Four Little Swans

[FlexNPointe123]

Hi! We are performing the Four Little Swans along with other variations and our Russia piece for my school. (Not really a coincidence) Anyway, four of us are doing Four Little Swans and we had alreay previously learned it but not performed it. Now we have just started rehearsing and we only have a little less then two weeks to pull it off and not embarass ourselves in front of my junior high.

 

I have come to remember that it is a very strenuous variation that takes a lot out of you. I am not questioning the ability of our dancers, but with my asthma, fifteen pas de chats get really rough after already having done the beginning! Does anyone have any advice for how to get through it? That would be really great!! Thanks!

 

*Erica*

[Victoria Leigh]

Stamina comes with repetition, Erica, so, the best way to build up the strength to get through it is to rehearse it...a LOT! It is a hard little variation. Don't forget to breathe throughout the whole thing!

[FlexNPointe123]

Thanks....what I have been doing is sitting at home in my room and holding 1-pound weights in each hand and holdign my arms out for the whole length of the music, so that when it comes time to only hold my arms, (or my friend's arms) up it won't seem as hard. Do you think that this will help, hurt or do nothing?

 

~*Erica*~

[Mel Johnson]

I think that exercise is probably stuck in neutral. After all, the arms in that dance are held only in demi-seconde, and you are holding onto one another. Better you concentrate on the feet, legs and head. Epaulement is subtle, but it's there, too. The arms are probably the least of your worries.

[Dancer06]

Ms. Leigh's advice is, of course, right on target! Whenever I am in rehearsal for any variation, including Little Swans, which I performed last year, my teachers always have me run it twice in a row. This way, when you finally get up on stage and only have to run it once through, it is a breeze!

[Guest pointedancer_491]

I have done the four swans variation before, and let me tell you it's not easy! The steps may be simple, but I agree, you need alot of stamina to pull it off. Also you four have to work as a team. You all have to move as one, or it could become quite messy if you don't. Also when you're sweating up a storm it's hard to hold on to each others hands, so you could try just a little bit of chalk on you hands if you get desperate.

[FlexNPointe123]

Thank you! I guess that my whole idea for the arm thing was to get that out of the way before the heat of our rehearsals, so that it wouldn't be a problem later on. We finally went through it all the way last night....not to say that we weren't tired or that we were perfect!! But we did get through it and my asthma didn't really kick in so I think that I will be fine in that way as long as I take my inhaler a coupple minutes before I go onstage! Thank you for the advice....chalk or rosin sounds as if it will work....maybe we will try that!

 

~*Erica*~

[FlexNPointe123]

Both performances were a great success! Thanks tp everyone for all of the advice! My school absolutely loved it and I have already gotten many compliments this morning, and we performed yesterday!

 

~*Erica*~

[Mel Johnson]

Glad we could help. We're very happy that you feel that we gave you some outside support - it's always useful to have somebody you don't actually know who's on your side!

[Jess :)]

Hi,

when you say the " four swan variation"

Are you talking about the cygnet dance?

If so, then yes I have done it, and it is very hard work

it is definitely a matter of working together as a team- and to use your demi plie!

And remember that you have things attached to your legs.. feet! And this variation can look disastrous if you don't use them!

 

Hope this helps- and all the best!

 

X

 

Hi sorry for the above comment.. advice a little a bit too late

 

Glad it went well!