variation

[Guest Medora]

Hi everyone. My variation is going much better, and I am getting the jumps in seconde much better now. Although it is still kind of hard for me to land turned out, I can do it, and am doing much better with it than I was. But now I have another question. When I do those ecarte extensions, it's not getting the leg where it needs to be and holding it, but it's extending it slowly as if through peanut butter isn't it?

When I do pique arabesque, should I try to draw it out like through peanut butter again? I am trying to make this more musical, although I realize that for now I have to do what the present strength of my body will allow me to do, and I know it is hard to dance more slowly and draw things out. But these things do have to be drawn out, don't they, to make it smoother? Any input is appreciated!

[Mel Johnson]

You can choose this legato style of doing those steps. I've seen dancers choose to make the whole thing very rubato, that is practically "stealing" time from one beat to the next. Other times, I've seen the écartés done as an élancé accent to what was otherwise a languid flow of movement. You have lots of choices.

[Guest Medora]

Okay, my teacher is telling me to hold the ecarte longer and I guess rush the jump, even though I hate to use the word rush and don't think it's appropriate. She keeps telling me I am like a split second too fast, so what does that mean, that I'm not holding the ecarte long enough I guess? I know I'm doing fine probably, but, I'm a perfectionist, so here I am.

[Mel Johnson]

OK, that's what I meant about "rubato" it's perfectly valid. Listen to the music that you're dancing to. I bet that the solo violinist is employing rubato in his/her playing of the melody.

[Guest Medora]

Yes, he is! I've listened to this music like 5,000 times! My teacher would tell me to hold the ecarte longer, but then I would think, now where is the time for the jump? :confused: But, okay, she does want me to "rush" it per say. Okay, now I've got it a little more cleared up, it's amazing, you listen to this music trying to feel it like fifty times and you still don't feel like you can ever know it well enough! Now I've got some more to play around with. Thanks a bunch for clearing this up! :cool: