Bourrées

[Sulan]

A question on bourrées in the young dancers' forum, and Ms. Leigh's answer to it, reminded me of an issue I've been having with bourrées in my current pointe class... my current pointe teacher has us keep the back leg (the one we lead with) very straight, and has us only bend the front knee. All my past teachers have taught bourrées as Ms. Leigh described, with both knees bending slightly. The class I am taking now has many more students who are new to pointe work, and is slightly less advanced than some of the pointe classes that I've taken in the past. Is this a method that someone else has heard of? Is it perhaps a technique sometimes used for teaching beginners? The position with the straight back leg seems somewhat more stable, but its very hard to move across the floor gracefully bending only one knee! I was just kind of wondering if anyone else had heard of doing bourrées this way...

[Victoria Leigh]

If either leg is kept totally straight, the bourrées simply cannot move well. It will look like you have one wooden leg!

[Sulan]

Thanks, Ms. Leigh... that's exactly how I feel trying to do bourrées in this class! I'm glad to know its not just me!

[buglady]

My teacher danced with the Royal Ballet in London and he teaches the back leg straight method because he says that is how they taught it there back in the 1960's. I don't know if that is still the case. I found them harder to catch on to that way, but when you get the hang of it, the straight leg gives it a lovely gliding feel. I now prefer it that way and I feel sloppy when I try to bend both knees. I think it is really what you are used to and which one you practice the most.