pas de valse turning en pointe

[Xena]

OK, this may be difficult to answer, btu I would be eternally grateful if someone had the patience to help me out. I know its difficult to explain steps in writing.

Pas de valse, turning. I get it fine on demi pointe, but when I try it en pointe, I have no idea which foot is en pointe, when its en pointe and when its not.

My teacher has tried to show me, and I thought I got it, but I wasn't convinced. I've watched videos over and over again, but its just not slow enough to see exactly what they do, and the video on the ABT dictionary website is a little fast.

Maybe I'm just making a big deal over this and if I stop thinking about it'll come, but if someone can give me a nudge in the right direction..that would be great I don't mind if you describe in counts, as that works just great and may be easier. e.g. So on what count am I up en pointe and on what counts am I not?

and is it a roll up onto pointe or do I step up onto pointe and coming down is it a roll through or just straight back to flat?

 

Thanks

 

Jeanette

[Mel Johnson]

OK, Jeanette, this IS a little tricky to answer, because there's a pas de valse that is entirely done on pointe, and I thought that's where you were headed.

 

Start with triplets - you know, first neutral, no turnout and walk with the accent DOWN (demi-plié)-up-up (these last two on pointe). Do these slowly at first, then speed them up. Then slow them down and do them with the turn on the two up (off) beats. In awhile, you probably won't need to feel whether you're on pointe or not, the music will tell you, measure by measure, where you are. (Hint - if you're not in demi-plié, you're on pointe!;) )

[Xena]

There is a pas de valse entirely on pointe..wow how is that done?

 

I'm going to try your way out this evening. You know I think I was trying to only do one count en pointe for some reason I didn't realize it was 2.

I'll have a go and see what happens

 

Thanks

 

P.S so what is the step called that I was describing?

[Mel Johnson]

It's just another kind of pas de valse.

 

And the pas de valse done entirely on pointe is just done with the downbeat in demi-plié, but the supporting foot is on pointe!:eek:

[Victoria Leigh]

Xena, what you were describing is just another way of doing it There are a lot of different ways to do a pas de valse, or balancé en tournant! While the down/up/up is one way, there is also a down/up/down version, which actually goes down/up/up on the 1,2,3 and down/up/down on the turn itself on 2,2,3. And there are lots of different port de bras one can use too. It's a choreographic decision, so you just have to watch carefully and see how it is given by the teacher or choreographer.

[Guest beckster]

I'm going to barge in on this thread here to ask the difference between a balance' en tournant and a pas de valse en tournant. I know balance' but have only once been asked to do a pas de valse, and got all confused.

[Mel Johnson]

OK, there's a subtle difference, in that a balancé en tournant is done as a down-up-down and could be described as tombé-coupé-step, while a pas de valse is almost a running step, like a triplet done turning.

[Xena]

Also in a pas de valse your legs never cross, in a balancé they do..(is that right Mjr Johnson?)

[Mel Johnson]

That's certainly correct, Jeanette, and to make matters more complex, you can do a pas de valse and alternate it with a balancé en tournant, too!

[Xena]

must try that combination out.

 

Thanks Mjr Johnson, you have been totally helpful, as usual :cool: now just practice practice practice.