Assemble battu- eek!

[je danse dans ma tete]

I love beaten jumps, and am normally quite good at entrechats and anything 'battu'. Assemble battu however, scares me. We normally do glissade into assemble type combinations. I cannot remember the exact terminology for this assemble, so I will describe the step. Every now and then we do assemble where the back leg swishes a la seconde and then on alighting the same (back) leg beats behind then in front. I can do it at the barre no problem band it feels natural there, but in the center I can only do it without port de bras.

 

I think it is part psychological as my other beaten steps are 'wonderful' in my teacher's words and assembles without the beats are great fun for me. I am scared to death that I will land wrong and hurt myself. But usually, when I personally am scared of a step it is not because it is new, but because I am not preparing properly... so I know this is vague, but during the prep is there anything I should really really focus on in order to execute the step with less fear?

 

All suggestions/tips etc. are MOST welcome.

 

Thank you!

[Victoria Leigh]

je danse, in an assemblé battu over the brushing leg remains back while the push off leg comes up in front and they beat, and then rebounding from the beat they open a bit to the side and the brushing leg lands in front. There is not another beat in front. I'm assuming you are talking about this step?

[je danse dans ma tete]

Yes, I am talking about this step. Sorry for the confusion... beats behind, lands front

 

Actually though, we do it so that the brushing leg beats behind and then before you land it has to be in front. I'm confusing myself now... are we talking about the same thing? Maybe i am simply thinking about it wrong and that is why it is so tough for me?

[Mel Johnson]

Try thinking of it this way: What you're talking about is an assemblé dessus (over) battu. So, do the glissade, brush the working foot out, then close UNDER, but land OVER! You're letting the beat scare you.

[je danse dans ma tete]

AHHHHHHHHHHHH! Thanks Mr. Johnson! That makes a world of difference! I just tried and it really, really helps! The mind is a funny thing sometimes.

[ViolaDancer]

Just curious - what is the difference between assemble battu and brise?

[Victoria Leigh]

An assemblé can be done traveling or in place, and a brisé travels forward or back. Also, assemblé is either over or under, which means the feet change on landing, but the brisé lands with the same foot front. Assemblé can land en face or en diagonal using epaulment, while the brisé is always done on a diagonal.

[ViolaDancer]

Thank you. I knew they were similar but had not yet wrapped my head around the differences.