Terminology Tuesday Angel

Terminology Tuesday Angel

The term saut de l’ange [soh duh lahnzh] means angel’s step. It is the same as temps de l’ange.

It is similar to a temps de poisson, but the legs are bent instead of straight and the knees are slightly open. The back is arched, the head is back and the arms are up. 

The dancer doesn’t move in any direction except up and lands the jump in the same place he/she started.

The phrase is also translated as “swan dive”.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Terminology Secret #77:

“Saut de l’ange means angel’s step.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reQhh2D7UfQ

Quote of the Day:

“Rejection is an opportunity for your selection.”
― Bernard Branson

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https://www.amazon.com/Family-Tree-Coloring-Debra-Rogers/dp/0980191947/

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Mad Monday Heels Down

Mad Monday Heels Down

Something dancers hear all the time is this: “Heels down! Heels down!”. This is directed at students during jump combinations. And it’s important.

I’ve also heard variations on this, and there are those who believe keeping the heels down isn’t always necessary. Hmmm…I beg to differ and today’s Link of the Day below is a great article that provides scientific data as to why keeping your heels down is so critical.

Here is one quote from the article: “A dancer that uses their plié and keeps their heels down will generate more power and be more physiologically efficient because they are properly utilizing and transferring their energy.”

So please, continue to work on landing jumps with your heels down.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Ballet Secret #15iii:

“Land jumps with your heels down.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.iadms.org/blogpost/1177934/330084/Heels-Down-During-Jumps-Technique-or-Physics

Quote of the Day:

“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.”
― Philip K. Dick, I Hope I Shall Arrive Soon

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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/

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For interesting articles involving mental health:

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Sunday Kindness Loan

 Link of the Day:

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

Quote of the Day:

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a
listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all
of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
― Leo F. Buscaglia

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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Superstitious Saturday Dancer’s Curse

Superstitious Saturday Dancer’s Curse

A 1500 year-old-tablet discovered in a theater in the early 1950s has finally been translated. It was unearthed by an Italian archaeological group in Israel, but until recently the writings on it were a mystery. The theater where it was found, Caesarea Maritima was originally built by King Herod the Great during the Roman Empire (see today's Link of the Day below).

Computer software finally allowed the enigmatic inscription on the tablet to be translated. Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) creates many photographs of an artifact from different angles and thus allows the image to be enhanced enough to be deciphered. What was found is fascinating.

Written in Greek, the tablet contains a curse, 110 lines long that is directed to a specific dancer named Manna. It was intended to damage his ability to perform well and states the he would “move slowly and lose his equilibrium” and also contained the phrase “tie the feet together”.

Curses like this were common in the Greco-Roman world, and the curse may have been designed so Manna would lose some sort of competition. Also, since the tablet was discovered in a theater, it may indicate that Manna was famous, or at least locally well-known.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Superstitious Secret #190:

“An ancient tablet was translated to reveal a dancer’s curse.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNemq9atM30

Quote of the Day:

“The writer's curse is that even in solitude, no matter its duration, he never grows lonely or bored.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

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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/

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Fun Friday Polish

Fun Friday Polish

In an assemblé, or any position in ecarté, the position of the head is important. This is not only for aesthetic reasons – although it does make the dancer look good – it is also for mechanical ones.

In a large assemblé, the ability to soar through the air is easier when the whole body is correctly positioned, and the ecarté line supports the aerodynamics. In other ecarté situations, the alignment of the head and upper body provide balance.

So, all that being said, to achieve the correct head placement in an ecarté, imagine looking at your “up” arm and fingers to check out your nail polish.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Ballet Secret #15hhh:

“In an assemblé or ecarté, think of checking your fingernail polish.”

Link of the Day:

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

Quote of the Day:

“You can tell a lot from a person's nails. When a life starts to unravel, they're among the first to go.”
― Ian McEwan, Saturday

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:

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

Throwback Thursday and Norma Vance

Throwback Thursday and Norma Vance

Born in May 1927, Norma Kaplan was a dancer with the early Ballet Theatre company (that became ABT) in New York City.

She received her dance training with Mikhail Mordkin and Maria Yurievna Swoboda and she joined Ballet Theatre in 1946. She created a role in Jeux (1950) and danced many of Antony Tudor’s works including Gala Performance and Pillar of Fire.

On April 15, 1956, a pregnant Norma was flying with her husband, Gordon Pollock, in a private plane. They left from Detroit to fly to New York City, but somewhere near Lake Erie, the plane disappeared. Although her husband’s body was found in July, apparently Norma's body was never recovered.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Dance History Secret #307:

“Norma Vance was a dancer with Ballet Theater in the 1940s and 50s.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS0L585YeLc

Quote of the Day:

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”
― Dr. Seuss

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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 Complex Imagery

Wacky Wednesday Complex Imagery

Those of you who follow this blog know it mainly features mental and visual images designed to help all aspects of dance technique. Today, for all you wonderful brainiacs out there, here is an article that goes into great academic detail about imagery:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14647893.2017.1369508

The article discusses imagery - and dancers particularly - so even if you only read portions of it, the information is fascinating. One quote: “…choreographer Rosemary Lee gave examples of the imagery that she shared with the dancers: ‘I worked, as I always do, with the elements so that … there are air dances, fireworks and explosions. Throwing a dove up into the sky and letting it go was one of their favourites’. “

Another tidbit: “…take a moment to imagine your body moving as though you are surrounded by water. Do you feel as though you are experiencing the image from the inside whilst ‘looking’ out or the outside ‘looking’ in – or a bit of both?”

Enjoy!

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets

Ballet Secret #7www:

“Mental imagery is a complex and fascinating subject.”

Link of the Day:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5pzpOZAQyW/?igshid=cukctp4w4qdv&fbclid=IwAR2QEoK6PLhoWZqzM3aSLkIDGD_1Yq_tWcdnV6GA9BkKMKIlQ-gKMxrRLzg

Quote of the Day:

“I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
― Albert Einstein

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/