Basic Principles of Classical Ballet (27 page)

Extend the right leg forward with point on the floor, doing
demiplié
with left leg (first beat), raise right leg to 90°, straightening the knee of the left leg (second beat), small, short
balancé
with the raised leg (third beat), carry the leg to 2nd position (fourth beat). Bend leg into knee (first beat), open in 2nd
arabesque
(second beat), rise on half-toe, drop back onto raised leg in
demi-plié
extending the left leg in front (third beat), rise on it quickly on half-toe, raising right leg in
attitude croisée
(fourth beat).

Do the entire combination in reverse order, from the back. Third figure—in 2nd position, all poses to the side. The concluding pose will be in the first case
écarté
back, in the second case—
écarté
front.

The same exercies with the other foot.

7.
Grands battements jetés balancés.
One bar of
.

Prepare by extending the left leg behind. Through 1st position the leg is thrust front, then back (first and second beat), and twice through 1st position into 2nd (third and fourth beat).

The next time: throw the leg back, front, and into 1st position.

The same exercise with the other foot.

The body must balance as described in
battement balancé.

I consider that these exercises fully develop the muscles and tendons, and think that artificial, unnatural ways of stretching which are practised sometimes at the barre (such as putting the leg on the barre) or in the centre are superfluous. I highly recommend the described exercises. The following method can also be of assistance:

Face the barre in 1st position, legs fully extended, hold on to the barre with both hands. Pull to the right without lifting the heels from the floor; return to the initial position and pull to the left. Repeat several times.

EXERCISES IN THE CENTRE

Realizing the shortness of the lesson I recommend the following order of exercises in the centre:

1
. Petit adagio.
Combine
plié with various développés and battements tendus.

2. In the second petit adagio bring in combinations with
battements fondus
and
frappés,
and
ronds de jambe en l’air.

3.
Grand adagio,
which contains the most difficult adagio movements for the given class.

4. For the beginning of
allegro
I try to give small jumps, i.e. low and simple ones.

5.
Allegro
with big steps.

6. For the first steps on
pointes
I select those which are done on both feet:
échappé
in 2nd position and then in 4th. This precaution is necessary because, although the students are warmed up, the new movements bring into play new muscles, and these should be prepared for the work.

7. In order to balance out all muscles and tendons which have been stimulated by the work, the lesson ends with small
changements de pieds.
To develop the flexibility of the body we do
port de bras.

PETIT ADAGIO

1. Deep
plié
in 5th position, one and a half
tours
en
dehors sur le cou-de-pied,
stop in 1st
arabesques
with the back to the audience, continue the movement in the same direction and carry the leg forwards in croisé, look under right arm, raised to 3rd position; carry leg on the floor into 2nd
arabesque,
plié and do two
tours en debors
in
attitude croisée;
finish with
renversé en dehors.
Two
battements tendus
back with left leg, two front with the right one, each taking 1 beat. Three fast
battements tendus
with the left leg, each taking ½ beat and rest for ½ beat. Repeat with the right leg. Six
battements tendus
to the side in 2nd position, each taking ½ beat, flic-flac en
dehors,
stop in 4th position, preparation, one or two
tours
on left leg
en dehors sur le cou-de-pied.

2. Big
relevé en dehors
at 90° in 2nd position, carry leg on the floor into
attitude croisée, coupé
on right foot, four
ronds de jambe en l’air en dehors
with left leg,
plié
and
pas de bourrée en dehors.

The same thing
en dedans.

GRAND ADAGIO

Pose
croisé
back with left leg,
plié, coupé
on left foot and
ballonné
in
écarté
front finishing with right leg bent behind knee, extend it to
effacé
back, step onto it and do two
tours en dedans sur le cou-de pied,
stop in
écarté
back with left leg, both arms in 3rd position; turn slowly and carry the opened leg into 1st
arabesque,
the body facing point 2, the arms opened in 2nd position through preparatory position are carried front with the wrists crossed.
Coupé
on left foot and
pas de ciseaux
(stop on right foot), turn to
effacé
front with the left leg,
chassé
in
effacé,
falling onto left leg in
plié,
after which change to the right leg, taking the pose
croisé
in
attitude,
turn quickly en
dehors,
stand on the left foot in 4th
arabesque, renversé
in
écarté
back,
pas de bourrée en dehors,
two
tours en dehors
from 4th position
sur le cou-de-pied, pas de bourrée en dehors and entrechat-six de volée
with the right leg.

ALLEGRO

1. Big
sissonne
forward in
croisé en tournant en dehors, assemblé
forward and
sissonne-soubresaut
in
attitude effacée
on right foot, carry left leg on the floor front,
glissade
with the right foot to the side, and
cabriole fermée
with the right leg in
effacé.

2. (a)
Saut de basque and renversé sauté en dehors;
repeat;
sissonne tombée forward in effacé, cabriole in
1st
arabesque, pas de bourrée, cabriole
in 4th
arabesque, sissonne tombée en tournant (en dehors)
in
croisé
front on right foot,
coupé
on left foot and
jeté fermé fondu
on right foot to the side in 2nd position.

(b) Four
sauts de basque
diagonally with arms in 3rd position, four
chaînés
diagonally to point 2, preparation in 4th position
croisé
and two
tours en dehors sur le cou-de-pied;
finish in 4th position.

3. Preparation
croisé
front with the left leg,
grande cabriole férmée
in
effacé
with the right leg and
turn en dedans
on pointes in 5th position. Repeat.
Sissonne tombé:
back in
croisé
from right leg, in
effacé
from left leg, with right leg
jeté en tournant en dehors
forward in
croisé, cabriole
into 4th
arabesque
and
pas de bourrée.
This combination may also be done in waltz-time.

POINT WORK

1. Preparation
croisé
left foot back,
coupé
with left foot and on pointes
grand fouetté en dehors
on right foot, bend knee and, carrying right leg front
croisé
, rise twice on pointes
sissonne
into 3rd
arabesque
on right foot;
coupé
with left foot,
fouetté
on left foot en
dehors
to 45°,
pas de bourrée en dehors,
preparation in 4th position and two
tours sur
le
cou-de-pied en dedans
on right foot, stop in 5th position.

2.
Pas de chat
finishing on right knee,
développé
front on left foot on pointe
effacé,
immediately carry leg into
effacé
back without coming down from the pointe.
Pas de bourrée
(finish on right foot, left one
sur le cou-de-pied
)
, fouetté en dedans
on right foot and
en dehors
on left one, stop in 5th position.

3. One
tour en dehors
on left foot four times (beginning each time with dégagé with the left leg) diagonally from point 6 to point 2, two
fouettés en dehors
and a third double
fouetté
also on the left foot. Stop in 4th position, right foot back.

SAMPLE LESSON WITH MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT
³⁵

For senior and professional classes

EXERCISES AT THE BARRE

1. Pliés
   . In the five positions. Each set of
   pliés
   is done to two bars of
   time, first a
   demi-plié
   and then a
   grand plié.
   During the
   demi-plié
   the arm stays in 2nd position, head turned outward; the
   grand plié
   is accompanied by a lowering and raising of the arm simultaneously with the movement of the
   plié,
   the head anticipating the movement of the hand. Transition is made from one position to another by pointing the toes in a
   dégagé.
   

2.
Battements tendus.
In combination with
plié
in 2nd position. Twenty-four bars of