Tag: ballet tip

Piqué en Arabesque #2

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Piqué en Arabesque #2

Many students have trouble finding their balance when they piqué in first arabesque. This is the second blog in a series of excerpts from my Guidebook on how to make this all-important step look better.

#2. Walking down the stairs

When you piqué, imagine that you are going down the stairs. On your way down, you don’t lean forward because you will fall. You keep your ears up and your shoulders back. You reach downward for each step with your foot forward and leg extended. After you have placed your foot on the step, you rest momentarily. Use the same principles when you piqué. You may look like you are stepping “up” on your leg when you piqué, but actually you are always stepping down. (Excerpted from “The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique: A Guide for Teachers & Students. Page 274.) https://finisjhung.com/shop/guidebook/

Piqué en Arabesque

Posted on by Finis Jhung

Piqué en Arabesque

 

Many students have trouble finding their balance when they piqué in first arabesque. In the next few blogs, I will present different ideas on how to make this all-important step look better.

 1. Reach out, step over, and push down

Whenever you piqué, whether it’s to a simple pose or a turning pose, always reach your piqué foot and step as far from your back leg as possible. Good dancers, especially those working on pointe, always “show their leg” before they piqué arabesque. You should see your long straight leg with a strongly pointed foot reaching out before you stand on it. Some dancers make a “scooping” movement when they piqué arabesque. As they fondu, they lean forward and let their hips drop back. Instead of reaching out and over and pushing down, they lean forward and piqué with a bent knee. Then they jerk their arms and arabesque legs upward and hold their breath while they try to balance. It looks like they are struggling. That is because they are. I tell my students, “You look like what you do.” If you work correctly, your balance is automatic and effortless. If you work incorrectly, you fight for your balance or miss it completely, and we notice it. For fun and learning, ask your students to bring their dance bags to the center floor. Have them practice their piqué arabesque by stepping over their own bag. This will teach them to keep their ears and shoulders back and not lean forward. It will teach them how to “show their legs” and find an easy balance. (Excerpted from “The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique: A Guide for Teachers & Students. Page 274.)  https://finisjhung.com/shop/guidebook/

Positions are Functional

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Positions are Functional

 

The classical ballet body positions are based on logic and are functional. When we use them as we dance across the floor, we are able to maintain our balance and move with control and grace. For instance, when making a tombé pas de bourrée forward from corner 6 to corner 2, we usually begin stepping out on the right foot. Most beginning students have trouble with this step. Instead of beginning with a pose in effacé devant (the head placed over the left shoulder and eyes focused in line with that shoulder) they tilt their head to the right, look straight ahead, and lean over the right foot. As a result, they have all their weight moving in the same direction at the same time which makes them stumble and get behind the music. If they would start out in a proper effacé devant pose—and look away from where they are going—they will then be able to balance the forward movements of their feet and legs and move with control and grace. NYCB Soloist Antonio Carmena demonstrates this beautifully in my instructional video “Basic Ballet Movement Skills Lesson 1.”

Basic Ballet Movement Skills: Lesson 1 (2013)

CAUTION!

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The more you practice incorrectly the better you get at doing it wrong. It does not matter how many classes you take—wrong will never be right. Open your mind to the possibilities of new ways to do old things.Try doing things differently and surprise yourself.

Airborne!

Posted on by Finis Jhung

This is one of the most useful videos Finis has created because it not only teaches you how to jump, it also teaches you how to dance BIG. Learn how to execute connecting movements such as the glissade and pas de bourrée so that they become preparations for little jumps such as the jeté and assemblé. Finis shows each exercise, step-by-step, count-by-count, and then it is expertly demonstrated. Finis analyzes and corrects each exercise and then it is repeated with noticeable improvement.  And that is because Finis shows you how to use opposition through your torso and arms in order to facilitate the movements of the feet and legs. Wouldn’t you like to look in the mirror and see yourself standing in the air? You can, and will, when you learn what Finis teaches in this video. Get the streaming version so you can coach yourself  before each class. Transform yourself from earth-borne to airborne.

The Finis Jhung Ballet Technique Level 4: Intermediate Centerwork on Jumps (2005)

Turn Your Leading Arm

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Whether you pirouette en dehors (turning to the right on your left foot) or pirouette en dedans (turning to the right on your right foot) go ahead and use the right arm to initiate and complete the turn. When you turn to the right and fall to the right, it is because you are bringing your left side to the right. Divide your body in half: left side, right side. Learn to keep them apart—the left stays left, the right stays right. One side should lead the other. One side is more important than the other. First you do this, then you do that. For both turns to the right, first reach back and twist to the left, and leave it there. Then turn your right arm back and around to the completion. It doesn’t matter what leg you are on. As long as you turning to the right, lead with the right arm. And, vice-versa. And don’t forget to give the supporting knee a push past the toes and press the ball of your feet firmly to the floor. And, spot! Check out the video on inside turns: https://finisjhung.com/shop/pirouette-class-3/

Finis Jhung

Think Big

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Skies are grey today. Temperature has dropped.  Hurricane is brewing. Rainy chilly days are coming. But above it all the sun continues to shine. Just because you can’t see it or feel it does not mean it’s not there. Don’t be fooled. Think big. Life goes in cycles. You will see the sun again. Your pirouettes will return.

Dance with Your Feet

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Try to dance more with your feet rather than your legs. Do less dancing with your thighs and knees and more with your feet. Your feet should never be passive. Your supporting foot should never wobble if you are working from it, and it should push the floor to move your body. Your free foot or gesture foot should point the free leg where you want it to be. When you make a battement tendu or dégagé, even a developpé, think of where that free foot goes and let it bring the free leg to the position. Try it.

Don’t pull up. Push down!

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You’re always stretched up and standing tall in Number 1, but when you plié-relevé there is a distinct difference in how you move and look according to the way you do it. Here’s how to get the feeling of making your plié relevé correctly.  Stand in front of a wall, arms-length away, place both hands on the wall, and lean in so both elbows are bent. Slowly push yourself away from the wall. Your elbows straighten because you push the wall. Continue pushing until your hand leaves the wall and you are pushing the wall with just your fingertips. In the same way, your legs straighten when you relevé because you are pushing down on the floor. Driving down in order to go up—pushing down to relevé—instead of trying to pull yourself up—sends your weight down into the floor and gives you better balance and fluidity of movement. Try it.