SwanQueen Posted March 26, 2003 Report Share Posted March 26, 2003 Hi! I have what people would consider "good feet". High arches and all that. My foot looks beautiful when I'm actually on pointe but I have a really hard time pointing my whole foot when there is no weight on it. Its really hard to point your TOES. Any help on this topic? Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted March 26, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted March 26, 2003 Swan Queen, it IS hard to pointe all the way through the pointe shoe, especially for people with a long foot and high arch and instep! It takes time, a lot of work, and strength. Practice tendu and dégagé in your pointe shoes. That is why some barre exercises besides relevés are needed in pointe classes! Quote Link to comment
Guest christeng87 Posted April 16, 2003 Report Share Posted April 16, 2003 I have the same problem! Except I don't have "good feet", so I have always thought it was because of that. Part of it could be that your shoes aren't broken in, or maybe you just need to work on it more. Stretch your feet everyday, and unless your teacher is telling you to pointe your feet sometime, its probably okay! :-) Quote Link to comment
Guest RachelsDream Posted April 17, 2003 Report Share Posted April 17, 2003 Maybe think of shaping your feet instead of pointing - I practice holding my foot in wrapped coupe and pointing front, side, back. Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted April 17, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted April 17, 2003 Yes, that is good, Rachel. I use the term "shaping" all the time. Also working from sur le cou de pied. (P.S. - Coupé is a step, not a position! I know, everyone calls that position coupé instead of cou de pied, but just thought I'd let you all know that it is really incorrect! It bugs me, because then when I want a coupé they do a position and I'm asking for an action! ) Quote Link to comment
Guest RachelsDream Posted April 17, 2003 Report Share Posted April 17, 2003 Ms. Leigh thank you for the correction! I will remember that in the future - always looking to learn more. Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted April 17, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted April 17, 2003 Ah Rachel, that is so lovely to hear! Now I just wish some teachers would learn that too Quote Link to comment
Hjete Posted April 17, 2003 Report Share Posted April 17, 2003 Sorry to post here as I am over 16, but I had a specific question for Ms. Leigh in response to this thread. Please delete if out of place. Since coupé is the action, what do you call the position if it is front or back? I always thought cou-de-pied was the wrapped position since it means "neck of the foot." We don't use the wrapped position as much at my school, so I was wondering what is "correct" in terminology for the front or back position. Would it just be cou-de-pied devant or derrière? Thanks for enlightening me! ;) Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted April 17, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted April 17, 2003 Just my thoughts on this, Hjete, but I think that the neck of the foot just means the ankle, so, it makes sense to me to use the cou-de-pied devant and derrière terms Quote Link to comment
Hjete Posted April 18, 2003 Report Share Posted April 18, 2003 Thanks! ...and then just plain "cou-de-pied" for wrapped? I guess this is more for interest in correctness than for actual classroom speech since teachers use so many variations in terminology that can still be right (i.e. different methods) and are understood by dancers.... like battement glissé, battement tendu jeté or dégagé... or "front" instead of "devant" all the time. Thanks for letting me post here, and I now shall return to where I belong! ;) P.S. I pulled out my Gail Grant Tech. Manual and Dictionary... and this, of course, clarified my question...should of looked there first...but the info was exactly what you said, Ms. Leigh...as usual!!! (The wrapped position is also considered devant in the Russian school.) Quote Link to comment
Guest jane Posted April 18, 2003 Report Share Posted April 18, 2003 Please could somebody describe the coupe movement for me? I have been told that is a cutting movement done with the feet, but that doesnt really tell me much. If it helps I am supposed to be using it in a link of movements in class: chasse, coupe, chasse, ton leve, chasse, coupe.....but I have forgotten how to do it! Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted April 18, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted April 18, 2003 Jane, in a coupé one foot literally replaces the other, or "cuts" under it. Therefore, when you do a chassé, the foot you finish on is doing a coupé. Coupé is often performed using a cou-de-pied devant or derrière position, but not always. The free leg can also be in an open position or moving on into the next chassé or step. Chassé coupé, chassé temps levé would be a slide forward, cut under, slide forward, and sauté on one leg (temps levé). The last step could be in a cou-de-pied position or retiré back, or an arabesque, or attitude. Quote Link to comment
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