Port de bras question

[SeaMonkey]

I'm curious as to the proper arm placement in a series of fast turns across the floor. I've always been taught to keep the arms rounded for soutenou and chaines. I've seen a few dancers on stage, when doing chaines, soutenou, and piques, will have their arms a la second, with the palms down and arms slightly bent. The first time I saw this, I thought it was a choreographic choice, but now I'm wondering if its simply a difference in training? We had a group of Russian trained girls take class with us and their grand port de bras was very different from ours (they came out to a flat back)

 

I will always do what the teacher prefers, I'm just curious after seeing this a few times.

[Victoria Leigh]

This "flat palmed à la seconde" position seems to be very common these days, and, in my opinion, not attactive. Turns en diagonal using that position instead of the nicely curved seconde look to me very angular and sometimes quite a bit like a karate move. I believe it is happening because of the straight front arm preparation for en dehors pirouettes, which is also very common these days. From that preparation one is supposed to move directly to first position, not go to seconde with the flat palm. However, it is being done incorrectly, and then carried over into the diagonal turning steps. I hate it, and will not allow it in my classes. It is not, again in my opinion, a valid classical position unless it is being used specifically for a choreographic style, which works with the elbows slightly bent, but not straight.

 

Thanks for giving me a chance to get on my soap box again. I've been ranting about that straight arm flat palmed à la seconde for years!

[SeaMonkey]

Getting on soap boxes is fun

 

Thank you for clearing that up for me. One of the guest soloist at our concert last year did that and my friend made a comment on it being sloppy. I didn't know if it was just difference in preference (one of my teachers loves everything in second arabesque, the other in first)

 

We aren't allowed a straight arm preparation for en dehors or en de dans. If we releve in 4th before coming down to a prep, then we are allowed to straighten, but it has to go back to rounded before the turn.