Fast tendues to the back?

[sarah_pirouettes]

I do not understand fast tendues to the back. Can someone help me come up with a bunch of things to remember with fast tendues to the back? How should I practice them?

 

Detailed answers highly appreciated!

[Victoria Leigh]

Sarah, doing anything fast requires first being able to do it very correctly slowly, so that the body understands exactly what it must do. Then you need to be very sure that you are totally lifted and well aligned. When slow is good, try a little faster, and when that is good try even faster. Developing speed takes a long time, strength, excellent placement and alignment, good use of your rotation, and the ability to control the foot and leg placement without sickle. So, it's kind of like a,b,c in that you learn those letters first and the others come after.

 

Fast tendu is fine when you are ready for them, but they should always follow slow tendu, even in advanced classes. And they are not done very fast in young and lower level classes. How old are you? How many classes a week do you take in ballet technique? Are your classes just beginning to add the faster tendus to your barre work? As with everything in ballet, there is no magic pill. It's a long and slow process and you build to everything from a solid foundation in the early years. Patience and hard work are the keys to achieving anything!

[sarah_pirouettes]

Thank you. This is all very true. My studio rushes things a lot so I do not think a lot of the students are ready for the things that they're teaching (one of the reasons I'm looking for a new studio). I don't want to say my age directly but I'm one of the youngest teens on this forum and I started beginning ballet at 11 because I quit at 9 when I was doing it since 2. I don't take enough classes for my age (I only take 3!) My studio has a different way to approaching new steps and we rush over them vs. break down the move technically.

 

Thanks for your answers Ms. Leigh!