’ve told my students to stand in retiré, and imagine that I’ve painted the word “en dedans” on the front (inside) of their working thigh, and “en dehors” on the back of the same thigh.  Whichever way the turn is intended to go is led by that side of the thigh.  I also suggest that “en dehors” is actually “out the back door”, since the writing on their tights is on the backside of the thigh, and that’s what leads the turning movement in the correct direction. 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #14d:

“To remember the correct turning direction, imagine that ‘en dehors’ is painted on the back of the retiré thigh, and ‘en dedans’ is painted on the front.”

                Link of the Day:

                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIDYhBlWlxE

 

Quote of the Day:

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”

-Jimmy Dean

 

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Throwback Thursday and Gene Kelly

Throwback Thursday and Gene Kelly

Another dancer who changed the course of dance history:  Gene Kelly.  Famous for his roles in movie musicals of the 1940 and 1950s, he is often compared to Fred Astaire.  Both were innovators who added much to dance, but they were very different dancers.  Gene Kelly’s style was athletic, and earthy while Fred Astaire was elegant and smooth, and often performed in a tuxedo.

Gene Kelly brought the common man into dance in the movies.  He often performed in “real” clothes, and danced in every day settings (like a rainy street in Singin’ in the Rain which he did despite a 103 degree fever).

He worked behind the camera as well, working not only as choreographer, but also as director, writer and producer.  He experimented with new film techniques like double exposures, having dancers move toward the camera so they would look more three dimensional, and having camera movements synchronized with the musical beat. 

He also danced with a cartoon character, Jerry the mouse in the 1945 movie Anchors Aweigh.  For each second of the dance, twenty-four drawings Jerry were required.  According to Gene Kelly’s widow, Patricia Ward Kelly, when Gene was asked who his favorite dance partner was he said:  “Jerry the mouse.  Because he showed up on time and worked his little tail off.” 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Dance History Factoid #15:  

“Gene Kelly was famous for dancing in the movies of the 1940s and 1950s.  He also changed the way dance was done on film.”

                Link of the Day:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceQZhXSBdmU&safe=active

 

Quote of the Day:

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.  The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.

-Thomas Edison

 

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Wild Wednesday and the Return of Aunt Matilda

Wild Wednesday and the Return of Aunt Matilda

One problem for dancers is using too much tension.  This is especially true when attempting to master a combination of steps at increasingly faster tempos.  Often dancers tense up and that prevents the movements from happening efficiently – or prevents them from happening at all.

Have the students try this exercise.  Pretend Aunt Matilda (we all remember Aunt Matilda), is leaving on a train or plane and you are waving at her as she disappears into the distance.  Now wave faster and faster.  Try it faster with the hand tense, and then try it with the hand in a more relaxed state.  Which works better for speed?  The answer should be the more relaxed hand.

Then remind the dancers of this statute:  “Use the amount of tension you need, no more and no less.” 

From the Big Beige Book of Ballet Statutes:

Statute # 11:  

  “For any movement, use the amount of tension you need, no more and no less.”

 

                Link of the Day:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZSzBrMG_oQ

 

Quote of the Day: 

 

“Music is a huge release of tension.”

-          James Taylor

 

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Technical Tuesday: One Step Ahead

Technical Tuesday:  One Step Ahead

In a previous blog about “a place to go before you go where you are going”, I mentioned the fact that dancers must always think one step ahead.  In a glissade, for example, the dancer is not thinking about the glissade.  Instead she is thinking about the assemblé or the jeté or whatever step is coming immediately after.

This is only possible because of muscle memory.  The steps have become so automatic that it is now possible to think ahead and use that instant to perfect each upcoming step.  Sound confusing?  It can be.  When a beginning dancer starts to move in the center, the steps usually appear stilted or robotic.  This is because the muscle memory for each step has yet to be established, and each step is being thought about as it is executed, instead of one step earlier.

This “thinking one step ahead” is, in part, what allows the movements to flow together, so an untrained audience member cannot tell where one step ends and another begins. 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:

Secret #7h:

“Always think one step ahead.”

 

                Link of the Day:  

http://elitedaily.com/life/5-things-learned-discipline-professional-ballerina/

  

Quote of the Day:

“Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.”

-Henry David Thoreau

 

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