At the 2019 Teacher Workshop, we worked on the importance of épaulement (shouldering) and reaching back with their arms so that their feet and legs could move forward. This exercise consists of a piqué arabesque, tombé, step en l'air, fondu développé relevé, balancés, and a pas de bourrée en avant.
Students should learn the step en l'air and use it whenever they have a grand jete en avant or saut de chat. Traditionally dancers make a glissade forward, but this makes them brush the floor and doesn't give them the ability to strongly push down and arc the jeté.
This is the reason so many dancers can cover space and split their legs but don't really "jump over the moon" - the only way the body can rise in the air is when a foot strongly pushes the floor. And, that pushing foot has to have intense energy and strength which comes from the distance of that foot from the supporting shoulder. This is happens when you make a step en l'air.
Study this in detail in my instructional video GET ON YOUR LEG & DANCE! superbly demonstrated by Antonio Carmena of the New York City Ballet. Stream from my website. Purchase the DVD on my website of AMAZON.
We see dances "kick" and "lift" and "split" but most do not really soar into the air as a grand jeté should.
Therefore, it's important that teachers learn how to teach this exercise with the step en l'air leading into a fondu développé relevé as it is the basis for step en l'air grand jeté.
The balancé changing corners looks beautiful when Shannon demonstrates because she clears moves her shoulder blades back and reaches her graceful arms and hands. She leads with toes and hips. She's working through her entire body. This is the beauty of ballet dancing - graceful elegance that covers space with ease.
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