sylphide Posted September 30, 2003 Report Share Posted September 30, 2003 Hi everyone! pointe work is terriffic! ONE Major Problem though: I cannot seem to do a glissade to the side facing the mirror on pointe It seems that when I demi-plie and extend my right leg to the side, I can't grip the floor enough to go on top of my box. Therefore, my right knee finds itself bent to be able to get up and then I can bring the left leg(Iknow...Not a pretty sight !). Would anyone anywhere have any advice ? Ballet is wonderful and brings me pure joy....but it is SOOOO! frustrating sometimes... Thanks again SEE YA! Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted September 30, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted September 30, 2003 Sylphide, it sounds to me like you are not getting a good push from the plié of the supporting leg. Any piqué move needs a solid demi plié from the supporting leg, and also an awareness of HOW to move to pointe in a piqué action. This needs to be taught at the barre first. If you can do it correctly at the barre, it should happen just as well in the center. The body must be instantly on top of the leg that is stepping out. If you step and then try to get the body there afterwards, it does not work. You are not over far enough with your weight, from the push from the supporting leg, to get there cleanly in one move on a straight leg. You must learn HOW to piqué by moving your body over the leg, and this should be done with a lot of work at the barre! Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted September 30, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted September 30, 2003 This is really a technique issue, so I am moving this to Adult Ballet Students. Quote Link to comment
balletowoman Posted September 30, 2003 Report Share Posted September 30, 2003 I'm not sure I understand the step... Is it a normal glissade, but with pointes shoes on? (in this case, I don't see the problem. It's a small jump, so there shouldn't be any bending of knees, except in the preparation). However, Victoria speaks of a 'piqué' action... so, I'm not sure I'm speaking of the right step? Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted September 30, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted September 30, 2003 It's a glissade to pointe, which is the same thing as a piqué to 5th position on pointe. Quote Link to comment
sylphide Posted September 30, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2003 WOW! Thank you Miss. Leigh for your precious advice! Just wanted to add that we did practice the glissade at the barre first...And I thought I understood the concept...obviously not. And yes, balletowoman, Miss. Leigh' descritpion of the exercise is accurate. I guess there exists a few different terms for the same exercise. I will try to demi-plie deeper and better and to put my body weight over the leg that does the pique. But I think this is a serious issue for me as it does not come automatically for me: ie how to put my body on top of supporting leg. I would truely appreciate anyone's general advice on this. For example when I pique- arabesque-hold-demi plie in arabesque- pas de bourree (of course on themi pointe!) I cannot seem to achieve a strongly held balance on demi-pointe and as I descend to a demi-plie, my supporting leg is sort of wobbly.... One day maybe.... I wil get it right! until then all the best to all Ballet Alert's members Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted September 30, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted September 30, 2003 Sylphide, two major factors, besides strength, would be again moving the body weight totally over the supporting leg, and then the resistance in the fondu to stabilize the position as you lower to the plié. Most people do not want to commit to REALLY moving their body forward enough over the piqué or relevé leg, and you must do this if you expect to stay there at all. And to get down you need to be very busy resisting upwards as you start the fondu. Quote Link to comment
sylphide Posted September 30, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2003 thank you again Miss. Leigh. I will definetly put your words in practice in my next class Quote Link to comment
Paul Parish Posted September 30, 2003 Report Share Posted September 30, 2003 is it a step you can do ok to demi-pointe? I’m just a fellow adult-student, and I'm sure Miss Leigh knows a great deal more about this, but from my experience I find that piques to arabesque are much easier than piques to the side -- arabesque is such an easy balance to find, and besides, straight in front of you is easy to find also. -- But a la seconde is harder because -- for me at least -- it's not straight side, because my second position is not perfect..... My teachers give glissade to pointe sometimes in rond de jambe en l'air combinations, and Sally OFTEN gives 4 ronde de jambes en l'air with a balancee (waltz step) away from the barre on 5 and a pique in second BACK to the barre on 6, stay, down on 8. It's usually a pique to passe, but it COULD be to a second position in the air, or a glissade to pointe -- the virtue of which is to get us very familiar with making these rather tricky piques to the side..... Quote Link to comment
Hans Posted September 30, 2003 Report Share Posted September 30, 2003 I was under the impression that glissade sur la pointe finished in 5th...? When it finishes in an open position (such as arabesque) I'm pretty sure it's usually called a piqué (or jeté à terre). Sylphide, which did you mean? Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted September 30, 2003 Report Share Posted September 30, 2003 Oh, sure, glissades can be done on demi-pointe, too! And you're right, piqués to the side into à la seconde are really tricky. Just try them out of an entrechat-trois. Fun! Quote Link to comment
sylphide Posted October 1, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2003 Ohhh! sounds scary M. Mel... I am not sure I am there yet. What I was trying to explain was that we do a regular glissade to de side ( as any ballet student would do with soft shoes ). I would like to think I do them ok with soft slipperrs (OK, so I could jump higher,make better use of my demi-plie, pointe my feet more etc... ). However after the "in the air" phase where both your feet are off the ground my teacher has us finish on top of the toe shoe before closing in fifth. This is precisely my problem area since I can't seem to be gripping the floor well enough not to bent my working leg's knee! Hope it is a bit more clear... Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted October 1, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted October 1, 2003 Hans, sylphide was talking about glissades to pointe, but then she also asked about piqué to arabesque ending in arabesque fondu, which is what I responding to in the last post Sylphide, there is no real jump in a glissade to pointe. Actually, there is not always a jump in a regular glissade either. It is intended to be a glide, or gliding movement, used to connect other steps. In fast petite allegro, or as a link to a big jump in grand allegro it will have a bit more "air time" though So, the quality of the step does vary a bit, depending on the tempi and the type of steps it is linking. Quote Link to comment
sylphide Posted October 1, 2003 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2003 Miss Leigh, it always amazes me how much depth there can be in one step... Haaa.. Once again the beauty and richness ballet manifests itself ...I never knew all those varations of glissade existed... Now that I thinkof it, I remember that when I first learned them, our teacher made us do them with our feet barely leaving the ground...Would this be advisable for doing them on pointe too?Beacause it seems to me that going back to the basics that way(I just tried in my bedroom!) makes me re-understand how I need to put my waight on top of my working leg Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted October 1, 2003 Administrators Report Share Posted October 1, 2003 That's exactly right, Sylphide! You've got it Quote Link to comment
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