Practicing Grand Jete

[nycdancermom]

This was my DDs first SI audition season, some SI auditions had students do grand jete across the floor, some didn't.

 

DDs home school does not practice them regularly (11-12 year olds) and I'm wondering why? They do them, but it's more every few weeks-isn't this a skill that should be practiced regularly for this age level during grand allegro exercises? In contrast, she has taken drop in classes at another school, a very reputable local city studio, and they have done gand jete across the floor at every class.

[Victoria Leigh]

Yes, it is something that should be done with some regularity. Not only to develop them technically, but because they are fun and kids love to do them! Perhaps her classes are focusing on another aspect of grand allegro at this time? If they are not getting any grand allegro, that would be a big problem.

[pasdedeuxmama]

What sort of exercises would one see in grand allegro with a 9/10 year old? My daughter's class has never done grand jetes.

[Hans]

Run, run, run, jump! in parallel retiré, without arms at first, then with arms moving from demi-second, en bas, and up to 5th en haut (3rd in Vaganova) to feel the coordination of arms with the jump. Once they've mastered that, they do the same thing with a grand battement to the front instead of retiré. They might also do chassé and temps levé in arabesque, or whatever else the teacher comes up with that's appropriate for the students' abilities.

[pasdedeuxmama]

Thank you Hans! I'll have to ask my daughter if she does anything like that, I don't recall seeing it. They did some skipping and polka in a circle, but nothing with a run and a jump. I thought that perhaps that was their grand allegro-type exercise.

[Victoria Leigh]

Gallops! Then, gallops into the jumps, ie, grand jetés!

[pasdedeuxmama]

I just watched the video from parent observation day and there were gallops! I also realized that the studio her class is in is very tiny, so that is perhaps why they don't do the traditional 'across the floor' type grand allegro - there isn't room. Thank you!