Ms. KLS Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 I was curious if any ballet moves have been removed from today's curriculum. If so, can we suggest some current moves that could be eliminated? I really find the double rond de jambe en l'air too sloppy done by the vast majority of dancers. Only on a couple did the dancer actually touch the knee on both ronds; then it looks ok. But when other dancers try it and the foot stays about halfway between the knee of the supporting leg and the knee of the moving leg, it just looks like a dog lifting its leg. Ugly. Conversely, I love the small chassé tours -- they seem so light and delicate and quick. Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Some of the specific dance steps like the pas de chaconne and the pas de menuet are becoming obsolete, because hardly anybody dances the chaconne or the minuet. I don't believe that steps should go. Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted September 12, 2006 Administrators Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 There are some things I wish would go away! Quote Link to comment
Hans Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 But the working leg isn't supposed to touch the supporting knee during rond de jambe en l'air.... I imagine my list of Things We Could Do Without is pretty similar to Ms. Leigh's! Quote Link to comment
b1 Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Gargouillade! Done the right way, it is a wicked, wicked step. It is not choreographed often, and I hated when we had it in any choreography. I think it should be struck from the lexicon, lololol! However, it is a great step to practice....and it involved those dreaded single AND double rond de jambe en l'aire!! Quote Link to comment
citibob Posted September 17, 2006 Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 There are some moves that are meant mostly for practice, and some that are meant for performance. A practice move doesn't need to look good, it just needs to work your body the right way, and could stay in class for a long time in spiteof lack of stage presence. An example of a practice-only move is flic-flac. Quote Link to comment
Memo Posted September 17, 2006 Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 Gargouillade! Done the right way, it is a wicked, wicked step. It is not choreographed often, and I hated when we had it in any choreography. I think it should be struck from the lexicon, lololol! However, it is a great step to practice....and it involved those dreaded single AND double rond de jambe en l'aire!! Hey how would you do Giselles variation from Act 1 without a gargouillade. I could live without frappes. I have to force myself to give them class. They always look bad to me. Quote Link to comment
Hans Posted September 17, 2006 Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 Hey how would you do Giselle's variation from Act 1 without a gargouillade. Or the coda of the Odalisque pas de trois from Le Corsaire! Quote Link to comment
vrsfanatic Posted September 17, 2006 Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 Memo, I am not aware of Gargouillade in Giselle's variation Act 1? Which version are you discussing? The step is definitely wicked, but fabulous when done nicely! Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted September 17, 2006 Administrators Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 I don't know of any gargouillade in Giselle anywhere! Definitely not in any version of her Act I variation that I have ever seen. Memo, is it possible that someone has made the contretemps in the beginning sequence into a gargouillade? I can't imagine any other place for it. Quote Link to comment
lampwick Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 I vagely recall this step being performed at NYCB in a Balanchine ballet...but don't remember which one. I'm always super impressed when I see a dancer executing this correctly. Takes a real mastery of technique and speed to do these right....and they look pretty cool. I LOVE double demi ronde de jambe en l'air at the barre. That one really gets my hips secured for adagio extensions. Quote Link to comment
ami1436 Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Lampwick, Off the top of my head I can think of gargo-yucks (!!! ) in Tchaikovsky pas de deux and in Sugar Plum Fairy variation in the grand pas.... I always feel like a wet, uncoordinated dog when I attempt them. I can think of some dancers that I've seen that have done them nicely, but I don't think I've seen one done and thought: beautiful, textbook even... Then again, if I did see one even distantly close to being that nice, I'd probably block it from my memory out of jealousy and fear that the standard was indeed *that high*.... Quote Link to comment
Administrators Victoria Leigh Posted September 19, 2006 Administrators Report Share Posted September 19, 2006 They are in a LOT of Balanchine ballets, but I don't think they were used in the Romantic period Quote Link to comment
Dansant Posted September 29, 2006 Report Share Posted September 29, 2006 Tonight my class nominated pas de basque battu for elimination. Quote Link to comment
silvergreydancer Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Lampwick, Off the top of my head I can think of gargo-yucks (!!! ) in Tchaikovsky pas de deux and in Sugar Plum Fairy variation in the grand pas.... I always feel like a wet, uncoordinated dog when I attempt them. I can think of some dancers that I've seen that have done them nicely, but I don't think I've seen one done and thought: beautiful, textbook even... Then again, if I did see one even distantly close to being that nice, I'd probably block it from my memory out of jealousy and fear that the standard was indeed *that high*.... I believe that the Nutcracker version with Anthony Dowell (Royal Ballet) has this step in the grand pas. The Ballerina is Lesley Collier. Quote Link to comment
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