Battement

Sorry that my posts have been less frequent lately. We have had family crisis and events in the last few weeks that have interrupted my blogging schedule. I hope to be back on track after next week. On to the post…

I’m sure that most dancers reading this blog have used the term battement before. If grand battement immediately comes to mind, I’m not surprised, as dancers and teachers generally drop the word battement from the name of many common terms (usually just because it is faster or easier). However some dance students may not realize that battement is actually a family of movements that includes tendus, dégagés (or, battement tendu jeté), frappés, and fondus développé. The ABT dictionary defines battement here and further defines several movements in the battement family (many with accompanying video). For more video links, also visit Dance Outlook.

Battements, as they are practiced at the barre and in centre, are the foundation of many other movements in ballet (jumps and travelling steps such as assemblé, tour jeté, grand jeté, and so many more) and other dance forms. In other words, it is necessary to have a solid grasp on the simplest forms in order to perform the others correctly. Often battements are separated into two categories: petit and grand. However, I like to consider two different categories in which to divide battements - those that brush the ground, and those that come from a position that is already lifted from the floor.

In battements that brush the ground it is important to remember the use of the feet. I have encountered many beginning dancers that neglect “working through” the foot as the working/gesture leg is disengaged from it’s standing position. Think of the foot as a paintbrush creating a brush stroke on the floor, using the intrinsic muscles of the arch and finally, the toes. This small action will strengthen the foot for jumping and other movements and helps to “ground” the movement, providing stability, particularly in centre. Stability can also be increased by imagining the standing leg rooted deep into the earth as the working leg moves outward and/or skyward from the midline. For grand battement especially, I like to remind my students that power and height of the working leg is achieved through first sending force into the floor. Much like a rocket ship which propels itself into space by sending heat and energy downward, a dancer must send energy into the floor through the leg to create “lift-off” in battement.

In all battement, maintaining turn-out is crucial. Many students struggle with this and it can take years to develop the strength to utilize and maintain turn-out with consistency. One way to “find” or create awareness of turnout in battements is to place the fingertips on the greater trochanter. This is the portion of bone at the outside of the hip joint that you’ll probably feel pressing into the floor when lying on your side. With the fingertips on this protrusion, execute a battement tendu. When properly utilizing your turn-out you will feel the trochanter slip backward but not dip lower or lift higher as you disengage the leg. This exercise may be used as an alternative or supplement to the more commonly taught idea about allowing the heal to lead, etc.

Of course, each movement within the battement family could have it’s own post! Therefore, I’ve included some excellent links below that go into detail about specific battements.

• Battement tendu
• Grand battement
• Battement frappe
• Battement degage
• Battement fondu

A resource that will prove helpful in your study of ballet (and other dance forms that make use of ballet terminology and movements) and understanding of terminology are a good ballet dictionary like the Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet. For all-around understanding and development of technique, one of my favorite books is Dance Imagery for Technique and Performance.

What are some images that have helped you (or your students) in executing movements in the battement family? What do you think of my categoriztion of the two types of battement? What are some other pointers you can offer?

 

Dance Advantage Interactive

I’ve been working on some exciting new ways of reaching out to dance students, teachers, and parents online and getting the word out about the Dance Advantage blog. In addition to creating pages on Facebook and MySpace, I am releasing updates and other information on Twitter, and use StumbleUpon. If you utilize any of these online networks or tools, I would be honored if you added Dance Advantage to your list of connections.

In addition, I have recently launched a companion site to this blog called Dance Advantage Interactive. It is a network in which dancers, teachers, and dance enthusiasts can join, share ideas, suggest topics for the blog, ask questions, and form ties as a community. I am still discovering new ways of utilizing this platform, however, the network is expanded and improved primarily by its members. You can set up a profile, create groups, post videos and photos, and more. I hope you will check it out and consider becoming a member.

Okay, sorry for the commercial. I promise to keep posts like this to a minimum in order to maintain the purpose and integrity of this blog, which is to inform, educate, and inspire. I encourage you to add your feelings and responses to posts as comments here and elsewhere on the web. Your input will enhance and shape this resource, making it even more useful to students and teachers everywhere. Thanks so much for your readership.

-Nichelle

 

The Company

I wanted to share with you one of my favorite dance movies - The Company. I love it for it’s rich performance footage and day-in-the life feel. It’s low on plot, but high on spectacular dancing and choreography. Just for your information, the movie, featuring Neve Campbell and directed by Robert Altman, is rated PG-13 with some nudity in dressing-room scenes.

Here is a wonderful review of the movie. It’s part of a series entitled Invitation to the Dance Movie Blogathon which features more great reviews and clips of dance movies. I read and watched YouTube clips of movies I had never seen before! Definitely worth checking out.

