Working on batterie (beats)

[Balletlove]

Ooooh, but beats are just terrible!!!!!!

 

I have promised myself that I am going to practice beats EVERY single day for the whole of August to try and improve them even just a little bit because they are just

[swantobe]

I'm with you on that one, Balletlove. I can do the beating movement (as in sideways, not flapping feet forwards and backwards!) quite nicely in things like echappés sautés battus fermés (going from 2nd position, beating and closing in 5th) and brisés, but entrechats? Fortunately I have a few months before I'll have to start learning everything else with beats (coupé fouetté raccourcis battus, jetés battus etc).

[Victoria Leigh]

Take advantage of the summer and practice your beats in the water! Ocean, lake, pool, whatever, it's a great place to make your legs really learn how to beat. The other way is between two parallel barres, or, in a corner where two barres come together and you can face outward and support yourself with your arms a bit behind you. Don't ever try to do them facing the barre, as that does not work at all. The legs will go behind you instead of remaining in front of you.

[Balletlove]

Thank you for that Ms Leigh, unfortunately it is mid winter here at the moment and more than a little chilly so I am not heading anywhere near the pool until November at the earliest!

I printed off a page of suggestions earlier today from two previous threads and am going to try all of them to fix my beats. I dont have a perfect corner to use (the little wall is a bit higher than the dresser) but I do understand the point of it!

 

For me I think that there is a bit of a mental block and a confidence issue when it comes to beats (any type of beats including brisses), because although I do have very reasonable turn out I seem to loose it when I attempt beats and need to try and figure out how to hold it so that the sideways movement is not such an issue.

[Victoria Leigh]

Make sure you start from your best 5th, and then maintain that rotation from the hips when you jump. Think of the movement coming from the hips, not the feet! You can also practice them lying on the floor, on your back. Put your legs straight up and rotated, in a crossed 5th. Bend your knees and flex your feet like you are in a demi plié, then push the legs straight up, pointing the feet, open/cross and beat/open/close/flex feet and bend knees to return to the demi plié.

[Balletlove]

Thank you Ms Leigh, that is an interesting one... I have never thought about the movement coming from the hips.

 

Thanks Redbookish!

[swantobe]

Also in winter, but I have access to an indoor heated pool so I will try that Ms. Leigh Thank you.

 

We've also been told to think about beating our thighs before, because often the front-back-flapping situation happens when one is focusing only on the feet.

[Ballet Bunnie]

My teacher also gave a similar exercise that Ms. Leigh gave except that our legs were lifted only 1 inch off the floor instead of all the way up. It was such a workout exercise for the abs and the rotators , which are both needed for beats.

Petit battement a terre also helped me a lot with beats.

And I think a strong determined mind would also help - a few days ago, I was watching my teacher giving a combination of consecutive sous-sus --> entrechat six jumps, and thinking: "of course I can do that, in my dream". But then, when the teacher said: "You are not leaving the studio today until you get right! I guarantee you that everyone in this class is able to do it right based on how you guys did in petit battement a terres! So think about the shortest distance to open and close your thighs as you are doing it. And good luck!", I simply believed that I would be able to do them all. And, guess what? I did it! 8 sous-sus --> entrachat sixs in a row! That's the power of will! Believe it until you get it!

[Mazenderan]

But then, when the teacher said: "You are not leaving the studio today until you get right!

 

I've found that my petit allegro often mysteriously improves when the teacher decides that they will not tolerate 'I can't' as an answer

 

Seriously, though, I think that finishing the exercise before managing to do at least one decent version of what is asked sets up a sort of psychological block. I haaaaaaaaate petit allegro and beats, but the one time where we had a teacher who simply would not give up until I managed the combination once through made such a massive difference to me.

[Balletlove]

I know that "I can't" is NOT going to help me! I have tried very hard to avoid batteire since grade four (which was the first grade for which I did exams) but now beats just seem to be coming into so much more of the work and I need to get these fixed so for August, this is my mission!

 

Ms Leigh, thank you, thank you, thank you thinking of beating from the hips helps SOOOOOOO much my royale's actually look almost good and they feel good too and I CAN hold the turnout and after only two days of practicing these my teacher commented how very very much better they were.! I still have a long way to go on the entrachet's but there are still another 29 days left in August

[Balletlove]

"Think of the movement coming from the hips, not the feet"

 

It works, it works, it works

We did beats last night and mine were actually good! Ms Leigh I cannot thank you enough, I went home literally bouncing my hubby thought that I had totally lost it I was so happy!

[Victoria Leigh]