 From our Readers
01/03/97
Trouble with Turns…
I have been dancing on and off for most of my life, and have never been able
to turn. I listen intently when teachers discuss placement, using the head, pushing from
two feet etc. and do my best to do all this. What eludes me is how to actually make my
body TURN. How does one spin? There must be some science to it somewhere. Since I take
intermediate and advanced ballet classes, with some really good dancers, I'd love to be
able to do double pirouettes, too. Please help me.
Lesley
Lesley,
Turns are one of those things that can't really be taught. Your teachers are helping
you build the strength and stability needed, thereby giving you a better chance of
discovering how to turn. It's much like learning to riding a bike, or to balance…when
you do finally ‘get it’ you never forget how.
To turn is a movement ‘distinction’, similar
to the movement distinction called ‘balance’. There are some repetitive
exercises that can bring you to the edge of ‘getting it’, and then
suddenly, like out of nowhere, you are turning. When I coach my dancers I have a lot of
instructions, theories, methods and other such ‘teaching stuff’. But none
of that has what a dancer needs to grasp the distinction of turning. Rather, by
presenting a specific set of repetitive exercises, teachers take a dancer to the edge of
discovering the turns for themselves. Then it is up to the dancer to take the next
step…a breakthrough that is ultimately the responsibility of the dancer to achieve.
This directly relates to January 97 The Insight, which you should review.
It might seem I am being ambiguous about the technique of
turning. I am not saying that there is not a ‘science’ to learning how to
dance; I am a firm believer in the technical aspects to ballet technique. But there comes
the time when all dancers must take their respective technique into their own hands. It is
the maturing process through which one must pass to become an independent artist. No one
can teach you how to ‘balance’, they can only lead you to the moment just
before you achieve it…then the rest is up to you.
Earlier I mentioned a series of repetitive exercises that
I use to help my dancers achieve breakthroughs in their technique of executing pirouettes.
In the near future I’ll be posting an article on the topic, complete with short
animations, and technical drawings. At this point I am developing my skills as an animator
and hope to share it with you soon.
I want to thank you very much for your question regarding
turns. It is definitely an area that is deeply interesting, and sometimes frustrating, to
many dancers. Great questions like this are helping us to build future issues of the BalletCentral
and will be useful for many of the people that visit this site.
Anthony
To Keep Them Focused...
I just started a new dance program this year. All of my
students are beginners. My younger students have a short attention span (of course) and I
would like to teach them more center work but we tend to do a brief barre warm-up and then
steps across the floor. The only center work I am currently able to keep them interested
in is their holiday performance coming up. Any suggestions for after holidays??? I have
been involved in running my own program before but each school and class takes on a unique
personality. People in the area I live are most interest in their child having fun. I
always have fun. I'd teach for free! :)
Enthusiastic Teacher!
New Hampshire USA
Enthusiastic Teacher,
It is great to hear from teachers who really love their work. This will always show in
how well the students learn…love is all it takes to inspire. To keep your younger
students, or for that matter, any student, interested in what they are doing you should
keep a goal or some type of performance in front of them. This could be a holiday
performance or the end of the year show. You could always have every couple of months a
‘open house’ performance where parents come to see the progress of their
children. The choreography could be the ‘work-in-progress’ that will be used for
the annual year end performance. This way the parents, viewing parts of the dance early,
could watch the progress their child makes through the year.
Thanks for responding to the BalletCentral.
Anthony
Feedback...
I really love what you did with BalletCentral homepage.... It's really great and
very commendable of you... someone who is so obviously dedicated to the art form of dance.
Anyway, just wanted to comment on the quote by Kahlil Gibran (November Issue)...It is so
true.... for without love, there is nothing....discipline, yes but it must be in love....
strictness at times, yes, but in love.... love for the student, the art form....love for
the teacher.... A great teacher not only imparts his knowledge and wisdom but also
inspires the student to think and feel for himself…A great dancer at least to me, is
not a technician, but a thinking dancer, some one who dances and moves with TRUTH...who
feels ....Technique of course important to a certain degree... it gives the dancer the
facility to express... but without the soul and spirit, it is not worth watching…an
empty vessel, full of form and technicality with no substance. I 'd rather watch a
non-dancer move who moves with all sincerity of his or heart.... Truth.. that is what is
important in a performer.
Roy Gan
Email Anthony at coach@danceart.com |
