grand rond de jambe en l'air?

[lynn]

Did I spell that right? Well, what I mean is when you take the leg in develope front front to side to the back. I think that may be what that is. When I go front side to back or back to front I know I am doing it wrong. My teacher doesn't say anything, and I am not sure if she is ignoring it or just not noticing it. How is it supposed to feel and what are you really trying to do? Also, how are you supposed to feel in arabesque?

[Mel Johnson]

Lynn, what is supposed to happen is that the leg goes from seconde to arabesque WITHOUT the pelvis going through a major swivel action (griiiiiind!). Many students sort of roll the hip over when they carry the working leg to the back, and that looks really funny. You have to maintain the turnout on both the supporting and working legs, lift out of the supporting hip and allow the working hip to open slightly, all the while trying to keep it from splaying WIDE open. It's almost an isometrics exercise, where you pit one muscle against another, except that here, you're mostly working against gravity and the way the femur connects to the hip-socket. As to how an arabesque is supposed to feel, "Well, there I was, standing there with my leg up in the air behind me...."

[Victoria Leigh]

Lynn, yes, you are talking about a grand rond de jambe en l'air (I fixed the title for you.)

 

What you have to do when you leg goes from side to back is get out of your own way...at least, out of the way of your gluteus maximus! Move your weight slightly forward and upward on the standing leg, maintain the rotation in the working leg, working it against the rotation in the standing leg. The hip of the extended leg will open slightly, as you move forward and upward with the upper body moving away from the direction of the leg. Allow your hand to slide slightly more forward on the barre, too.

[lynn]

Ok, I will have to try that.

 

So you have to lift up and try to rotate your leg while keeping your front facing forward?

Edited September 24, 2008 by lynn

[Mel Johnson]

Oh yes! Try it in first arabesque with the shoulders squared off, and extend the arm on the same side as the working leg to second. As you grow more proficient in the arabesque line, then the shoulders can open a bit, like the hip, and you can extend that arm more and more to the back.