Basic Principles of Classical Ballet (22 page)

98. Temps lié (on pointes) 2nd part

5. Assemblé soutenu. Stand in 5th position, right foot front; do demi-plié and at the same time move right leg, sliding the point, to the side; pull the leg back into 5th position, jumping on the pointes of both feet, left foot front, pushing off well with the heel of the left foot. Lower yourself in demi-plié in 5th position. Do the same movement with the left foot front.

99. Assemblé soutenu

100. Jeté on pointes

6. Jeté on pointes. Stand in 5th position, demi-plié, move the point of the right foot on the floor to the side and to a height of 45°. Move right leg to back of the left and spring onto its pointe, at the same time raise left leg sur le cou-de-pied; lower yourself on the right leg in demi-plié, moving left leg to the side, and continue the movement with the other leg. In the same manner jeté on pointes is done forward and backwards, in croisé, effacé, and écarté. This step is preparatory to poses and movements on the pointe of one foot. In the more advanced classes we practice poses at 90°; we open the leg in a small développé in the desired direction, and rise on pointes in arabesque, attitude and other poses.

7. Sissonne simple. We begin to practice it facing the barre. Stand in 5th position, right foot front, demi-plié, spring up onto the pointe of left foot, raising right leg sur le cou-de-pied front and finishing in 5th position demi-plié. It can also be done this way: spring up onto the pointe of right foot, raising left leg sur le cou-de-pied back and finishing in 5th position. Another way is to change the leg, i.e. to place the raised leg back, or front.

101. Sissonne simple

Later sissonne simple is practised in the centre. Subsequently when doing sissonne simple the leg may be raised higher, to the knee.

102. Sissonne simple

8. Sissonne ouverte. This movement is done on pointes from 5th position into all poses, beginning with the least difficult.

Demi-plié, spring ontopointe of one foot, opening the other leg with small développé to 45° front, in 2nd position, or back; finish by lowering yourself in demi-plié in 5th position. Later on we do grande sissonne. In it the leg opens to 90° in the same manner in all directions and poses.

103. Sissonne ouverte at 45° in 2nd position

Sissonne may be done in various poses and directions, for instance: sissonne from 5th position into 1st arabesque—after demi-plié, rise on pointes, springing to the side, into the pose; finish by lowering yourself into 5th position in demi-plié. All these sissonnes may be done in an unlimited number without changing the pose.

104. Sissonne in 1st arabesque

Lower yourself every time in demi-plié on the foot on which you are standing and repeat the rising movement, attention being paid that the leg in arabesque is kept at the proper height.

All the movements on pointes must always be connected with plié, and one must rise on pointes with a small spring.

Jumps on pointes should be done with a strongly held heel, keeping the arch and ankle tense and forcing out from them all softness. Jumps on pointes belong to one of the most difficult parts of point work, and their development demands great care.

Very often the tension in the ankle is transmitted to the body, and the body, too, becomes tense. This gives the dancer an inartistic appearance. In spite of the fact that the back should be held straight (as described in the chapter about balance), the arms and head must preserve their freedom of movement. Only then these jumps on points will produce the effect of being done with ease and absence of strain. Without this ease one cannot achieve artistry of the dance.

X

TURNS

Tour
—is an old French term used in choreographic literature to designate a turn of the body on one leg. The term
pirouette
in reference to the practice of the female dance should be considered dead.
²⁶
We will use the term
tours.
Male dancers still retain the term
pirouette.
and use it to indicate multiple turns on one foot done on one spot, as for instance their
grande pirouette
in 2nd position at 90°. But we will use the word
tours.

PREPARATION FOR STUDY

In the approach to the study of
tours
in their elementary form on half-toe I recommend the same gradation and attention as later, in the approach to the study of tours on pointes. One should not neglect the elementary exercises leading toward the aim of teaching the legs their proper position during all phases of the tour. Without this gradual study of all movements of the legs contained in the execution of the tour, the student may easily acquire a careless, approximate manner of execution. Just as strict should be the study of the correct participation of the arms in the execution of
tours.
The subsequent correction of a faulty manner in the execution of
tours
will require infinitely more time and effort than the painstaking work at the beginning. For this reason I recommend the following order for the study of
tours,
first on half-toe and then on pointes.

The teaching of children to turn their bodies serves as the most elementary, preparatory stage. In their exercises at the barre the following turns are used:

1. Turn on both feet.

In the more advanced classes:

2. Turn on one foot. (In every exercise when there is a need to change feet, one leg is raised quickly during the turn, and the movement continues with the other foot.)

3. Turn on the foot on which you stand and return to the original position.

The last-mentioned way is taught in advanced classes and is used in connection with battements tendus, petits battements sur le cou-de-pied, battements développés, etc.

All these movements are accompanied by a change of hands on the barre.

But all this only teaches’ the body to turn in general. We come closer to the actual teaching of tours in the following gradation.

We begin with turns on both feet and then continue with turns on one foot in the following order: (1) tours from
(2) from 4th position, (3) from 5th position. After this, tours are done in attitude, arabesque, 2nd position, etc. After the study of tours on half-toe we continue to study them on pointe, maintaining the same gradation as in the preparatory exercises. Tours on pointe in attitude, arabesque and 2nd position are studied at the conclusion of the choreographic education.

Let us begin with simple turns in the centre—with turns on both feet. This movement belongs to the type of battement soutenu.

En dehors.
From 5th position, right foot front, do demi-plié and at the same time draw the right leg to 2nd position, with extended toes on the floor; rise on half-toe, at the same time carrying right leg to 5th position back; turn to the right, en dehors, and conclude the movement with right leg front in 5th position. In this movement the arms play their part by helping the legs. At the beginning of the movement open the arms into 2nd position at half-height. Then, with an elastic movement join the arms below in the preparatory position, during the turn.