20100813

five favorite ballet steps - .FIVE.

By Emily (my wonderful older sister!)

1. pas de chat, aka step of the cat.  this step is named for it's likeness to a cat's leap.  this step is fun for children to learn (plus they love the name and I always tell them to try to teach their cat to do it).  for advanced dancers this step can be large or small, at a medium tempo or very fast.  while this step seems simple, a perfect pas de chat is very challenging.  an italian pas de chat is a particularly enjoyable step.

2. sissonne assemble.  these two steps are my favorite way to start a grand allegro. i prefer an assemble battu.
3. saut de basque.  the turning step is an excellent part of an allegro.  a fun and quick step often combined with emboite.
4. waltz turn.  this fairly simple step, though quite tricky when learning, is lovely in ballets like sleeping beauty.  an indulging step that lets you really move freely.
5. pique tour en dedans, aka pique turn.  on a good turning day i love a simple combination of single and double pique turns.  

5 remarks:

Natalie said...

I love this post, Em! It's my favorite on the blog. It was fun to look up the steps. Makes me miss ballet! I think my favorite of the five is the waltz turn. So simple but so beautiful and elegant. Thanks for sharing!!

Emily said...

Thanks for posting! It was fun to ponder! Taylor may want to do one too!

Emily said...

Ohh! I love the pictures!

Natalie said...

Sweet! Taylor should. Definitely should! Make sure to check out those links, too. ABT has a really cool online ballet dictionary!

Stephen said...
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