Arabesque

Cecchetti Arabesque

First Arabesque: The body is held upright from the waist and is supported on a straight leg with the other leg extended and at right angles to the supporting leg. The shoulders are held square to the line of the direction with the arms extended, palms facing down, so that the extended fingertips of the forward arm (which is the one on the same side as the supporting leg) are in line with the centre of the space between the eyes

Second Arabesque: The arms are reversed so that the forward arm is the opposite to the supporting leg. the head is slightly yurned toward the audience.

Third Arabesque: Both arms are extended forward to the side of the supporting leg. The fingertips of the arm farther from the audience are in line with the center if the eyes while the arm nearer the audience is in a line with the shoulder.

Fourth Arabesque: The supporting leg is nearer the audience and is in demi plie. The arms and head are held as in First with the arm on the side of the raised leg forward.

Fifth Arabesque: The arms and head are held as in Third witht he arm farther from the audience being higher. The supporting leg nearer the audience is in demi plie

 

Russian

First Arabesque: The body is supported on one leg with the other lifted at a right or greater angle to the supporting leg. The body is inclined forward with from the waiste with a strongly arched back. The arm on the side of the supporting leg is forward and the other taken out to the side a little behind second position.

Second Arabesque: The body and legs are the same as First but the arms are reversed. The arm on the side of the supporting leg is taken back far enough to be seen behind the body while the other arm is extended forward. The head os turned toward the audience.

Third Arabesque: Faces diagonally toward the audience. The supporting leg is nearer the supporting leg with the other raised is croise derriere at right angles to the supporting leg. The body is inclined forward with the arm opposite the supporting leg extended forward on a level with the shoulder and the other arm extended to the side. The head is turned toward the forward arm.

Fourth Arabesque: The legs are in the same position as third but the arms are reversed and held at shoulder level. The arm on the side of the supporting leg is brought forward and the other arm taken back far enough to be seen begind the back. The body is half turned away from the audience by the strong arching of the back, with the head turned towards the audience.

Glissade Definitions

Glissade Dessous-Indicates that the working foot passes behind the supporting foot.

Glissade Dessus- Indicates that the working foot passes in front of the supporting foot.

Glissade en Avant-  A direction for the execution of the step. Used to indicate that a given step is executed moving forward.

Glissade en Arriere- Used to indicate that a step is executed moving away from the audience.

Health Odyssey

Of course everyone knows how important health is but most don’t follow what they know they should. It usually takes actually seeing and tasting how healthy choices can change your life. I gained a lot of information and knowledge as to how to keep myslf on track, and how to cook the meals that will help me want to stay on track. I felt that the odyssey should become an annual event and I know that almost everyone who went feels the same.

Body Check In

After Four Days of Dance, I’m pretty beat. Mentally I feel ready for a vacation and some relaxation. My body feels the same! During the last warm up I hurt my right knee and it has been bothering me since.My knee being hurt definetly doesn’t help me during class. I can feel that I’m relying on other body parts to compensate for my knee which in  turn makes me realize that my technique is being comprimised. With some rest, I know I’ll be back to my old self in no time but until then I’m going to keep going.

Transitions

The sentence to me means that knowing what gets the body into and through the movement is way more important than what comes afterwards. I still have a hard time going through flat back as well as going through a full second. The transition of my arms has always been my strong point although, I can work on it more. I will continue to work on going through second as well as going into the ground to get into turns and jumps. All transitions help with the skill of dance, its all just a matter of working on them during class.

Dancing Beyond the Walls

It took until about Wednesday of that week to begin understanding what dancing beyond the walls actually was. What I had to do was look at the trees outside and pretend that I actually was outside. I was drawn to actually feeling that I was outside and that I was truly feeling the movement. I found that when we used partners to experience lengthen, it was a lot easier with someone actually pulling me then it was when I was on my own. I know now that I need to work on visualizing myself being lengthened and being pulled to better help myself in the process.

Dancing Beyond the Walls

It took until about Wednesday of that week to begin understanding what dancing beyond the walls actually was. What I had to do was look at the trees outside and pretend that I actually was outside. I was drawn to actually feeling that I was outside and that I was truly feeling the movement. I found that when we used partners to experience lengthen, it was a lot easier with someone actually pulling me then it was when I was on my own. I know now that I need to work on visualizing myself being lengthened and being pulled to better help myself in the process.