Guest JRSDANCER87 Posted September 4, 2003 Report Share Posted September 4, 2003 I'm learning the company's "flowers" from Nutcracker right now, and I have to perform it on Saturday and am having an extreme amount of difficulty changing my spot in the turns. THis choreography of my artistic director consists of many pencil turnss followed by bourres in a different direction, and then a different pirouette, all with these very odd arms (that look like flowers, I guess?), and you have to change your spot so quickley that I find it hard to find something different to spot. ALso, we'll have to start a turn facing one direction and do 2 and 1/2 turns which means you have to end facing a different direction. During what part of the turn do you change your spot? And how do you find a new spot, where is a good place to put your eyes (because I have trouble finding something to spot when I try to look at a new place)? Thanks, in advance! Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted September 4, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted September 4, 2003 Jenna, what is a "pencil turn"? In terms of changing spot, try doing it from the moment you first see that direction you are going to. For instance, you start the turn facing upstage, and finish it facing downstage, so, as you come around the corner the first time and see the front, make that your spot. To practice this action, do a series of 1 and 1/4 or 1 and 1/2 pirouettes en dehor, so that you finish facing a different corner from where you start on each turn. Usually on stage there is not much in the way of specific objects to spot, and you need to learn to spot a direction more than an object. And, when changing spots you will also need to learn, in the rehearsal, where the lights are so that you don't turn and look directly into a light! Quote Link to comment
Guest grace Posted September 8, 2003 Report Share Posted September 8, 2003 i know i'm not supposed to post in here - but i just saw the expression "pencil turn" and was a bit intrigued... i can well imagine they may be chenées...or petit pas de basque en tournants... the 'pencil' image is really quite a good one...hope that the student fills us in! Quote Link to comment
scoop Posted September 8, 2003 Report Share Posted September 8, 2003 Hope you don't mind another interloper in this group, but since no one else replied, I thought I'd pipe in to solve the "pencil turn" mystery... The only time I've ever heard of or done one was in a class I took earlier this year in San Francisco that focused on all sorts of turns: You prepare as if you're going to do a pirouette en dedans. But instead of the leg going into passe, it stays straight, pointing downward with the foot just barely off the floor, as you turn on the other foot. (I can't remember if your feet are in a sort of first or fifth position as you turn.) I think it's called a "pencil" because you're as straight up and down as you can be while still turning on just one leg. Quote Link to comment
ConstanzaElisabeth Posted September 8, 2003 Report Share Posted September 8, 2003 i have heard of pencil turns in jazz class, basically turning en dedans in a very low arabesque, but im not sure thats what she is talking about. our teachers tells us to find out what works best for us, say in a 1 1/2 turn, either one turn then one half, or half then one. i always find it easier to change my spot at the very end, so i do however many full turns, then half. do you consider this an inefficient way to change spots, Ms. Leigh? Quote Link to comment
Guest JRSDANCER87 Posted September 8, 2003 Report Share Posted September 8, 2003 We do it in a low turned out position to the front! Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted September 8, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted September 8, 2003 Jenna, is it an en dehors pirouette, an en dedans pirouette, a piqué turn, or what? I'm sorry, but "pencil turn" is not something that is in the vocabulary, so we don't understand what you are talking about. Quote Link to comment
Guest JRSDANCER87 Posted September 9, 2003 Report Share Posted September 9, 2003 It is an en dehors pirouette with the arms up in fifth position, and one leg extended about 3 inches off the floor turned out in front of you, and you start facing on direction, and do two and a half turns to face a different direction, and I am just having the hardest time with it. Especially when they took it off pointe for the show, because I think it's easier to turn that quickley (the counts are barely fittable) on pointe than on flat. What I've been trying to do is just spot where I want to finish, but I always have trouble finding that spot. Its getting a bit better, it's just difficult in that one step. We also do a series of different steps, with swivle (sorry cannot spell it) turns and then these "pencil turns" and then pique turns and we have to go around a corner and change our spot on each turn, and it gets so hard to find something to spot. I have a while to work on it though. Thanks for your help! Quote Link to comment
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