Basic Principles of Classical Ballet (13 page)

PAS COURU

When many pas de bourrée are done consecutively, we get pas couru. Usually it is done in fast tempo. It is often used to gain momentum for big jumps, such as jeté, for instance, and is found abundantly in masculine dances.

It is also done frequently by women on pointes, moving in a straight line, diagonally, or in a circle around the entire stage.
²⁰

COUPÉ

This small intermediary temps is a movement facilitating the beginning of some other step. Coupé is done as a preparation, as an impetus for some other step, and is usually done on the final up-beat of a bar (pick-up).

Suppose you have to do pas ballonné forward, while you are standing on right foot in a pose croisé back.

You must first do a demi-plié on the right leg, and change to a plié on the left leg, with a short movement as if stamping with the left foot. This brings the right foot sur le cou-de-pied forward, and from there continue the step.

Coupé back is done in the same manner.

Coupé can be done in other forms as may be required by the particular movement to be executed. (
See
, grand jeté).

FLIC-FLAC

Flic-flac is done in exercises and in adagio as a connecting link between movements. When first taught in exercise it is linked to some other pas, for instance, battement tendu.

Flic-flac en dehors in beginners’ classes is taught in a much simpler version than when it later appears as a linking or passing movement in the finished dance. You begin to learn it in two counts, as follows:

The foot is opened in 2nd position; with a small swing and with pointed toes it glides through 5th position to a little further than sur le cou-de-pied back. This point is reached inevitably because of the “lashing” character of the movement; you then fling the foot back into 2nd position, and with a similar movement swing the foot in front, where it will again go a little beyond sur le cou-de-pied. Open again into 2nd position.

45. Flic-flac

In more advanced classes flic-flac is done in one count, and with a rise on half-toe on the last movement.

Flic-flac en dedans is done in exactly the same manner, the only difference being that the first passing of the foot is in front, and the second back.

Later it is done en tournant.

FLIC-FLAC EN TOURNANT

En dehors.
You begin with the leg and arms open in 2nd position; at the first movement the arms come together below, as if giving the torso the impetus for the turn en dehors. During the second movement, when the foot goes forward, the required pose is taken. The first movement is done en face, the second on a turn. The turn is done on half-toe, and the required pose is held.

En dedans.
This is done in reverse. The first movement of the foot is forward and the body turns en dedans. Finish in the required pose.
²¹

PASSÉ

Passé corresponds to its French meaning (passed). It is an auxiliary movement which transfers (passes) the leg from one position into another.

If you are standing in développé effacé forward and you wish to bring the leg back into arabesque without doing a grand rond de jambe, you bend the leg at the knee, leaving it at a height of 90°, brush the toe of that foot past the standing leg and bring it out into arabesque. The passing of the leg through this path is called passé.

The same movement can be done with a jump, leaving the floor with the supporting leg. It will also be called passé.

46. Temps relevé

Passé can be done on the floor as in rond de jambe par terre, in which case it will be passé in 1st position.

TEMPS RELEVÉ

The French name for this movement, derived from the French verb
se relever
(to rise) determines its form; relevé is the rising on one leg. This movement is often a preparatory one for another; it assumes a special form when used as a preparation for a turn. This we shall describe later, and now we shall begin with its basic forms: petits and grands relevés.

PETIT RELEVÉ

Stand in 5th position, right foot front. Do a demi-plié, right foot sur le cou-de-pied front; right arm bent in 1st position, left arm out in 2nd position; right leg travels forward and without stopping opens into 2nd position at 45°; simultaneously right arm opens into 2nd position while left foot rises on half-toe.

While doing this movement the thigh should remain motionless, the entire change in position to be done with the lower part of the leg, from the knee down, not letting the upper part of the leg change its position. The lower leg extends only as far as the contracted muscles of the thigh will allow.

Relevé back is done in the same manner, beginning with sur le cou-de-pied back, i.e. do the passing movement back, carrying the leg to 2nd position and keeping the upper part of the leg from changing its position, i.e. doing the movement with the part of the leg from the toe to the knee.

Here the leg acquires a new form of movement which we have not yet discussed. This is the moving of the lower leg back and forth without any lifting movement in the upper part of the leg. This will be the foundation for learning turns, because freedom in the play of the lower leg enables the dancer to work without involving the body in the movement.

GRAND RELEVÉ

The beginning is the same as for petits relevés, except that the right leg is bent very high, the toe at the knee; after the demi-plié the leg is thrown into 2nd position at 90° with the same contraction of the muscles of the upper part of the leg as in petit relevé, and with the same passing movement without a stop in développé forward, the same rise on the half-toe, and the same movement of the arms.