 

Bullying in Dance Class

What does a bully look like?  We tend to picture a bully as a big, tough, boy that picks on those smaller or younger than himself.  However, there’s been a lot of discussion going on lately about bullying and we are slowly learning that bullies come in many forms.  Although dance can foster understanding and a sense of community among young people, dance classes are not immune to episodes of bullying.

Boys in dance often receive taunting, teasing and physical harassment from sources outside their dance school (probably more likely than from within the school, although I could be wrong).  Sometimes the effects of bullying can have serious consequences as they did for one young man in Derby, England.  Girls tend to practice what is called relational aggression.  They manipulate, taunt, and tease on an emotional level that often flies under the radar of teachers.  Here are some sources that will help you spot and understand relational aggression in action:

• Girls Bullying Girls
• Girl Bullies
• Relational Aggression
• The Ophelia Project

 In all cases, there are adults that excuse bullying with, “boys will be boys” or “girls will be girls,” or consider the behavior as part of a phase that will pass.  Some feel bullying is just something that everyone has to deal with and consider this process a lesson for life.   Others simply don’t recognize bullying for what it is.  Even though certain age groups are more prone to experience or exhibit bullying behavior, students deserve to learn in an environment that is safe from abuse.  Dance classes for pre-teens and teens are a social, as well as an educational environment where cliques and competition can flourish.  In addition, students often bring their school-lives into the dance studio despite being urged to “leave it at the door.”  Dance teachers can help to combat problems by recognizing episodes of bullying and adopting a no-tolerance policy on destructive behavior in their class even before it becomes a problem.  It’s been my experience that students thrive when they are free to create, succeed, and fail in a class without the stress of facing snickers, rude comments, or pressure to join in on bad behavior from other classmates.

If your pre-teens or teens are already engaging in bullying behaviors, what can you do in your dance classes right now? 

Take some time out of an upcoming class to sit down with the students and create rules about bullying. Having a heart-to-heart right after an episode occurs may embarrass the bullied student, so it’s best to begin your class with the project as soon as you feel ready to address the subject.

It may be helpful to start out with a discussion about what constitutes bullying. Ask the students to come up with a list of actions that they would consider to be bullying (whispering and giggling, rolling eyes, etc.). Next, have them create a set of rules to follow in class that will stop bullying. And finally, come up with appropriate consequences for breaking the rules. Make sure the rules are clear and concise so that the bully can’t talk their way out of punishment. For example, No Whispering. That means no whispering… period. Doesn’t matter what the whispering was about because they will try to convince you that it wasn’t malicious. Stick to the rule and the consequence every time.

I’ve also found it helpful to create, in general, a supportive environment in class.  This can include encouraging clapping for groups after they’ve crossed the floor or performed in front of the rest of the class.  Offering comments like “good try,”  ”don’t give up,” or “you nailed the timing, Susie!” in addition to corrections is helpful, and don’t forget to praise students who exhibit supportive and positive behavior.  Demonstrate constructive criticism, teaching students to look for positives and “needs improvement” in others’ work, then make it a point to provide opportunities for students to practice constructive criticism (be careful of the latter if there is already a lot of negative behavior running through the class - it can backfire).

If the bullying continues, pull aside the offender after class. Provide specific examples of his/her bullying and/or breaking the rules, make it clear this is not acceptable, and let him/her know that this is a warning that will be followed with specific consequences if the behavior does not stop. It may also help to pull the bullied student aside and let him/her know of your plans to end the bullying so that he/she feels some reassurance that you are aware of the problem and are taking action to prevent it.

There are lots of ways for parents and teachers to deal with and prevent bullying.  The links I’ve included above offer suggestions, as well as support for victims and even more links on the subject of relational aggression.

Have you been bullied in a dance class?  If you are a teacher, how have you prevented bullying behavior in your class/school?

 

Improving Pirouettes

I was recently asked about some tips on how to improve at multiple pirouettes. I know that lots of students are wanting to know the same thing, so here is my answer:

1. Engaging your abdominal/core muscles is necessary for maintaining good alignment during the turn.
2. Every turn is a balance, so

 

Encouraging Boys to Dance

Dance is a physical and athletic activity requiring great skill, strength, and agility. Sounds like an ideal fit for energetic boys… so where are they?? Well, we know that public perception is difficult to change and, in general, the current perception is that dance is not a “manly” activity. For ballet and some other dance styles, the aesthetic is for movement to look effortless. Even though the audience knows that men in dance must be in top physical form, beauty and elegance masks the blood, sweat, and tears it seems we like to see from men in our culture. Therefore, the grittier athletic activities are favored for boys, while dance is considered a better pursuit for girls. This is, of course, a simplification of the gender issues in dance. However, to a young boy or teen pursuing dance, the road is often anything but simple.

So, how do we get boys and keep them in our dance classes and schools? Here are some suggestions: