Pre El Flashcards
How many are closed positions?
Three: first, third and fifth
How many positions of the feet are there?
Five
How many are open positions
Two: second and fourth
How do you move from one position to another?
By means of a degage
What is a degage?
To push the foot along the floor into an open position, arching the instep and stretching the toe extremities fully, with only the big toe touching the floor
If the weight is on the little toe, what does this cause?
The ankle drops which causes the foot to sickle
What is battement tendu?
A stretching of the foot into an open position and returning to a closed position
What does tendu mean
To stretch
What is a plie
A bending and stretching of the knees, maintaining a controlled carriage throughout that the weight is kept centred throughout the movement
Which joints are used in a plie
The hip, knee and ankle joints
How far do you go down in a full plie
To where the thighs are horizontal
Where are the knees in a plie
Pressed out to the side
Where is the greater part of the weight placed in a plie?
On the outer side of the foot, but only as a precaution to stop the feet from rolling onto the big toes
How do you correct rolling in plies?
But supporting the ankles and the under insteo
What is the shape of a rond de jambe a terre
An oval or egg shape
Where are the two extreme ends of the oval
4th devant and derriere
Which movement is emphasised and which is controlled in rond de jambe a terre
As the foot passes through second it is emphasised and through first it is controlled
Which part of the foot leads the way in all forward movements
The heel
Which part of the foot leads the way of all backwards movements
The toes
How many kinds of rond de jambe a terre is there
Two. En dehor and en dedan
What does en dehor mean
Outward, away from the supporting leg
What does en dedan mean
Inward, toward the supporting leg
What does a terre mean
On the ground
What does rond de jambe mean
Round the leg
Where are the extreme ends of the oval in rond de jambe en lair
Second en lair and the inside of the supporting knee
What does en lair mean
In the air
What is a fondu
A bending of the supporting leg
What does fondu mean
To melt
When does the supporting leg stretch in the battement fondu exercise
Both legs stretch and fully extend simultaneously
What does frappe mean
To bear
Which joints are used in a battement frappe
The knee and ankle joints only
What is battement frappe a preparation for?
All batterie work
On what part of the supporting leg does the beat occur
The thin part of the leg immediately above the ankle
What is the thin part of the ankle called
Sur le cou de pied
What does soutenu mean
To hold or sustain
Which joint do we use in petits battement
The knee joint onky
What should be the though concerning the working thigh in petits battement
It should be pressed back and kept still throughout the exercise
What doe grand battement mean
Large beating
What is a grand battement
A throwing up of the leg en lair and returning it to the ground
Is the leg thrown or carried
The leg is thrown upward but the downward movement is controlled
Where does the strength come from when throwig the leg en lair
The under thigh muscle of the working leg and the stretch of the working foot
What should be heard during this movement
A swishing sound as the foot leaves and returns to the ground
How is this obtained (swishing sound)
By pushing the foot along the ground strongly until the foot is fully arched going through a battement tendu and returnin in the same manner
What is a developpe
An unfolding of the leg en lair and holding it there
What is the value of a developpe
To strengthen the legs and prepare the dancer for adage and other sustained movements
What is a grand battement en cloche
A continuous gran battement in 4th devant and derriere passing through the first where the heel is lowered
What does en cloche mean
Pendulum or bell movement
What is a temps lie
A smooth transference of weight
What does temps lie mean
Connecting, joining or binding together
What does en avant mean
Travelling forward
What does en arriere
Travelling backward
What does port de bras mean
Carriage of the arms with the use of the head and body
What dies en epaulment mean
A movement of the shoulders from the waist upward, one shoulder brought forward, the other taken back, and the head over the forward shoulder
What is a chasse
A glide into and open position
What is an attitude
A position in dancing with the weight of the body on one straight leg, the other behind in fourth croise derriere
What is an arabesque
A position in dancing with the weight of the on one straight leg showing an oblique or diagonal line
How is the line obtained (arabesque)
This is an imaginary line from the tip of the front hand to the toe of the working leg, which is a terre or en lair
