Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 2/19/2009

Question

Good morning, Ms. Buxton:

My niece is trying to accomplish a correct developpe ecarte ( I'm not quite sure if this is the correct name for such step) This is at the beginning of the Three Shades variation from La Bayadere). Her extension and developpe on a non moving position looks beautiful. Her hips are straight, balanced, and her extension reaches to a few inches of her ear; however this step requieres a little jump moving across the floor diagonally and this is where the problem arises (there are a total of four, each one followed by a slow turn). The knee of her standing leg turns in a little right after the jump, which makes her loose height on the leg she develops. She is not sure where exactly she should put her weight. She is working so hard, but she can't really finds what she's doing wrong.I simply hope to shed some light, because I see her so sad.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Sincerely,

Karinna

Answer
Hello. How wonderful for your niece that she has such a caring aunt!

If she were my student, I would have her do very slow rises in the ecarte position, using the barre, to see what is changing to cause her to lose her position.  While she can see that she is losing turnout, the weakness is probably in her core muscles. Such a high extension is hard to maintain with any movement.

Her core, deep ab muscles, turnout muscles, and the top of her thighs must all be equally strong to keep a ballet position in place.

By doing the slow rises from a demi plie, and back into a demi plie, maintaining her position, she may see something that gives out BEFORE the turnout gives out. If not, just doing the slow rises will build strength to not lose the turnout.

She can increase the pace of the rises to quicker releves, gradually, as she builds strength. Then, at some point she will also be able to maintain position in the jump.

Her weight doesn't change - it is always placed as though her foot were a tripod - heel/ball of foot/little toe joint area. Moving the body across the floor challenges this.

If I were directing this dance, I would tell her to lower her leg to the point where it does not lose height, in rehearsals and performances. Practice at full height as I mentioned above until the stable position gradually increases in height.

I've described all of this as though you were another ballet teacher - it's difficult to explain otherwise. Let me know if you have any more questions. If you show this to her she will understand it perfectly. She definitely can achieve her goal with this.

All the best to both of you, Dianne