Developpe

This is a movement that works the leg and draws up from the knee while standing on the other supporting leg. It is a movement that is slowly extended from the hip to the knee through the ankle and into the foot and is held in the air as high as possible. Maintaining perfect control and keeping your hips level and supporting leg straight and posture straight as well.

Chasse

This is pronounced as (shaw- say). Which means to literally chase the other foot. You will start in right third position. You will slide your right foot out to a second position, then straighten your left leg and transfer you weight so that there is no weight on the right leg, then close in left fifth.
Here is a video to demonstrate.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi6tii9TRyg

Grand jete

A Grand Jete in english is simply a leap. How you start to approach a leap, is you start in left fifth position, and draw your right foot back as if you're pointing it backward, this is called the B+ position. This is where you begin a leap, next you're going to step right then left both being in plie. You will then spring off your left and split in the air with your right leg leading, just as shown in the picture. This is applied to any leap the foot work just might be different depending on the leap.

Grand battement

A grand battement is a controlled kick that comes from the hip. As the motion comes from hip the leg has to stay turned out otherwise it would be sickling, and cause for a uncomfortable position for the leg and hip. 

Pirouette

A Pirouette is a turn, it consists of a prep, balance, spotting, and control. You begin in first position and tendu out to second and then left fourth in plie, you have to center your weight so that it is evenly distributed on both feet. Your arms are in an L with your right arm out in front. The next thing your going to do is shoot straight up on your left leg and turn, but you don't want to twist up to get the momentum to turn, you need to just lift and tighten your core (stomach), as your arms come to a high first/ low fifth during the turn.

Arabesque

A ballet position in which the dancer bends forward while standing on one straight leg with the same arm as your leg that your standing on extended forward and the other arm and leg extended backward.

Glissade

This move is pronounced (glee- sod).

The main objective to a glissade to glide and travel. You start off with your feet in fifth position and your right foot in front. The right food lead, you start with working through the foot by pushing off lifting your heel then your arch then the ball of your foot and then lastly you lift your toes. You extend your leg outward and shift your weight so you are able to land on the right foor that you just lifted. Then once you are on that foot you repeat the same movement on your left foot to close in fifth position again. 

Echappes and Assemble

An échappé is the opening of both feet from a closed to an open position. There are two kinds of échappés. Echappé sauté, which is done with a spring from the fifth position and finishes in a demi-plié in second position, and échappé sur les pointes, or demi-pointe, which is done with a relevé and has straight knees when in second position. In each case échappés are done to the second or fourth position, both feet traveling an equal distance from the center of gravity.



An assemble is when you throw one leg up and springs off the other, while ascending the raised leg continues to rise, landing on both feet closed together back in fifth. Assemble can travel in the direction in which the leg was raised, and can be performed while turning, or with a beat.
Here is an attached video of how to do it.

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-do-an-assemble-in-ballet

Plie and Releve

The next lesson will be on Plies (Plee- A's) and Releves (Rel-uh-vey's). Plie is the bending of the knees in any of the five positions we talked about in the last post, and continuing all the way till you are in a very low squat. Demi plie is half bending of the knees, with your heels still on the floor. Grand plie is the full bending of the knees, all the way to the ground. When doing all of this the rest of your body has to maintain the correct form as well. Your back needs to remain straight as if your sliding down a wall. Your lower back and butt needs to stay tucked under as if you have a string attached to your pelvic bones and they are getting pulled forward.

Next is a Releve which is the rising/ spring movement to pointe or demi-pointe in any of the five positions we talked about in the previous post. To do this you will first go into demi- plie and then rise up into susu releve and hold your arms in fifth position. You will hold this for about ten seconds to grasp the exercise which is balance. Balance is one of the key components in dance, it is needed through every movement you do. Engaging your core is a necessity through this exercise.

  

  *This is on pointe but you do the same in regular ballet shoes

Ballet Attire

When starting Ballet you want to have the proper attire, because dressing appropriatly and feeing good about what you wear will give you a sense of confidence when you dance,(from personal experience). You can purchase these items online, or at a local dance store. 

Attire for Ballet class:

- Tights (flesh colored)

- Leotard

- Ballet skirt

- Ballet shoes (begginers and for regular Ballet)



Tights

- Pointe Shoes (advanced)

Leotard







Skirt







Ballet shoes





Pointe shoes

Positions

As I talked about in the previous post I will be talking about the five different Ballet positions. This video explains in great detail what the positions are and the arm placement to match.
1. First Position
          Hold both arms low and in front of you with your fingertips almost touching. Round your arms so your elbows are slightly bent. And raise your arms so that your hands are at your belly button but without raising your shoulders.
         For your feet you will stand with your feet parallel to each other and then keeping your heels touching and open your toes to their natural turn out.
2. Second Position
          From First position you are going to open your arms up to a "T" so that your arms are parallel to the ground and at shoulder height, no higher or lower.
         For your feet you keep them the same, the only thing you do is step out so that they are a little bit wider then shoulder width apart keeping them turned out.
3. Third Position
         You are going to take your left arm and raise it above your head so that your arm is nice and rounded and your fingers are right up over the middle of your head. Your right arm will stay in second position.
          Your left foot should be back in first position and your right heel should touch the knuckle of your left big toe.
4. Forth position
          You will keep your left arm where it is and now just take your right arm and go back to first position then just raise it so its straight out from your chest.
           Again your left foot will stay in first position and your right foot is just going to slide out in front of you from your left foot about a foot.
5. Fifth Position
          Your left arm will stay where it is and your right arm will come up to meet it.
           Your left foot again stays where it is and your right heel will meet up in front of your left pinky toe.

There is all of the position, if you are confused watch the video it will help a ton. Or just post a comment. But after this you have just finished your first Ballet lesson!!!!

History of Ballet

The first style of dance I will be talking about is Ballet. Ballet has been around as early as the 15th century, and it originates in the Italian Renaissance. Ballet can tell a story, it can express emotion, reflect a piece of music or simply show a choreographed set of movements. Ballet is a physically brutal art that puts the dancer into unnatural movements for the human body, and requires the alot of commitment, willpower and strength. A well put together Ballet puts the audience into a "fantasy world" providing an illusion where the dancers seem to have no gravity when they leap, turn, or go up on their tippy- toes. Although to get it to that point you have to acquire the technicality and difficulty so the audience can have the sense of emotion while watching the performance that the dancers are trying to portray.
Louis XIV brings French ballet back to life. When he was younger he used to take part in all the ballets in his court. In 1661, he established the first ballet school l'Académie Royale de Danse, to train dancers to perform for him. Around 1670, Pierre Beauchamps developed the five ballet positions.

Which you will see in the next post with a attached video!

My personal dance experience

I have been enrolled in dance ever since I was three at Anita's Dance Center in Muskego, WI, from ballet, tap, and jazz, rotation classes once a week to a full seven days of dance after shcool and on weekends. When I was younger I didnt think to much about dance, because what can you do at the age of three pretty much just stand there and try to comprehend what the teacher is telling you.
Throughout the years I have grown to love dance and make it my passion and continue to strive to make myself better. I always remember my instructor asking me who wants to be a dancer when they grow up? When I was around the age of 10, and I heard that question I never raised my hand because I didnt think of dance as such a serious thing. Now when we get asked that question I raise my hand because I have realized after being on competition team and traveling to dance conventions and hearing proffesional dancers stories makes me think about my dancing and how much I really do enjoy it. With my 15 years of dance experience it has allowed me to grow and look at past and present dancers and have their stories impact me, now it is my turn to do that to you. With my blog I hope I can draw dancers in and show them the past history and present styles of dance.

Getting to know me

Hello my name is Katlyn Kelenic I am currently a student at Waukesha West High School enrolled in a Writing for Publications class. Our assignment is to create a blog about a topic you want to talk about, we are assigned to do 18 blogs but I believe I will continue this blog after the assignment is over because I feel strongly about my topic. What is my topic you might ask? Well it is a topic that interests some, not all. My topic is Dance, I will first talking about my dance experience and then go into the history of dance as well as lessons of different styles of dance and attach videos to learn from.


Enjoy!