What should be the shape of the body in this position (arqbesque)
Curved like the arc of a bow
What is the head action in a pirouette
This is called spotting. The eyes spot where the dancer intends to finish. At the start the head and eyes remain on this spot for as long as possible. Then the head turns quickly and the eyes focus on that same spot before the body completes the turn
What gives the impetus to turn a pirouette
The outgoing arm opens to second where it locks in the shoulder. This is then followed by the incoming arm into first position
What is the correct placing of the working foot in a pirouette
The toes of the foot are placed immediately under the supporting knee. The working foot is not crossed over the supporting leg
What does releve mean
To rise either by instep pressure or by a snatch
With which part of the toes is a releve executed
The platform of the toes, with a fully arched instep. This is called 3/4 point
What does adage mean
Slow controlled movement
Which arm is raised in fourth position
The arm in the same side as the front foot
Which arm is raised in fourth opposition
The arm on the side opposite to the front foot
What is a glissade
A step and a glide
How many heels are lowered at the end of a glissade
Both
How do you finish a glissade
In a demi plie
What is a coupe
To cut the weight of the body from one foot to the other
What is an assemble
For a dance it refers go the joining of the feet together, and is usually used for a preparatory step for elevation steps
What does porte mean
Carried
What is a pose
A step from one foot onto the other
What does saute mean
To spring
What is a temps leve
A hop alighting on a bending knee
How many kinds of echappe are there
Two: echappe saute and echappe releve
What is an echappe saute
A straight step of elevation from two feet, drawing the feet together before alighting in either fourth or second in a demi plie
What is an echappe releve
An equal escapement of both feet on demi or full point
What is petit allegro
Small quick movements
What do the words pas de chat relate to
The step of a cat
In which direction are pas de chats usually executed
Obliquely forward
What should be shown on the count of 2 in a pas de basque
A strong degage derriere
What are the positions in a pas de bourre
Fifth, second and fifth
In which direction do ordinary pas do bourres travel
Away from the commencing foot
With what part of the foot is a pas de bourree executed
The first two steps are in the toes, the third is flat
What are the words used to describe pas de bourre devant
Front side front
What are the words used to describe pas de bourre derierre
Behind side behind
What does dessous mean and what words are used for this pas de bouree
Under - behind side front
What does dessus mean and what words are used for this pas de bourree
Over - front side behind
What does en tournant mean
To turn
What is a fouette
A short sharp whipping movement
What is a sissone
A soft step of elevation
How many kinds of sissonne are there at this standard
Three
What are they (sisssone)
Ordinaire, ouverte and ferme
What is a sissonne ordinaire
A soft step of elevation from two feet alighting onto one foot with the working foot reaching its highest point as the dancer alights on the supporting leg
How many ordinaire are there
Four: devant, derriere, passe en avant and passe en arriere
What is a sisonne ouvette
A soft step of elevation from two feet, alighting in one foot with the working keg extended into an open position
What does ferme mean
Closed
What is petit batterie
Small beaten steps which are executed with speed and minimum elevation
Which foot does the most work in batterie
The back foot. Both feet beat, but the action if the back foot is more emphatic
What is an echappe saute battu
An entrechat quatre alighting in second position
When does the beat occur in a changement battu or royale
Before the changement
In assemble porte, what dies the word porte mean
To be carried or sustained
What is the essential feeling in all point work
Uplift and lightness
How is this obtained (uplift and lightness)
By breathing correctly taking a breath before rising
How do you descend from points softly
By supporting the back and not exhaling quickly
In echappe, which fourth position of the feet do we use
The fourth croise
What is the essential movement of the supporting leg in a releve sur la point
To draw it under the centre of the body
Why is this movement necessary (releve sur la point)
To support the weight of the body
How you achieve strong pointe work
By fully arching the instep to enable work on the correct part of the shoe, making sure the ankles are strong
What must be avoided in point
Rolling back on the little toes.
Also rolling on the big toes, both on point and while alighting
What is the essential feeling in the legs
To stretch fully up on the back of the knees and under the thigh muscles
