Need Urgent Help with Dessus and Dessous

[Guest dancerlover]

Dear all,

 

Posted this last week but did not get a respond from anyone. Myabe it was because of Christmas? ANyways Merry Christmas and here is my question again:

 

After more exercises..I realised that I am confused by the following:

 

1) Coupe dessus and dessous

2) Assemble dessus and dessous

3) Glissade/glisse dessus and dessous

 

What I am confused at is how does one go about remembering the footwork for the above as the over/under movement of feet can be opposite for one of another.Is there a good formula to remember all of above and not to confuse them? Appreciate if some explanation could be given on the above with the (i) Right foot front (ii) Left foot front starting position...I am trying to formulate a table to remember the work.Thanks

[Victoria Leigh]

1. Coupé over with right foot means that the right foot is doing the cutting action, the left foot ends back. Coupé under with right foot is the reverse, with the right cutting under and the left ending front.

 

2. Assemblé over - whichever foot is back brushes out and lands front. Assemblé under - whichever foot is front brushes out and ends back.

 

3. Glissade over - front leg brushes to side and the second leg closes front. Glissade under - back leg brushes to side and the second leg closes back.

[Guest grace]

except that..........!.......................

 

i can't remember which way it goes, but RAD and the russians (in general) have OPPOSITE ways of interpreting dessus and dessous - in the sense that a different leg is referred to. ONE of them refer to the initiating leg (in, say, a glissade) , while the other lot refer to the leg which finishes the action...D**N!

 

the important thing though is to understand the concept, and then to apply it/learn it according to ONE system - whichever one suits the context you are dancing in.

 

BTW, because of the difficulty in making sure one's pronunciation is adequately different, and appropriately interpreted, i now refer to these things as 'over' and 'under' instead of the french terms.

[Guest dancerlover]

Thanks Ms. Leigh and Grace- It was long holidays over the weeks and I am only able to read all my emails and come to this board now. Thanks for all the help.

 

I totally agree on the essence of pronounciation- my teacher is still pronouncing 'over' as de-seal and 'under' as god knows what. Would it be typical for RAD examiners to use the french terms of has all swop to basic English for now???