The relevé is used as a preparation for turns when they are not begun from both legs: i.e. not from a preparation in 4th or 5th position, but when standing on one leg, while the other is in the air. When we do a relevé as a preparation for a turn, it is done in a different way; the right leg both passes through the 2nd position, without stopping in the passing movement forward, and goes through sur le cou-de-pied, passing the entire way in one count, i.e. while remaining in plié. On the second count the leg does a turn, touching the cou-de-pied of the left leg.

47. Grand temps relevé

In the execution of turns in 2nd position at 90° from grand relevé, the form of grand relevé does not change. The turn is simply added to it.

VII

JUMPS

JUMPS IN classical ballet are highly diversified. In further study we will see that they are divided into two basic groups.

In the first group are the aerial jumps. For these jumps the dancer must impart a great force to the movement, must stop in the air.

In the second group are the movements which, without a literal jump, cannot be made without tearing oneself away from the ground. These movements, however, are not directed up into the air; they are done close to the ground.

Jumps which are not directed into the air but are parallel to the floor include: pas glissade, pas de basque, and jeté en tournant (in the execution of the first part of this movement).

Aerial jumps are divided into four kinds:

1. Jumps from both feet to both feet which are subdivided into: (
a
) those done directly from 5th position, as changement de pieds, échappé, soubresaut; (
b
) done with a movement of one foot from 5th position to the side, as assemblé, sissonne fermée, sissonne fondue, sissonne tombée, pas de chat, failli, chassé, cabriole fermée, jeté fermé fondu.

2. Jumps from both feet to one foot, which have the following subdivisions: (
a
) when at the beginning the dancer tears himself away from the floor with both feet and finishes the movement on one foot (in a pose), as sissonne ouverte, sissonne soubresaut, ballonné, ballotté, rond de jambe en l’air saute; (
b
) when the movement begins with a thrusting out of the leg (a take off) and ends with a stop on the same foot in a pose, as jeté from 5th position, grand jeté from 5th position, jeté with a movement in a half-turn, emboité.

3. Jumps from one foot to the other, as jeté entrelacé, saut de basque, jeté passé, jeté in attitude (when it is done from a preparation in 4th position croisé).

4. Combination jumps, the structure of which embodies several elements, as jeté renversé, sissonne renversée, grand pas de basque, double rond de jambe, pas ciseaux, balancé, jeté en tournant and grand fouetté.

Aerial jumps can be small and big, but no matter what their form, the action of leaving the floor must always be clearly visible.

In the development of the jump the following instructions should be followed:

1. Every jump begins with demi-plié. Since the main factor in imparting force at the moment of leaving the floor is the heel, it is necessary, at the development of the jump, to pay special attention to the correctness of demi-plié, i.e. one must see to it that the heels are not lifted from the floor in demi-plié.

2. If the jump is done on both legs, the legs must be forcefully extended in the knees, arches and toes at the moment of the jump. If the jump is done on one leg, the other assumes the position required by the pose. In this case the upper part of the leg must be fully turned out, the back must be straight, the buttocks should not protrude.

3. After the jump the feet must touch the floor first with the toe, then softly with the heel, then lowered into demi-plié. After this the knees should be straightened.

Elevation consists of two elements: elevation proper and ballon.

Elevation in the proper sense of the word is a flight. A man leaves the ground and does a high jump in the air. But such a jump can be meaningless, just an acrobatic feat. A circus acrobat can jump over ten people in a row. His dexterity will amaze us, but we cannot consider that he has elevation. It is a mechanical trick, made possible by well-trained muscles. In dance elevation, ballon must be added to the jump.

Under the term ballon, we understand the ability of a dancer to hold in the air a pose or position, which is customary for him on the ground. The dancer stops in the air, remains there as if suspended. Consequently, when we speak of classic elevation we deal with high jumps connected with ballon.

Elevation is developed through a number of movements. For the development of the jump ending on both feet, we use changement de pieds; for the development of the jump ending on one foot with a movement forward, back and to the side—“the springboard type”—we use pas ballonné. These preparatory steps for high elevation must be done with great perseverance and attention and in great numbers.

The study of jumps is approached gradually. For children and beginners the following serves as the initial exercise:

Stand in 1st position, demi-plié, push off with the heels, and jump, extending the toes and arching the feet. Coming down, touch the floor with the toes and, in the next moment, lower yourself on the heels into demi-plié, and then straighten the knees.