Help on petit soutenou on pointe

[eunheejun]

Dear technical advisors:

 

When I practice petit soutenou on pointe to the right, I often feel like the left half of my body isn't quite up right (when I turn) as if I am being lazy and didn't pull that part on time. I do manage to turn around and finish a series, though. What are some things I have to keep in mind to really pull the entire body and put everything in an upright position? I also welcome the common problems you have noticed in your students when they do petit soutenou and how you have dealt with them. Thank you.

 

Eun Hee

[Mel Johnson]

First, some clarification here; are we talking about turns (tours de basque), or pas soutenou or assemblé soutenou, or what? I suspect it's the first, but am not sure.

[Victoria Leigh]

Piqué soutenus? (Same as tours de Basque)

[eunheejun]

It's one of the RAD advanced 1 pointe work center excercises. The whole exercise is called "petits soutenus and pose pirouettes en dedans". It is composed of 4 petits soutenus followed by 3 pose pirouettes en dedans. I have no problem with the poses. My question was about the first three petits soutenus where you degage devant with the right foot, rond de jambe to the 2nd and go up on pointe, bring in the left foot to the fith position on pointe, and turn. Does this clarify my description better? Thank you.

[Victoria Leigh]

Yes, thank you. We know that as piqué soutenu or tour de Basque. The key to doing those well is to face where you are going, push off from a good plié on the back leg, and bring the left side of your body (when turning to the right) around the corner. It is the same action as the piqué (posé) turn en dedans. Don't forget to spot!

[Chinafish]

Say for arguments sake we are going from upstage left to downstage right, down that diagonal. I've had teachers teaching me different ways of doing it. Ms Leigh and Major Johnson (or indeed any teachers here), out of interest, which method do you teach? And why do you prefer it done your way?

 

I've been taught to:

1. posé a la seconde, so there would be a moment where I would be facing downstage left, left leg en fondu, and right leg degagé a la seconde. Posé on that then bring the entire body around. Or,

2. posé devant. The snapshot moment would be still left leg en fondu, but facing downstage right, in effacé devant, right leg degagé.

 

Both methods I am still told to spot to the downstage right corner.

 

What's the general opinion on this?

 

Thanks,

Fish

[Victoria Leigh]

I don't know about general opinion, Fish, but mine is very definitely the second way. Trying to move sideways instead of forward makes no sense to me whatsoever, and with students taught that way all I see is very turned in turns.

[vrsfanatic]

I am in total agreement with Ms.Leigh. Begin with the preparation croise front, but turn to efface front before stepping to the working leg. This creates better line, turn out and coordination for the arms to work beautifully with the legs, body and head.

[Chinafish]

Thanks Ms Leigh. The facing forward way now makes sense in my head but somehow I don't think it's been "emphasised" by my teachers, if you see what I mean. I remember the first time I did it the teacher just went "Let's do posé turns, from the corner. Go!" without any explanation whatsoever. Ah well, that's adult open class for you (or me, rather ).

 

I specifically remember a teacher wanting us to do the a la seconde way (I think that must have been a prep for piqué en dedans turns) because he asked us to posé to the side without the turn, travelling down the diagonal.

 

I think the teachers who asked us to posé en avant didn't bother asking us to do plain posés without the turns.

 

Must try them tomorrow in the living room.

 

One thing I find most difficult in those turns is to travel down the diagonal in a straight line. One legged turns are easier somehow, but when I do chaines I always end up reaching downstage centre rather than downstage corner!

 

Oops I think I might be pulling off topic here. Anyhow....

 

Fish

[Victoria Leigh]

Fish, I use the facing forward to where you are going for everything. I do not like any turns stepping out sideways, because they turn in the legs and don't get around far enough to make a smooth forward diagonal. Face and look where you are going, not where you have been!

[Chinafish]

Hm... I think that's exactly my problem! Chaines or petite pas de basque tours or posé turns -- "don't get around far enough"!!

 

I look forward to the next class!!

[Dance_Scholar_London]

Hi Eun, I quite like this particular Adv1 exercise.

 

I am not sure if you have a pianist or if the music is played from a CD player. If it is the former, I think it would help to get the pianist play it a tiny little bit slower. I appreciate having a pianist in class, which really helps to concentrate on technique and not worrying too much about catching up with the music (which is quite fast for this exercise). Good luck!