Fun Friday Deep

Fun Friday Deep

There are two basic ways to use the arms when preparing for an en dehors pirouette. The dancer can leave the leading arm in first and bring the following arm in to meet in as the turn begins. Or, the leading arm can open to à la seconde and both arms come together as the turn happens. If you always do it one way, try the other and see if it works better.

Today I’m focusing on the leading arm opening to second. Often this helps the dancer keep everything level while providing a little extra impetus by having both arms come into first simultaneously.

When using this preparation, it is important that the deepest part of the plié occurs as the arms reach second position. It is similar to Ballet Secret #14b: “In a pirouette en dedans, the deepest part of the plié is when the leg hits à la seconde.”

This coordination is critical, but when executed properly, the pirouette happens as if by magic!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #14kkk:

“The deepest part of the plié is when the arms are in à la second.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY8fM14z3Vk

Quote of the Day:

“Books open your mind, broaden your mind, and strengthen you as nothing else can.”
― William Feather

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Throwback Thursday and D. Ray White

Throwback Thursday and D. Ray White

I’ve been watching Ken Burn’s fascinating series on country music and it made me wonder about dance in the mountains. While researching I ran across the subject of today’s blog: D. Ray White.

He was born Donald Ray White on April 17, 1927 In Bandytown, Boone County, West Virginia. He became a mountain dancer and entertainer who mixed tap and clogging and was soon a local celebrity. He became known as one of the greatest mountain dancers of his time.

D. Ray White has been featured in several documentaries about the colorful White family. The PBS special Talking Feet: Solo Southern Dance - Flatfoot, Buck and Tap. His son Jesco White (one of thirteen children) carried on his style and is known as “The Dancing Outlaw”. Jesco was profiled in a 1991 PBS special The Dancing Outlaw. There was also a documentary called The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia. In addition, Hank Williams III did a song titled D. Ray White (see the Quote of the Day below).

On July 2, 1985, after a quarrel between Steve Allen Rowe and White and his sons, D. Ray White was killed by a shotgun wound to the chest. He was 60 years old.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Dance History Secret #289:

“D. Ray White was a well-known Appalachian dancer and entertainer.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqCOx0vYwe8

Quote of the Day:

"D Ray White

Way down in West Virginia
There are some people who are one of a kind
They don't need nothin' from nobody
'Cause they're already doin' fine…”

- Hank Williams III 

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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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Wild Wednesday Perfect Circle

Wild Wednesday Perfect Circle

Is there anything more beautiful than a perfectly performed pas de deux? I don’t think so. It all looks so effortless when it is done well.

Take a supported promenade, for example. It is in almost all partnered pieces, and it looks so simple. And yet it can be one of the most difficult things for beginners to master.

The secret to success lies in the path the male dancer takes during the promenade. He must walk in a perfect circle, using the ballerina’s supporting leg as the center of the circle. If he goes out too far or steps in too far, the lady will tilt and/or lose balance. It’s tricky. But after several rehearsals, it all falls into place (no pun intended).

That is, until the ballerina puts on a tutu. Suddenly her supporting leg is no longer visible to her partner! This is where skill really comes in. Now the male dancer has to feel her balance, and sense whether he is walking in a perfect circle – or not. It is challenging, but doable - and ultimately, beautiful. 

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Partnering Secret #27e:

“The male dancer must walk in a perfect circle during a supported promenade.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbc35p0gx3s

Quote of the Day:

“A trap is only a trap if you don't know about it. If you know about it, it's a challenge.”
― China Miéville, King Rat

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Terminology Tuesday Tour de Reins

Terminology Tuesday Tour de Reins

“Tour de reins [toor duh ren] means ‘turn of the back’.”  This is a series of jeté en tournant and it is performed in a circle (en manège). You are probably familiar with it since it is often seen in male variations or in codas. When doing tour de reins, the dancer leans toward the center of the circle. See the Link of the Day below at 1:29.

It may be done in an attitude or arabesque and according to Gail Grant’s book: “The tempo has an unusual accent and the step actually become jeté-coupé instead of coupé-jeté. “

As an interesting side note, the word rein in French is often defined as kidney https://m.interglot.com/fr/en/rein.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Terminology Secret #59:

“Tour de reins means ‘turn of the back’.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkw9KO_kA4g

Quote of the Day:

“The first stair to failure is ignorance. Keep learning by leaning on the lap of information and you'll take the lead!”
― Israelmore Ayivor, Daily Drive 365

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https://www.amazon.com/Frames-Borders-Backgrounds-Color-Rogers/dp/0980191955/

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Mad Monday Taffy Pull

Mad Monday Taffy Pull

There is a common port de bras where one arm is overhead and the other is in front.  You can see it in today’s Link of the Day at 0:40. This beautiful port de bras is also seen in adagios and in lunges with upper back bends.

The secret to making this port de bras as lovely as possible is to imagine pulling taffy between the hands. This provides the necessary two-way resistance and maintains the relationship between the arms.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Secret #6sss:

“Imagine pulling taffy between the hands.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RzZWBC-G5w

Quote of the Day:

“Be like a taffy - sweet, long-lasting, tough, flexible, and colorful.”

― Kailin Gow

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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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Sunday Thought Garden

  

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W6p-Ve9ZQw

Quote of the Day:

“Isn't it odd how much fatter a book gets when you've read it several times?" Mo had said..."As if something were left between the pages every time you read it. Feelings, thoughts, sounds, smells...and then, when you look at the book again many years later, you find yourself there, too, a slightly younger self, slightly different, as if the book had preserved you like a pressed flower...both strange and familiar.”
― Cornelia Funke, Inkspell

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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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Saturday Count

Saturday Count

Yet another theatrical superstition is this: It is bad luck to count the audience. The reason seems obvious, since if there are so few people in the house that they can actually be counted, it is likely a small number. And performing for a small number of people might make the performer feel depressed and give a lackluster performance.

Of course, audience counts can be made via the number of tickets sold, so it is probably best that the performers aren’t made aware of this number for the reason stated above.

All in all, it is best not to count the audience.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Superstitious Secret #171:

“It is bad luck to count the audience.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Mb6XEc7J7k

Quote of the Day:

“Always mystify, torture, mislead, and surprise the audience as much as possible.”
― Don Roff

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:

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For interesting articles involving mental health:

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